I was indirectly pointed to (through Deadspin of all places) the Yale Daily News the other day, where I found an interesting article on the Oak Street Connector. The Connector, widely seen in the area as a failure that simply uprooted many neighborhoods, is a center piece of New Haven. The article goes through the controversial past and possible future of the relatively short span of abruptly ended highway that was to connect the shore with the downtown area. After the city simply ran out of money, and after a few lawsuits, the Connector barely makes it to York Street. It's as if a highway just gave up trying.
Having grown up about 30 minutes south of New Haven, I know some of its history, but whatever of it I did learn was from its early days as a colony and major port. I had no idea of the more recent history of the Connector, though I've driven on it many times. I always enjoy seeing little bits and pieces of local history. When I was first able to walk around Derby, where I now live, I made sure to stop to read the few monuments in town. Sure, every town has history, and I'm not saying any one place is truly special, but knowing the local history, for me, is more interesting than reading something about Europe or somewhere that's often experienced in a 7 day tourist trip. It's also much cheaper.
Having grown up about 30 minutes south of New Haven, I know some of its history, but whatever of it I did learn was from its early days as a colony and major port. I had no idea of the more recent history of the Connector, though I've driven on it many times. I always enjoy seeing little bits and pieces of local history. When I was first able to walk around Derby, where I now live, I made sure to stop to read the few monuments in town. Sure, every town has history, and I'm not saying any one place is truly special, but knowing the local history, for me, is more interesting than reading something about Europe or somewhere that's often experienced in a 7 day tourist trip. It's also much cheaper.
No comments:
Post a Comment