• Organize and track the schools that YOU are interested in.
  • Get matched up with schools that fit your personality.
  • Determine your chances at each school CP covers.
  • Calculate your costs at any school.

Nightlife:

B-

(explain this grade)

Comparable Schools'
Nightlife Grades:

Quick Stats

Useful Resources for Nightlife

  • The Advocate
  • www.clubct.com/newhaven.htm

Student Favorites

  • Alchemy
  • BAR
  • Rudy’s Restaurant
  • Toad’s Place
  • Viva Zapata’s

Primary Areas with Nightlife

  • Downtown New Haven

Other Places to Check Out

  • El Amigo Felix
  • Hot Tomato’s
  • Miya’s
  • The GPSCY

Favorite Drinking Games

  • Beer pong
  • Card games (A$$hole)
  • Quarters

Bars Close At

2 AM

Cheapest Place to Get a Drink

Rudy’s Restaurant

College Prowler Take

Starting Thursday night, there are many parties ranging from fraternity kegs to room parties to organized theme balls. The room and frat parties are pretty much comprised of people densely crowded around a warm keg listening to bad music. Some people frequent these until they graduate (free alcohol!), but many tire of them by their junior year, opting instead to go to bars or clubs or to just stay home with friends. While frats can be disappointing, Yale is known for its theme parties. In fact, Yale’s “Casino Night” made the Rolling Stone’s top 10 best college parties, and the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Co-op holds several dances a year (for both straight and gay students) that draw not only a tremendous Yale crowd, but also attract people from other universities and the local New Haven area. As for clubs, students are limited to a few places near campus, most notably Toad’s Place. Toad’s has Yale party nights with discounts, free drinks, and free admission, and sometimes offer students discounts for their concerts. Many students also favor Rudy’s, where you can get a beer for $2, hear live local bands, carve your name in the table, and hang out with locals.

Many students come to college with the idea that they will work until their cerebral cortexes bleed and party until they don’t know who they are. At Yale, you can go out every night or you can choose to never go out, but either way, no one’s holding your hand. Most soon figure out that an intermediate approach to partying is best, picking and choosing events to look forward to—and there will be many.

Free Profile Tools

Do I Stand A Chance?

Calculate YOUR chances of admission at every school CP covers!

__%

Personality Match

Calculate YOUR personality match with every school CP covers!

__%

What'll It Cost Me?

Estimate your out-of-pocket costs at every school CP covers!

$__,___

Students Speak Out

Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:

Anonymous says:

Yale parties generally suck,...

Yale parties generally suck, unless you know the people throwing them. I’ve only been clubbing once (Alchemy) but I had a good time there.

Nightlife
Report

Anonymous says:

On-campus parties are frequented...

On-campus parties are frequented by underclassmen and can be entertaining. Bars and clubs off campus are more for the older crowd. Toad’s Place is the Saturday night dance party where people revel in the sketchiness. BAR is the Thursday night hangout. People go to Viva’s and El Amigo’s for chips and margaritas and Hot Tomato’s for fancy martinis.

Nightlife
Report

Anonymous says:

The popular clubs are Toad’s,...

The popular clubs are Toad’s, Alchemy, and there are a few more that just opened. I think Toad’s is kind of creepy, though. It depends what kind of music and dancing you’re into.

Nightlife
Report

Anonymous says:

As for the party scene, I know...

As for the party scene, I know that Yalies usually party on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

Nightlife
Report

Anonymous says:

I’ve only been to the graduate...

I’ve only been to the graduate student bar called the Gypsy (GPSCY). It wasn’t too great. Most of the ones look like they are pretty crappy.

Nightlife
Report

Facts

Club Crawler

Because most students do not have a car, they are limited to the few clubs around Yale. These include Alchemy, and the mainstay, Toad’s Place.

Bar Prowler

Yalies like to drink. Luckily, Yale is surrounded by a variety of bars ranging from the dive to the upscale.

Club Listings

Alchemy is divided into two sections. One section is a bar and café known for its “conversation menu,” and the other section is home to New England’s largest dance floor. Additionally, this club is one of the few that often hosts international talent.

Alchemy

223 College St.

(203) 777-9400

Toad’s Place has been rockin’ since 1975, establishing itself as one of the premiere music halls in the country. Virtually every major touring act has appeared on Toad’s stage in the past 20 years. Toad’s often hosts Wednesday and Saturday night dance parties specifically for Yalies, offering discount drinks, as well as free admission.

Toad’s Place

300 York St.

(203) 624-8623

Bar Listings

BAR serves excellent pizza and beer brewed on the premises. On Tuesday and Saturday nights, the dance floor is open.

BAR

254 Crown St.

(203) 495-1111

Richter’s is New Haven’s oldest bar. Their fine selection of fresh beer, stout, and ale from all over the world is available on tap and in bottles, and they are well known for their diverse selection of single malt scotches and small batch bourbons as well.

Richter’s

990 Chapel St.

(203) 777-0400

Rudy’s is a New Haven bar, not a Yale bar. There you will get to mix and mingle with the townies and listen to great local bands. At Rudy’s, you can get a $2 beer and some of the best french fries in New Haven.

Rudy’s Restaurant

372 Elm St.

(203) 865-1242

The Anchor is one of New Haven’s classic neighborhood bars and reportedly one of Jodi Foster’s favorite hangouts when she was a student. They have a great wait staff and serve good lunch and dinner specials.

Anchor Bar

272 College St.

(203) 865-1512

This bar has often been called the gay “Cheers.” However, it often caters to an older-than-college crowd.

168 York Street Café

168 York St.

(203) 789-1915

Viva Zapata makes some of the best margaritas in New Haven. The low lighting and the sawdust on the floor give the bar a unique atmosphere, making it a popular spot for Yale students.

Viva Zapata

165 Park St.

(203) 562-2499

What to Do if You're Not 21

Almost every club around Yale holds occasional all-ages nights. And if you want to see a great show, Toad’s often has all-ages concerts. But when it comes to underage fun, it’s best to stick to Yale parties, ranging from the traditional frat fiesta to all-out theme parties (Casino Night, winter balls, and traditional college dance parties).

Write for Us!

College Prowler Internship

College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college. Read more >