Is New Haven a bad area??

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
21

<p>I don't know much about how physically safe New Haven is, but when i went for a visit last spring, our car got broken into and someone stole my mom's purse, all my jewelry, my ipod, and my $100 graphing calculator.
We were parked on Elm street, which is apparently a really bad idea...but the street goes right through the campus!</p>

<p>anyways, when we filed a cop report, they said there really isn't too much physical crime around the campus but people have break-ins on their cars ALL the time.<br>
It was really too bad because other than that, my visit to Yale was FLAWLESS.</p>

22

<p>Why wouldn't you exercise the most precaution in the first place. The key word you said was "afraid," MovieBuff, and afraid for this topic of discussion means too scared to not be very careful about where you go and what you do. So, if someone's "afraid," they should stay the hell away from Philly, Harlem, New Haven and anywhere else that isn't "pure" and "wholesome," or just plain predominantly white. Is that real enough for you, MovieBuff? You also said one of the joys about going to college is experiencing a completely different way of life, right? Well if someone is too scared to take on that challenge they should stay close to the things they know and are relatively sure about.</p>

23

<p>My comments about UPenn, Ithaca, and Princeton were prompted by Movie Buff's comments about Ithaca and Princeton, among others, not being in bad neighborhoods. My point was that all Ivy campuses and their surrounding areas have pros and cons. Not to belabor the point about Princeton, it's a lovely, clean town, but it doesn't have the same scene for college students that Yale does. I also find Hanover charming and there are some great cheap restaurants, but some people would go stir-crazy due both to isolation and the lack of nightlife in town. Walking to the college-oriented section of Ithaca in the dead of winter (or around the Cornell in general) isn't as nice as the compact college-oriented areas around Yale. All great schools, but their surrounding areas are not without problems.</p>

<p>Also, Movie Buff, you called me on addressing the area around the campus, stating that the OP asked about New Haven the town. Please reread the first post; OP asks about "Yale's neighborhood."</p>

<p>I'm not claiming that New Haven is perfect. There are some really rough areas and the town has been depressed for a long time (although not as long as Movie Buff claims if she checks her local history), but it is showing signs of revitalization. In any event, the area that Yale students are concerned with is the area around the campus, which is GREAT and safe if you use common sense.</p>

24

<p>I find it interesting when people talk about '"the area around the campus"...The area around Princeton is the town of Princeton. The area around Dartmouth, is the town of Hanover, the area around Cornell is the town of Ithaca, the area around College Hill is the town of Providence. What is the area around Columbia? How many blocks do u like to include in order to define it? After all, Columbia has been in a long battle purchasing nearby buildings from not so very cooperative neighbors (mostly storage wharehouses...) in Harlem!. There is no question about the crime ridden City of Brotherly Love, where Penn is located. I guess New Haven is to Yale what Durham represents to Duke.....Just too bad.</p>

<p>When you go to college, you do not live for 4 years inside the perimeter of your school, especially if you want to have as much of a normal life as possible. You live in a city or town, and you ATTEND the school. You may want to get involved in the community as part of extracurricular activities, culture, etc. You need to get out of the "ivy" tower to be able to fully accomplish this.</p>

<p>AdmissionsAddict: The OP question and title of the thread is : Is New Haven a bad area? Yes, it is. Without the spinning....</p>

25

<p>"huskem55 don't know where you come from but Columbia is in a great,safe and beautiful area.Please do not give out info about which you have no knowledge."</p>

<p>Right, and like I said, I've spent the past 3 years on the Yale and Columbia campuses, and I said Columbia was one of the safest parts of the city. please dont put words in my mouth.</p>

26

<p>huskem and other Yale frequenters, our daughter is looking at Yale and, as I stated earlier, she is small and vulnerable looking, but not afraid to venture into the world. And her *** is white. I hope I don't offend anyone by characterizing her this way.
She is also an athlete and will be traveling to the Yale Bowl complex frequently, and distance running in that area. What is your perception of safety for athletes who must go back and forth from the sports area, and train around there?</p>

27

<p>My only experience going to the Yale Bowl on foot is during daylight hours and with friends. I would not take the trek alone after dark. I don't think daylight and alone would bother me. If your daughter visits the school, she should ask people on her prospective team about this.</p>

28

<p>We've visited, and there is a frequent shuttle for athletes through the seemingly "bad neighborhood" between the campus and the sports complex. I'm just wondering what the common perception of that area is, and also safety issues around the Yale Bowl area. I do worry about being presented a rosy picture by those already on the team, and who may be trying to encourage prospects to sign. I'm more interested in a more objective point of view. Would you go for a jog around the Yale Bowl in the twilight?</p>

