New Haven needs 3,000 more votes — not for any political candidate or issue, but for our fair city as a whole to pull even and then ahead of Portsmouth, N. H.
Talk about March Madness — this competition is May Madness, a bracket of 64 towns selected by Outside Magazine to compete for its annual Best Towns Ever contest.
If New Haven advances to the bracket of 32 and then ultimately to become the winner, we’ll be on the cover of the September issue of Outside magazine, a cover story for our city as a destination for great stuff, from food to kayaking.
The final round concludes on June 4.
As of Friday morning, New Haven trailed Portsmouth 7,289 votes to 10,392. Thursday night organizers made a late-game pitch at an event at Trailblazer. The sports and outerwear store in the Broadway district hosted a party to advance the city’s vote total.
Click here to cast your vote, which you can do through midnight Friday, when the first round ends.
Trailblazer Director of Marketing Karen Brown (pictured at the top of the story) said that her original idea was to set up a computer station in the store to rally the troops and muster voters.
However she wasn’t able to do that because “they’re tracking IP addresses,” she said, so as to insure one vote per person.
To advance the cause, Brown provided a Quick Response or barcode so visitors to the Trailblazer party could scan it into their cell phones and get a quick link to the voting site.
Kevin McCarthy said: “I’m from Chicago. New Haven is as close as it comes to a real city in Connecticut.”
When you vote, you are not required to offer reasons, just to cast your ballot.
As Box 63 staffers served up tasty pulled pork, apple and bacon pizza, and Korean-style barbecue meatballs, the Independent did a quick survey of why the party-goers love New Haven and voted for her.
Yale undergraduate friends Nailah Harper-Malveaus and Timiebi So cited how much there is to do in town — once, in their case, “you get out of the Yale bubble.”
Harper-Malveaus said she likes the big activist community in town and cited her recent participation in May Day protests on the Green.
Box 63’s Kati Varga echoed the Yalies. She said particularly in the summer the city is hopping with activity. Fair Haven activist Lee Cruz had a one-word answer for what makes New Haven exceptional, especially for active residents: “Waterfront.”
He said that word came to mind emerging from the sixth annual Riverfest this weekend on the Quinnipiac waterfront.
Kristin Onofrio owned up to voting twice, once from home and once from her office. That’s because she finds so much to like starting with “the diversity of the city and history. It’s in the buildings, the architecture, it’s everywhere if you look for it.”
Jason Sobocinski (pictured at left), of Caseus, was on hand not with cheeses but with beer from his new Black Hog Brewing Company.
As he served up a glass of one of his newest brews, a low-alcohol ale called Easy Rye Da, his answer to what makes New Haven great and vote-worthy was: “Food. Better fuckin’ believe it.”
Then he added; “Our head brewer Tyler Jones, came to us from Portsmouth, N.H. He loved Caseus, he’s been here ten times. He called me up, and we end up buying a brewery together.”
Take that, Portsmouth!
Click here to vote before midnight Friday.
I know NHI tweeted this, but getting 300 votes isn't the issue, I believe more people just need to be informed. After reading this, I went and voted.
WTNH, NHPD, Parks and Rec and every organization, media etc. in the City of New Haven needs to put the word out via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and watch how quickly New Haven get those votes.
Mayor Harp needs to tweet this as well.. Come on New Haven, let's win!!!!