A New Haven history blog investigating the plot of land at approximately 1032 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut. Planted by Puritans in 1638, it has been home to Roger Sherman, an opera house, and the city's Union League Club — from this ground are still growing the roots of the United States of America.
"The history of these signs begins at the corner of College and Chapel, the city's heart. Here, New Haven thrives. Yale's faux-Gothic buildings share sidewalks with the brand name stores that feed off the University's economic power. The New Haven Green and the locally famous Claire's Corner Copia bustle with activity. At the corner, a name famous not only in New Haven, but around the world, presides over the downtown landscape — Bishop Desmond Tutu."
"The first time you climb High Street Gate marks a new phase of your life at Yale that can be most accurately described as the 'late-night phase.' Yale Police lock the gate at 12:30 a.m. on weeknights, which seals off all access to Old Campus except for Phelps Gate, directly across the Green."
"The key was widening the sidewalk at the corner by providing flexible space for a variety of activities like outdoor seating, displays and other retail activity. This was accomplished by narrowing vehicle lanes on the street to 9 1/2 feet while still accommodating parking, and significantly slowing down the traffic. It also created the defacto entrance to Yale from the downtown."
"When I was at Yale, I had a lot of inferiority and insecurity. Growing up meant getting out all those anxieties. You'll find most people who work hard -- make a lot of money -- have a psychological drive that forces them onward and up. I'm no different than anyone else."
"Schiavone is thinking up new projects, in the atmosphere for meditation that he has created at his offices on Chapel Street in the old Union League building. The Union League, a private, exclusive men's club formed at the turn of the century, once would not have admitted anyone named Joel Schiavone. 'It was for WASPs.' He has taken the former hangout of the very privileged and created offices that bear the unmistakable stamp of Joel Schiavone."
"Piano rags filled the air as waiters and waitresses bedecked in Gay Nineties clothing served the libations. A woman in a bear costume mingled with the crowd; a mime 'sang' songs of the era. Outside, a horse hitched to a carriage whinnied in the crisp, winter night. And who was in the carriage, trotting dignitaries up and down the street? Who else but Joel Schiavone, New Haven's flashiest developer, a flamboyant 46-year-old who believes -- and proves -- that showmanship is as much an ingredient of success as business sense."
"Dixieland banjo player, 1950s style rock-and-roll crooner, Republican gubernatorial candidate and multi-millionaire real estate developer -- Joel Schiavone thinks he can help resuscitate Connecticut's ailing cities. He has plowed millions of dollars into New Haven and is about to launch an even more ambitious 19-block, 1.5 million-square-foot redevelopment project in Bridgeport. A lesser, or saner,… Continue reading Profile of Joel Schiavone, by Steven Mufson
"Who owns downtown commercial properties in Connecticut's cities? This week, Business Weekly looks at a block in New Haven. The block, shown in the map, is bounded by Chapel, College, Crown and High streets. Information is from city records. -Image courtesy of the Hartford Courant, "Who Owns the Block?" by Diane Richards, May 18, 1987… Continue reading Who Owns the Block?
"Sherman's Building, 1032 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut. Formerly known as the Union League Club, this gracious structure was built in 1860. Prime commercial space available on two floors. Directly across from Yale University. 1032 Chapel Street (A) 3347 square feet and 1032 Chapel Street (B) 1727 square feet available April, 1985."-excerpt and (top) image… Continue reading Prime Commercial Space Now Available
"On the second floor, above the Union League Cafe on Chapel Street, downtown New Haven merchants from the College-Chapel area mingle over wine and cheese. Behind them hang photographs and paintings of New Haven. White Christmas lights, twined into a large wreath and two small Christmas trees, reflect in the floor-to-ceiling windows facing onto the… Continue reading I’ll See You in Court, by Michelle Chihara
