Is Fun Possible in New Haven? Perhaps...

If such a thing exists, you've picked a good weekend to go to New Haven.

You, your roommates, your close (and not so close) friends as well as thousands of college and prep school students from across New England will descend on the Elm City this Friday and Saturday for two days of football and Baccanalian revelry.

The best part? Everything during the weekend of The Game happens so quickly--and often in such a drunken stupor--that you may be able to visit New Haven without noticing that you've entered an industrial waste-land of sorts.

In case you need a little more help distracting yourself, here are a few tips to ensure a pleasant stay:

Stay near Yale. I'm not talking about sleeping in a Yale student's dorm room for the weekend. (You're probably planning on doing that anyway.) I mean that it's not wise to wander off campus. New Haven is a dangerous city, with many crime-and drug-infested neighborhoods not more than a few paces from many of the university's classrooms. Especially at night, try to stay inside Yale's gates, or at least very close to them. The more interesting areas of the city tend to be those closest to Yale anyway, so there's really no need to roam.

Nearly all of the city's interesting cultural activity, shopping and night life can be sampled in the four or five blocks closest to the University. Try to hop aboard a free guided tour of the Yale campus. Or if architecture's your fancy, New Haven Green features three lovely churches, each worth a look inside.

Regardless of what else you see in New Haven, the following are some recommendations of spots not to miss:

Check out the Co-Op. Just a block from the Yale's Old Campus, which houses almost all of the college's first-year students, is the Yale Co-Op, the incorrectly pronounced version of Harvard's COOP. Still, the Co-Op has a better book selection, and if you're shopping for a Yale sweatshirt or other such paraphernalia, this is the place. The Co-Op is now the city's largest department store, since Macy's shut down a year ago.

York Square Cinema. The York Sq. is a New Haven tradition. It's cheap and shows good movies, sometimes artsy, sometimes not. This Friday and Saturday it will likely be packed with college students lacking a yen for intoxication and partying. All of the area's other movie theaters are in the suburbs, so this is just about the only game in town.

Toad's Place. Just around the corner from the York Sq. is Toad's Place, a late-night bar that also features up and coming musicians. For students over 21, Toad's offers a party scene more favorable than that found in the crowded suites of under grads. Yale alumni recall that Cindi Lauper, among others, got her start here. In the 70's she was so bad, they say, that she would sing the three or four songs in her repertoire, then apologize, then repeat. Since Cindy, a few big-time bands have played at Toad's. The Rolling Stones were in town just a few years ago.

Naples Pizza. Located just two blocks away on Wall Street is the hangout of all Yale hangouts. Faculty and students for years have come to Naples in search of slices of pizza and cheap draft beer. The sandwiches and salads are good, too.

The atmosphere is the real draw, however, as Naples is a major pick-up spot for high school and college students. This designation is facilitated by lax ID checking by some Naples employees. And even if you get bored here, you can always entertain yourself by carving your name or initial into the black lacquer tables and walls. (Don't worry, everyone does it.)

Modern Pizza. It's not that everyone in New Haven has a penchant for pizza, it's just New Haven has such good pizza, that it's hard to find anything that tastes as good for so little money. Modern Pizza, located about five blocks from Yale on State Street, is one of the city's top three pizza restaurants, quite a feat in a city which boasts to have invented the allegedly Italian fare.

Wooster Square. Six blocks East of the New Haven Green is Wooster Square, a small neighborhood green lined by some of the city's few remaining neo-Victorian houses built around the turn of the century, New Haven's glory heyday. Today New Haven's large Italian working class calls it home.

Wooster Sq., where locals say pizza was born, is home to about fifteen hearty Italian restaurants. President Clinton visited Wooster Sq. last month for dinner after receiving an honorary degree at Yale Law. New Haven's two most-famous brick-over pizza parlors, Sally's and Pepe's, are within a block of each other on Wooster Street. Don't miss the Italian pastry shops nearby.

Bruxelles and Scuzzi Restaurants. If you're interested in eating dinner using a fork and knife, New Haven does have several up-scale bistros. Some of the nicer places to eat are on the water of New Haven Harbor and are not easily accessible to college students, especially those without cars. Bruxelles, located less than a block from Old Campus and the New Haven Green on College Street, is one classy dinner spot within reach. A well-stocked bar and elegant decor are the highlights of this popular New Haven eatery. Roasting game spins in over an open flame and patrons munch on thin bread sticks and sip white wine. Scuzzi, a very good if pricey Italian dinner restaurant, offers a wide variety of desserts, prepared to please both the palate and the eye. Located across from the Yale Art Galley on Chapel Street, Scuzzi features a delightful pumpkin pecan as well as an extensive, highbrow ice cream selection.

Louis' Lunch. Around the corner on Crown Street is another New Haven tradition. Louis' claims to have sold the first hamburger in the U.S., and is still famous for them today. This is a great spot for lunch or an afternoon snack. It's not open late, so get your grilled beef while you can. All burgers are served on toast, not rolls. Ask for catsup at your own risk--patrons have been ejected for less, sources say.

Chapel Street. If you're already on Chapel Street for dessert, don't miss the many specialty shops which cater to the University's students and faculty. With Macy's gone and the Chapel Square Mall over-run by "inner city youth," most of the retail action has moved closer to the University. The Gap and Laura Ashley are just two of the retail outlets flourishing thanks to Yale. The Atticus Book Store, at 1082 Chapel Street (next door to Yale's British Art Museum) caters to bibliophiles of every sort. Grab a cappuchino in the recently added and immensely popular cafe inside the store.

The Stadium, A Warning. Oh yes, something they don't always tell you when you come to Yale: The football stadium is nowhere near the campus. In fact, it's a good two mile walk out to the Westville section of New Haven. Westville's a quiet residential neighborhood (also the only spot in the city where Yale could place a 70,000 seat stadium.) Your walk should be bearable because thousands of other college students will be making it with you. On your way, you'll pass New Haven's newest pride and joy, the Connecticut Tennis Center, home to the Volvo International Tennis Tournament.