| My brother went to Yale, and every time I visited him I hung out in New Haven a lot. The area right around Yale - so, the places you're going to be spending the lion's share of your time in - is pretty great. There are coffee shops, bars, pizza places, great ethnic restaurants, and even an Urban Outfitters. It has pretty much everything a college student could want.
That being said, there ARE parts of New Haven that are a little sketchy/"underdeveloped." That is, you wouldn't want to be stuck in some neighborhoods alone at night. These neighborhoods are not the ones that are immediately surrounding Yale, though, so the chances that you WOULD be stuck alone at night in a creepy back alley are pretty slim.
New Haven's like any fairly large city; there are fabulous areas and... Not so fabulous areas. Overall, though, I think it's a wonderful resource (at least, my brother thought so) for Yale students and provides a pretty great backdrop for a wonderful four years! |