New London, CT City Guide and Yellow Pages

More About New London, Connecticut

ed by founding father John Winthrop Jr. in 1646, New London, Conn., is a seaport situated at the mouth of the Thames River, on Long Island Sound in southwestern Connecticut. Earlier names of the Thames River were Pequot or Pequod, Little Fresh, Great, Frisius, Great River of Pequot, Mohegan, and New London. Today, the Thames is the site of Yale and Harvard universities' annual boat races.

The Pequot Indians called the area "Nameaug." The first settlers kept the name. The town itself is 355 years old, but has had the name "New London" for just 343 years. New London became the sea port’s legal name in 1658, after 10 years of squabbling between the public and the Connecticut General Assembly. In 1784, New London was incorporated. Nicknamed “The Whaling City,” New London thrived as a competitive whaling port for nearly 80 years in the 19th century.

New London was used as a base for American colonists' naval operations during the Revolutionary War. In 1781, the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold ordered the British to burn New London. The city was set on fire and was partially damaged. New London also survived a British blockade during the War of 1812.

Known for having one of the deepest harbors on the Atlantic Coast, New London currently is home to a U.S. naval station and submarine base. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Submarine Officers’ School are located in New London. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter, Chinook, and the Coast Guard tall ship, Eagle, call the New London Harbor their homeport.

Located in New London County, the city is roughly halfway between New York City and Boston. One of the smallest cities in Connecticut, New London is 10.76 square miles, and nearly half is water. New London’s population is about 26,184, with a median age of 37. The crime rate is higher than the national average.

Still open for business today, Dutch’s Tavern on the Green was a favorite hang-out of notable New Londoner, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize playwright Eugene O’Neill. His family home is now a museum and a Registered National Landmark run by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.

New London hosts an unexpectedly diverse arts scene with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, led by Toshiyuki Shimoda, the Coast Guard Academy's group The Idlers (featuring sea chanteys and patriotic tunes), and an annual I AM Festival, featuring local and national music acts. The “the maddest art show around,” the Hygienic Art show, presents an array of media and mindsets, including videos, murals and “Alcoholic Outsider Art”. The art show runs in cooperation with the annual Rock Fix musical event, sponsored by Cosmodemonic Telegraph. The Lyman Allyn Art Museum was founded in 1932 by Harriet Upson Allyn in honor of her father, Lyman Allyn. Designed by Charles A. Platt, the Neo-Classical building houses the museum’s permanent collection of American art. The collection includes about 10,000 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, furniture and decorative arts from the 18th through 20th centuries. Built in 1926, the historic Garde Arts Center of New London was first a movie/vaudeville theater. Its exotic Moroccan interior décor has recently been refurbished. New London also boasts a whale museum, numerous historic buildings, and ferry rides to New York.

Other notable sites in New London include the New London City Pier, New London Light House, the Antiques District, Whale Oil Row, the Hempstead House and the Union Railroad Station. Built in 1849, Old Fort Trumball is now a state historical park. A local family-friendly tourist attraction is the MBM Fun Center’s water slide, and amusement park.

New London offers two retail centers, the New London Mall Shopping Center and New London Shopping Center.

Schools of higher learning in New London are Connecticut College, the Williams School, Mitchell College and the Ridley Lowell Business and Technology Institute.

Written by Kathleen Cooney

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Newspapers are The Day,
New London Sports teams are The CamelsThe Whalers
Local Schools are New London High School, Connecticut College , United States Coast Guard Academy