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New Haven is one of 52 places around the world that travelers should visit, New York Times says

A worker at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana places a pizza into a coal oven during a weekday lunchtime rush. The restaurant was founded in 1925 by Italian immigrant Frank Pepe in New Haven, and has since opened locations across the Northeast.
Ryan Caron King
/
Connecticut Public
A worker at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana places a pizza into a coal oven during a weekday lunchtime rush. The restaurant was founded in 1925 by Italian immigrant Frank Pepe in New Haven and has since opened locations across the Northeast.

What does New Haven have in common with Fukuoka, Japan, and Guadalajara, Mexico?

They’re among the 52 places that The New York Times thinks you should visit this year.

The Times recently released its list, “52 Places to Go in 2023,” and gives New Haven a shoutout as “a home to tinkerers and rebels, and a treasure trove of contemporary art and architecture.”

The Times describes New Haven as a “historic, mostly walkable and bikeable seaside town with distinctive neighborhoods, an encyclopedic collection of great American architecture, a thriving cultural life and one of the best food scenes in the country for a city of its size.”

The Times encourages readers to check out Hotel Marcel, the NXTHVN arts center, and then have a meal at Villa Lulu.

New Haven is feeling the love — and enjoying the attention.

“It’s wonderful to see New Haven recognized as a premier world destination to visit and experience the arts, culture, food, distinctive neighborhoods, and so much more,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in a statement.

Elicker added that “anyone who walks, bikes, or buses through the streets or along the shoreline of New Haven will quickly notice the ‘treasure trove’ of all there is to do and see and why we’re on the map with so many other extraordinary travel destinations from around the globe.”

Which places are as cool as New Haven?

Here's a sampling of some of the places on this year's list:

Morioka, Japan
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Auckland, New Zealand
Accra, Ghana
Tromso, Norway
Kerala, India
The Alaska Railroad
Flores, Indonesia

Eric Aasen is executive editor at Connecticut Public, the statewide NPR and PBS service. He leads the newsroom, including editors, reporters, producers and newscasters, and oversees all local news, including radio, digital and television platforms. Eric joined Connecticut Public in 2022 from KERA, the NPR/PBS member station in Dallas-Fort Worth, where he served as managing editor and digital news editor. He's directed coverage of several breaking news events and edited and shaped a variety of award-winning broadcast and digital stories. In 2023, Connecticut Public earned a national Edward R. Murrow Award for coverage that explored 10 years since the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, as well as five regional Murrow Awards. In 2023 and 2024, Connecticut Public earned regional Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence. In 2015, Eric helped lead a KERA team that won a national Online Journalism Award. In 2017, KERA earned a station-record eight regional Murrow Awards, including Overall Excellence. Eric joined KERA after more than a decade as a reporter at The Dallas Morning News. A Minnesota native, Eric has wanted to be a journalist since he was in the third grade. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw University in Indiana, where he earned a political science degree. He and his wife, a Connecticut native, have a daughter and a son, as well as a dog and three cats.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

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Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.