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Our Community


With nearly one million people in New Haven County, Saint Raphael’s lies in the heart of a lively inner-city. The diversity of our community is reflected in our services, patients and staff. More than 3,200 people work here. We’re a small city within a city. And the urban hustle and bustle carries over into everything we do at Saint Raphael’s. The excitement. The pace. 

Our region

 From historic downtown New Haven to its surrounding towns, our region has a great deal to offer. Stroll through Wooster Square and taste some of New Haven’s famous Italian cuisine, or ride a bike or rollerblade on the Farmington Canal trail in nearby Cheshire. New Haven is rich in heritage. It has the distinction of being America’s first planned city; where pizza started in America; where the hamburger originated; and where football got its start back in 1878 at Yale University. And if you get the inkling to travel, it’s easy to board a train at Union Station and be in New York or Boston in under two hours. 

In addition to numerous cultural activities, Greater New Haven is also an educational center for the Northeast, boasting the educational excellence of Yale University, Albertus Magnus College, Southern Connecticut State University, Quinnipiac University, and the University of New Haven, and Gateway Community Technical College, among other schools. 

A center of culture 
New Haven has many cultural attractions, including the New Haven Symphony Orchestra; Long Wharf Theatre; Shubert Performing Arts Center; Yale University Art Gallery; Yale Center for British Art; Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History; Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library; Eli Whitney Museum; a variety of art exhibits, galleries, craft fairs and libraries, and more than 700 area restaurants. 

Outdoor activities and sports 
If you enjoy the outdoors, Greater New Haven has more than 160 parks and playgrounds throughout the city, including the beach and historic carousel (built in 1916) at Lighthouse Point Park, and East Rock Park, with its landmark monument visible throughout New Haven. You can enjoy swimming, boating, skiing, bicycling and virtually all other outdoor sports; the Pilot Pen International Tennis Tournament; and the New Haven Ravens baseball team. New Haven is also renowned for the annual International Festival of Arts and Ideas. 

Great food 
Within a few blocks of Saint Raphael’s, we have dozens of ethnic restaurants, from Middle Eastern to Thai, Malaysian to Ethiopian, Vegetarian to Soul Food, not to mention the best pizza and burgers on the planet.

Diversity

New Haven County is fortunate to be one of the most diverse areas in Connecticut. A mix of seniors (14.5%), recent immigrants from around the world (9%), thriving African American population (11.3%) and a vibrant Hispanic/Latino community (10.1%) make our region a true melting pot. From Spanish to Hindi and more, our employee language bank supports patients and families speaking more than 30 languages.

The Greater New Haven area offers pleasant suburban living in 14 towns including Branford, North Branford, East Haven, Madison, Guilford, Wallingford, Woodbridge, Bethany, Orange, North Haven, West Haven, Hamden, Cheshire and Milford, each with its own unique flavor.