It's not set yet, but I'm thinking of doing this. I'm wondering how it would feel. I'm particularly curious about the liveliness, museums, restaurants, and arts scene. The aesthetic of a place is also important to me and it sounds superficial to say but I feel like I would miss the architectural character of Boston. Is there a similar charm to New Haven? I'm also wondering if the college population in New Haven feels as populous as in Boston? I've been to New Haven several times before but more so passing through. Thank you.

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xxJeffFoxworthyxx t1_jd52zry wrote on March 21, 2023 at 10:00 PM

New Haven simply isn’t going to feel as big as Boston.

There is a great deal in the way of restaurants, museum, and there is a wonderful art scene, but they exist on the scale of a small city.

Spring break, summer, and winter break will see the city empty out quite a bit since Yale kids leave.

beaveristired t1_jd53dzu wrote on March 21, 2023 at 10:02 PM

Moved here from Somerville, but I was older (early 30s). It was a smooth transition. New Haven has a lot of what a bigger city offers - dining, nightlife, culture - in a smaller, more affordable, and easily accessible package. Architecturally, it’s quite beautiful in some neighborhoods like East Rock and Wooster Square.

parateeps t1_jd7woe2 wrote on March 22, 2023 at 2:04 PM

Grew up in central MA (Worcester) and went to college in Lowell. Moved to Hamden and started my nursing career at Yale. Still in the same apartment I moved into 4, almost 5 years ago.

Creepy_Meringue3014 t1_jd5mw10 wrote on March 22, 2023 at 12:18 AM

It ain’t it my dawg. At all.
I moved from pvd and it’s so much more dead in every respect.

I would go to Boston/Newport often and the casinos every once in a while from pvd (we had the mall for movies and the playhouses + other pts of mass and ri for concerts et Al. On my way thru the middle states, I’d do nyc.

that said…there is that from New Haven. Nyc. it’s a completely different vibe of course as you’d well know. we do have a couple of movie houses, yale rep, and the Schubert. But yeah. Food +everything else is subpar to Boston.

Alert-Extreme1139 t1_jd8nvee wrote on March 22, 2023 at 4:59 PM

New Haven punches way above its weight in terms of arts, music, food, and culture, particularly in comparison to similarly sized cities. There's a lot to do. But it ain't Boston.

An odd thing about New Haven I've noticed is that Yale is disappointingly insular. When I lived there, it was rarely Yalies contributing to the city's broader arts and music scenes, which I found really surprising. There was so much brain power concentrated in one place which didn't really seem to enrich the city around it. When I visit now it doesn't seem like that's changed.

Equivalent-Display40 t1_je0ulfx wrote on March 28, 2023 at 4:33 PM

This. That is why New Haven is unlike Providence, because you feel the vibrancy of Brown in the city, especially college hill. New Haven is kind of weird. It is not an inviting city, at least the downtown part. I do t feel comfortable walking around even though there are good businesses around. The urban layout is just bad.

ardark t1_jdbbpuz wrote on March 23, 2023 at 4:02 AM

I came from Boston, but moved here when I was 30. I wasn’t trying to party or be hip, but I love eating good food and having a good drink which there are many options. I love walkability, and I like small local businesses. With that, I like New Haven. And judging by the crowds downtown on the weekends, so do many others in the area.

You can’t compare it to Boston really, because “Boston” is also Somerville, Southie, Dorchester, etc. I’d say overall New Haven is more like Cambridge. Or maybe more like Providence.

If you’ve visited any area besides the direct blocks around Yale, and you felt like it was your vibe, then you’ll prob like it.

dang_he_groovin t1_jd6spj1 wrote on March 22, 2023 at 6:43 AM

New haven is weird bc u get people in living in very different income brackets living in very close quarters with one another.

At times living there it felt a bit like some sort of dystopian fantasy setting.

I would say it's a great place to be if you're going right from college with a well paying job.

It's not a great place to be if you're young, making less than 6 figures.

I bartended on crown and college for a while - financially speaking I was fine - nonetheless waiting on Yale students and affiliates made me bitter to no end. My blood boils still just thinking about it.

Most of the under 30s do not know true suffering and it shows.

Not worth it. Left the city and moved back to Boston where I grew up.

Tldr I had a hard time making friends

EmuBoth t1_jd8b6tw wrote on March 22, 2023 at 3:40 PM

nhv is great like really great- but it's no comparison to someone who is looking for the Boston experience. Boston it's not. down here its way way way smaller a much smaller city.