New Haven

New Haven inevitably reminds me of Oxford. Its a city in its own right, but really its all about the university, Yale. That is why people come here. Away from Yale its just a poor urban sprawl.

Just before one enters the college area there is a reasonable sized green (imaginatively called New Haven Green) marked out by historic churches and few homeless people.

 Hillhouse Avenue was described as the most beautiful street in America. Nice enough but not really a world ranked streetscape in my books.

But that is not to say Yale isn't worth wandering around. It very much is. We just did a relatively short late afternoon reconnoitre.

This, believe it or not, is Yale's gymnasium. Well its the vestibule anyway. I left to Thibault to disappear into the offices above and see whether he could work through the local bureaucracy to join a karate class while I wandered around the downstairs part. Trying not to watch the women's volleyball. But if I had gone with T it would have looked like his dad trying to get him a place.

 Before settling into our hotel, and Thibault heading out to a university karate class.

We arranged things to have a proper look at Yale next morning, using a student led guided tour. I would definitely recommend this. Nice to have a purpose, and essentially let someone else decide where you are going. Yale is essentially a pastiche of Oxford, just with "new" medieaval, and much "honest" Victorian architecture with it. We also had the dubious advantage of setting out for the tour in sleet - at least that kept the tour group numbers down.

Now below is a statue of Nathan Hale, an American patriot who was hanged as a spy by the British. I say "of" Nathan Hale, but more representative of him. It was sculpted in 1898, but no one has any idea what this bloke looked like. So, we were told, the college just got out all the students and picked one who looked most patriotic to be the model. Wouldn't modern sculptures of real politicians be so much better if they could pick the ideal person top represent them - let's say David Cameron to the guise of Daniel Craig?

This meanwhile is Theodore Woolsey, former Yale president. Note the shiny right foot. You are supposed to touch it for luck.

Below photos are of a library, the Sterling Memorial Library. The story was that the architect wanted to build a cathedral. But Yale wanted a library, so he just re-titled his design as a library and hey presto. Very Gothic (for a 20th century construction) but much of Yale seems to be hankering for an earlier epoch.

The Bicentennial Buildings - very classical.

And having said there is a hankering for the past one comes to the shock of the new the Beinecke Library, a 1960s monstrosity that screams 1960s. Totally disrespectful to the surroundings. 

At least the interior is warmer and more attractive, its marble walls being this enough to be translucent.

Also slightly jarring is the Alexander Calder installation outside.