01. scenic new haven
Here begins my salute to New Haven, Connecticut. You see here New Haven Harbor surrounded by the buildings of town which, in real life aren't quite so colorful.
People like to make jokes about New Haven. Those people are jerks. Alright, for a while there New Haven was a little dicey, but it has since blossomed into a comfortable and lively little city. I lived here for three years as a student and now I live here as someone who doesn't have to but does anyway. Here is my humble tribute to a misunderstood small American city.
Here begins my salute to New Haven, Connecticut. You see here New Haven Harbor surrounded by the buildings of town which, in real life aren't quite so colorful.
New Haven has some striking geography. Here is East Rock, the silent, hulking guardian to east of the city. There is a matching formation to the west of the city which, in a surprise move by the city founders, was named West Rock. Both are visible from New Haven proper.
The lovely British Art Center is a museum filled with British Art. It's free. All you have to do is walk in and they let you look at anything you want. It was designed by Louis Kahn, a master of modern architecture. This photo is from BAC's website: www.ycba.yale.edu
Like the title of this photo says, this is the interior of the British Art Center. You can see through the window the front facade of the Yale Art Gallery across Chapel Street.
This is the Yale Art Gallery as seen from the shady courtyard in the back. Whereas the British Art Center contains only British art, the Yale Art Gallery exhibits all kinds. It's a beautiful museum, also free. It too was designed by Louis Kahn. www.artgallery.yale.edu
This photo shows the cast concrete ceiling of the galleries. It also shows some art and a lady reading. The window at the left overlooks the courtyard shown in the photo above. On sunny days it's spectacular.
Here is a photo of Louis Kahn standing under the concrete ceiling of the Yale Art Gallery. The ceiling houses the electrical and ventilation systems of the building. The museum also features a triangular staircase. Go look at the website.
This is the painting Mevrouw Bodolphe by the Dutch Master Frans Hals that hangs in the Yale Art Gallery. He is near to my heart because I am his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great granddaughter. No kidding. It's a direct line so I have his last name. I like to think that when I visit the Yale Art Gallery I am giving them the gift of a second Hals masterpiece. Yes, me.
I spent three years of my life in this building. It is Yale's Art & Architecture Building, designed by Paul Rudolph. It was fabulous in every sense of the word when it was built in the sixties. It had shag carpets, supergraphics and floor to ceiling views of the city. Students were allowed to smoke at their desks. It was pretty swingin.' By the late nineties, however, it was a warren of ugly partition walls and industrial carpet. That has all since been changed in a long-needed renovation.
Now it is time to eat. Let's see what New Haven has to offer us in the way of deliciousness...
First off, you should know that New Haven is the birthplace of the hamburger. That's right. Hamburgers DID NOT EXIST before a New Haven man called Louis invented one. It's a bit misleading that the hamburger is named after a town in Germany, but a Newhavener? Come on. They are particular about their culinary legacy at Louis' Lunch and serve their burgers on toast with onion, tomato and/or cheese. There is no ketchup. There are no fries.
Who thought up the name of this terribly named restaurant? Probably the same guy who chose the font for it. But it doesn't matter because it is one of the prettiest spots in New Haven. Located at the garden level of the British Art Center, it serves up deliciousness and is the best place to sit and eat outside in the summer. Also, wine half price on Mondays.
Less credible is the claim that pizza was also invented in New Haven. I don't buy it. Regardless, they know how to do it right. Both Sally's and Pepe's are located on the main drag of New Haven's Little Italy, Wooster Street. While Sally's is perhaps more famous, both places make pizzas which are remarkably similar in their composition and deliciousness. Lines stretch down the street at dinnertime, so get there early, around five. Also, it helps to know the owners, which I don't.
A fancy French restaurant owned in part by Jacques Pepin, of television fame. He's the guy on the show with Julia Child. It's fancy. And french.
Zinc is a bit trendy, but still lots of fun. The best dessert I ever had was at Zinc. It was fresh beignets with lemon soup and little sugar cookies. Soup made from lemons and sugar! Lemons and sugar!
The Blue Pearl is another trendy but fun place to go. It replaced the hole-in-the-wall Town Squire Restaurant at which Ted and I were regulars. Normally, that would have really steamed my clams, but the new place has eight varieties of savory fondues and six of sweet ones. It's got macaroni and cheese on the menu and a chocolate cupcake for dessert. Sayonara Town Squire.
Like the logo states, the Yankee Doodle Coffee and Sandwich Shop was established in 1950. It is located right near Yale Campus and has a standing hamburger eating contest. Current champion: Eric "Badlands" Booker, Oct. 16, 2004, 32 hamburgers. Details at: www.thedoodle.com
New Haven is a food destination-says the New York Times!
Anna Liffey's: Irish pub
Bar: brick oven pizza and brewery
Bentara: Maylasian
Caffe Adulis: Ethiopian
Ibizia: Tapas
Mamoun's: Middle Eastern
Miso: Japanese
Roomba: Cuban
Royal Indian: Indian
Rudy's: Frites, 32 sauces, beer
Sandra's: Soul food
Thai Taste: Thai
This one here is by Robert Dimatteo. See more at www.artspacenh.org/flatfile. New Haven art is hit or miss, but surprisingly hit due to Yale School of Art. See next entry.
This is the new Yale School of Art Building designed by Deborah Berke. It was a reuse of the defunct Jewish Community Center on Chapel Street. This photo is from her website.
A.C. Gilbert studied medicine at Yale, but soon realized that designing toys kicked the ass of healing the sick.
He invented the Erector Set in 1913 and produced them in an industrial building now called Erector Square. Sounds vaguely dirty. He also redesigned American Flyer Trains and sold a toy building kit when, properly assembled, produced the "Mysterious Walking Giant" Robot.
The Peabody Museum of Natural History has incredible dioramas from the days when it was totally cool to shoot all kinds of animals, stuff them and arrange them in replicas of their natural environments for the education and entertainment of those in the greater New Haven area. Seriously, though, great.
The annual New Haven Christmas Tree on the green has been voted "Best Tree" since 1997, and not just by me, but by most.
Many buildings at Yale were modeled after those at Oxford and Cambridge in England. Here, people don't drink as much tea and they say "fries" instead of "chips."
Some say New Haven at night rivals Paris or Rome. Alright, no one says that, but truly it's not the crapheap it once was. Come visit!