WWBD: What Would Barbie Do In New Haven

This summer, there is one name on everyone’s lips – Barbie. Whether you’re hunting down vintage dolls at EBM Vintage or preselecting front-row seats at downtown’s Bow Tie Cinemas, the summer has been Barbie-fied. So, what would Barbie do in New Haven? Would she laze on the Green or hit the beach at Lighthouse Point? It’s impossible to choose. As we know all too well, there is no singular Barbie. There’s Doctor Barbie, Corporate Princess Barbie, Rollergirl Barbie, and beyond. Here’s what Barbie, in any form, would do in New Haven.

Academia Barbie

What would Academia Barbie do in New Haven? Enroll, of course. Follow in her plastic-clad footsteps along a Yale Visitors Center Tour. Operating on a reservation basis, Yale Students guide interested visitors through the historic campus, sharing the unique stories and architecture that have made the halls of the University so hallowed. While on tour, Academia Barbie can brush up on a book from the corners of Yale’s most extensive library, the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library.

Bruncharound Barbie

Barbie is like us — she puts her tiny velcro pants on one leg at a time and enjoys a good brunch. For the doll of the summer, brunch will be Barbie-fied. Barbie Mary’s, Barbellini’s, Bar-berry Waffles, and beyond. All the while, her waistline won’t grow an inch. Maybe she’s born with it, perhaps it’s Mattel. If you’d like to spend a Saturday like Bruncharound Barbie, make a reservation at any of our favorite spots from Atelier Florian, to Harvest Wine Bar, Heirloom, to Olives and Oil, Olmo, to South Bay. 

Girl’s Night Barbie

Notice we haven’t mentioned Ken? This trip is for girls only, and she’s arrived here to mingle. These dolls want to join the New Haven night life scene for a cocktail at a rooftop bar – be it Elm City Social or High George. There, they’ll find craft cocktails shaken cold by expert mixologists, and maybe leave with an invite to the city’s wildly popular New Haven Cocktail Week. Note: Barbie will be ID-ed at the door, and by ID we do not mean price tag. 

Fashionista Barbie

We hope Barbie brought her wallet. It’s time to refresh her (highly flammable) wardrobe with some fresh items from downtown New Haven’s distinct shopping districts. We’ll drop Barbie off on Chapel Street as she traces her way through the most unique boutiques and popular retailers in New England, crossing over to Broadway, and making her way to the Whitney-Audubon Retail and Arts District for some vintage threads. 

Fitness Barbie

Barbie takes no days off. While in New Haven, Fitness Barbie can explore recreational options like take top bike at Wheelhouse Cycling Studio, a premiere indoor spin destination in the heart of the city. If she prefers to spin in the outdoors, Fitness Barbie is lucky enough to have found herself in one of New England’s most bikeable cities. If you see her, leave her be, she’s training for the New Haven Road Race or playing Pickle Ball in Edgewood Park. 

Food Blogger Barbie

Like any self respecting foodie, Food Blogger Barbie would be found nowhere else but a city whose food is historic. Here in New Haven, that’s pizza – or should we say, Apizza. Since 1925, our city has been serving up the best pies in the country. That’s 34 more years than Barbie herself. If she’s looking for a white clam pie, we’ll send her to Pepe’s. If she’s feeling adventurous, we’ll get her a table at BAR and a mashed potato, bacon, and garlic white pie. If she’s still hungry, she’ll visit Modern Apizza and Sally’s. 

Be every type of Barbie, and be it here, in New Haven. Come on Barbie, let’s go party.