English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in New Haven, CT

Actor, writer, director and producer Lena Dunham — known for creating the Golden Globe award-winning HBO comedy "Girls" — will be visiting New Haven in support of her upcoming memoir.

The "Famesick Tour: An Evening of Stories and Togetherness" will come to The Lyman Center at Southern Connecticut State University on Friday, May 1. "Famesick: A Memoir," a follow-up to her 2014 collection of autobiographical essays "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned," will release on April 14.

Hosted by RJ Julia Booksellers, the book talk is a "rare opportunity to experience Dunham live in an intimate setting, blending humor, vulnerability, and connection in an evening designed to feel as engaging and honest as a conversation among friends," according to a news release. Each ticket includes admission into the event as well as a stamped copy of "Famesick."

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In addition to being the creative force and star behind "Girls," Dunham has finished production on her latest Netflix film, "Good Sex," which stars Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo. Last year, Dunham's Netflix series "Too Much" premiered with star Megan Stalter. Dunham is also writing the book that will be the basis for the upcoming "10 Things I Hate About You: The Broadway Musical."

In a 2022 essay for Architectural Digest, Dunham discussed living on a home constructed on her parents’ Connecticut property in Cornwall. Dunham wrote about how she and her parents went from moving back and forth between Brooklyn and Manhattan while she was growing up, to now coexisting on the same property in northwest Connecticut.

Tickets are on sale for $59 for general admission and $20 for student tickets.

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Dunham's name.

A new baked potato restaurant is set to open its doors in New Haven.

Papa's Loca will open next month in the former home of Lea's Falafelhaus at 370 Whalley Ave. Owner Christina Papastavros told CT Insider that she is aiming to open the restaurant for April 15.

The stars of the restaurant's menu are the specialty baked potatoes with options such as "The Crazy Clam" (scoop of clam chowder, cheddar cheese and bacon bits topped with oyster crackers), "The Shrimp-ocalypse" (steak and shrimp in a savory lobster bisque topped with sour cream and chives), "Chilliando" (spicy beef, jalapenos, lava cheese, sour cream, chives and chopped onions) and the "Taco Loco" (seasoned beef with beans, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapenos, sour cream and guacamole topped with crispy tortilla strips).

In addition to its baked potatoes, the restaurant will have empanadillas, arroz con gandules, potato balls, footlong sandwiches, desserts and breakfast sandwiches and potatoes — the latter of which will come with a free cup of coffee in the morning, according to Papastavros.

Andrew DaRosa is a SPJ award-winning journalist who has worked at Hearst Connecticut Media Group since 2018. He currently works as a Senior Audience Producer and a Trending Reporter for CT Insider and also runs the SEEN section.

He can often be found covering Connecticut’s expanding music scene, supposedly “haunted” sites around the state or keeping track of big winners in the Connecticut Lottery. He has been at the forefront of multiple music-related stories around Connecticut, including the Sound On Sound music festival. With a passion for music, over the past decade, Andrew has interviewed members of Judas Priest, Goose, The National, Trey Anatasio Band, The Head and the Heart and Maren Morris.

Originally from Massachusetts, Andrew graduated from Fairfield University in 2018 with a degree in digital journalism. Since working for Hearst Connecticut, Andrew has become a four-time winner of Connecticut Society of Professional Journalism awards for his coverage of Connecticut band Goose, hiking the state and his human interest stories.

When he isn’t writing about Ed and Lorraine Warren or jam bands, Andrew can be found going to concerts with his wife or hanging out with his cat, Spud.

After a taste of warmer weather earlier this week, many Connecticut residents are surely looking forward to warmer, spring weather.

Where do you plan on visiting first?

A poll by Portland Real Estate asked “3,012 real estate agents to uncover the places across the U.S. that feel truly magical when spring rolls in – the cherry-blossom boulevards, the historic districts that glow in warm morning light, the suburbs where gardens and parks erupt in color.”

Three locations in Connecticut made the list, with one even cracking the top 10.

