New Haven is a small city in the North East region of America. This city is centred around the historic Yale University campus with its Gregorian and Gothic styled architecture. The history of New Haven dates back to the mid 1600’s and is know for its Italian-American food, quaint neighbourhoods, and American revolutionary history. A great weekend or even overnight trip away from the bigger cities in the region.
Sights & Attractions
New Haven is a walkable city with most of the city centre accessible by foot. The downtown are isn’t that big so you should be able to see most of the attractions in an hour or two. There are some nice parks and green areas in the area that make for nice picnic spots or even just to relax a bit with a coffee. The New Haven Green is the main park and is surrounded by the main city buildings including the New Haven City Hall, the New Haven Free Public Library, and the US District Courthouse. At the centre of the park is the New Haven Green Flag Pole, which honours the the lives lost during the First World War.
The Yale Old Campus is situated at the back of the New Haven Green. This campus is surrounded by a picturesque courtyard and beautiful buildings. Walking around the courtyard and seeing the different historic halls is a must in New Haven. After this, you can go see Harkness Tower, walk up Library Walk to see the courts, and then loop down to the Yale University Art Gallery.
Just north of the city centre is the Yale University Science Hill. Walking up Prospect Street you’ll get to the Ingalls Ice Rink. This indoor arena has a unique architecture and worth stopping by if you’re into cool looking buildings. Nearby is the Yale Peabody Museum that houses natural history exhibits and artefacts. This museum is one of the largest and renowned university museum in the world, so make sure to set aside a half day or so to have a look at these exhibits.
Other highlights to see include:
- Eli Whitney Museum & Workshop and the iconic Town Bridge
- Q Bridge and the bay from the Canal Dock Boathouse
- Lighthouse Point Park
- Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Activities & Experiences
I really enjoyed walking up Whitney Avenue from downtown to Edgerton Park. Its a bit of a trek but there are many beautiful old New England style houses along the route. Edgerton Park itself is a nice spot to walk around. This park has a few historic buildings, a conservatory, and a small wetland area with trails. Across the road is the Eli Whitney Museum, dedicated to a prominent American inventor from the late 1700’s. Just behind the museum is the iconic red Town Bridge that crosses the Mill River. On the other side of the river are a couple short trails that loop around in the woods. The Goose Dam can also be accessed by taking a left after the bridge and walking through some thick brush. The water flows over the long dam wall and into the Mill River, making for quite a sight.
Another nice trail, albeit longer, is in East Rock Park just to the south of Goose Dam. This trail winds its way up to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and there is a great viewpoint of the city.
Chapel Street passes through the city and up to Westville. Towards the end of the street is the Yale Bowl and the other sports and athletic facilities for the university. If you’re like me and have to check out the main sporting venue in the city, don’t forget to add this to you itinerary. The Yale Bowl can seat over 60,000 spectators and still maintains its old style and character.
Some additional things to do while in New Haven include:
- Explore the Little Italy neighbourhood
- Browse the Yale Bookstore
- Walk along the Long Wharf Pier
- Explore the local history at the New Haven Museum
- See if the Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium is open
- Relax in Wooster Square Park
Food & Drink
You can’t go to New Haven without trying the pizza. New Haven is known for its regional style of pizza, often called “Apizza”. This style of pizza has a very thin base, little to no crust, and is charred on the edges to create a crunchy and chewy base. The classic versions are also fired in a coal oven which helps create the charred characteristics. This style of pizza is said to originate from Frank Pepe’s pizzeria in the 1920s. A couple years later Sally’s Apizza was started by a family member of Frank Pepe and to this day there is heated debate as to which pizzeria makes the best Apizza. I went for the clam pizza at Sally’s and thought it was very tasty. If I go again I would try a pizza with a tomato base, I think the rich acidic tomato sauce is needed to complement the crunchy charred crust.
Another food spot that New Haven is know for is Louis Lunch which is know for their unique Hamburger style. Although also heavily debated, this restaurant is considered by many as the birthplace of the Hamburger. A couple blocks away is the Old Heidelberg bar in the basement of the historic Hotel Duncan. This bar is said to be opened in the mid 1700s and is a nice spot to grab a drink.
Other food and drink spots to try include:
- Zeneli or Zuppardi’s pizzeria
- Gryphon’s Pub
- The Cannon
- Toad’s Place or Cafe Nine for some live music
- BAR if you want a spot to people watch
Transport & Accommodation
New Haven is relatively close to New York and Boston, so the easiest and cheapest way to get there is via either train or bus. Both Amtrak and FlixBus have stations in the city. I took a train up from New York City for a day trip and it cost me just under $20. Another option is to rent a car. This is a good option if you want to see other cities and spots in the New England region as most don’t have a large airport and are relatively close together, at least my US distances.
Final Thoughts
The first that that comes to mind when thinking of New Haven is of course Yale University. The university campus and old buildings are beautiful and worth the visit, but that’s definitely not all that New Haven has to offer. The pizza history and some of America’s most iconic foods make the city a great weekend away or even day trip, easily accessible from New York or Boston. The city has many parks and green space, all within walkable distance from the city centre. Just be sure to try the iconic New Haven style Apizza!
Highlighted spots for your trip to New Haven!
Stingy Sightseeing 