Great suggestions. Also consider switch from backpack to messenger bag.

Yeah if you look a little older than an undergrad you’ll just be mistaken for a grad/professional student. For study spots I’d go for G Cafe on Chapel or on Orange. A nicer spot away from Yale is Pistachio. The original one in Westville. They have a new location on Chapel and Howe that looks nice in photos but I haven’t been. And there’s always Mamoun’s but I don’t know if they have wifi or not.

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Zinc

Cafe Nine is a great local live music place where anyone can feel comfortable and this Saturday they do a live jazz jam 4 to 7pm; it might even be free (1 block from Barcade). Welcome.

Highly recommend Zinc for dinner

For the true New Haven experience, Pantry on State Street for breakfast. You could also do Chapps on Chapel if you want to walk. Otherwise, G Cafe and Pistacio for coffee/bakery. Neither opens super early.

Fussy coffee.

I'm 29 and I'm just finishing up my undergrad. No worries man! Study where you like.

Came here to say this. My favorite creative morning spot.

We never had any maintenance issues that we needed them to fix, so I can’t vouch for responsiveness on that. But also, we never had any maintenance issues that we needed them to fix because the apartment was in decent shape.

I can say the elevators were each out of service multiple times in the year I lived there, it’s got two but a pretty long walk around between them. Living on the ground floor meant we avoided that regardless.

Got the entire security deposit back as well.

i too went to gateway (scsu undergrad now at 25)- it can feel weirdly intimidating being so close to yale while attending community college..aaand it can feel weird being older than your peers, even if it’s just a couple years older. definitely try your best to push through/ignore that insecure feeling, you are allowed to take up space in new haven!!!

have you tried out book trader cafe? it has its fair share of yale but the vibe is chill and it has a nice outdoor space when the weather warms up

Dragon east was fire man. Loved that shit

Way overthinking this bro. There’s more colleges in the area than just Yale. Downtown New Haven is a popular area. Move in silence my g

As others have said, she needs to go into a sober house. If you pay for her to get her own place, especially in a drug ridden city like New Haven, that is putting her on the express train to relapse. Of course she would prefer a studio or 1br versus going into a sober house, but it’s not on her dime, it’s on yours. I know you don’t want to set her up for failure.

Your best bet is to call somewhere like the APT Foundation and ask them if they have lists of sober houses in the area. Not to mention, rooms in sober houses are more likely to be within her (your) budget range. A quick Google search found this: https://www.womensoberhousing.com/city/ct-new_haven.html

Best of luck to you and your friend. I hope she is very grateful for your kindness.

I can totally relate! I second the Westville recommendation including the Pistachio out there or the tables at Edge of the Woods. Downtown, Cedarhurst is great mornings but closes by 3pm. Also what about the tables at East Rock Market (it’s a Food Hall)?

Yale has a fair number of students from non-traditional backgrounds, including older students, as well as graduate students and faculty who carry backpacks and hang out in coffee shops. You might feel like you stand out, but I assure you, you'll blend right in.

You could also head to the Public Library or go to Westville, where the coffee shop denizens are more likely affiliated with SCSU.

Goto owl shop. Open during the day. No yalies.

Final thought, I work with a lot of folks living in halfway houses and folks who use methadone programs and such; people have shared that one of the biggest triggers for them is being in the same surroundings they were in when shit was bad for them. So if they were in New Haven when shit got bad for them, they will have to make the conscious decision 1000 times a day to not slip back into old habits. If moving to a new area where there is decent public transportation is an option, it could be worth considering.

Also, in my experience of looking for apartments, I would say the majority of the ones that I find in that price range that includes utilities, I typically found on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. You just have to have a discerning eye for scams.

I second that you’re just being self-conscious. But that said, if you go down into the med school area (south of 95 around Cedar St) you’ll find people are more your age since you’ll start running into med and grad students. Fewer nice places to study open to the public though but the Common Grounds that just opened where blue state used to be could be nice.

There is this program run by the city of New Haven for helping people pay for security deposits, it sounds like she may qualify?

https://www.newhavenct.gov/government/departments-divisions/livable-city-initiative/tenant

I think you’re thinking too much. More than likely they’re not thinking about you, and if they are then screw them. Same thing as when feeling self-conscious at the gym.

Besides, for all they know you’re a graduate student. Perfectly normal to be your age with a backpack. I’ve been out of school for four years now but still prefer to pack my stuff in a backpack when working from cafes and the like.

I like working at Koffee? and The Coffee Pedaler when I need a change of scenery. The public library is good too.

You should never feel shame about bettering yourself through higher education. Plus, CC is really important for a country that otherwise has an incredible student debt crisis.

New Haven is a college town. It’s not just Yale. No one knows where you go to school, and 99.999% don’t care. I promise. My advice is to hold your head high, and go wherever the fuck you want, my dude.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've been reading mixed things about PMC, but it sounds like they're a little more balanced than some other property managers I've been seeing on the "avoid at all costs" lists lol. Will definitely check them out more.