New to New haven, recommendations please

Submitted by ldelizabeth t3_ykbtok in newhaven

Hi All! I am moving to New haven in December from South Florida (Miami). I know nothing about the area (I have never lived up north lol) and would love any recommendations or tips on places to live or just in general.

I am coming this weekend to tour some places and trying to put together a list- I would like to be close to the hospital but I want to make sure I am also in a safe area. I am in my early 20s would like a place where it is quiet and I can study but also I would like to explore the area and do fun things on the weekends. I am interested in a 1 bedroom/studio and would like to stay under 2k.

Thanks for all your help :)

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treemonktheverdant t1_iuukjvr wrote

Don’t rent from Pike International or Mandy Management if you can avoid it.

Wooster Square is a great neighborhood, and has better access to downtown and the hospital than East Rock.

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yudkib t1_iuub8ba wrote

Buy a heavier coat

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lavidarica t1_iuv874u wrote

Yeah I don’t envy them moving here in December. January-March can be pretty depressing. Fall is amazing. Today’s weather was perfect.

Layers, lots of layers. Long johns (maybe two pairs). Make sure your head/ears, chest, hands, and feet and covered, warm, and dry. Canadian brands know what’s up.

Maybe take up skiing or snowboarding so you actually look forward to cold weather.

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qdroqueen t1_iuunxp9 wrote

Welcome to New England! The seasons are fabulous. The leaves in autumn and frozen ponds in winter are my favorites! Make a plan to drive up route 77 next October. And take a thimbles islands tour in Branford in March to see the seals!

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missouriprincess t1_iushayx wrote

New Haven is a pretty small town so even if you’re in East Rock, you aren’t too far from much! East Rock is a super nice area, but if you’re wanting to be able to walk to the hospital, I would check out places near Edgewood and anywhere between Dwight/Park St. I ended up finding a 1 bed/1 bath for $1250. I’m able to walk to Smilow, and while you definitely want to keep your wits about you, I’ve never felt particularly unsafe. There are tons of food options in New Haven—I would go to The Pantry for breakfast and Prime 16 for a good burger! This will be my first winter in NE, so I can’t really speak to that, but so far the weather hasn’t been bad!

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ldelizabeth OP t1_iusnyjo wrote

Thank you so much! Happy to hear that, I will check those areas out.

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Andy_0606 t1_iuu1k0w wrote

Funny enough, I posted something very similar over a year ago because I too moved from Miami to New Haven. Feel free to message me with any questions. I would also recommend the east rock area and Wooster square as others have mentioned.

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Benergii t1_iuvdq44 wrote

You stayed in CT!? Are you active military?

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Andy_0606 t1_iuwl84p wrote

My fiancé got a job here, there are very few jobs in his industry in Florida and we wanted a change of scenery. We enjoy living here and are happy we moved.

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HartfordResident t1_iusmxwd wrote

The city has gentrified, and there aren't many truly unsafe areas relative to what you find in most other large cities. There are a few spots with more concentrated safety issues especially some of the streets just south of the hospital in the Hill (especially the ones near a methadone clinic), a few parts of Newhallville and Beaver Hills, and parts of Fair Haven away from the riverfront, but in those much lower-income neighborhoods, there are also many blocks that are just fine. Anywhere within walking distance to the downtown would be best if you want to be close to stuff to do on weekends.

A lot of the city is middle class or upper middle class, with Westville, East Rock, and Wooster Square, and Downtown proper, being the most popular wealthier neighborhoods for people who can afford them such as Yale professors, doctors, lawyers, state employees who run offices in Hartford, engineers, commuters to big companies in Fairfield County and NYC, etc., or students who want to double up on rent for smaller apartments and/or don't mind taking out loans for a year or two while they are in a master's program or something.

New Haven and some of the surrounding areas are very walkable compared to Florida. You will run into neighbors all the time. That also means that people may walk around and look for crimes of opportunity, like packages sitting on porches. If you have a car make sure you don't leave stuff in it that is valuable, since break ins can happen, whether you are in the city or in the suburbs. If you have a bike you can talk to the bike shops about getting better locks and replacing your quick release with special key bolts.

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lifeisbeutiful t1_iuuirwb wrote

Ahh... most of the City has not gentrified and most of the population is nowhere near middle class. There are still many areas where some would not feel safe.

