Long Wharf (New Haven)
Encyclopedia
Long Wharf is a waterfront district and neighborhood of the city of New Haven, Connecticut
, United States
.
northwest to Union Avenue, west to Hallock Avenue and Cedar Street, and north to the Oak Street Connector
and I-95 (up to the Q-Bridge). It is located directly south of downtown New Haven
and the Wooster Square
neighborhood. Interstate 95
bisects the neighborhood from the southwest to northeast; it intersects with Interstate 91
in the extreme northeast section of the neighborhood. The Oak Street Connector/Route 34 also connects with Interstate 95 in the selfsame section.
, Gateway Community College
, the Long Wharf Maritime Center, Sargent (a New Haven firm with a history going back to 1810, now a division of Assa Abloy
), the headquarters of the New Haven Register, as well as New Haven's Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park which stretches for seventeen acres (69,000 m²) directly along the harborfront. Long Wharf is also the home port of a life-size replica of the historical Amistad slaveship.
The area also includes the remaining portion of Marcel Breuer
's landmark Armstrong Rubber/Pirelli Tire Building (1969). The building was truncated in 2003 to accommodate the construction of the new IKEA
home products store. IKEA originally proposed to destroy the entire building but compromised after a lengthy public debate. The tower was preserved but the rear portion was razed to make room for the IKEA parking lot. Ironically, IKEA's furniture styling is strongly influenced by the famed Bauhaus
school where Breuer taught.
The neighborhood is primarily a mixed-use district, with a combination of commercial, educational, industrial, port, and recreation facilities taking up the majority of the neighborhood's land space. It was once hoped that a large shopping mall, the New Haven Galleria
, would be constructed in Long Wharf; instead the IKEA
store was built.
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Location
Its location can be defined as the area stretching inland from the west side of New Haven HarborNew Haven Harbor
New Haven Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in the state of Connecticut in the United States. The harbor area is an inlet carved by the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago....
northwest to Union Avenue, west to Hallock Avenue and Cedar Street, and north to the Oak Street Connector
Oak Street Connector
The Oak Street Connector, officially known as the Richard C. Lee Highway, is a long freeway section of Route 34 that is located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut...
and I-95 (up to the Q-Bridge). It is located directly south of downtown New Haven
Downtown New Haven
Downtown New Haven is the neighborhood located in the heart of the city of New Haven, Connecticut. It is made up of the original nine squares laid out in 1638 to form New Haven, including the New Haven Green, and the immediate surrounding central business district, as well as a significant portion...
and the Wooster Square
Wooster Square
Wooster Square is a neighborhood in the city of New Haven, Connecticut to the east of downtown. The name refers to a park square located between Greene Street, Wooster Place, Chapel Street and Academy Street in the center of the neighborhood...
neighborhood. Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
bisects the neighborhood from the southwest to northeast; it intersects with Interstate 91
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
in the extreme northeast section of the neighborhood. The Oak Street Connector/Route 34 also connects with Interstate 95 in the selfsame section.
History
The area is called "Long Wharf" because there was once a wharf here that projected out of the juncture of Water St. and Union Ave. that continued to grow into New Haven Harbor until it finally reached a length of 3/4ths of a mile, making it the longest wharf in the country. Along it stood the Customs House, warehouses and other businesses. It was destroyed in the late 1940s-early 1950s when the harbor was partially filled in to construct Interstate Highways 91 and 95, dramatically moving the waterfront and creating this district.Buildings and features
The Long Wharf area contains several notable features and buildings, including the Long Wharf TheatreLong Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared....
, Gateway Community College
Gateway Community College
Gateway Community College is a public community college located in Connecticut. The college maintains two campuses: one in New Haven and one in North Haven. As of February 17, 2010, Gateway had the 1st highest credit enrollment among Connecticut's community colleges, with 6987 students enrolled...
, the Long Wharf Maritime Center, Sargent (a New Haven firm with a history going back to 1810, now a division of Assa Abloy
Assa Abloy
The Assa Abloy Group is a Swedish lock manufacturer, the world's largest by sales. Assa Abloy was formed in 1994 when ASSA AB was detached from Swedish security firm Securitas AB. Shortly thereafter the Finnish high-security lock manufacturer Abloy Oy was acquired. The company was introduced to...
), the headquarters of the New Haven Register, as well as New Haven's Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park which stretches for seventeen acres (69,000 m²) directly along the harborfront. Long Wharf is also the home port of a life-size replica of the historical Amistad slaveship.
The area also includes the remaining portion of Marcel Breuer
Marcel Breuer
Marcel Lajos Breuer , was a Hungarian-born modernist, architect and furniture designer of Jewish descent. One of the masters of Modernism, Breuer displayed interest in modular construction and simple forms.- Life and work :Known to his friends and associates as Lajkó, Breuer studied and taught at...
's landmark Armstrong Rubber/Pirelli Tire Building (1969). The building was truncated in 2003 to accommodate the construction of the new IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
home products store. IKEA originally proposed to destroy the entire building but compromised after a lengthy public debate. The tower was preserved but the rear portion was razed to make room for the IKEA parking lot. Ironically, IKEA's furniture styling is strongly influenced by the famed Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
school where Breuer taught.
The neighborhood is primarily a mixed-use district, with a combination of commercial, educational, industrial, port, and recreation facilities taking up the majority of the neighborhood's land space. It was once hoped that a large shopping mall, the New Haven Galleria
New Haven Galleria
The New Haven Galleria at Long Wharf was a shopping mall proposed for construction in New Haven, Connecticut by mayoral candidate Wally Grigo in 1993....
, would be constructed in Long Wharf; instead the IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
store was built.