Are there no stores in Bridgeport? Whenever I click on my sim's vehicle in that neighborhood I only have the option to visit a community lot. In every other neighborhood I have the go shopping option along with the community lots option. If there are stores in Bridgport how do I get my sim to drive to them without this option? Why can I not set up email notifications for threads?

look at the map view, and then select 'community' from the menu--or even 'careers' since most of the stores have jobs attached. Several of bridgeport's buildings have more than one rabbithole inside.

There are shops. You can send sims to them from the map view by clicking on their tags and selecting "Shop for *****". The bookstore is combined with the spa and is roughly in the centre of the high-rise area, grocery is roughly halfway betweeh town hall/PD/milbase and small suburb of starter cottages near the school, IIRC.

No idea why this option does not show up.