The weather in Connecticut has been far from summery the past month — cold, windy, much too rainy (my tomatoes aren’t happy). With no end in sight and little chance of getting any gardening done, I decided to make a trip to the city last week. When I say “the city,” I’m not talking about the big city of New York, though it’s certainly close enough for a day trip. I’m talking about New Haven. For those who live in South Central Connecticut, this is our “big city.” Its population is not measured in the millions — about 130,000 people call New Haven home — but it has the diversity of a much larger city, with universities, ethnic neighborhoods, an arts district, theater, museums, business centers, science parks, music clubs and incredible restaurants. Most people know New Haven as the home of Yale University . The Ivy League school certainly is responsible for much the city has to offer, but there is plenty more. Most of the city’s charm derives from its rich history, its diverse neighborhoods and its people. And pulling it all together is the historic New Haven Green. My main goal of the day was to indulge in a spa treatment at the Amadeus Center, not far from the Audubon Arts District. I needed some warming up in this cold weather, so I chose the detox steam shower and a hot stone massage. It worked wonders for my body and my attitude — and when I emerged from the spa, the sun was actually shining! I took a stroll through the neighborhood, admiring the quaint front gardens of the old houses I passed. I grabbed a cup of tea at a local café and headed to the Green. There was plenty to do — each June New Haven hosts the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, which offers everything from music to theater to art displays and discussions  — but after my spa experience, I just wanted to enjoy the unexpected sunshine and do some people-watching. I didn’t realize I’d end up watching the dead. I had picked up some pamphlets about New Haven and browsed through them as I drank my tea. One about the New Haven Green caught my attention. The Green is a lovely two-block parcel in the heart of the city, the central square of the original nine-square Puritan settlement plan. It’s surrounded by four busy streets that are lined with shops, government buildings and Yale dormitories. Three churches line up along Temple Street, which bisects the two squares. It’s a peaceful place, sometimes a busy place, with free concerts, art displays or children’s activities (and even war protests during the Vietnam era). The Green was the first common burial site in the city, which was established in 1638. After severe yellow fever epidemics in 1794 the Green, which held as many as 5,000 burials, was simply too crowded to continue as the chief burial ground. In 1796 a group of citizens planned a new cemetery at the edge of town, which is now known as the Grove Street Cemetery, one of the first formal cemeteries built in America. Many of the stone markers were moved from the Green to the cemetery, but the remains of the dead were not moved and, well, they remain below the soil of the Green. I thought about this as I sat above that soil. Our American history doesn’t date back as far as, say, that of Athens or Cairo or Beijing. It’s not even as old as London. But, still, it was amazing to think of more than 300 years of history buried beneath my feet. In fact, the history of New Haven with its many themes, troubles and accomplishments can be traced in the Grove Street Cemetery. Among the internationally renowned people buried there are Eli Whitney and Noah Webster. American heroes include Roger Sherman, who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; African-American Civil War veterans; and Roger Sherman Baldwin, who argued the case for the Amistad slaves imprisoned in New Haven. There are local industrialists, clergy, military figures, lawyers, physicians and Yale presidents and professors. And so, as we approach the 4th of July, our greatest national holiday, I think a lot about our short but impressive history. My thoughts turn to all the people who came before us, people who had visions for their city, for their country and for their own lives —  all the people who make up the true spirit of a place. –Jan Hecht, associate editor