New Haven. Connecticut

Left unnoticed for decades as an antiquated seaport noted for only for being home to Yale University, Connecticut's second-largest town is shaking off the less than great reputation with its up-and-coming urban sophistication and vibrant art scene.

At the city's center lies the New Haven Green, originally plotted by Puritan settlers in the 1600s and peppered with white-steepled churches. Surrounding it, the 300-year-old Yale campus offers newcomers an abundance of architectural and artistic attractions, from venerated museums and galleries to a lively music scene and walking tours of its secret societies.

While Yale put New Haven on the map, there’s much to enjoy other than the campus: dive bars, ethnic restaurants, barbecue restaurants and cocktail lounges make the place almost as vital as Cambridge's Harvard Square.