New Haven Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
New Haven [1] is a city in Connecticut, and is perhaps best known as the home of Yale University [2]. With a downtown population density of 6,000 people per square kilometer, New Haven has one of the densest downtown areas in the United States. As a result, hundreds of shops, cafes and top-rated restaurants have proliferated and the area has recently become a major regional tourist attraction for shopping and dining. Ethnic restaurants include Ethiopean, Vietnamese, Eritrean, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Mexican, Thai, Indian and Malaysian offerings, among many others. According to the Hartford Courant, New Haven has more pedestrian activity than any place between New York City and Boston, and has a burgeoning nightlife scene.
The area is also a center for bicycling and hiking, with nearby East Rock Park, West Rock State Park, and Sleeping Giant State Park providing hundreds of miles of hiking trails and summits with expansive views over hundreds of square miles. Bicyclists enjoy cruising along the beautiful shoreline, or along the Farmington Canal Trail, a former canal and railroad that has recently been converted to recreational use.
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Get in
By car
- New Haven is located at the junction of Interstates 91 and 95.
By air
- Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, 155 Burr Street, Phone: +1 203 466-8833, [3].
- Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks (near Hartford) is an alternative.
By train
- Metro North Railroad, and Amtrak also serve New Haven.
Get around
- Downtown New Haven is compact enough to be traversed by foot.
- The city is also served by an efficient public bus system.
- CT Transit, Phone: 203-624-0151, [4]. Bus stops are marked with signs or a white stripe around utility poles in some cases. Busses all have bike racks.
- Metro Taxi, Phone: +1 203 777-7777.
- Devil's Gear Bike Shop, Chapel St., Phone: +1 203 773-9288, Provides low-cost daily or weekly bicycle rentals.
See
- Yale University, 149 Elm St. (Visitor Center), Phone: +1 203 432-2300, [5].
- Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University, Whitney Avenue and Sachem Street, Science Hill cience Hill section of the Yale campus, Phone: 203-432-5050, [6]. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 12PM-5PM. Adults $7, ages 3-18 $5.
- Shoreline Trolley Museum, 17 River St., East Haven, Phone: +1 203 467-6927,[7]. Su in Apr,Nov, Sa,Su in May,Sep,Oct; Daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, Saturdays and Sundays in December through the 17th. $6/$3.
- Yale University Art Gallery, Chapel at High St., Phone: +1 203 432-0600, [8]. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Th until 8PM from Sep-Jun, Su 1PM-6PM. Free.
- The Green. Public park in the center of the city. 350+ years old and recognized as one of the best 100 public spaces in the United States. Frequent festivals are held here, such as the renowned New Haven Jazz Festival, which draws hundreds of thousands of people (see www.newhavenjazz.com)
Do
Free community bike rides leave various bookstores and cafes each day; check with the Devil's Gear Bike Shop to rent cycles or find out about community rides. Local beaches are also a short bike ride or drive from the city center, and provide additional recreational opportunities.
Dine at one of Wooster Street's popular Italian Restaurants
Visit the Crypt, an ancient graveyard under the Center Church on the Green (tours are generally given at 11 a.m. on Sundays)
Yale Athletics
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Visit Summit of East Rock Park
Tour Yale University
Bicycle along Farmington Canal, or shoreline bike routes
Buy
When visiting, pick up a copy of the Downtown Guide at a local shop or restaurant. It will provide you with up-to-date information on the hundreds of restaurants downtown, as well as shopping opportunities. New Haven abounds with hundreds of retailers, ranging from pricey local boutiques to art galleries to national chains such as Urban Outfitters.
Eat
New Haven has many famous pizza parlors and is often credited with having introduced pizza to the United States. Generally regarded as the best are Pepe's and Sally's, which are over 80 years old. Very long lines are usually found.
Pizza
- Sally's Apizza, 237 Wooster Street, Phone: +1 203 624-5271.
- Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, 157 Wooster Street, Phone: +1 203 865-5762.
Drink
Crown and Chapel Streets run through downtown New Haven and are packed with hundreds of restaurants, cafes, wine bars, lounges and the like. New Haven is the primary entertainment destination for the 800,000 people who live in the immediate area. When driving, watch pedestrians since the crowds can be thick, especially on weekends.
- Toad's Place, 300 York Street, Phone: 203-562-5589, toadsplac@aol.com, [9].
Sleep
- Courtyard New Haven at Yale, 30 Whalley Ave, Phone: +1 203 777-6221, Fax: +1 203 772-1089, [10].
- Fairfield Inn New Haven, 400 Sargent Dr, Phone:+1 203 562-1111, Fax: +1 203 865-7440, [11].
- Residence Inn New Haven, 3 Long Wharf Drive, Phone:+1 203 777-5337, Fax: +1 203 777-2808, [12].
Stay safe
As with nearby New York City, New Haven's crime rate has gone down considerably since the early 1990s, and it is now considered to be a very safe city. Today, there is minimal risk involved with traveling to New Haven's tourist attractions. During the day and night, streets bustle with crowds generated by hundreds of restaurants, cinemas, theaters, cafes and stores. Luxury apartments and million-dollar condominiums have proliferated, adding a large population base to formerly industrial or commercial zones. In such areas, the downtown area is generally safe at night, but like other cities, late night travel through certain city neighborhoods outside the downtown, without someone who knows the area, is not recommended. When visiting, exercise the same precautions you would use in any large city.
Get out
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