I’m not selling anything here, but your description makes him sound like a great fit for Wes, particularly his academic and extra-curricular interests.
If it were me, I would make sure to not have him make an overly final judgment (one way or the other) about the school (any school really) based on one visit. If you have described him accurately, then it’s hard for me to imagine Wes would not be worth at least being on his list.
Good luck.
Yes, @cquin85, you hit the nail on the head. The first Italian in Middletown was from Melilli, Sicily. When he arrived at Ellis Island, confusion resulting from the language barrier led to him being sent to Middletown. He then brought over the relatives and relatives of the relatives, etc. The rest is history. There is now a Melilla’s Pizza restaurant out on Newfield Street.
An interesting footnote to your story about St. Sebastian’s is that throughout the 20th century after the Latin mass became optional and into the 21st, there was always one mass on Sunday that was celebrated in Italian, normally by a priest from Italy.
I would just add that Brewbakers closes at 2PM; it has a very loyal breakfast/brunch crowd. I like Perkatory (or “Perk on Main”), too, but mainly because it’s open ‘til 5 and now that the bookstore is without a coffee vendor of its own, Perk is a tad closer.
Fun fact: the coffee/lunch counter that was at the bookstore (believe it was called “Grown”) was run by Ray Allen’s wife, Shannon. We ate there and the food and service were great. But it was pricey for college town food.
The space is waiting there for someone to make another run at. Hope they find someone. The other problem, I guess, is that there is a lot of competition on Main Street. But the book store is a great location.
There is still a Wesleyan-run cafe (coffee shop/lunch counter) at the old book store closer to campus, called the Red & Black Cafe. It’s on the corner of Broad & William. The rest of the space that was the book store has been repurposed. I chatted with a couple of students who were working on projects at their lap tops there the other day.
Wow. Didn’t know that cafe was still operating.
I remember when they moved into the new space there were certainly a few noses bent of out shape, though I think the move to Main Street has been good.
Good intel.
What has the space been repurposed into?
The Wesleyan Argus.
Wow. A bit has happened since my D graduated.
Though I’m not sure I ever knew where the Argus was housed before.
That’s a good outcome for the neighborhood to keep that building in productive and Wes-related use.
The radio station (WESU) too, if I recall correctly.
One other detail to check out during your visit. Wesleyan has bought up some modest houses in the immediate neighborhood on streets directly adjacent to campus, essentially extending the campus into the neighborhood. They are one option for upper class housing. If they’re not covered on the tour, they’re something to look into.
A second off-the-radar feature of campus is Long Lane Farm, a small, organic vegetable farm at the far end of campus. It’s about a mile walk from the Admissions Center, so I don’t expect that it’s covered on the tour. If it’s something your son is interested in, ask for directions from Admissions staff.
Finally, if your son is a runner, he might want to see what Wes has to offer for running opportunities. There is an 8K course on campus used for cross country meets. And there are routes up to 13 miles in and around the area using streets and woods which the team uses to work out.. they are available for students who just want to get out for fun runs.
Yes, the radio station has p been on the 2nd floor of that building for a long time.WESU, 88.1 FM. It’s a great station to which I listen all the time - especially to the shows from the Pacifica network and NPR. Founded in 1939, it is one of the oldest continuously operating college radio stations in the country.
I have to say, it is delightful to see how invested you are in the Middletown and Wesleyan communities, @Bill_Marsh, @circuitrider and @cquin85. I’m looking forward to our visit!
One thing I’d note on that point, while it varies from school to school, Wesleyan has a good relationship with their home town, if that is a value to you and your son. I’m sure it hasn’t always been perfect, but the city seems to understand what they have going for them being Wes’ hometown, and under Roth at least (can’t speak to before), Wes certainly does their part for their community.
Have a look at this recent piece summarizing just a sliver of the programs, efforts and partnerships that exist between the town and the school.
I also always find it somewhat interesting when people share a view on the forum that Middletown is “gritty” and make other semi-disparaging comments along those lines. To each his own, I guess, but the thing to understand and embrace about the place is that it’s the actual location where many people live in real life, and not all of them are wealthy. The town tries to spiff itself up and deal with things but there is always a lovely (to me) real and blue collar aspect to Middletown. There is nothing pretentious about the place. It is home to the Central Valley Hospital, the state’s mental health facility, and it’s also home to Middlesex Hospital, an acute care hospital and flagship for the Middlesex Health system. Just as examples. If you’re a person whose standards lean towards Westport or Greenwich, you’re not going to love or appreciate Middletown. You’re not going to find an Anthropologie on Main Street. Not that kind of place.
But many of the city’s more real-life aspects are also the very things that create all these great opportunities for Wesleyan students to become involved in the community. Take Long Lane Farm, for example. It was founded to help the community. What is produced on the farm goes to places like St. Vincent de Paul’s soup kitchen (itself in Middletown). I like things like that myself.
To follow up, St. Paul’s Soup Kitchen is right on Main St, not hidden away somewhere. Another er feature of downtown, just off Main Street & Washington, is Kid City, a unique children’s museum where I encountered Wesleyan psychology students asking to include my grandson in a research project they were doing on early childhood development when I was doing day care for him as a 4 year old. In terms of blue collar, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines employs about 1500 Union workers, engineers, and managers at the south end of town down on the Connecticut River.
You’re correct in talking about the close collaboration between Wesleyan and city government. A prominent example is Wesleyan Hills, a planned residential community developed back in the late 1960s from available farmland. It includes open space to protect against urban sprawl. The original farm buildings have been kept as museum pieces. An old barn was converted into a community theater and meeting house. Wesleyan was instrumental in the development of the project by purchasing the 300 acres of available farm land and by financing the development corporation.
Soup Kitchen. Perfect example, Bill.
And I have never noticed any issues with it being there despite Main Street being a town priority to attract retail traffic.
Colin G. Campbell, Wesleyan’s president from 1970 to 1988, was instrumental while he was still serving as Executive Vice-President, in developing the old Goodyear Tire Company property. The plan which emerged after negotiations between the university, Middletown and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), split two city blocks of chain-link fencing into attractive, modern, residential units, evenly divided between public housing and student apartments (High-Low).
And under the leadership of President Douglas Bennet`59 (father of Colorado Senator Michael Bennet`87) Wesleyan helped bring the Inn at Middletown to fruition, including contributing seed money for the joint-venture.
More, from a recently published article: Wesleyan-Middletown Collaborations Expand
The Community Health Center mentioned in this article opened a new building on Main Street about 10 years ago or so. The building featured a “green roof” which includes a roof top garden. (See linked article.) Wesleyan has several more such green roofs with roof top gardens on campus.
Wow. Always thought it was a nice looking building. Had no idea about the roof. Very cool.