Nora Grace-Flood Photo
New Haven has the state’s most active residential downtown — and newish arrivals like Patricia, foodie and fond pedestrian, demonstrate why.
Patricia has been loving the “northern vibe” for the past three years since relocating here from Virginia.
Patricia, a professor of public administration at Albertus Magnus College (who asked not to have her last name published), spoke about the virtues of her new home on the“Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s“LoveBabz LoveTalk” program Tuesday, while on her way to the gym.
Originally from the suburbs of Uganda, Patricia attended Old Dominion University in Virginia then moved to New Haven in 2019. Upon arrival Patricia specifically sought out an apartment in the downtown area.
She found an apartment in Ninth Square. She then grew to appreciate living in a busy and “unstuffy” city.
She enjoys that “there is way more going on” in New Haven compared to “slower” Virginia.
A self-titled “foodie,” Patricia said she enjoys restaurants like Jazzy’s Cabaret, Miso Sushi Restaurant, and Lazeez Indian Cuisine, where she gets a tasty lunch on her cheat days.
“I love the restaurants, the vibes, especially in the summer, not so much in the winter,” she said.
She said she appreciates the pedestrian-friendly closed-off portion of Orange Street between Crown and Center streets.
“I moved downtown because I wanted to be able to walk to restaurants, I didn’t want to have to drive to every restaurant,” she said.
While living downtown, Patricia said she can always find something fun to do, including attending concerts on the Green.
With the exception of driving to work, Patricia said she prefers to walk around the city and looks forward to more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure like the newly reformed Orange Street crossroads project.
“If they’re trying to make it more pedestrian-friendly, that’s great,” she said in response to the nearby project.
Even the early-morning street clamor doesn’t bother her. She said she has gotten usedto the sound of construction. “I love the street noise,” she said.
Watch the full conversation above from the "Word on the Street" segment of WNHH FM's "LoveBabz LoveTalk" program.