Downtown Among the Elms

There are many methods for measuring the New Haven Green, but none of them have I employed. Not yet at least.

By sight, I figure the Green to be about three-fourths of a mile around (four loops for a 5k) if you were to run the full square, which involves crossing Temple Street, therefore a risk of red light. Sticking to one side or the other would avoid traffic and still offer a nice loop, a scenic alternative to the high school track or indoor treadmill.

Of the two sides of the Green, the east end is preferable. The dirt path under the elm trees feels like a proper park route, whereas the west end, with its assortment of homeless bums and pigeons, is a bit rougher and a bit too close to Yale. And as I recall, no dirt path.

I could have looped it with the Garmin or swung through on my bike and clocked the mileage or else simply plotted it on the Web. But I haven't really run the Green until this morning, when I threw a mini loop into the mix to help round out an eight-miler on the north side of town. A pleasant loop in the heart of downtown — worth adding to the roster as a lazy option for a shorter run.