29

<p>New Haven is by far the best Ivy League college town -- I mean, there is no contest between it and Ithaca, Providence, Morningside Heights, West Philly, Princeton or Hanover. Cambridge is OK, but doesn't cater to students as much, is overrun by traffic and tourists, and isn't as vibrant of a place anymore, especially at night, because much of the life is sucked away into nearby Boston. Having spent a lot of time at all the Ivies, I would say that there is more to do within 4 blocks of the Yale campus than within 4 blocks of every other Ivy League college, combined. Sometimes they even have to close down the streets to traffic because there are just too many people out. Having so much activity near Yale, but not too far away from it, is great because the campus itself stays vibrant all the time - it doesn't have the life totally sucked off of it like some of the other top urban universities.</p>

<p>New Haven is a large city, and has all kinds of different neighborhoods - areas with multimillion dollar mansions, yuppie neighborhoods with expensive gourmet supermarkets on every street corner and 20- and 30-somethings jogging down the streets in droves, middle class areas, enormous areas packed with tens of thousands of immigrants from South America and lively Latino markets, student-centered areas, artist colonies, etc., but honestly doesn't have any of the really bad, "bombed out" sections that you would associate with places like Chicago, Detroit, Providence, Syracuse, Philadelphia, Baltimore, etc. (according to the US Census, Providence and Syracuse are actually among the 10 poorest cities in the United States). Even the poorest neighborhoods are major destinations for immigrants from Latin America or the Carribbean, who have opened shops on all the corners. Just like any town or rural area you probably want to know where you are going, especially in unfamiliar neighborhoods, and certainly leaving valuables just exposed in your car isn't the best idea. In any city or town, it is best to stay alert, not flaunt valuable items when you're alone and take precautions. The Yale Bowl is in one of the wealthier neighborhoods though so it's probably fine at any hour. In terms of safety, the Yale campus is the safest Ivy after Princeton and Dartmouth. </p>

<p>Of course, Yale itself is in the downtown section. It is actually the only top university in the United States that is located in the downtown of a major city, which is what makes it so great -- city hall is right across a 400-year-old town green from the freshman dorms, there are 24/7 stores everywhere, literally hundreds of restaurants serving every type of world cuisine imaginable, and all kinds of cafes, theaters, a couple of Starbucks, tons of nightclubs, dozens upon dozens of bars, office towers, cineplexes, etc. These places cater to the very wealthy people who live in the area in and around New Haven -- it is one of the richest urban areas in the country, actually -- as well as the tens of thousands of college students in the area (Yale isn't even the largest university in central New Haven - CT State has over 13000 students). Needless to say, New Haven's downtown area is one of the liveliest college towns in the country, and has become a very expensive area to live in. Workers at the many biotechnology companies that have spun off around Yale, plus doctors who work at Yale-New Haven (one of the country's largest and best hospitals) are buying million dollar condominiums all over the downtown area. With the biotech companies and hospitals expanding with billions of dollars worth of new construction, the only problem is that New Haven is increasingly becoming too expensive for students. Last time I went, some of the restaurants around there were charging $80 per person. The higher rents are certainly going to start driving out some of the hundreds of cute, mom-n-pop restaurants and shops that currently line all the major streets. Just like other major cities, like downtown NY and downtown Boston, there are always many immigrants coming and it is always changing.</p>

30

<p>great response. thanks so much.</p>

31

<p>Let's just say it's not a great area, although it has been worse and is now perhaps safer than ever.</p>

<p>Yale is a great school with a great residential college system, but crime can be a problem.</p>

<p>Y'84</p>

<p>Try the google search: "crime site:<a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com"&gt;www.yaledailynews.com&lt;/a&gt;"&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21081%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21081&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/20532%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/20532&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/15144%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/15144&lt;/a> (2005)</p>

32

<p>I live 20 minutes away from new Haven and it is nothing like PosterX described it. New Haven is still an economically depressed city (surrounded by wealthy suburbs) and there are no million dollar condos springing up in downtown New Haven. I am a large male and I would not walk at dusk to the Yale Bowl. The campus itself is extremely safe and although you can walk just a few blocks in some directions and find yourself in some sketchy areas, other neighborhoods are pretty safe. </p>

<p>Should it discourage your D from attending? Absolutely not!</p>

33

<p>This article from the NY Times earlier this year is somewhere between posterX and cellardweller's points of view:</p>