The honor goes to Wooster Square in New Haven, which ranked 10th overall, according to Portland Real Estate:

“If you know Wooster Square, you know about the cherry blossoms. Dozens of Yoshino cherry trees turn the historic park into a canopy of pink each April, drawing admirers from across Connecticut-and beyond. Italian-American bakeries and 19th-century row houses surround the display, adding to the charm. It’s a much-loved local tradition and a genuine reason to visit New Haven in spring.”

Keep in mind a visit to the park also puts you in walking distance to New Haven famous pizza row, including Pepe’s, Sally’s and more.

Next up for Connecticut is Mystic in Stonington at 36th, according to Portland Real Estate, where “spring travelers who find their way here get the town at its most relaxed.”

West Hartford Center rounded out the state’s representation at 132nd.

Central Park West topped the list nationally, according to Portland Real Estate, where “the park feels reborn after winter—natural beauty and architectural grandeur, side by side.” Check out the full list below:

“Real estate professionals notice details most people only pay attention to once a year,” said a spokesperson from Portland Real Estate. “Spring highlights everything – the way streets are laid out, how sunlight moves through a neighborhood, how public spaces come alive. These top-ranked areas don’t just look good when the blossoms arrive; they function beautifully as places to live.”

NEW HAVEN, CT — As Tweed representatives described their plan to mitigate harm to wetlands as they prepare to expand the airport, neighbors remained skeptical: How could they be sure?

That process was detailed in a public informational meeting held Wednesday night over Zoom. Hosted by Tweed-New Haven Airport and featuring a lawyer from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the meeting saw 104 residents join, according to Andrew King of the airport management company Avports. The online-only meeting was originally intended to be an in-person meeting at East Haven High School.

Tweed representatives have pitched the expansion plan — which would replace the current West Terminal with a new East Terminal and extend the runway by nearly 1,000 feet — as necessary for an airport that is “built for a fraction of current demand.” It is estimated to cost $250 million and the airport plans to begin construction this year.

“The community is fully utilizing the value of the airport,” said King, vice president of external affairs for Avports. Without the expansion, he argued, the terminal would continue overflowing with passengers, overflow parking in the neighborhood would get worse, and traffic flow would not improve.

Tweed received federal approval for its project in December 2023, when the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact.” Now, the state requires approval from DEEP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

DEEP’s approval is necessary because the construction would impact the wetlands in the area. Wednesday’s meeting was intended for Tweed and DEEP to describe the application process for community members and answer questions.

Tweed New Haven Airport Authority and The New HVN, LLC submitted their application to DEEP in April 2025. DEEP requested more information in August 2025, and that information was submitted in December 2025. Now, the “technical review” process continues. DEEP Attorney Eliza Heins described this step as the “most intensive part of the process.”

After the technical review, DEEP will draft a permit and publish a notice of tentative determination — prompting the public comment period. Open for at least 30 days, people can submit comment and DEEP will then respond to each one, noting how the permit had been changed because of the comment or explaining why it wasn’t.

“There are many or most times where a comment will lead to a modification,” Heins said.

A formal hearing can also be requested, which is presided over by a hearing officer and resembles a trial. The hearing officer writes a proposed final decision, which is then reviewed by DEEP’s commissioner — currently Katie Dykes — who then makes a final decision.

Heins said that DEEP is attempting to be faster in reviewing large applications and aims to complete the process within a year.

DEEP will use its own experts to come to an independent decision about how the expansion will impact wetlands, flooding, water quality, and wildlife. Airport representatives claimed that the runway expansion will not impact wetlands, as it was shortened from its ideal length for that reason, but that the new terminal will.

“Unavoidable wetland damage” will have to be compensated. With nine acres of wetlands likely to be affected by the expansion, the project would restore 28.5 acres of tidal wetlands and create more than three acres of new tidal salt marsh.

“We are creating a wetland,” explained Kimberly Peace, the permitting specialist for the project. A parking lot on the west side of the terminal is adjacent to an existing wetland. The pavement will be removed and the wetland will be expanded. There are also ongoing discussions about a plan for the marshes around the southern end of the airport.

