US Travel Guide - New Haven

New Haven Entertainment

Thanks in part - but not entirely - to the presence of Yale University, New Haven boasts an amazing volume of arts and entertainment for a city its size. It has world renowned museums, orchestras and theaters. Dance clubs and night clubs showcase local and nationally known musicians. The quaint colonial towns that surround New Haven, with their steepled churches and town greens, antique shops and historic homes, add their festivals, fairs and community theatres to an already rich mix.

The performing arts
It is tough to know where to start when talking about the culturally rich entertainment scene in New Haven. The New Haven Symphony the fourth oldest orchestra in the nation, draws from the rich talent pool of Yales renowned music department. Similarly, the Yale Repertory Theatre has close ties to Yales drama department, and there is much cross-fertilization with New Havens other famous professional theatre, the Long Wharf .

Broadway-bound plays premiere at the Shubert Performing Arts Center. The Yale Cabaret is a well kept secret, showcasing the work of Yale students to the accompaniment of some of the best food in town. Sprague and Woolsey Halls host some 300 concerts a year sponsored by the Yale Graduate School of Music. The Elm Shakespeare Company may not be as famous as some of New Havens other theatre companies, but its free performances in Edgarton Park, are a perennial summer favorite.

On a more formal note, if you prefer ties and tails as opposed to a lawn chairs and mosquitoes, the Chamber Music Society at Yale presents concerts of fine chamber music throughout the year. The New Haven Gaelic Players presents well-known works of Irish playwrights.

Music and nightlife
The Elm City has a long history of jazz, and the New Haven Jazz Festival has been bringing top notch jazz to the region for over 20 years. The festival has gained international fame as one of the largest, long-running, free music festivals in the country. For years, clubs like The Foundry, Malcolms and Cafe Nine have provided jazz artists with a cool place to jam.

Speaking of jamming, the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of modern and rock music, dancing and partying is Toads Place, a hopping (if you will excuse the expression) place for over 25 years. Many of the countrys most famous rock and roll artists - The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, among them -  have performed in the Toads intimate space. New Havens premier blues spot is Blues Café, where excellent Southern cooking goes with excellent music.

Other venues for dancing and music (and for hanging out with the night owls) include Alley Cat, Club Liquid and the gay communitys Gotham Citi Cafe. Tune Inn offers more of an edge to rock and roll; DJs spin punk, techno and goth, but there is something for everyone.

The jazz festival is just one of a constant series of free musical events on the New Haven green, with the lineup changing each summer.

Museums and local history
Yale has formidable collections, which it opens to the public. The Yale University Art Gallery, founded in 1832, is the oldest university art gallery in this country. The Yale Center for British Art is the largest collection of art outside the United Kingdom, and the Peabody Museum of Natural History houses an important collection of dinosaur fossils. The Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments has almost 1,000 instruments on display, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library features one of the last surviving Gutenburg Bibles along with numerous other treasures.

As you cross into adjoining Hamden from New Haven, the Eli Whitney Museum honors the great inventor with displays dedicated to his "passion for making things." For military buffs, Fort Nathan Hale and Black Rock Fort are open to the public, highlighting action that took place in the New Haven area. The entire region is rich in Colonial history, and walking tours highlight historic homes and buildings in New Haven as well as in neighboring towns.

Film
The annual Film Fest New Haven is one of the countrys major showcases for independent films and videos. It is generally held in late April in three downtown venues: the York Square Cinemas, the Whitney Humanities Center on the Yale campus, and the Little Theatre.

If you can't be here for the festival, York Square Cinemas offers an interesting mix of general-release and art films near the Yale campus. Probably the best bets for larger movie theaters outside the city, but within a relatively short drive are, to the east, Hoyts Branford, a 12-screen multiplex with comfy seats, a food court and late night security, and to the west, the eight-screen Showcase Orange.

Family Fun
If you happen to have the kids with you and someone is whining about "nothing for them to do," the New Haven area is packed with fun things for children to do and see. Both the Yale Art Gallery and Center for British Art offer kid-friendly activities and programs on a revolving basis. The Peabody Museum of Natural History is great for dinosaur fans, and the Childrens Museum just reopened downtown. Although it is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, it is an excellent pit-stop for a few hours of entertainment for tykes from 3-11.

In Essex, although a bit of a drive to the east, there is steam train and riverboat ride. In Bridgeport, west of New Haven, there is the Barnum Museum, Discovery Museum and Beardsley Zoo - a perfect triple feature if you have the whole day.

If you have a crowd that prefers sports action, try a Knights hockey game or Ravens baseball game, depending on the season.

The Milford Amusement Center is the final destination for those in need of a full service family entertainment center, equipped with everything from kiddie rides for the wee folks to pool tables and Q-ZAR laser games for the older kids.

Cheilaugh Garvey