Amity, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
The valley of Amity is an area located partly in the town of Woodbridge, Connecticut
and partly in the city of New Haven. It is bounded on the northeast by the West Rock ridge, on the south by the Westville neighborhood of New Haven, and on the northwest by an incline in elevation above which lies the highlands of Woodbridge, Connecticut
. The official New Haven neighborhood planning maps include the traditionally separate neighborhoods of West Hills (vicinity of Valley Street) and Beverly Hills (area between Whalley Avenue and Fountain Street) within the Amity neighborhood.
Amity is a glacial
valley carved by the West River which flows in a southerly direction along the western flank of West Rock ridge.
Three primary highways serve the valley of Amity:
The waterway at the lowest elevation of Amity valley is the West River
.
Located in Amity valley is the western outlet of the Heroes Tunnel
, a twin tunnel which carries the Wilbur Cross Parkway through approximately 1200 feet (365.8 m) of solid traprock beneath West Rock Ridge. It is the only tunnel on a limited-access highway in the state of Connecticut
. The southbound roadway on the Wilbur Cross Parkway ascends sharply when exiting from the Heroes Tunnel, climbing over 250 feet (76.2 m) in less than 2 miles (3.2 km), the steepest inclination on any limited-access highway in the State of Connecticut. When travelling northbound on the Wilbur Cross Parkway approaching toward Exit 59, the roadway descends sharply into Amity valley, offering a scenic vista of the West Rock Ridge, the twin tubes of the Heroes Tunnel, the City of New Haven to the south, and the glacial valley of Amity which opens to the north.
Amity valley is home to its namesake Amity Shopping Center, and is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of Amity Regional High School
.
Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University...
and partly in the city of New Haven. It is bounded on the northeast by the West Rock ridge, on the south by the Westville neighborhood of New Haven, and on the northwest by an incline in elevation above which lies the highlands of Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University...
. The official New Haven neighborhood planning maps include the traditionally separate neighborhoods of West Hills (vicinity of Valley Street) and Beverly Hills (area between Whalley Avenue and Fountain Street) within the Amity neighborhood.
Amity is a glacial
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
valley carved by the West River which flows in a southerly direction along the western flank of West Rock ridge.
Three primary highways serve the valley of Amity:
- Route 15Route 15 (Connecticut)Route 15 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut that runs from a connection with New York's Hutchinson River Parkway in Greenwich, Connecticut to its northern terminus intersecting with Interstate 84 in East Hartford, Connecticut...
, also known as the Wilbur Cross ParkwayWilbur Cross ParkwayThe Wilbur Cross Parkway is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, a former governor of the state...
, a limited access highway which has a full interchange numbered as Exit 59. - Route 63Route 63 (Connecticut)Route 63 is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut, from New Haven up to Canaan, running for . It connects the Greater New Haven area to Northwestern Connecticut via the western suburbs of Waterbury.-Route description:...
(Amity Road), which runs northwest-southeast between the Westville section of New Haven and the Woodbridge highlands. - Route 69Route 69 (Connecticut)Route 69 is a primary north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut connecting the city of New Haven to the city of Bristol in the western part of Greater Hartford, passing through Greater Waterbury along the way. The route extends north of Bristol as a secondary route into the...
(Litchfield Turnpike), which runs north-south parallel to the western flank of West Rock Ridge.
The waterway at the lowest elevation of Amity valley is the West River
West River (Connecticut)
The West River is a freshwater stream in southern Connecticut. It flows through the towns of Bethany, Woodbridge, and New Haven before discharging into the West Haven Harbor....
.
Located in Amity valley is the western outlet of the Heroes Tunnel
Heroes Tunnel
Heroes Tunnel is a 1,200-foot-long, twin-tube tunnel carrying the Wilbur Cross Parkway through West Rock Ridge in New Haven, Connecticut...
, a twin tunnel which carries the Wilbur Cross Parkway through approximately 1200 feet (365.8 m) of solid traprock beneath West Rock Ridge. It is the only tunnel on a limited-access highway in the state of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The southbound roadway on the Wilbur Cross Parkway ascends sharply when exiting from the Heroes Tunnel, climbing over 250 feet (76.2 m) in less than 2 miles (3.2 km), the steepest inclination on any limited-access highway in the State of Connecticut. When travelling northbound on the Wilbur Cross Parkway approaching toward Exit 59, the roadway descends sharply into Amity valley, offering a scenic vista of the West Rock Ridge, the twin tubes of the Heroes Tunnel, the City of New Haven to the south, and the glacial valley of Amity which opens to the north.
Amity valley is home to its namesake Amity Shopping Center, and is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of Amity Regional High School
Amity Regional High School
Amity High School is a regional public high school located in Woodbridge, Connecticut, USA. It provides high school education for the children in the towns of Woodbridge, Orange, and Bethany...
.