There will be future meetings about grasslands, wetlands, and bird habitats, as well as flood management and hydrology.

At a December U.S. Court of Appeals hearing, environmental nonprofit Save the Sound and the Town of East Haven argued that the FAA did not consider the environmental impact of filling in tidal wetlands for modifying the taxiway. Lynne, a Zoom attendee at Wednesday’s meeting, had attended that court hearing.

“I’m concerned you’re presenting information that may not be accurate,” she told Tweed representatives, asking them to respond to that case.

“That is an argument that has been made,” King said about Save the Sound and East Haven. “The FAA is the lead respondent on that appeal and they argue that the math is right.”

Lorena Venegas, an East Haven resident, asked Heins: “How will you hold Tweed accountable?”

“What the permit is, is what we can enforce,” Heins said. She encouraged residents to submit public comment when the time comes so that they can shape the permit and its regulations.

Some residents asked about noise, traffic, and air pollution. Those subjects don’t fall under DEEP’s purview. For air pollution, Heins said that DEEP regulates stationary sources of pollution rather than mobile ones, like cars or planes.

Toni Ann said she assumed that, if the new terminal is going to be on Proto Drive in East Haven, the cars would be going down Hemingway and Coe avenues. “Right now, both of those roads are surrounded by marsh. When it’s high tide, it floods, and it’s impossible for cars to drive through. What is the plan to mitigate the flooding in that area so people can get to their cars?”

King said that the question would be better answered in the flood mitigation meeting for the project, as water management is part of the application process.

“So you’re going to build a terminal with no way to get there? There’s no plan yet, that doesn’t make sense,” she responded.

“There definitely is a plan to get there,” King said. “Just like any other airport or any other structure, there will be days that things will be challenging and be difficult, and that is something that we have to contend with for sure.”

The New Haven Independent is a not-for-profit public-interest daily news site founded in 2005.

Wonder, a chain eatery that offers foods from 28 different restaurants all at one location, is expanding in the state with one recently opened in Westport and another coming to The Shops at Yale in New Haven.

Touted as a "food hall," Wonder is considered a "retail food location" rather than a restaurant because it has 10 seats or less, under the town's zoning regulations, said Westport Town Planner Michael Tartaglia. It is primarily focused on take-out from a wide variety of offerings.

Wonder is hosting a grand opening at 1300 Post Road East, Westport with a ribbon cutting March 5, according to a press release. It will be located in a 2,842-square-foot end-cap building, according to the David Adam Realty website.

In New Haven, Wonder will come to 276 Elm St., according to The Shops at Yale, although there is no announced timeline and it is not listed on the Wonder website locations.

The Westport and New Haven restaurants will join Wonder food halls in Fairfield, Stamford and Milford, which opened in October.

Additionally, Wonder is expected to open another three locations in the state, with one in Newington planned to open in April, according to its website. The food hall style eatery will also open in Trumbull, town officials announced in January and another is expected to open in Darien in the spot of the former Duchess, CTInsider reported. The business has over 70 locations with food halls.

Wonder is also a “food app” said the press release, and is heavily take-out focused.

Its unusual concept is that diners may choose from many dishes originated by celebrity chefs and famous regional restaurants from around the country. These include Bobby Flay steak, Jota by José Andrés for Spanish tapas and Marcus Samuelsson of Streetbird known for his Harlem-style fried chicken, among many others the company has partnered with, according to the Wonder website.

Wonder is a food hall concept with central cooking hubs in a large central kitchen at another location, which delivers food daily to its restaurants. Those smaller eateries will finish the dishes in specially designed kitchens, according to RestarantSpaces website.

Created by Marc Lore, ex-CEO of Walmart’s e-commerce, Wonder acquired Blue Apron in 2023, according to CNBC.

The grand opening of Westport’s location takes place at 4:30 p.m., March 5 with samples and giveaways.

Tanya Babbar contributed to this story.