By Michael Alpiner
If it weren’t enough that New Haven can boast America’s oldest college (next to Harvard), it is also the birthplace of the Frisbee! That’s it – I’m sold! When one walks along the streets of the city, there is an unmistakable sense of pride, from the parades of Yale sweatshirts and paraphernalia to the classic architecture which ranges from Victorian to Georgian Revival to High Gothic, and for the way New Haven is becoming trendy by both embracing its historical past and looking toward its hopeful future. It is also a city of “firsts” – the first cotton gin, artificial ice machine, lollipop, telephone switchboard, and, of course, American pizza, just to name a few.
Not to be overshadowed by pizza and other delicacies (which will be served up soon), Yale University is central to life in New Haven. In fact, some businesses have to adjust their operations based on Yale’s academic calendar. Founded in 1701, this 1155 acre campus enriches the minds of nearly 5500 students over dozens of disciplines. Its renowned alums include Eli Whitney, Samuel Morse, Thornton Wilder, Tom Wolfe, Meryl Streep. Bill Clinton, Edward Norton, and Anderson Cooper.
