Forget the golden foliage of the Catskills or the cozy cottages of the Adirondacks, the trendiest fall getaway near New York City is…New Haven, Connecticut?
According to Skyscanner’s annual Travel Trends report, the New England town is one of the places with the biggest increase in searches over the past 12 months — and the shortest trip from NYC.
While jet-setters typically flock to the tropical beaches and cute cobblestone streets, New Haven — a city best known for its Ivy League university and its proud pizza joints — has made its way to be the 8th trending travel destination.
The town, located about a two-hour drive or train ride from Manhattan, beat out Mykonos, Greece, and Bilbao, Spain, which came in as 9th and 10th, respectively.
However — making more sense — Limon, Costa Rica, Jaipur, India, Bodrum, Turkey, and Madeira, Portugal topped the list in that order.
The European-inspired ski town of Vail, Colorado, made the list as the most desired American spot, coming in at No. 5.
And the far-off places of Zadar, Croatia and Olbia, Italy, ranked 6th and 7th.
New Haven — which is anything but new, being one of America’s oldest cities — has apparently appealed to travelers in the last year.
The college town allure of Yale — Rory Gilmore really did sell a generation on that cozy vibe — and the hot but not fresh debate of historic “apizza” joints, Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s, in the self-proclaimed “pizza capital” may be cheesy, but apparently has good pull.
And that’s not all New Haven has to offer.
It’s nicknamed Elm City thanks to all the trees lining the streets, filled with charming craft breweries, coffee shops and bookstores. The jazz and indie music venues have always gathered a decent crowd and the Shubert Theater is known for being a great rehearsal space for shows aiming to make their Broadway debut.
Despite the overwhelming options for awe-inspiring destinations, New Haven has managed to catch the eye of Skyscanner’s algorithm.
The site reported that New Haven has seen a 39% increase in searches.
Lourdes Losada, Director of Americas for Skyscanner, noted that this aligns with Americans’ interest in “lesser-known leisure destinations.”
However, New Haven may be a bit too lesser-known and leisurely for us to be considered a trendy vacation spot.
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