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Living
in New Haven Want
to know what it's like to live in New Haven? Check
out the perspective of some of the Department's locals!
Founded in
1638, New Haven is
a city of about 125,000 people and is situated on Long Island Sound near the center
of the Connecticut shoreline. It is a major Northeast port facility and transportation
junction. New York is only one and a half hours away and Boston three hours away
from New Haven. Frequent train service is available to both cities, as are commuter
airline flights.
Yale and New Haven have grown up together since 1716,
and the university and the city interconnect and work along side each other in
significant ways. New Haven offers many cultural
attractions itself entirely apart from Yale such as the Long
Wharf Theatre (one of the nation's most highly honored regional theatre companies)and
the Shubert Theatre (the site for
many years of the final pre-New York performance of renowned Broadway musicals).
Theatre in New Haven ranks second only to New York in the Northeast. The
city is also prominent in New England for its thriving fine arts scene. It is
the home of symphony orchestras (New
Haven Symphony Orchestra, Yale
Symphony Orchestra), numerous classical, rock and jazz groups, several museums
and concert venues, many cafes and shops, and a manifold of culturally rich ethnic
neighborhoods. The
interesting architectural attractions found in many of its neighborhoods are well
known and much studied, and at its center is a classical town green. The green
is the site of many outdoor events, especially during summer months, such as The
International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and the New Haven Jazz Festival,
and other interesting events. There
are many annual
events throughout the year in the Greater New Haven area. In
addition, New Haven is the home of dozens of excellent restaurants with many types
of cuisine. Not only is New Haven the birthplace of the pizza and the hamburger
(the restaurants where they originated are still here), but many other "firsts"
took place in New Haven.
The New Haven Parks Department has its own
Outdoor Adventure Program featuring environmental activities designed to enhance
nature appreciation including canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, white water
rafting, a portable climbing wall, rock climbing, mountain biking, snorkeling,
scuba diving, a ropes course, and ice climbing excursions.
Close to New
Haven are numerous state
parks such as Sleeping
Giant, which offers a wide variety of hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing.
New Haven is also close to many state beaches and its unique location on the water
offers its residents many water activities such as fishing, swimming, and sailing.
Farther away but still readily accessible by car are Cape
Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket
Island, Block Island
and other famous New England vacation spots. For the winter months the Berkshires,
and the Green and White Mountains of central and northern New England, offer the
best skiing in the Northeast
and are only a few hours away by car.
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