Yale's redevelopment brings an upscale Broadway

If the tour you took the summer before your senior year of high school was the last time you were at Yale, you might not recognize Broadway. In the past year, Broadway, one of New Haven's main commercial streets, underwent a major face-lift with the arrival of several new storefronts. Depending on whom you talk to, the new stores are either a welcome addition to New Haven or just another sign of the increase in overpriced, fancy chain stores catering towards privileged Ivy League students.

KIRA RYSKINA/YH The newly opened 21 Broadway, with Gourmet Heaven's fruit stands behind.

Gourmet Heaven, a store meant to replace Krauszer's—a 24-hour convenience store—opened in March and received rave reviews from many. Since Krauszer's lease has actually been renewed, the old convenience store faces some fierce competition. Gourmet Heaven offers a wide variety of fine foods, including 23 kinds of olive oil, 14 kinds of hummus, an array of dried fruits, and every size of Fiji water that you could imagine. It also boasts a hot and cold salad bar and typical college-kid items, like Pringles, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and Pop Tarts.

But there are many angry Krauszer's purists who don't think that any fancy New York City store can possibly offer them a better turkey and cheese grinder. Venkat Lakshminarayanan, TC '04, is not a big Gourmet Heaven fan. "Our cravings, far from the gourmet fancies of the bourgeoisie, do not demand a variety of imported oils, exotic spices, or high-society glutens," he said. "Both Krauszer's and Gourmet Heaven are unjustifiably expensive, but at least Krauszer's commits its high-handed price gouging without high-class pretensions."

You can satisfy your Diesel jeans and old school Puma needs at the newly-opened Urban Outfitters. If you're from New York City, Boston, Los Angeles or any other big city where there's an "Urban"—as annoying Yalies tend to refer to it—you will not be surprised to discover that a black t-shirt costs $35. But, if you need a trendy outfit, a butterfly chair, or a present for your hip suitemate, you can definitely find something here. The music is techno, the salesclerks have multiple piercings, and you might even forget for a few minutes that you are actually in New Haven.

21 Broadway, open 24 hours, is another new addition to the Broadway scene. The pizza is nice and greasy and the ambience is nice and loud. And with breakfast any time, you can even get pancakes and waffles at 3 a.m. While some students question whether Yale really needs another pizza place, others are ecstatic that there is a new place to get a slice at 5:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning after writing a DS paper.

Walking from the Yale Bookstore, make a left at Au Bon Pain, and try a "whimsel" at the newly opened Whimsels on York Street. A whimsel is pretty much equivalent to a crepe, and you can get one as a main course, with a combination of meats, veggies, or cheeses, or as a dessert, with a mix of Nutella, whipped cream, or ice cream. They're yummy and an inexpensive alternative to dining hall fare. Many Yalies, though, find the décor and theme of the restaurant way too trendy for a store situated next to famous Yale institutions like Yorkside Pizzeria, Toad's Place, and Mory's.

Yale University Properties, which owns most of the Broadway area property, plans to bring Alexia Crawford, an upscale New York-based women's fashion accessories designer, next to Urban Outfitters. Crawford, who owns the boutique, was originally a fashion wholesaler who decided to turn to retail. The New Haven store will be her second.

Be on the lookout for two new "upscale" stores that John Maturo, Director of Real Estate for University Properties, said will be coming soon to Broadway. One will be a trendy retailer similar to Broadway's other new additions, the other a restaurant.

While student opinions vary accordingly in response to the new Broadway renovations, no one can dispute that Broadway looks a lot different than it did a few years ago. So, on your way back from getting your course packets at Tyco, or after buying books at the Yale Bookstore, be sure to stop by these new, if not necessarily improved, stores and try to imagine what shopping in New Haven was like before Free People t-shirts and designer bottled water. The memories are fading already.

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