The lowdown on where to go to get the goods

Use this guide to find everything that you might need at Yale, from bean bags to rugs to fresh fish.

JOHN YI/YH Whitney Avenue (top) and Chapel Street (bottom) are nearby streets where you can buy everything from a slice of pizza or cup of coffee to used books or T-shirt.

Remember this: when your parents come to help you make the big move into a new home and new city, it is either because want to make sure you will be blissfully happy at Yale--or because they are really excited to get rid of you after 18 long years of agony. So, for one week and one week only, they will buy you anything you want. Anything. Milk them for all they're worth.

In order to get maximum milkage, you must come up with a plan. There are three major commercial areas in downtown New Haven: Chapel Street, Whitney Avenue, and Broadway, all near campus.

Between the Yale Bookstore (77 Broadway) and the Yale Co-op (924 Chapel St.), all your needs--from toothbrushes to picture frames--will be met. However, it's probably a good idea to start your shopping elsewhere while your parents are still here to help you, because these two stores will be easily accessible year-round.

Furniture

Your common room will have to be ready--ready for days and nights of parties, movies, and, of course, couch duty. Naturally, you will need a couch. And some comfy chairs too, because that hardwood, beer-stained floor can get mighty uncomfortable.

Bargains aplenty can be found at Goodwill Industries (887 Grand Ave.). Make sure to get there early because the best buys disappear fast. Or you could take a long, strange trip up Whalley to The Rubber Match (101 Whalley Ave.), where they sell futons, waterbeds, and drug paraphernalia. Really. Don't bring your parents.

There are also a few furniture stores on Chapel, but many are pricey, and their selection varies. The Bookstore also sells those trendy but uncomfortable and not very useful inflatable chairs and couches. Be wary of these places, and also of shifty upperclassmen on Old Campus. Some are trying to sucker you into buying the couch that their sophomore year roommate set on fire, but some have good deals to offer. For the sake of convenience, Old Campus is still the best place to purchase furnishings, although a little haggling might be necessary.

If you're in either Silliman or Timothy Dwight, you'll wind up dropping more than a few bucks at Wall Food (82 Wall St.). It's exactly like Krauszer's and Store 24, except it closes at midnight and sells really tasty Dutch Mill brand donuts and cookies that come hot out of the oven every hour or so.

After subsisting on dining hall mozzarella bricks and M&M cookies for a few months, you might find yourself with a nasty case of scurvy or rickets. If this happens, head down to Jong's Produce (1147 Chapel St.), the only place near campus where you'll actually be able to find fresh fruits and vegetables. The staff is friendly, you can buy Asian specialty groceries, and the salad bar is very nice.

If you like looking at giant squids in buckets filled with ice, go to Great Wall of China (67 Whitney Ave.), only a few blocks from campus. It sells fresh fish, Chinese groceries, and assorted sundries and dry goods. Great Wall also offers a small eating area in the back with fast Chinese food--a bustling, hectic place to enjoy your General Tso's Chicken.

Last fall New Haven was blessed by the opening of its own supermarket--Shaw's (150 Whalley Ave.). Finally, Yalies have a place within walking distance where they can buy everything from chips to fresh fruit to birthday cakes. Shaw's also has an excellent salad bar for those dinners on the go.. If you know you'll be carrying large bags and have a friend with a car, just convince him or her that it'll be a short trip.

If you're feeling corporate, hop in your Saturn and visit Super Stop 'n' Shop in Hamden on Dixwell Ave. This not-so-far-away store bears a striking resemblance to the suburban mega-marts that some of you may know oh-too-well from life back at home. It will seem huge to New Yorkers accustomed to the narrow aisles (and selections) of, for example, Food Emporium, Key Food, or D'Agostino's, but its deep variety will make the impersonal atmosphere worthwhile. Don't forget to get your very own Stop 'n' Shop discount card.

Necessities

A good place to buy necessities such as soap and shampoo is Rite-Aid, with locations in the Chapel Square Mall and at 60 Whalley Ave., just past the Holiday Inn and across the street from Whalley's array of nail salons. Taft Cosmetics (2 Whitney Ave.) is another spot to buy all the basics, albeit at somewhat higher prices.

If you're a member at Costco, you're set. You can get both toiletries and food in bulk at the Orange outlet, and you'll never have to buy toothpaste again. Stock your fridge with a 24-pack of Snapple.

There are few better opportunities than the Radio Shack in the Chapel Square Mall to squeeze Ma and Pa like a Tropicana orange. This is the place to tell them that you absolutely need that new, more powerful Walkman to drown out the distracting chatter of your roommates, or to warn them they may never get in touch with you again unless they buy you a brand new answering machine. Dads love to poke around in here, and you can find useful items like phone jacks and extension cords that will save you from future fights with your roommates.

As an alternative to the Chapel Square Mall, the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford contains a number of national chains such as Linens 'n' Things, Pier 1 Imports, and Lechmere. In North Haven, you can find other useful stores like Circuit City.

For Group IV majors who will have to tackle Science Hill, a bicycle is a near-necessity. Zane's in Branford carries 10-speed and mountain bikes. They also sell accessories and offer repair services. For the outdoorsy Yalie, Trailblazer (296 Elm St.) offers hiking and biking equipment, in-line skates, and skateboarding essentials.

For school supplies, you can avoid the inflated prices of the Co-op and the Yale Bookstore by tramping over to Staples on Dixwell. Traveling farther up Dixwell toward Hamden, you can find the department stores Bradlees and Caldor. For those of you who don't live in the East, they are like K-Mart and Target.

Tunes

As a result of several recent closures, the only real record store in the city is Cutler's (33 Broadway). In its charming old location with the unforgettable phonograph sign, you can find nearly any CD you desire. As far as independent record stores go, Cutler's is one of the best around, despite its slightly hiked prices. In the back room, past the 10-year-old arcade games, there's a huge selection of CD and LP singles, both new and old. The place does smell a little bit like your grandmother's basement, but its used CD selection makes you forget the stale smell. It's also a great place to browse while avoiding your work.

Next door to Cutler's is its classical music counterpart, the only all-classical store in the area. It offers a comprehensive selection of Baroque, contemporary, and avant-garde music in CDs and cassettes.

Clothing

Spirited Yalies can find all kinds of Yale paraphernalia at the Co-op, the Bookstore, Boola Boola (21 Broadway), and Campus Clothing (57 Broadway); the latter two have more reasonable prices.

A variety of small boutiques line Chapel Street. Endleman Two (1020 Chapel St.) and Seychelles (1014 Chapel St.) offer dresses and accessories--the latter is a good place for a formal dress--but both are pricey and best for browsing. The same goes for Raggs for Men (1016 Chapel St.), Seychelles' male counterpart, and the Hello Boutique (1090 Chapel St.).

The Gap stands at the corner of Chapel and Crown, and Ann Taylor is right next door. Archetype, a women's boutique carrying items from stores like French Connection, is very close to The Gap on College St.

For vintage clothing, the Salvation Army (274 Crown St.) and Casablanca Boutique (1146 Chapel Street) are the places to go. Casablanca runs a gauntlet of '20s flapper hats, '50s faux-fur-lined car coats, and '70s flares. It also sells African sculptures, string bracelets, beaded jewelry, and tapestry rugs.

For those long walks to class, you can get a new pair of shoes at Barrie Ltd., at the corner of Elm and York Streets, where they've got styles that range from preppy to wacky. Or try The Athlete's Foot, Lady Foot Locker, or Payless Shoes, all located in the Chapel Square Mall.

Jessica Winter and Kenrick Ou contributed to this article.

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