The South End neighborhood is located on a peninsula between Cedar Creek and Long Island Sound. It is directly south of I-95 and the Downtown, bordering Bridgeport Harbor with views of Pleasure Beach and the Port of Bridgeport in the East End. The largest land use in the South End is parks/open space due to the presence of Seaside Park. Other major land uses are institutional, largely attributable to the University of Bridgeport, and industrial, mainly concentrated along the neighborhood’s periphery. Residential uses are located in the northern portion of the neighborhood and are predominantly medium-and high-density. In 2000, there were 1,270 jobs located in the South End with an average annual salary of $58,721 in 2006 dollars. The education and health sector is the largest employment sector in the neighborhood, followed by manufacturing. Over 35 percent of South End residents are unemployed.

In 2000 the South End had 4,697 residents. The ethnic/racial composition of the area was fairly balanced relative to other city neighborhoods. Hispanics made up 37 percent of the population, followed by Black non-Hispanics (29%) and White non-Hispanics and Asians (each 17%). About 20 percent of the neighborhood’s residents were foreign-born. In 2000 the South End had 1,740 housing units, 95 percent of which are over 20 years old. Most of the area’s housing units (65%) are renter-occupied. The South End has four historic districts: Seaside Park, Marina Park Historic District, Barnum/Palliser Historic District and Seaside Village Historic District.