Are you from New Haven, Indiana? Not sure? If you can relate to these 12 signs, then you know you definitely ARE from New Haven, Indiana.
You know you’re from New Haven, Indiana when you refer to 469 as a 24-7 construction zone. No matter what, there is always construction somewhere on that highway, and it’s a cluster to get around the big semis. Not to mention how many accidents occur on that thing. It gets even worse in the winter time. That highway attracts ice and wants people to get in accidents and slide of the road.
You know you’re bound to get stopped by a train when your running late to work, school, or some appointment. Just when you think your day is ruined, the train has one more thing to add to your awful morning. Except there is no way around the train, because it blocks every way possible to get from one side of the tracks to the other unless you drive all the way back to the highway which then has terrible construction. The train only stops on the tracks when you actually have some place to be.
A piece of your heart will always be part of New Haven bakery. Whether you stopped in just to get a morning donut for the day, or ordered your special cake for the big day. It’s always delicious, just don’t forget to bring cash or you can’t purchase anything. Every time you walk in the door there will always be the morning coffee crew inside drinking their warm coffee and reading the newspaper for the day.
You know you’re from here if your first week in June is spent at Canal Days. Or how about the days you spent sitting on the curb waiting for the candy to be tossed at you in the parade. Or how about kid’s day when you could decorate and frost that cookie under the pavilion. As you grew up, somehow you or somebody you knew walked in the parade and you cheered them on from the sidewalk.
I remember the nights I would run around with my brother from ride to ride and my parents would walk around with us and then want to go watch the band that played in the pavilion afterwards. I always thought it was the most boring thing ever. My favorite memories of Canal Days are going to the cheese curd stand with my dad. That fried cheese was the best and so worth it! In high school, that was the hangout when you didn’t have any plans and wanted to hang out with your friends. Many of you may have grown up by now and having experienced taking your own kids to the crazy downtown festival. Or maybe you completely avoid that area of town the week of canal days because of all the bad traffic.
How about a late-night Kroger run to get toilet paper? Was that ever you? Late night shenanigans were always my thing. We would snicker in the car and try to come up with a plan if we were asked why we were buying so much toilet paper, but in reality, we were young kids, who would actually believe our cover story? We were kids up to trouble. The Kroger clerks would smile as you checked out because they all knew what you were up to that night. I don’t know how I never got caught for how many times I spent my weekends having fun decorating someone’s house.
You know you’re from New Haven whenever Tuesday is spent at the tanning bed to get your two dollar Tuesday deal. I remember when I raced out of school just to try and beat the rush and not have to wait for a bed to open up. And then as I walked out I would always pass someone I knew because it was, and still is, the go to spot on Tuesdays. I mean it’s a deal that can’t be passed up. Or maybe you are that parent that has to beat the high school kids to the tanning bed after work.
Oh, I am positive you have heard of the Tin Caps stadium if you’re from New Haven, and maybe you’ve spent several Thursday nights there? It’s the hot hangout spot on Thursday game days because of its famous “Thirsty Thursdays” deal. I mean if you’re from New Haven and you’ve never taken a trip to the Tin Caps stadium your missing out on such an adventure. But that’s not the only thing the stadium is great for, it also hosts amazing concerts and other events. Many downtown employees walk during their lunch break around the stadium because its open free to the public during the day. It’s a great place to hang out with your family for a baseball game or spend some time with your friends at a concert.
Every year around Christmas time there is the famous downtown Santa Lighting. It’s always in the paper the next day and it’s a popular spot to hangout and watch that night. If you’re from New Haven it’s a popular attraction you have to experience at least once. Don’t forget those Coney dogs you have to eat while you’re near the famous Coney Island. But, the latest and greatest addiction is Yummy Bunny. Have you ever heard of eating ice cream between a donut? It’s the latest downtown attraction. You can’t say you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it! As for those of you who aren’t familiar with what I am talking about, maybe it’s time to come back and visit small town New Haven.
Let’s see… the late-night food runs. Hmmm… I’m going to guess growing up your go to spot was Steak and Shake or Huddle House because those are the only two restaurants open passed midnight in New Haven or maybe it still is. But, who doesn’t love a late milkshake with your friends. I don’t know about you, but every time I visit our Steak and Shake on a late night run I never exit that building without sitting in it for two hours. But hey, those nights are worth it because they’re new adventures spent with the best of friends.
One thing that distinctly defines my small town is our weekend adventures to Rural King to enjoy the free popcorn and coffee and play with all the new chickens, ducks and turkeys. I made friends with a bunch of people from Chicago after beginning college and realized they did not know what this store was. You realize the uniqueness to your town and the differences from where you grew up by talking about what you did growing up and it makes your story unique from someone else’s.
You know your’re from New Haven, Indiana when your go to hangout spot is having a bonfire and spending time with your friends outside at night when it’s warm out. Growing up it was about playing ghost in the graveyard in the dark and roasting s’mores by the fire. As you got older, you got too cool for ghost in the graveyard so you played other games in the dark and told ghost stories around the fire. But then you hit a wall, and started drinking refreshments and talking around the fire until two am with your best friends.
My most favorite thing about New Haven is spending time with my best friends on the weekend. My go to hangout on the weekend is a drive with the windows down, the music blaring and the wind blowing my hair in my face as I take a drive to the lake with my friends. Some of my fondest memories are from there. I love spending hours on end with the warm sun beating down on me and hanging out in the water.
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