Amity (New Haven)


The valley of Amity is an area located partly in the towns of Woodbridge, Bethany, and Orange, Connecticut and partly in the city of New Haven. It is bounded on the northeast by the West Rock ridge, on the south by the Westville neighborhood of New Haven, and on the northwest by an incline in elevation above which lies the highlands of Woodbridge, Connecticut. The official New Haven neighborhood planning maps include the traditionally separate neighborhoods of West Hills (vicinity of Valley Street) and Beverly Hills (area between Whalley Avenue and Fountain Street) within the Amity neighborhood.[1]

Amity is a glacial valley carved by the West River which flows in a southerly direction along the western flank of West Rock ridge.

Three primary highways serve the valley of Amity:

  • Route 15, also known as the Wilbur Cross Parkway, a limited access highway which has a full interchange numbered as Exit 59.
  • Route 63 (Amity Road), which runs northwest–southeast between the Westville section of New Haven and the Woodbridge highlands.
  • Route 69 (Litchfield Turnpike), which runs north–south parallel to the western flank of West Rock Ridge.

The waterway at the lowest elevation of Amity valley is the West River.

Located in Amity valley is the western outlet of the Heroes Tunnel, a twin tunnel which carries the Wilbur Cross Parkway through approximately 1,200 feet (370 m) of solid traprock beneath West Rock Ridge. It is the only tunnel on a limited-access highway in the state of Connecticut. The southbound roadway on the Wilbur Cross Parkway ascends sharply when exiting from the Heroes Tunnel, climbing over 250 feet (76 m) in less than 2 miles (3.2 km), the steepest inclination on any limited-access highway in the State of Connecticut. When travelling northbound on the Wilbur Cross Parkway approaching toward Exit 59, the roadway descends sharply into Amity valley, offering a scenic vista of the West Rock Ridge, the twin tubes of the Heroes Tunnel, the City of New Haven to the south, and the glacial valley of Amity which opens to the north.

Amity valley is home to its namesake Amity Shopping Center, and is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of Amity Regional High School.

References
  1. Amity (PDF) (Map). New Haven City Plan Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-06.


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