Downtown New Haven | |
|---|---|
Neighborhood of New Haven | |
 Office buildings visible from theNew Haven Green | |
 Downtown within New Haven | |
| Coordinates:41°18′25″N72°55′37″W / 41.307°N 72.927°W /41.307; -72.927 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Connecticut |
| City | New Haven |
Downtown New Haven is the neighborhood located in the heart of the city ofNew Haven,Connecticut. It is made up of the original nine squares laid out in 1638 to form New Haven, including theNew Haven Green, and the immediate surrounding central business district, as well as a significant portion of theYale University campus. The area includes many restaurants, cafes, theaters and stores. Downtown is bordered byWooster Square to the east,Long Wharf to the southeast, theHill neighborhood to the south, theDwight neighborhood to the west, theDixwell neighborhood to the northwest, theProspect Hill area to the north, andEast Rock to the northeast.
Downtown New Haven is one of the most residential downtown areas in the United States, with nearly 7,000 inhabitants.[1] The expansion of housing options in recent years has helped support downtown businesses and has brought about a surge in economic activity.[2] Secondary streets and areas at the periphery of the neighborhood that once contained vacant storefronts are now almost entirely leased to restaurants and retailers, and the office vacancy rate has dramatically fallen as well.
Downtown New Haven is divided into several independent sections centered on theNew Haven Green. This basic structure is a remnant of the 1638 New Haven Plan. The main campus ofYale University, which is located to the north and west of the Green, is sometimes considered distinct from but intermingled with Downtown.
The area bounded by Chapel and Crown Streets is a popular stretch of restaurants, boutiques and bars located across from the Old Campus of Yale University. Includes such historic establishments as Union League Cafe and thec. 1934 Owl Shop cigar lounge. TheAnchor Bar, notable for itsArt Moderne style and popularity with playwrightThornton Wilder, operated on College Street from the 1940s until 2015.
The area is largely coterminous with theChapel Street Historic District. Notable buildings include the Hotel Taft and theChapel Square Mall. TheYale University Art Gallery andYale Center for British Art are also located here.
The Broadway area is a commercial center that has since the 1990s been bought piece-by-piece by Yale University and redeveloped intoThe Shops at Yale shopping district. This section was previously notable as home of theYankee Doodle Coffee Shop and Cutlers Records.
The Ninth Square district, which contains the blocks southeast of the New Haven Green, has experienced a resurgence as a nightlife and arts district since the first decade of the 21st century.
The majority of buildings within these blocks are preserved as theNinth Square Historic District.
The Whitney Avenue corridor, north of the New Haven Green, contains shops and eateries that are primarily owned byYale University and cater to its student population. This area serves as a center for New Haven'sEast Asian community, with several restaurants and grocery stores catering to this population and an annualChinese New Year festival parading up Whitney Avenue.
Media related toDowntown New Haven, Connecticut at Wikimedia Commons