Its only downtown that has gentrified (if you can call it that, it was a depopulated commercial district where new "luxury" residential development was built)

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curbthemeplays t1_iuw8h9t wrote

How long have you been in the area? Even East Rock and Wooster Square are much nicer than they used to be. I remember East Rock when most houses needed paint, renovations. It was shoddier looking for sure. It’s much more desirable now.

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lifeisbeutiful t1_iuwaco7 wrote

I've been here a couple of decades. I agree, the entire city looks better now, even the inner-city sections have been repainted ( probably mandated by chipping lead paint) The two neighborhoods you mentioned were always desirable.

But if we look at gentrification around other cities, New Haven didn't move. Yes it got better but it's as divided as ever.

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curbthemeplays t1_iuwh3ao wrote

What other cities? It has absolutely gentrified but what city “fully” gentrifies? I think you have unrealistic expectations of the effect.

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lifeisbeutiful t1_iuwl1zt wrote

If you look at nyc, Washington, Philly JC and many other cities that are experiencing gentrification, vast areas of those cities have gentrified. NYC as an example, even as late as early 2000, most would be terrified to go to most areas, even times Square was shady. since then, whole sections of the city, areas in bk queens bronx and more are now gentrified and so on.

New haven has clear and distinct lines of separation that didn't really move. Think Dwight street. anything past dwight Street is considered a no go. that's been the case for decades. But it's literally a few blocks from yale and downtown, surrounded by old beautiful buildings in a walkable area and blocks from the hospitals and a big supermarket. yet it's a no go area as described by every post here.

Yes New Haven got safer and better and yes its originally stable neighborhoods of east Rock, Wooster and westville (and now downtown) are doing well but they always did and gentrification did not spread in any meangful way.

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curbthemeplays t1_iuwmyg6 wrote

New Haven downtown is drastically better than the 90’s. Those are much bigger cities. There’s still a lot of crime issues in NYC, and neighborhoods that haven’t improved that much. JC the same, I have family that still lives there. Outside downtown and the waterfront, it still has issues. Not as bad, but that can be said of New Haven too. New Haven’s crime index is half of what it was a decade ago.

Many of those New Haven neighborhoods you mention were OK but not nearly as desirable as now.

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lifeisbeutiful t1_iuwouwh wrote

we're talking about gentrification specifficaly as a seperate idea from a nicer look or a safer feeling, though thats part of gentrification. but to use your example JC is not the same. Downtown now is amazing and journal square and the heights have been gentrified. even bergen-lafayatte is looking good. Grand Ave has hip and trendy bars. it's night and day compared to what it was even 20 years ago. whole sections have been gentrified, New Haven didn't get that wave. yes neighborhoods got stabilized and lead chipping paint painted but not gentrified. there is clear divide between original stable neighborhoods and the rest of the city.

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curbthemeplays t1_iuwu29x wrote

I have been around JC for decades. Most of the city is pretty nice but the West Side areas are still not amazing. The waterfront and downtown were looking up as early as the late 90’s. It was really bad in the early 90’s but has been steadily improving for 20+ years.

New Haven has had a shorter run of improvement. Crime peaked around 2010. Since then the city has been improving, lots of investment, new apartments, and as I said before, the crime index in 2009 from City Data based on FBI stats was 769, and 2019 it’s 431. That’s not just looking safer, that IS safer.

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lifeisbeutiful t1_iuxblpx wrote

it's no doubt safer as most crime has fallen around the county. But if the west side is the only one that's sketchy now in your experience it shows that the thier neighborhood have gentrified in thr last few decades

outside of small pockets of yale development around WinchesterAve, I really can't think of any neighborhood gentrifing in New Haven. can you? yes they got better but gentrified?

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curbthemeplays t1_iuxc0fx wrote

Downtown gentrified 100%. Ninth Square is another example. Parts of East Rock weren’t nice like they are now. Like Goatville. Parts of Westville too. City Point used to be bad, now it’s quite nice. The area around Science Park was very bad, now it’s improving.

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lifeisbeutiful t1_iuxcpri wrote

I agree that downtown has gentrified ( again, not really as noone was displaced as they added housing to a commercial district) yes, the neighborhoods you mentioned have gotten better and their "safe" boundaries expanded a bit, but the city is made up of far more neighborhoods and they have not gentrified. Back to the dwight neighborhood, it's exactly what would be gentrified but everyone is still advised not to cross dwight st.

