New Haven also has its own professional symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, and a small ballet company. Several clubs in the area feature jazz and rock bands. A late-night coffee house has opened near campus, where you can sit for hours over a cup of the best espresso south of Boston. Nearby is a 24-hour bookstore, a haven for fantasy and alternative literature enthusiasts. There are many movie theaters in the area, several featuring art films and retrospective shows.
New Haven boasts a wide variety of culinary establishments, from the mundane to the exotic.
For outdoor and sports enthusiasts, New Haven boasts an American Hockey League team in the winter, baseball in the spring, the Connecticut Tennis Center and street festivals in summer, and over 800 acres of beautiful trails and fields at nearby East Rock Park for jogging and biking enjoyment. Yale's famous Payne Whitney Gymnasium is open to Graduate Students at no charge during the academic year and for a nominal fee in the summer. Graduate students also have the opportunity to participate in numerous intramural sports activities during the year as well as individual sports activities such as golf, tennis, and figure skating. Sailing, rowing, and canoeing are available at Yale facilities in nearby towns. For students in New Haven over the summer, Yale and the city government sponsor the Festival of Arts and Ideas in late June, which features seminars, concerts, plays, and participatory activities.