Contents
- Contents:
Whether you’re a prospective family, visiting parent, or faculty new to Choate, there’s something in this guide for you!
Orientation
The first item to purchase is a Hagstrom's Atlas of New Haven County so that you can find your way to these places. (The Yale Bookstore sells them; see the Shopping section of this guide.) You should always call ahead to inquire about opening times and possibly for help in locating an establishment. In New Haven, everything of interest is downtown, in the Yale area around York Square, near Wooster Square, Westville, or in the Whitney Avenue area.
Tourism
You might also like to get a Michelin Green Guide to New England, which gives a complete listing of interesting places to visit, as well as an historical sketch of each site. There is some nice bicycle or automobile touring to do right in Wallingford, east of campus. Try Grieb Road or Whirlwind Hill Road. Hammonasset State Park in Madison is the best beach within a reasonable distance. There is hiking at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden and skiing at Powder Ridge in Middlefield or Mount Southington in Southington. If you tire of taking Interstate 91 to New Haven, try the Hartford Turnpike. When it ends at Davis Street in Hamden, take a right, and then a left on Whitney Ave. (Route 10). The New Haven line is just blocks away.
Trains
We are fortunate to have an Amtrak station here in town, with trains going south as far as Washington DC and north to Boston via Springfield and Worcester. You can also change trains in New Haven to go to Boston via Providence. For information, call 1-800-USA-RAIL. There are also Metro North commuter trains running between New Haven and Grand Central Terminal, which are both more economical and more frequent (every hour; more frequently during rush times) than Amtrak. For information, call 1-800-METRO-GO.
Buses
There is a Connecticut Transit bus that stops at the top of South Main Street (center of town) and goes to New Haven Green. For information, call 624-0151.
Airports
Apart from the obvious New York and Hartford airports, do not overlook Tweed-New Haven Airport, 203-466-8833, which is much closer but has limited service. There is a limo service called Airport Express, 1-800-468-7287, which offers hourly trips to Bradley from the Ramada Inn in Meriden. Reservations required. In addition to Connecticut Limo to the New York airports, there is a service which can be reached by dialing 1-800-RED-VANS. You may also call Hunter Limousines in Middletown at 1-800-87-HUNTER to hire a car. ($65 one way to Bradley)