Remedy for the Bozeman Blues: My New Haven Fantasy

A meandering piece exploring my boredom with Bozeman and my fantasy of escaping for a few years. My love of New Haven features prominently.

Read to the bottom before you call me crazy.

(You can buy this print and other New Haven illustrations by clicking here.)

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Several weeks ago, a three-day weekend was approaching, and I couldn’t think of a single thing I wanted to do. Everything was so familiar and even unexplored areas of nearby mountain ranges sounded unappealing. I was not stoked about anything. 

Each year, thousands of people vacation in the Bozeman area eagerly awaiting their chance to explore our mountains and rivers, stroll our charming Main Street filled with restaurants, pubs, and boutiques, and partake in the good life the Bozeman area offers in abundance. Bozeman is on so many Top Ten lists these days (College towns, outdoor towns, places to retire, etc.) and folks are moving here in droves ready to partake in the fabled Bozeman lifestyle they have read so much about.

But I want to get out and it wasn’t just this one weekend. 

In 2005, I moved to Bozeman when the population was 35,000 people. Familiar faces were everywhere, trailheads were seldom crowded, and you were never short on social and cultural happenings in town. It was perfect, and I reveled here for many years.

Since my arrival 17 years ago, the town has grown to over 53,000 people. What was once a largely undiscovered mountain town has become one of the West’s most popular “It” towns and in many ways the growth has not been pretty. Developers are building and selling real estate of all kinds, mostly at the boutique price point. Downtown was once home to the classic local businesses like Barrel Mountaineering and the Leaf and Bean but now sports chains like Lulu Lemon and Athleta. Housing prices have skyrocketed, traffic has increased, parking can be a challenge, public transportation and biking commuting infrastructure still suck, trailheads are more crowded, and tempers sizzle.

While we all feel the growing pains and the heartache that comes from watching the transformation of our once peaceful town, it’s the attitudes of so many that make me want to leave.

Those who live here want to “protect” Bozeman, which just means keeping it the same as was when they moved here. This leads to a sense of entitlement and a growing divide between long-timers and newcomers.

People want to appear friendly and still say hi to others on the trails, and while that is nice on a surface level, Bozemanites can be very quick to judge and categorize those who are new. “It’s all ‘those people’ moving in that are ‘ruining’ Bozeman,” is a common gripe. 

I find myself getting frustrated with the complainers but at the same time becoming impatient with what traffic we have and snarl when I see a Sprinter van with Texas license plates move into my neighborhood. In a place with so much abundance, how can we be so self-absorbed and entitled? I am sick of it. 

It has been obvious for a long time that I need to get out of here. Not forever but a good long break would do me good and help me put Bozeman into perspective. Many of my friends feel the same. We all talk of leaving but we never get far. The conversation goes like this.

“I’m sick of Bozeman. I want to get out of here,” I say. Others agree.

“How about Flagstaff or Boise?” someone suggests. But a growing college towns near the mountains are too similar to Bozeman, so we nix them. 

“Duluth sounds cool and low-key,” another friend chimes in. But the weather sounds too muggy, so we head to dry places. 

Fort Collins is too big. Laramie is too windy. Whitefish, Tahoe, or Steamboat could work but no one is willing to put up with the expense or the tourists.

The New England is a maybe, but we’re not sure how we’d deal with limited public lands and the tree-smothered mountains. We need views and freedom to roam. 

Minneapolis has a good reputation, but cities are out. The Southeast and Texas are a big no. Some areas of the upper mid-west sound nice but we can’t generate much enthusiasm for them.

Soon my friends and I have considered the entire 3+ million square miles of the lower 48 states and can’t think of a single place to go. What we’re looking for is something that has the mountains, weather, and vibrancy of Bozeman but is not Bozeman. So, we all stick around.

I shudder when I find myself thinking this way. I have often thought of myself as an adventurous, adaptable person, but am I getting set in my ways? Am I really that faint-hearted that I can’t do something completely different? Would I have a hard time adapting to someplace new?

Of course not. I could get out of here if I put my mind to it. Here is my fantasy… I take my much-needed break from Bozeman and move to New Haven, Connecticut for a few years.

Heading to the Elm City

A Brief History

New Haven was founded in 1638 and was one of the first planned cities in the United States. Eight streets were laid out in a grid of nine squares with the central square left open as the city green. 

For decades, manufacturing and industry drove the economy. These activities brought prosperity to the Elm City in the late 18th century, the economy thrived during the Civil War, and the population grew until it peaked at 160,000 in the 1950s.  But the postwar period brought rapid industrial decline, population dropped to the 130K+ , and New Haven experienced a steep rise in crime that continues today.

Founded in 1701, Yale University is a big part of New Haven’s downtown and an integral part of the city's economy. Yale’s stately Gothic buildings give New Haven an old-world, European vibe rare in the United States. Today, downtown and the area near Yale are filled with many great theatres, museums, restaurants, and shops.

History, decay, prosperity, youth, promise, individuality, and nature sit side-by-side in New Haven. Historic, old-world charm collides against an urban grittiness, and as you explore, the city can change within a few blocks in any direction - from an old college town to a down-and-out second-tier city to a hip and contemporary urban center to a park-filled city with leafy residential neighborhoods. 

