I never got over Brontosaurus excelsus (“noble thunder lizard” for those of us who don’t speak ancient Greek). I don’t know when I first visited Yale’s Peabody Museum, probably at age 4 or 5, but that ginormous dinosaur floored …
Distant Relativity
The Puritans who settled New Haven did so in part to worship as they pleased. But they weren’t necessarily willing to offer that freedom to others—especially Quakers, whose pacifism and egalitarianism were deeply heretical, and whose tactics were needling and …
Hall Past
Standing at the edge of the New Haven Green with its Victorian Gothic visage, New Haven City Hall strikes an immortal pose. So it’s hard to believe that its time was once up. …
Brut Force
Hard hulking structures, recessed windows, abrasive raw concrete. These are the hallmarks of some of New Haven’s most striking buildings—enormous, bare creations that inspire gut reactions, often of distaste…
Golden Ages
Like the actual 49ers who went west during the Gold Rush, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will rush (and pass and kick) for gold this Sunday. The victors’ deliriously opulent Super Bowl rings will be smithed from …
Infotainment
A New Havener today can pull a small rectangle from their pocket and find the latest local info. A New Havener 150 years ago could pull a large rectangle from their bookshelf and find even more. …
Common Cold
They say the one constant is change, but something that hasn’t changed in a long while is our annual preoccupation with the common cold. …
Hole Story
Yesterday, the nation celebrated a major icon on his day of remembrance—and, understandably, forgot about another. But we here in New Haven have special reason to acknowledge National Bagel Day: the local family that almost singlehandedly made the ring-shaped breadstuff …
Ghosts of Christmases Past
The days before Christmas in New Haven are a good time to ponder how New Haven Christmases were before. …