Higher education

Submitted by pringlesbones t3_yy63tg in newhaven

I've looked at some other "I'm thinking of moving to NH..." posts, but they seemed to be mostly from those with families or some kind of affiliation to Yale. I'm in my mid-twenties, currently working as a line cook while I slowly get through community college. I'd considering NH/nearish to be closer (but not too close) to family around the NYC area, and NH seems like a great pick in terms of size, culture, affordability, accessibility etc- especially for the east coast.

One concern I have is both the options and attitude around colleges. I live in Baltimore, and despite there being many colleges here and people from all walks of life, I've still seen the huge negative impact on Hopkins- from the city's infrastructure, rental market, and even people's attitude. And this is still much better than other places I've lived. Sooo,

  1. I wonder how that attitude is in NH, when I've heard that Yale dominates so much of the city. Would there be a lot of "wtf are you doing here" towards new young people who aren't here for university, let alone Yale? Or elitism towards those in their mid twenties without a degree?

  2. How are the public universities here in general? Does Yale being next door have an impact on affordability, diversity, reputation, etc?

Of course, I know there's a point where it doesn't matter what people think, and many career fields don't care where you've graduated from, but I'd still like to avoid living in a bubble where it's hard to find people who get it.

Thanks for any input.

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Comments

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6th__extinction t1_iwslyl8 wrote

I found the comments on this article relevant to your inquiry: https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/yale_building_projects

Yale is bustling with new developments, but none are housing. Makes me think it’ll be more expensive to live here in the future, and the Yale-affiliated folks will be an even larger part of the population. I teach high school, and many of my students will follow a trajectory somewhat like yours, and I often worry that will not be possible as the city becomes more expensive, specifically housing.

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bigtuna732 t1_iwss8k4 wrote

New Haven is very diverse …there’s gateway community college downtown as well you’ll fit right in with no problem plus there’s plenty of restaurants if you still want to be a line cook …. Good luck !!

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HockeyandTrauma t1_iwsu7k8 wrote

  1. New haven is plenty diverse and there’s tons of young people who have zero interest or affiliation with Yale that are thriving.

  2. Gateway is an excellent community college, and there are plenty of other very good, very affordable options around.

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mozzking t1_iwsvah6 wrote

My wife is from bmore and we visit often. NHV is wayyyyy different lol. It’s an awesome city with tons of young people. You will love it

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michael_ellis_day t1_iwt3pkh wrote

Yale doesn't dominate the city nearly as much as you would think. Sure, it's prominent in terms of owning large quantities of real estate...but in terms of culture and psychology and day to day commerce, Yale isn't such a major presence in the city. (Strange but true: I was actually born in New Haven and yet to this day I have never been inside a Yale building.) By contrast, I used to live in Manhattan very close to New York University, and just walking around the neighborhood was an ordeal: packed with students rushing to their next class, local businesses focused on servicing their needs. The difference between there and here couldn't be more stark.

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m11cb t1_iwt9942 wrote

I'm born & raised and though I'm Yale affiliated, I can honestly say that there's still plenty of community spaces and scenes outside of the Yale bubble that make New Haven a great place to live.

The indie live music scene is something we have a lot of pride in and have cool, small music events from time to time. Obviously, pizza and way better soul food than you'll find in nyc. Check out some bars, Elm City Sounds, Atticus, Lower form vintage, Plush96 orange skate shop and the general downtown area to get a sense of new haven for younger people.

Southern Connecticut State has great programs I've heard and translate well to the CUNY system should you choose to transfer. One of my friends did undergrad and grad there and had excellent professors and internships etc.

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Professional-Tour621 t1_iwtcaz7 wrote

Community colleges are free if you’re going for the first time and no vocational degrees/training. . Not sure of residency requirements

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greysuru t1_iwugk61 wrote

I'm 28, grew up here, went to high school here, but have connections to NYC where I was born and have also lived in the suburbs. I find New Haven interesting, fun, yet a bit expensive. And when you find the places that aren't frequented by Yale underclass-folks, you'll notice a very artsy, progressive, and weird vibe that is really cool. When you come, check out Never Ending Books on State St.

Gateway is decent from what I hear. I'm not a college grad though so what do I know.

The library is a great resource and there are ALL types of people here. It's a Connecticut thing, we have literally everything.

Good luck

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BAWDC t1_iwvwlvv wrote

I moved to New Haven from Baltimore … New Haven is probably the best choice of the limited options of where to live in Connecticut, but I dream about moving back to Baltimore daily. They are not remotely comparable lifestyles.

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hamhead t1_iww3i2o wrote

Replying to 6th__extinction (#565,175)

I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. I moved to New Haven when I was 26 and lived there for 12 years. I absolutely thrived in my profession, which has nothing to do with Yale.

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HartfordResident t1_iww4isk wrote

I don't think it's as much of an issue as it would be in Baltimore, since New Haven is also technically a part of the NYC metro region and has lots of other good sized cities around it. I think there are likely about 1,000,000 or more people who work in the general area within a really easy 30-45 minute drive of New Haven (this includes Hartford), and of those, only about 30,000 either work or go to school at Yale or the Yale-New Haven Hospital.I know a lot of people who work in Hartford who live in New Haven for example.

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KeyPop7800 t1_iwx01j2 wrote

New Haven's great for someone in their 20s, especially living in neighborhoods like East Rock, Wooster, and Westville. A lot of young people around and you'll be walking distance from a ton of bars, restaurants, music venues, etc. Sure, those neighborhoods have a lot of Yale students living in them, but it hardly has any elitist vibe. The downside is that, due to a lot of Yale students living in those neighborhoods, the rent can be surprisingly high compared to the suburbs. But honestly, if you're a single person in their 20s, you'll enjoy New Haven way more than the suburbs - just live with housemates to save on rent.

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hamhead t1_ix0fax7 wrote

Replying to 6th__extinction (#578,323)

So you teach in an inner city district and see problems. You’re not exactly shocking anyone there, in any city ever. What’s that have to do with an adult living there?

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mizzzmilo t1_ix0q2yj wrote

Not yale affiliated, I have never felt unwelcome in new haven, in fact I have seen more “hate” directed towards yalies from non-yalies than the other way around, they seem totally apathetic and honestly I have never found their presence problematic, except as front of house restaurant worker (sometimes they are a little privileged and difficult to deal with in that context). But it’s truly nothing crazy and never extends into the realm outside of work for me. Overall I think the fact new haven is a college town keeps it youthful and vibrant. Housing around yale is significantly more expensive but as soon as you leave the yale bubble you’ll be able to find more affordable housing, and by leave I mean travel 10-15 minutes outside of downtown. I would suggest looking into east haven and west haven for housing, and sometimes the westville neighborhood of new haven. I recently relocated to New York and it has its major perks but I definitely miss home and would recommend making new haven your new spot!

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