New Haven - Colonial Charm

Downtown New Haven 1

Home to Yale University, New Haven is a mid-size city located in south-central Connecticut and part of the Greater New Haven area. Its rich history and colonial charm make it an interesting city to visit. New Haven is culturally diverse, with a vibrant performing arts scene, home to several theaters, including the Shubert New Haven Theater, the Yale Repertory Theater, and the Long Wharf Theatre. Art lovers will also find plenty to see in New Haven, with its world-class museums, including the Yale Center for British Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and the Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Aside from the arts, New Haven is also gaining a reputation for its dining scene, with a large number of restaurants scattered throughout the city, offering everything from pizza to culinary delights. The city is reputed to have some of the best pizza, with two pizzeria joints, Pepe's and Sally's, both in the historic Wooster Square District, serving up traditional, thin crust Napoletana pizza. Louis' Lunch also claims to have served the first hamburger, a beef patty on toast, which is how it continues to be served today.

Both business and leisure travelers will find suitable accommodation options while staying in New Haven, with several chain hotels found in the city's downtown core. It is important to note that hotels fill up quickly for alumni reunions, graduations and football weekends, so booking in advance is recommended.

CLIMATE

New Haven is situated at the head of New Haven Bay on Long Island Harbor and experiences four distinct seasons. Its proximity to the harbor effects its climate, resulting in mild winters and moderately warm and humid summers. Average temperatures in January are 35°F (2°C) and 77°F (25°C) in July. Annual precipitation averages at 46.02 inches (116.89 cm).

TRANSPORTATION

Getting There

	New Haven Lighthouse 2

By Road
New Haven can be accessed via two Interstates; I-91, which heads north into Massachusetts, and I-95, which runs along the coast. To reach New Haven traveling from Hartford, CT, Springfield, MA and other points north, take I-91 south. From New York City, take I-95 north; or traveling from Rhode Island, Eastern Connecticut, and Eastern Massachusetts, take I-95 south.

By Train
New Haven has extensive train travel options available, operating out of the historic Union Station on Union Avenue. Amtrak provides several routes: Acela Express serves Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC; Regional Service provides to and from travel to Boston, Springfield, Providence, New York, Washington, DC and Newport News; and Vermonter Service provides to and from travel to St. Albans, Burlington, Springfield, New York and Washington, DC. Other train services include The Metro North Railroad, offering daily trips between New York and New Haven, and Shore Line East, a commuter rail providing transportation between New Haven and New London.

By Air
Air travel is available in New Haven via the Tweed-New Haven Airport, a regional airport served by US Airways. Located 10 minutes from downtown, travelers will find air connections to major airports in the region. Ground transportation available at Tweed includes Avis and Hertz rental car companies, bus service by CT Transit and Metro Taxi.

Getting Around

Bus
The CT Transit provides bus service within the city and to the suburbs, operating over 22 local routes and connecting with other bus services in Meriden, Wallingford, Milford, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley areas, and rail services such as Shore Line East. Many routes are available daily. Greyhound and Peter Pan motorcoach lines also provide bus transportation to New Haven, both having terminals at the Union Station.

Parking
Once in the city, there is plenty of parking available in downtown New Haven, with 2,500 on-street parking meters and over 12,000 off-street spaces. For convenience, visitors can purchase a Parcxmart Card; available at shops and restaurants, this card can be used at meters, lots and garages, as well as for making purchases at many downtown shops and restaurants.

ATTRACTIONS

Yale University 3

Yale University
A trip to New Haven would not be complete without a visit to one of the most prestigious universities in the United States-Yale University. Founded in 1701, Yale is a member of the Ivy League and is noted for its scholarly reputation and famous for its Yale Law School. Notable alumni include several presidents and political figures, including William Howard Taft, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Kerry, and Joe Lieberman.

The Yale Visitor Center, located on Elm Street across from the Green, offers regularly scheduled tours of campus led by undergraduate students. These one and a quarter hour tours are free and do not require an appointment. Special tours for larger groups and foreign language tours can be booked by appointment. Learn about Yale's history and tour some of its notable attractions, including the Gothic landmark of Harkness Tower, the Sterling Memorial Library -- Yale's largest library, housing four million volumes -- and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, noted for its extensive collection of rare gems, including, one of the few remaining copies of the Gutenburg Bibles.

Other noteworthy attractions on campus include the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery. Containing the most comprehensive collection of British art outside of the UK, the Yale Center for British Art is a must see for art enthusiasts. The collection comprises paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and rare books, with works by notable artists, including Turner, Gainsborough, Hogarth and Reynolds. The Yale University Art Gallery has an extensive collection of artwork spanning multiple cultures and epochs. Any trip should include a visit to its noted Modern and Contemporary gallery, showcasing pieces by Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Picasso, Mondrian, Pollock and many others.

Downtown & New Haven Green
Labelled as the Cultural Capital of Connecticut, New Haven's downtown is a vibrant district full of trendy shops, exquisite dining, and a lively arts and culture scene. Visitors to downtown may want to start their journey by stopping in at INFO New Haven, the city's visitor information center located on Chapel Street. New Haven was one of the first planned cities in the United States, dating back to 1638. The streets are laid out in a grid pattern consisting of nine squares with New Haven Green prominently located in the center.

	New Haven Green 4

Bordering Yale's campus, the New Haven Green or the Green as it is more commonly referred to, is the activity hub of the city. This public common is home to some of the city's biggest events including the New Haven Jazz Festival and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas.

Notable attractions on the Green include several historic churches, including Center Church, home of the New Haven Crypt, the city's oldest colonial burial ground. The church was built over a portion of these burial grounds, which contain the remains of New Haven's founders and some of its earliest citizens, with gravestones dating from 1687 to 1812. Located on Church Street, facing the Green, City Hall is also impressive with its limestone and sandstone exterior. Built in 1861, City Hall is an example of High Victorian Gothic style architecture and is on the National Register of Historical Places.

Downtown is best explored on foot, allowing visitors to take in the beauty of Colonial-era homes and historic sites. Chapel and College Streets are popular, lined with trendy shops and boutiques, restaurants, museums and theaters. The Audubon District on Audubon between Whitney and Orange Streets also features several shops and restaurants and is the location of the Greater New Haven Arts Council.

Shubert New Haven Theater
A true Broadway house, the Shubert New Haven Theater is where theater, music and dance come alive in the city. With only 1,600 seats, the Shubert Theater is an intimate venue, its doors first opened back in 1914 by the Shubert Brothers, who two years earlier, opened up a theater in New York City. The theater was designed by New York architect Albert Swazey.

Several major plays and performances have taken place at the Shubert, including Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947, with Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy starring. The 1950s and 1960s were popular times with top plays being performed here such as My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, The Desperate Hours with Paul Newman and Karl Malden, and many others. Several stars got their first professional acclaim at the Shubert, including Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Warren Beatty, Sidney Poitier and even Nancy Reagan.

The theater closed its doors in 1976 but later re-opened in 1983. Today, the Shubert Theater continues to be a vital part of the community, continuing its strong tradition of showcasing talented artists and performances. Operated by the Columbus Association for Performing Arts (CAPA), a not-for-profit organization, the theater also offers education and outreach programs.

1. Downtown New Haven; New Haven, CT, USA
2. New Haven Lighthouse; New Haven, CT, USA
3. Yale University; New Haven, CT, USA
4. New Haven Green; New Haven, CT, USA