Shaped by the charming cities of New Haven and Milford, New Haven County rests just to the east of Fairfield County. The cultural and historical city of New Haven is home to the Ivy-League Yale University, the third-oldest college in the United States. For those not privileged to study at Yale, the historical campus welcomes the public to visit its architecturally stunning structures, such as the Gothic Revival designed Harkness Tower, as well as its various art exhibits, and on-campus museums, such as the Peabody Museum of Natural History. New Haven is home to numerous theaters and musical venues, such as the Long Wharf Theatre and Shubert Theatre. The New Haven Jazz Festival is held downtown every August at the green, a registered National Historic Landmark. Dining is also particularly notable in New Haven, which offers over fifty top ZAGAT- rated restaurants, including the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the country and unique restaurants featuring the best in Turkish, Peruvian, Thai, Cuban, and Jamaican cuisine.
New Haven lies at the intersection of Route 95—which provides access to New York City, the Connecticut shoreline, Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts —and Interstate 91, which heads north towards Massachusetts and Vermont. Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is the closet area airport.
Located just north of New Haven is the tranquil town of Hamden, named one of the "Best Places to Live and Launch" by Fortune Magazine and CNN Money (2008). Hamden visitors can enjoy the CT views and outdoors at the idyllic Sleeping Giant State Park, which offers several miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, fishing streams, and a lookout tower. Located next to the park is the charming campus of Quinnipiac University that attracts hundreds of students to the area every autumn and spring.
Milford is another town of "New England Charm" located between Bridgeport and New Haven. "The Small City with a Big Heart" is known for thriving commerce and natural charm apparent in its beaches, parks, and harbors. With seventeen miles of Long Island Sound coastline and thirteen beautiful beaches, the city also offers numerous scenic and recreational areas, such as the Great River Golf Club, Wheeler Wildlife Area, and Silver Sands State Park. For those who prefer to shop, Milford also offers the 1.5 million square-foot Connecticut Post Mall. Located directly across from Milford Harbor in historic downtown Milford, the luxurious Spinnaker Wharf is a short distance from restaurants, clubs, shops, and the Metro-North Line.
