New Haven, CT Part 1

YALE & NEW HAVEN

Fitstyle Rundown

STEP GOAL: 10,000
INTENSITY LEVEL: MODERATE
ATTIRE: ATHLETIC/CASUAL
DISTANCE: ~6.5 MILES

Let me take you on an insider’s walk through Yale and New Haven because you can’t really separate one from the other. As an alumna and a resident of the city, this is basically my stomping ground, and this is the route that I follow when I have friends visiting the area for the first time.

When you arrive, you’ll need to find parking...unless, you live here and then you can just walk into downtown. :) (See below for some parking tips!) The Yale campus is long and linear; it starts with the Medical School and runs along Prospect Street where it ends with the Divinity School.

Start in the Middle

The densely packed area of campus with the most iconic buildings are near Cross Campus, which is basically right in the middle. I like to start with a stop at Claire’s Corner Copia - the smoothies and the Lithuanian Coffee Cake are delish! It’s a vegetarian restaurant with a huge menu that caters to all types of eaters, including vegan and gluten free, so anyone can find something tasty to eat.

From there, head over to the Visitor Center for a walking tour of campus led by a current Yale student. It’s a great way to get a sneak peek inside some of the buildings that are off limits to the public, like the residential colleges. That said, there are a number of buildings that look more forbidding than they are, like Sterling Memorial Library and Beinecke Library. You can walk into both of these on your own, and I would highly encourage it!

From Revolutionary to Prehistoric Times

After the tour, you’ll end up on Broadway near the Yale Bookstore. You can certainly pick up some Yale goodies there, but the next stop will be a walk along York Street over to the Grove Street Cemetery. It’s actually a beautiful place to walk through (so, if you have people who like to see old gravestones, it’s definitely worth checking out.) But know that there’s no short cut through the cemetery, there’s only one way in and one way out! (Mwahahaha. Hee hee.)

From there, walk along Grove Street to Prospect Street and turn left. You’ll see the two new residential colleges! These are "dorms" for Yale undergraduate students that are like microcosm of the whole university.

Keep going up the hill and turn right onto Edwards Street. (If you just keep walking instead of turning, then you’ll make it to the Divinity School.) On Edwards Street, you’ll walk by the Yale Sustainable Farm.

Turn right onto Whitney, and you’ll be taken back in time when the Torosaurus greets you at the entrance to the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. And don't let the it stop you in your tracks, there are lots of fun things to see inside, too! Across the street is the Yale School of Management.

From the museum walk along Hillhouse Avenue. It’s such a pretty street with the tree canopy and the old homes that are now part of Yale’s campus. Walk along College Street (this area will look familiar from the walking tour!) and head to Chapel Street.

Arts, Shopping & Dining

The Chapel Street Historic District is lined with cute boutiques. I always say I’m just window shopping, but that’s never how it works out! Embedded in these blocks are the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. Both are free and open to the public and totally worth a visit.

Depending on how energetic we feel and what time of day it is, we’ll stop for some food at Harvest (Love their appetizer options) or we’ll walk down York to Crown Street to see the variety of restaurants in the area. We may stop at BAR (great pizza and a microbrewery) or 116 Crown, which is also the address (their drinks and menu are well worth the walk). Of course, these locations have high top table seating and/or a bar area, which gets my fitstyle stamp of approval! (And feel free to get side tracked on College where there are lots of other restaurants and outdoor seating!)

My Step Count: ~13,440

Fitstyle Itinerary:

**NOTE: Some of these locations may have modified hours due to CDC/Covid-19 regulations.

Start at Claire’s Corner Copia
Walking tour of Yale Campus from the Visitor Center
Grove Street Cemetery to the Yale Sustainable Farm
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (Closed for renovations.)
Chapel Street shopping with stops at the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery
Drinks and dinner at Harvestor BAR or 116 Crown

PARKING TIPS

Download the Parkmobile app for onstreet parking options.
Parking maps and often parking deals available through The Shops at Yale.

Amp It Up!

Here are a couple fun ways to add a challenge to your adventure:

Take the stairs to the 4th floor of the Yale University Art Gallery to the Sculpture Terrace.
Run along Prospect/College to see the full expanse of Yale’s campus.