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curbthemeplays t1_iuxd4sl wrote

I know someone that lives a couple blocks beyond Dwight and it’s been fine for him. Definitely still room for improvement though.

The biggest problem the city has with progress is the local alderman and general bureaucracy that makes for slow approval on development.

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lifeisbeutiful t1_iuxdvuc wrote

some do live on the other side of dwight and it is fine but that's a very small number.

agreed

alderman are one of our biggest problems, holding this city back approval of projects in this city makes developers run away

other major problems is the union control of the city and massive city giveaways for low income housing. This city has everything it needs to succeed but it's not.

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ldelizabeth OP t1_iuso4le wrote

Amazing! Thank you so much for your insight, super helpful.

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beaveristired t1_iuwqkck wrote

Most of Beaver Hills is absolutely fine. It’s a desirable neighborhood, mostly large architecturally beautiful SFH houses with decent sized lots, lots of long term residents. Mostly middle class, also working and upper class, nice mix of people, very diverse and community-minded. Between Goffee and Crescent is very nice. I would avoid areas right near SCSU (loud college students and increased crime) and living on Whalley itself, and would be cautious about the areas between Whalley and Goffee, especially Winthrop (between Goffee and Crescent is fine however).

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HartfordResident t1_iux0m2r wrote

This is true, it's one of the nicest neighborhoods in the state in most parts. I was thinking of some of the areas near the edge of the neighborhood, where there have been more violent crimes.

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beaveristired t1_iuxivp7 wrote

Yeah, like most neighborhoods in New Haven, Beaver Hills borders higher crime areas. All of the highly recommended neighborhoods border high crime areas, so there’s bound to be a little spillover.

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Whydoyouhatefreedom t1_iusp0qg wrote

Which hospital campus? The closer you get the less safe it is.

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bingybunny t1_iuty70s wrote

has anyone else noticed that almost every hospital in every city is in a bad neighborhood

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curbthemeplays t1_iuw8523 wrote

I wouldn’t say that. The main YNH hospital area is fine. That area of downtown is great and there’s several new apartment buildings nearby in the “City Crossing” complex. As you move AWAY from the hospital in the Hill direction, it gets worse.

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Crafty-Cauliflower-6 t1_iustpmb wrote

I would live in easf rock or wooster square or one of the big apartment buildings id live north of crown east of howe if you can afford it.

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Catlady_1001 t1_iuumnxu wrote

Most residents live near the hospital in downtown- there's a lot of good apartment buildings very near the hospital. Downtown is pretty safe. East rock is another safe neighbourhood but downtown is much more convenient when you're on call/working late. 900 Chapel street has beautiful apartments under 2k-Feel free to reach out with more questions.

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Songolo t1_iuvu99f wrote

First thing first: if you want quiet, you have to avoid downtown.
Here you have a choice: living 5 min walk from the hospital, or quiet. Downtown is frequented by a colorful bunch that likes to advertise their coolness with loud noises, plus loud partygoers.
Bikers in State street (especially at the corner with Clark) will make sure be be heard during summer, so that's a no too. My suggestion is to look for narrow streets with potholes if you want quiet.

That being said with you budget you can go anywhere. There are some very new buildings near congress and cedar st that are in an very quiet (almost dead) area and 2 min walk from the hospital, but there's nothing to "explore there".

General advice:
Get a nice warm and waterproof coat.
Don't get attached to your umbrella, you'll lose it, or it will get stolen.
Buy a bike AND a good sturdy lock, if if have a safe place to park it overnight.
Craigslist in New Haven is a gem, use it.

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mkiv808 t1_iuwuqhg wrote

It’s a tiny city compared to what you’re used to.

Miami is 3x the land size.

Even in East Rock or Wooster Square, you’re still very close to the hospital. Even in a suburb like Milford or Branford, you’re always 15-25 minutes away (depending on traffic).

The plus is, for a small city it’s very lively. I travel all over the country for work and even some larger cities don’t have the amount of great restaurants, bars, entertainment, and culture New Haven has.

Will you have a car?

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Ronin_KDVC_095 t1_iuutdq6 wrote

Which hospital? I know of a studio avail by St. Rae's

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curbthemeplays t1_iuw8m39 wrote

We have solid Cuban food at Soul De Cuba. Co-signed by a friend with Cuban family in Miami.

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greysuru t1_ivmr2x2 wrote

Second/third floor apartments are often safer and quieter. 2k can get you places but probably not Wooster. Maybe East Rock.

