The city of New Haven, a lively, small urban center, offers many diversions
New Haven — A Lively, Small Urban Center
The City of New Haven, a lively, small urban center between New York City and Boston, offers many diversions. New Haven is home to vibrant neighborhoods, a tantalizing variety of restaurants for all tastes and budgets, and a bountiful arts and culture scene.
New to New Haven? In 2024, The New York Times explored the city's art, food, and music scene, calling the city in “a chapter driven by creativity and ingenuity.” Read “Beyond Pizza and Yale: What to See, Eat and Do in New Haven.”
In 2023, The New York Times named New Haven to its list of “52 Places for Travelers to Visit” in the world, calling it “a home to tinkerers and rebels, and a treasure trove of contemporary art and architecture.”
“Connecticut’s third-largest city is a historic, mostly walkable and bikeable seaside town with distinctive neighborhoods, an encyclopedic collection of great American architecture, a thriving cultural life and one of the best food scenes in the country for a city of its size (134,000).”
—The New York Times
A View of the City
Yale Law School is at the heart of the city of New Haven—a lively, small urban center between New York City and Boston.
The New Haven Green is the heart of downtown, and home to free cultural events like the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Music on the Green, and the New Haven Jazz Festival.
The Law School is part of downtown New Haven, close to bookstores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and entertainment.
Elm Street in downtown New Haven has a wide variety of restaurants and shops.
Ask a group of locals which pizza they like better, Sally’s or Pepe’s, and you’ll witness a debate as fierce as any Red Sox vs. Yankees discussion.
Year-round, seasonal farmer’s markets held throughout New Haven are a great place to buy fresh, local produce.
New Haven is home to several museums and a vibrant arts community that exists downtown and beyond.
The city is a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds. There are city-wide parades and festivals such as the Puerto Rican Festival, Lunarfest, Salsa on the Square, International Food and Culture Fest, and more.
Whether you're a fan of mountains or oceans, New Haven provides both as a coastal city on Long Island Sound surrounded by two trap rock ridges, West Rock and East Rock.
There is access to a great diversity of nature in New Haven, including parks, land trusts, and hiking trails. The summit of East Rock Park, shown here, offers spectacular views of the city and Long Island Sound.