The city’s scope (Big enough to be urban but small enough get to know easily), its long history, and its contrasts make New Haven appealing and drastically different than Bozeman. It’s the perfect spot for an escape.

Resting My Head

When it comes to a place to call home, the Elm City offers many possibilities. The State Street/East Rock area is the first thing that comes to mind and suits me best. My new abode is an old, well maintained, and distinguished three-story Victorian. This colorful house is filled with multiple fireplaces, crown molding, a splash of stained glass, a sweeping front porch, and a quaint second floor deck. New Haven classics like brunch at the Pantry, hot wings during happy hour at Archie Moore’s, and Modern Pizza along with neighborhood favorites waiting to be discovered are nearby and downtown is easy to get to by bike or foot.

Not far from the State Street/East Rock area, I could consider the Audubon Arts District if I prefer to be closer to downtown. Here, I’d keep it simple and snap up a flat in a repurposed building with stately brick walls, exposed ducts, and regal arched windows overlooking the center of this vital neighborhood. 

An old brownstone in Wooster Square is another option so I can be there when the cherry blossoms blush pink in the spring. It’s a short walk to the best pizza places in the city and an easy jaunt downtown. 

If I go the suburban route, I’ll settle down in Westville within a short walk or bike ride to Westville Village with its antique shops, brunch joints, boutiques, and a bar or two.

Getting Outside

“But what about the outdoors,” people ask when I share this fantasy. “Won’t you miss being able to get out all of the time?” I have the same question but luckily, the Ann in the fantasy is resilient and adaptable and will find a way to get outside. 

With numerous parks and green spaces in New Haven it wouldn’t be hard. East Rock and West Rock loom above the town and their adjoining parks sit just over four miles apart bookending the city, so I’d have places to go to get above it all. Edgewood and Englewood parks, two of the bigger parks in the area, are not far from East and West Rocks, or I could head out to one of the many smaller parks in New Haven or to Sleeping Giant Park in nearby Hamden.

If want to stay active on two wheels, I can set out by bike on the repurposed Farmington Canal Trail, maybe even take it the entire 80+ miles to Northampton, Massachusetts. 

And then there’s the water. Kayaking on the Mill River, dipping my toes in the Atlantic and getting sand on my legs at Lighthouse Park, rowing activities at the Canal Dock in Long Wharf. 

Running is an easy city activity so I could become a runner, enter races, and train for a marathon. I’d bound up the Giant Steps in training runs, join a Crossfit gym within walking distance of my house, and kick ass. I’d resemble the strong, lean peanut of a person I was in my gymnastics days.

Escapes to Vermont and New Hampshire, annual backcountry ski trips to the Northern Rockies, and backpacking trips to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks would keep my mountainous passion alive. 

Working

In New Haven, I’d have my pick from a plethora of fabulous and meaningful places to work –universities, arts organizations, NGOs, social service groups, and others. I’d meet interesting and dedicated people working collaboratively to educate, serve the underprivileged, bring arts to the community, and make a real difference by increasing the quality of life for all in the Elm City .

Embracing Elm City Delights & Navigating Urban Challenges

An Elm City classic

In this daydream, I’m tough enough for a city as gritty as New Haven. I’d figure out how to navigate its dangers without hampering my social life. I’d settle into urban life taking advantage of the abundance of social, cultural, and culinary offerings.  Off-the-radar corners of the city would reveal their local secrets and help keep things interesting. I would navigate primarily by bike, foot, or bus, by car only when absolutely necessary. Short escapes to New York City and Boston are only a train ride away.

A Citizen of the Elm City

Would New Haven have its problems? Sure. Residents would be whooped up about any number of issues just as they are in Bozeman. But these problems would be new to me and some of them would be very different than the ones that get us worked up in Bozeman. (Instead of complaining about how many cars are at the trailhead or how “mobbed” it is downtown, New Haven problems, crime, drugs, poverty, racial strife, would be “real.”) I’d like to think that a city with challenges like New Haven won't be so insufferable. I’d like to think the smug we’re so special/we’re not like other places/sense of entitlement you find in Bozeman would be gone. I’d find a way to get involved, make my voice heard, and make a difference.

Revitalizing

Some may read this and think I’m out of my mind for dreaming of leaving Bozeman for New Haven, and in some ways you’re right. But the most important thing to remember is that my temporary move would help snap me out of the middle age funk I’m wallowing in and renew my fondness for Bozeman. I’d return with a new and not so jaded attitude, ready to embrace everything that kept me engaged here for so long. 

No place is prefect. But I’m bored and fidgety and in need of a change, even if it’s just a temporary one. Even if it’s just a fantasy.

~ 

Read More

• This is not the first time I've written about Bozeman or New Haven.
• If you're a longtime fan of New Haven, check out the "where are they now" list of establishments. http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2021/06/new-haven-establishments-2021.html
• Bozeman restaurant reviews are here: http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/search/label/restaurant%20review