<p>
[quote]
January 21, 2007
In the Region | Connecticut
On Renewing New Haven
By LISA PREVOST</p>

<p>NEW HAVEN</p>

<p>THE downtown residential market here has long catered to a reliable legion of college students who swarm the city every fall. Yale University alone is the source of several thousand graduate students who live in and around downtown, typically as renters.</p>

<p>Downtown living is also gaining new allure among young professionals and suburban refugees, however, as the city’s continuing efforts to revitalize the blocks around the historic town green yield airy lofts and stylish restaurants serving exotic cuisine. In one of the surest signs of the central business district’s resurgence, more developers are proposing to build ownership housing, a relatively scarce commodity that could help expand and stabilize the downtown population.</p>

<p>Over the past few years, officials have tried to lure the upwardly mobile into the city by encouraging the conversion of underused retail and office buildings into residential units, and nurturing an emerging funky arts district. Some $180 million in state bond financing is being used to relocate a commuter college and the Long Wharf Theater downtown.</p>

<p>And in perhaps the most dramatic demonstration of the business district’s makeover, the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a 35-year-old downtown institution, is being imploded this weekend, to be replaced eventually by a mixed-use development.</p>

<p>Yale-New Haven Hospital is augmenting the city’s efforts with construction of a 500,000-square-foot cancer hospital at its campus at the edge of downtown along Route 34. Behind that structure will be a 200,000-square-foot medical office and laboratory facility to be developed by the Fusco Corporation, city officials said.</p>

<p>All of this activity has private developers “chomping at the bit,” said Kelly Murphy, the city’s economic development administrator. Nine developers submitted proposals for a 1.5-acre city-owned lot at a vacant corner of State and Chapel Streets. While the pending proposals varied widely — from a hotel-centered project that emulates the historic sections of downtown to a New Urbanism-inspired neighborhood — all involved a significant housing component.</p>

<p>One of the most important residential projects approved to date is College Square, a 272-unit luxury condominium high-rise to be built at the corner of College and George Streets. The developer, Robert Landino, says market studies indicate that a wave of people nearing retirement will roll into the city from the surrounding suburbs.</p>

<p>“New Haven’s time has come as the baby boomers get older,” said Mr. Landino, who grew up in New Haven and has worked on numerous projects here as the former president of the Meriden-based BL Companies, an architecture and engineering firm. These “move down” buyers will be looking for the kind of energetic “self-contained environment” that a walkable city like New Haven can provide, he said.</p>

<p>Scheduled to begin construction next fall for completion in the summer of 2009, the $115 million College Square will have about 50,000 square feet of street-level retailing, secured on-site parking and a 24-hour concierge. Condominiums will be priced in the mid-$500,000 to low-$600,000 range on average, Mr. Landino said; penthouse units will be closer to $1 million.</p>

<p>College Square holds particular significance for city economic development officials because it is the largest development to date of new apartments for sale. Though some 1,000 units have been added to the downtown over the past five years, the vast majority were rentals, Ms. Murphy said.</p>

<p>Another local developer, David Nyberg, has proposed about 100 condominiums in the Ninth Square district at the corner of downtown, according to Tony Bialecki, the city’s deputy directory of economic development.</p>

<p>That project calls for converting two older buildings, as well as constructing a building on what is now a vacant lot. Mr. Nyberg, whose company is College Street Management L.L.C., has developed several other residential projects downtown, including the conversion of 900 Chapel Street, a former mall and office tower that now houses a mix of stores, apartments and offices.</p>

<p>The Long Wharf Theater is working on plans to move from its current location on Sargent Drive along New Haven Harbor to the former Coliseum site, along Route 34. City economic development officials are trying to link the theater with a major developer who will integrate the new facility into a large development blending retailing, office space and housing on the 6.5-acre site.</p>

<p>These large-scale developments were preceded by smaller-scale conversions throughout the downtown area. The market’s ability to absorb the new residences has been aided by the slow and steady pace of development, and the wide range of choices, Ms. Murphy said.</p>

<p>On Church Street, cater-corner to the New Haven Green, the Christie Wareck Company converted two early 1900s retail buildings into 13 SoHo-style lofts priced at $525,000 to $849,000. The primary lookers so far have been young physicians and professionals who work in the biotech industry, said Timothy Serpe, a listing agent for the properties at the H. Pearce Real Estate Company.</p>