Bump to small streets in the dingy parts of town. Portsea, Greenwich, Rosetta, Atwater, Peck, Haven, Main St (Fairhaven)...

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shoegal4 t1_iuuojzg wrote

If you go anywhere to eat, try Mezcal on Mechanic Street. Such a hidden gem and the margs are delicious. After dinner you can check out the bars on State Street (a downtown sort of vibe without being in the busier downtown area). Definitely check out Yale’s campus, it’s a fun walk around downtown new haven.

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CarStoleninNewHaven t1_iuwzq01 wrote

Get a car alarm and steering wheel lock :). New Haven PD get 1-2 stolen car reports a day.

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Benergii t1_iuvdgo8 wrote

https://www.reddit.com/r/newhaven/comments/yk1eeb/two_guys_stealing_my_car_off_state_street_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

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BMP353 t1_iuvphz6 wrote

Get used to guys like this who bash where they live but somehow never leave. Hah…this one here is apparently a New Haven-specific internet troll with -100 comment karma overall. We moved here 8 years ago (wife is from Miami) and have learned to love it.

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Benergii t1_iuvvzs3 wrote

Sounds like yal are of the lucky few... I've lived coast to coast and couldn't stand CT life, politics, or winter management. I won't live in CT full time, ever again... but HVN airport is great and could help turn the City into a nice place if they ever get to expand.

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Boomshockadotorg t1_iuw5sdi wrote

Stay in south Florida. It’s nicer and not as dangerous

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mkiv808 t1_iuwue4n wrote

The south Florida region has a higher crime rate than the New Haven region. Florida in general has significantly higher crime than CT.

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Boomshockadotorg t1_iuwvqem wrote

The only safe spot in New Haven is the Yale main campus because they have their own police force. It was brought in years ago because foreign students didn’t want to attend the school because of crime. The rest of the city is a dump. Stay in Florida.

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mkiv808 t1_iuwxt7q wrote

Yale police is a tiny presence and NHV police overwhelmingly are still responsible for that area.

Bullshit re: that being the only safe part of the city. Not even worth typing more of a response to.

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Boomshockadotorg t1_iuwz4xv wrote

You’re wrong. People love cops in Florida. In New Haven all the woke losers want them defunded. Wake up junior, it’s not a utopia, it’s a big tax break for a juggernaut. If Yale was truly progressive they start cleaning by up the outer areas of their main campus. They don’t do shit for the community.

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mkiv808 t1_iuwzo6v wrote

Uh huh.

https://www.nextburb.com/us/compare-states/connecticut-vs-florida/crime-rates/

Yale could certainly do more. But they did just increase their voluntary payment.

https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2021/11/17/city-and-university-officials-announce-six-year-commitment-increases-yales-voluntary-contribution/

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Boomshockadotorg t1_iuwzwhs wrote

They say that whenever they’re under pressure. They have a war chest that rivals a small country. They’re getting away with murder financially yet you embrace them? It’s a dump, you have no idea what you’re talking about. I grew up there.

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mkiv808 t1_iux0al5 wrote

You’re conflating the argument here. I’m not defending or “embracing” Yale or arguing that they have insane amounts of money and could do more for the city.

I’m saying that the idea that Florida cities are safer, or Florida overall is safer is not correct, and neither is the idea that New Haven is unsafe outside the campus. Parts of downtown outside Yale, East Rock, Westville, Wooster Square, Prospect Hill, Morris Cove, East Shore, City Point are all safe areas outside of Yale.

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Boomshockadotorg t1_iux14y8 wrote

Get on Dixwell tonight around 1 am and head towards Hamden and let me know how it goes.

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mkiv808 t1_iux1e0b wrote

Wow, I didn’t think of that. Golly.

I’ve been on that stretch many times. Sometimes late. I worked on the edge of a bad area of Fair Haven for years (and nothing happened).

Yeah, Dixwell/Newhallville is rough. What’s your point?

Also, nothing is going to happen driving that stretch at 1am. I’ve done it many times. 😂

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Boomshockadotorg t1_iux1m17 wrote

It’s been a war zone for decades. Yale has done nothing to improve the area. And they never will.

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Daviddoesnotexist t1_ivjzmti wrote

The bad areas of New Haven don’t hold a candle to some of the hoods in Dade and Broward county lol.

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