1) Catch a half-price movie on the big screen
Only a couple blocks from campus, the New Haven Criterion is always a solid option – and on Tuesdays, tickets are only $6.
2) Hike to the top of East Rock
You can hike (or bike) to the top pretty easily, putting Yale in perspective as a little cluster of buildings in the lowland between the two outcroppings of East and West Rock. Take the Giant Steps to add a LOTR feel to your journey.
3) Bike on the Rails-to-Trails network
This path will take you all the way to Massachusetts if you’re up for it. Most of us aren’t, but this is still one of the best bike paths in New Haven. Well-maintained and easy-riding.
4) Catch a free improve / opera / standup / drama / DJ show
Yale’s Arts Calendar details basically every performance on campus – many of them free, and all of them together spanning pretty much every genre you can imagine (and some you can’t). No shortage of great ways to spend your evening.
5) See an up-and-coming band at Café Nine
Café Nine calls itself “the musician’s living room.” It’s maybe a little low on ramen cups and dirty laundry for that, but its small showroom does make the performances feel pretty intimate. Many talented performers stop here on the way to their NYC gigs.
6) Go to the Yale Cabaret
A fun and exclusive way to see what Yale Drama School students are up to.