Things To Do in New Haven

Most of the major attractions are associated with Yale University and, except for the Peabody Museum, are within walking distance of one another near the New Haven Green, which is bounded by Elm, Church, Chapel, and College streets. The Green is divided by north-south Temple Street, with government and bank buildings, including the Gothic Revival City Hall, bordering it on its east. There's a retail district on the south and some older sections of the vast Yale campus to the north and west.

Facing Temple Street are three historic churches, all dating from the early 19th century. Next to Chapel Street is Trinity Episcopal Church, a brownstone Gothic Revival structure; the Georgian First Church of Christ/Center Congregational Church; and the essentially Federal-style United Congregational. The First Church of Christ is of greatest interest, built atop a crypt with tombstones inscribed as early as 1687. Tours are conducted Tuesday through Friday between 10:30am and 2:30pm.

The oldest private home in New Haven has been turned into the Yale Visitor Center. It's a Colonial-era building (erected in 1767 by John Pierpont, grandson of one of Yale's founders) facing the north side of the Green at 149 Elm St., near College Street (tel. 203/432-2300). While its primary mission is to familiarize prospective students and their parents with a 1-hour guided walking tour of the campus, the center also has an introductory video and maps for self-guided tours. It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Guided tours are available Monday through Friday at 10:30am and 2pm, Saturday and Sunday at 1:30pm.

It is impossible to imagine New Haven without Yale, so pervasive is its physical and cultural presence. The most evocative quadrangle of the sprawling institution is the Old Campus, which can be entered from College, High, or Chapel streets. Inside, the mottled green is enclosed by Federal and Victorian Gothic buildings and dominated by Harkness Tower, a 1920 Gothic Revival campanile that looks much older.

The presence of a highly educated general population ensures a cultural life in New Haven equal to that of many larger cities. A reliable source of information on cultural events and nightlife is the free weekly newspaper the New Haven Advocate (www.newhavenadvocate.com).

The Performing Arts -- Within a couple of blocks of the Green, the Shubert Performing Arts Center, 247 College St. (tel. 800/228-6622 or 203/562-5666; www.shubert.com), presents musicals, opera, plays, cabaret, concerts, and such touring troupes as the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. The well-regarded Yale Repertory Theatre (tel. 203/432-1234; www.yalerep.org) mounts an October-to-May season of modern productions as well as classics by Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, and Tennessee Williams. It uses three venues: University Theater, 222 York St.; the New Theatre, 1156 Chapel St.; and The Rep, 1120 Chapel St.

Away from downtown, but worth the cab fare, is the prestigious Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr. (tel. 203/787-4282; www.longwharf.org). It's known for its success in producing new plays that often make the jump to Off-Broadway and even Broadway itself. The season runs from October to June.

Several venues on the Yale campus, including Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College St., and Woolsey Hall, at College and Grove streets, host the performances of resident organizations, including the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, New Haven Civic Orchestra, Yale Concert Band, Yale Glee Club, and Yale Philharmonia. For upcoming events, call the Yale Concert Information Line (tel. 203/432-4157).

The Club Scene -- The biggest and best venue for live rock, hip-hop, and pop is Toad's Place, 300 York St. (tel. 203/621-TOAD; www.toadsplace.com), which welcomes the likes of Blonde Redhead, The Mars Volta, and Johnny Winter, with a smattering of tribute bands and regional groups on the schedule, too. Performances are usually from Thursday through Sunday nights.

For something less frenetic, the popular BAR, 254 Crown St. (tel. 203/495-1111; www.barnightclub.com), has a lounge in front -- open to the street on warm nights -- and a pool table, terrace, and dance floor in back. On Sunday, listen to live jazz or blues. The Bru Rm, a brewpub tacked onto the slightly older nightclub, produces rich beers and poses a naked challenge in the eternal New Haven pizza wars; its thinnest-crust pies are leading contenders for the crown long held by Frank Pepe's. The gentrifying Ninth Square neighborhood has a new bar and jazz concert space, Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St. (tel. 203/785-0468; www.firehouse12.com). It's open Wednesday through Saturday nights, featuring half-price drafts and free food some evenings. Combos usually appear on Friday.