Randall Beach: Westville Village is ever-changing but remains a go-to gathering place

September 29, 2016, The new Haven Register, by Randall Beach- "When my wife and I bought our first house in 1987, we chose a side street within walking distance of Westville Village, the New Haven enclave at that time lined with second-hand antique shops and other small businesses. We liked the idea of being able to walk down Fountain Street to patronize a classic neighborhood post office, a branch library (Mitchell), an independent pharmacy where we could buy newspapers and other sundries (D’Andrea’s), a great hardware store (Jackson-Marvin), a car repair garage (Aquila Motors) and a nice variety of restaurants: the Cade Codder, Hy’s Village Restaurant, House of Chao. We enjoyed our eight years there but eventually decided to move to an even more walkable neighborhood, East Rock. However, a recent email from Heather Burbank, who grew up in Westville during the ‘70s and ‘80s, made me appreciate anew its history and constant evolution. Burbank began her evocative reminiscence by talking about fun times at Hy’s Village Restaurant, so she had me hooked immediately. I lived in Westville during the final years of Hy Katz’ public service there. It was a community gathering spot for his jokes, his eggs, his daily commentary..."

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