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"The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it."
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--Charles Baudelaire
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With a population of 108,027 in 1900, New Haven was the largest city in the state of Connecticut at the turn of the twentieth century. While it was not known as a main harbor city as Theophilus Eaton had hoped, New Haven was thriving. Businesses like the Edward Malley Company Department Store and Moseley's New Haven House Hotel were booming. New Haven's four railway systems had merged into one entity, promoting big business, and providing an effective means of transporting goods. Horse-drawn carriages and electric trolley cars also provided transportation for New Haven residents. The city attracted many immigrants of Italian, Irish, German, and Jewish decent. New Haven had many characteristics of a successful city.
New Haven has vastly changed over the last century. According to Wikipedia and Census data, New Haven's population consists of 123,626 individuals, making it the third largest city in Connecticut. Both Bridgeport and Hartford are larger. The majority of New Haven's residents are now Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic. While the department stores and trolley cars have long since gone, New Haven still has much to offer. Mayor John DeStefano's Citywide School Construction Project has made it possible for schools to be rebuilt and downtown is thriving with restaurants, independently run shops, nightclubs, and theatres.
