I was browsing the internet one night in-between homework assignments, and I noticed that Google had released Street View on Google Maps for New Haven. I had a lot of fun tracing my walk to class virtually and spotting favorite restaurants and stores, so I thought I'd share it with you guys.
My day always begins at Timothy Dwight College, the best residential college at Yale. No, seriously. We're a consistent front-runner in the Tyng Cup standings for intramural sports, we have the longest serving master and deans of all the colleges, and freshman get to live in the college starting the first year instead of Old Campus, so we have the most family spirit. It's hard to describe, but my residential college has grown to be such a part of my life that I couldn't imagine college without it. A library, dining hall, upperclassmen to approach for advice, frisbee in the courtyard and intramural sports, a dean who watches your back academically and otherwise--I find it to be a very supportive and healthy environment.
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If you spin 180˚ around, you'll see Silliman College, our hated rivals across the way. They are the largest residential college at Yale with a $10 million renovation with an amazing basement (think basketball court, movie theater, and slate buttery tables you can write on with chalk). Both of us have freshmen who live in the College instead of Old Campus, but that common bond only makes us even stronger rivals. We had a rather intense snowball snowball fight just yesterday, taking advantage of the minor Snowpocalypse that hit New Haven.
Up next is the New Haven Green, which I traipsed across last year every time I went to my Philosophy of Mind class in Phelps Hall. This actually New Haven property, and it's basically the heart of the city. New Haven, when it was originally planned, was designed in a grid of 9 squares (like a tic-tac-toe board) and the center square was reserved for the Green. It's a beautiful place both in the spring and the winter--I like to walk off the path and crunch in the snow. If you travel a bit forward, you'll see one of the bus stops for CT Transit, New Haven's public busing system, which I take to go to Mathcounts tutoring at a local middle school.
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Cross the green to the west and you'll bump into Phelps Gate, one of the entrances to Old Campus and one of the classic images associated with Yale. Whenever you book a taxi or shuttle, they come to Phelps, so it's sort of a transportation hub and common meeting place for groups getting rides off campus. Phelps Tower is also the home of the classics department, randomly enough. I didn't know there were classrooms here until second semester freshman year.
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This is Claire's Corner Copia, at the corner across Old Campus and in the middle of a nice shopping and restaurant district in New Haven. Claire's is famous for it's "Claire's Cake," a rich coffee cake with walnuts and fruits inside and a decadent frosting. Claire's Cake is as popular as pizza among student groups enticing people to come to their meetings. Browse around and you'll find Samurai, a popular sushi place, and a local theater which puts on professional productions.
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And what's a tour without Gourmet Heaven? Know as "G-heav" to the most intense customers, Gourmet Heaven combines a high quality general store, take out food, and 24 hour service all into one. It's located on Broadway, another nice shopping district that has the best stores in my opinion. You can find A-1 Pizza, another 24 hour place (get the pancakes), Cutler, a CD shop, and Ivy Noodle, the best Chinese place around (it's kind of hard to see here, though).
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And finally, a virtual tour can't be complete without a cool Street View trick/explanation of Commons. The domed building in the background is Commons, the largest dining hall at Yale and the one that looks the most like the Great Hall from Harry Potter. While I prefer to eat at my residential college, I find Commons great for the quick bite to eat or hot breakfast in the morning. Big events are usually held here, like the Freshman Christmas Feast and Sophomore Dinner. There was also a great Chinese New Year meal here, complete with Peking opera performers from New York. Above in the dome are is the President's Room, a beautifully furnished space where our TD Master, Master T, held a private concert for the Fellows and Students.
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Now for the fun part--if you back up and move forward, you can race the blue Bulldog Bus that's in from of the Street View car that took these pictures. These buses are available to pick you up at Union Station, or take you up Science Hill or to the Medical School.
Okay, hope you enjoyed the Street View tour. Of course, consider coming to Bulldog Days--it's infinitely more fun than this post :)
