Please take a moment to check out this week’s City Face, Carmen Tyce.

 

How long have you lived in Bridgeport?Our family relocated to Bridgeport in May of 2017 from Columbus, Ohio. We moved to Columbus from Florida in 2012 and lived there for five years while my husband completed his PhD in History at The Ohio State University.  It was a wonderful experience!

 

Where are you originally from?  That’s a difficult question to answer. My father was a dentist in the Navy so my childhood was spent in many locations. I was born in Virginia, but I never really lived there. My mother’s family is from Scotland Neck, North Carolina and my father’s family is from Gloucester, Massachusetts. I graduated from high school in Beaufort, South Carolina and then moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. I generally consider Honolulu as my “hometown’ of sorts because I lived there for eleven years, which is longer than I have lived anywhere.

 

Are you married?  Yes! My husband, Spencer, is a history professor at Fairmont State University. We met in Graduate School at the University of North Florida.

 

Children?I have three children in high school. My eldest daughter is a rising Junior and my twins are rising Sophomores.

 

What is your favorite color?  I am very partial to green, though I think Sage Green is probably my favorite.

 

Where do you work?  I currently work as the Director for the Bridgeport Arts & Heritage Foundation. My professional background is in museums and education so I feel very blessed to have found a local nonprofit where my skill set can be utilized.

 

Favorite Bridgeport spot?Oh, I have so many! We recently became members of the Bridgeport Country Club and our family is looking forward to spending more time there this summer. My daughter has been counting the days until the pool opens, so I imagine that will become our new local haunt.

 

Favorite WV spot outside of Bridgeport?  West Virginia has an unrivaled beauty that I am just now starting to discover. I’ll have to keep you posted on that, but as of now I would have to say the New River Gorge. It is breathtaking and leaves me awestruck every time I see it.

 

Favorite place outside of WV?  Oh gosh, that’s hard to choose. Hmm. Probably the rose garden at the Raleigh Little Theater in Raleigh, North Carolina. Every time I go home in the summer to visit family, I always try to make it a point to stop by and take a walk through the roses. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend it.

 

Favorite restaurant? Our local favorite would have to be Mia Margherita. The food is fabulous and the staff there are very friendly and accommodating.

 

Best childhood memory?When I was in Middle School my father got orders to La Maddalena, Sardinia. The years that I spent there were the most enriching of my childhood. Living on an island in the Mediterranean really opened my eyes to the value of cultural diversity and an appreciation for travel and adventure.

 

Favorite musical group?  Although I like a variety of bands and genres, if I had to pick just one I would have to say the Electric Light Orchestra. For our anniversary this year, my husband got us tickets to see them in Pittsburgh this coming August. I have never seen them live before so I am very excited and am trying not to get all “fan girl” about it. But I totally am.

 

Pets? We have one dog and three cats. Our dog, Miles, is a beagle mix and is the only pet who has a semi-normal name. Our cats are Makali’i, Pa’ani, and Lili’uokalani. It’s sort of a tradition in our family that all of our pets have Hawaiian names, which proves very amusing when we take them to the vet.

 

Hobbies?I’m a beachcomber, amateur photographer, and historian. I also enjoy working on genealogy and collecting vintage postcards and other artifacts of local history.

 

Interesting fact about you? I can read 16th-century Spanish. While in graduate school, my concentration was 16th-century Spanish Florida and more specifically the Santa Elena colony on Parris Island.

 

Editor's Note:If you or someone you know would like to be featured as a City Face please email Hannah Edwards at hannah@connect-bridgeport.com.