<p>A block away on Temple Street, the Manhattan-based Bow Tie Partners converted the long-vacant United Illuminating building, a brick neo-Classical-style structure topped by a clock tower, into 44 luxury rental apartments; a seven-screen art cinema, the Criterion, is on the ground floor. New Haven represented a prime opportunity for this “adaptive reuse” project because of the “paucity of high-end residential” properties downtown and a highly educated population, said Charley Moss, a partner in the company.</p>

<p>All but one of the units are rented. Rents start at $1,600 for a one-bedroom, $2,200 for a two-bedroom, and $3,000 for a three-bedroom.</p>

<p>The area still lacks the range of retailing needed to fully support walkable living — there is no supermarket, for instance.</p>

<p>But with more than 3,700 units downtown now, and another 350 to 500 likely to be created in the next two years, the population density is close to reaching the critical mass needed to support more major retailers, Ms. Murphy said.</p>

<p>“We’re at the cusp where they’re ready to take our calls,” she said.

[/quote]
</p>

34

<p>I am the mother of a new freshman (female) in New Haven. I think the area around the campus is safe, but any student on ANY campus needs to be careful. I think our girls are at far more risk when they THINK they are safe and foolishly walk alone around campus at night. I don't care whether they are in New Haven or Hanover or Kutztown, PA - they need to use common sense. The university has spent a small fortune revitalizing New Haven and I think it is a dynamic area. I am happier with my daughter in a place where she will not be lulled into a false sense of security.</p>

<p>BTW - she is absolutely happy and thinks she made the best choice.</p>

35

<p>Thanks worknprogress. Finally, the voice of reason.</p>

36

<p>Good article, Booklady. It doesn't mention the Shartenberg development though, which is supposed to break ground next month about 3-4 blocks from the campus, and include a 36-story tower with more than 400 luxury apartments and a large grocery store. However, none of any of this changes the fact that, in terms of vibrancy and stuff to do, the area right around Yale is by far the best college town of any top university.</p>

37

<p>To speak factually about such things is very foolish. Tell me all about the area right aroung UPenn, because I'd like to hear all about it. I happen to go there and I'd love to hear about how great a college town Yale has to offer compared to Penn. I also know quite a bit about the Boston/Cambridge area, so tell me how much better a college town Yale has over Harvard. I also live a 45 minute drive from NYC and have frequented the place for years, so tell me about how much better a college town Yale is in over Columbia U. Bias is one thing, but ignorance is another.</p>

38

<p>It is certainly somewhat a matter of opinion, but I would argue that you wouldn't know unless you've spent a lot of time (meaning weeks hanging out with students and living there) at each of them. Also, by Columbia I don't mean NYC - a place I have lived for many years, by the way. Columbia is a very long, rat-infested subway ride from the parts of NYC you would normally want to hang out in. As a result, the campus is lifeless relative to other universities that are more compact and have more vibrant, 24/7 college towns in the immediate area. Students at Columbia get together with a few friends and split expensive cab rides downtown, or have private parties in their own housing towers. And then expensive rides back, if they don't want to wait an hour or more for the deserted subway to get there at 4am. If you aren't as cliquey or don't have the money to do that and buy $18 martinis and $40 club admissions in Greenwich Village or the Meatpacking, or spend an extra hour on the subway to be able to pay $12 for martinis in Brooklyn, your social scene experience is typically going to suffer. If that's your thing, though, it can be a good experience, I guess. It's just not what most people would define as a college town, where you have great parties both on and immediately off campus, all seamlessly connected. Harvard suffers from a similar problem, plus the fact that the immediate area (the "Square") shuts down early and is student-unfriendly; however, it does have some degree of on-campus life through its House system. UPenn just doesn't have much of a college town, but it does have a great on-campus social scene. Yale is surrounded by hundreds of great places to go and has a campus that is buzzing 24/7 with activity, not just because of the town, but also because it has by far the most compact campus -- every single one of the undergraduate dormitories are within a 2-3 minute walk of each other, as opposed to 10-20 minutes at most of the other Ivies.</p>

39

<p>this is an article that may be worth reading</p>

<p><a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21081%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21081&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>to many it is not news at all</p>

40

<p>as many have already said, great schools in moderate-to-large cities have some additional issues to consider when applying. bigger cities, generally mean more crime, but that's not to say to pass on the experiences these schools offer. i'd say good, safety principles should apply to males and females alike when going off to college, and the attitude of the school itself matters a lot. that being said, i grew up in southern CT, not too far from New Haven, and it was never considered desirable or nice, HOWEVER( before i get screamed at) that's NOT the campus of Yale!</p>