New Haven Area Profiles

Dixwell/Newhallville

The Farmington Canal Greenway links the Dixwell and Newhallville area with Yale’s Central Campus. Many residents and students bike, skate or run on this scenic trail. Scantlebury Park, which includes soccer fields and a playground, provides another area for recreation.

The Rose Center houses the Yale Police Facility and Dixwell-Yale University Community Learning Center, which hosts educational programs for local residents of all ages. The New Haven Reads Book Bank is located across from the Rose Center and also provides tutoring and mentoring services for young people in the New Haven area.

Dixwell/Newhallville is also home to Science Park at Yale. Formerly the home of the renowned Winchester factory, Science Park is in the process of being transformed into a hub for bio-technology and start-up companies.

Housing in this area includes both single-family and multi-family houses as well as relatively new construction, affordable housing projects.

Area served by the free daytime Yale shuttle and nighttime minibus routes and by CT Transit buses.

Downtown

People are drawn to Downtown, where Yale’s Central Campus is located, for easy access to the best of urban living – restaurants, nightlife, art galleries, concerts, shopping and theater. At the heart of Downtown sits the New Haven Green, a historic 16-acre park which remains a crossroads for the region’s religious, cultural and commercial life and where outdoor concerts and festivals are held during the summer.

Shopping and dining districts - including Broadway, Audubon, Chapel and Ninth Square - have flourished all within walking distance of the Green. Many professionals also find Downtown a convenient place to work as many of the region’s financial and legal services are centered in office buildings surrounding the Green.

From traditional architecture to modern loft-style conversions, housing in this area consists mainly of apartments and also offers a selection of condos.

Area served by the free daytime Yale shuttle and nighttime minibus routes and by CT Transit buses.

Dwight

The Dwight area, just beyond Yale’s Central Campus, is known for its saints, St. Thomas More, the Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale, and St. Raphael’s Hospital, founded in 1907 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth and renowned for excellence in patient care and medical education.

The Chapel West Special Services District helps keep the neighborhood’s main arteries bright and clean and the Greater Dwight Development Corporation has brought new investments including a Shaw’s supermarket and a new Montessori school.

The majority of the area is residential and includes single and multi-family homes along with smaller scale apartment buildings. Howe Street is famous as a popular and affordable dining destination with a mix of world cuisines including Indian, Japanese, Greek, and Middle Eastern.

Area served by the free daytime Yale shuttle and nighttime minibus routes and by CT Transit buses.

East Rock

The majestic red basalt cliffs of East Rock Park dominate this section of the city, giving the name to this area immediately to the east of the Yale campus. The scenic drive to reach the peak, 359-feet high, offers a spectacular perspective of the city and a number of places to picnic.

Edgerton Park, which is perfect for a relaxing stroll and a popular sledding venue in the winter, is also located in this area.

East Rock offers a variety of housing options such as multistory apartments, condos, apartments in townhouses & traditional multifamily homes, and restored single family residences - all within proximity to coffee shops, neighborhood gourmet markets, houses of worship, schools, and parks. This area is often referred to as “Grad Haven” because of the large number of graduate and professional students who live there, but it is also home to many faculty members, staff and local residents.

Area served by the free daytime Yale shuttle and nighttime minibus routes and by CT Transit buses.

Fair Haven

Fair Haven features a waterfront along the Quinnipiac River, which offers a number of unique attractions for outdoor enthusiasts, including canoeing, kayaking, fishing and boating. The river feeds into the Long Island Sound about three miles east of Downtown. Locals make a minor distinction between the two sides of the river by calling the east side, which sits on a hill Fair Haven Heights.

This historic fishing and oystering village’s housing stock consists of restored sea captain’s homes, new condo construction & conversions, and apartments in townhouses & traditional multifamily homes.

The area around Ferry Street is the commercial center of Fair Haven, offering a number of cafes, grocery stores and neighborhood services that reflect the Mexican, Puerto Rican and other Latin American cultures that distinguish this area.

Area is served by CT Transit buses.

The Hill

Bordering the southern edge of the Yale campus, is the Hill, which includes the Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale University Medical School and hosts a number of patient care facilities, physician’s offices, medical laboratories and biotechnology companies.

Yale-New Haven Hospital, regularly ranked among the best in the country, is the second largest employer in New Haven. The 944-bed facility includes a Children’s Hospital and Psychiatric Hospital and a new comprehensive clinical cancer center is scheduled to open in 2009. While the Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of the Yale University Medical School and the Yale School of Nursing, it is a completely separate entity from Yale University.

The Hill also features an attractive waterfront area called City Point, which has a marina, views of the harbor and water view dining.

Single family homes, high-rise rental and condo buildings make up the majority of housing in this area. It is also a multi-generational area with several housing developments catering to seniors.

Area served by the free daytime Yale shuttle and nighttime minibus routes and by CT Transit buses.

Morris Cove

Morris Cove, New Haven’s easternmost area, hugs the shoreline of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound. Morris Cove includes East Shore Park, Fort Nathan Hale, and Lighthouse Point Park, public spaces which provide access to the shoreline for swimming, fishing, hiking and recreation. Admission and parking for the popular summertime attractions of Lighthouse Point Park, with its sandy beaches, picnic areas, historic carousel, and playgrounds, are free to all residents of the City of New Haven.

Morris Cove is primarily residential featuring single family homes and some modern condo developments. The architecture is predominantly Pre-war Tudor revival and also features colonial and ranch styles. Waterfront homes and local marinas for power and sail boating are available here as well.

Morris Cove is across the New Haven Harbor from Yale, a short drive over the Quinnipiac River Bridge.

Area is served by CT Transit buses.

Westville

As its name implies, Westville is the westernmost area of New Haven, about two miles west of Downtown and the main Yale campus. Westville is bordered by the Yale Bowl and the Yale Golf Course, the West River, West Rock Ridge State Park, and lovely Edgewood Park, which includes a duck pond.

Sports and fitness lovers can enjoy the parks for hiking, biking, and running, as well as Yale athletic contests (free to Yale students & employees & their families), recreational and world class tennis at historic Yale Field.

This area is anchored by Westville Village, a local shopping, dining and service district along Whalley Avenue with a growing artistic community. Many artists have their studios here and organize several projects together including a co-op gallery and an annual open studios tour.

Westville’s housing consists mainly of one family and multi-family homes. There are also several apartment and condo complexes, both new construction and traditional pre-war architecture.

Area is served by CT Transit buses.

Wooster Square

The Wooster Square area lies directly east of Downtown across State Street, just a short walk from the Yale Campus. At the center of this area is historic Wooster Square Park, which comes alive with cherry blossoms in the spring, festivals in the summer, and a farmer’s market year round.

Wooster Street is home to New Haven’s “Little Italy,” including Sally’s and Pepe’s, considered by many to be the best pizza restaurants in North America, as well as other charming cafes, fine dining and specialty markets.

Housing in this area includes converted lofts and warehouses near State Street, or brick townhouses and condos around the Square, some of which boast beautiful small gardens for their residents.

Area is served by the Yale night time minibus and CT Transit buses.