Edge of the Woods

An expansive compound, 379 Whalley Avenue reflects the Modernist movement at the time of the structure’s initial construction. Its long brick austere walls create a sense of density that is interrupted by the levity of the glass and steel portico facing the parking lot. The pedestrian along Whalley Avenue should notice the enclosed porch which served as the original entrance and ticket booth of the structure back when New Haven residents would arrive to see a movie or rock concert. The vast space of the interior has now been repurposed for Edge of the Woods, a supermarket serving organic foods to health-oriented consumers.

S. Simonson Length of tenure is unkown but ownership is noted in Sanborn 1901

E.C. Dow: Length of tenure is unkown but ownership is noted in Sanborn 1901

Maurice Bailey: The Whalley Movie Theater: 1926 – 1944

Maurice Bailey: Whalley Café Cinema: 1944 – 1978

Agora Ballroom: 1982-1983

Twilight Zone: 1983-4

The Metro: 1985

Edge of the Woods 1985 – Present

Residential structures existed on the site before they were demolished in favor of a movie theater on the area in the 1920s. The theater would then be converted into nightclub in the 1980s. Finally, the structure would be converted into a supermarket in the late 1980s.

The site would also experience growth other than the supermarket structure. In 1900, a structure was built towards the back of a lot which would serve as a pillow factory. It would eventually become vacant, but Edge of the Woods, seeing an expansion opportunity, bought the structure in 2012. The bottom floor now serves as a warehouse; the top floor contains two apartments. The property owner and manager of Edge of the Woods is also responsible this structure.

Across the parking lot is a strip mall containing a dry cleaner, tax accountants, and fast food restaurants that was built in 1968. The shared parking lot became a source of contention between the property owner of Edge of the Woods and the owner of the strip mall. When the property was put up for sale, Edge of the Woods proceeded to purchase it. In this manner, Edge of the Woods is not only a supermarket but also a property manager, operating under the corporate name, Dodge Realty LLC. 

The Sanborn maps and the New Haven Atlas of 1911 reveal that the site was first developed at the turn of the 20^th Century as large residential properties. By the 1920s, when Whalley had become increasingly commercial and the property had been sold, the existing structure was demolished, and a small movie house was constructed. The movie house would serve the local neighborhood population for the first twenty years of its existence until a renovation in the 1940s expanded its capacity to seat 945 people. At this point, the movie theater began to receive reels from larger production companies and became increasingly competitive within Maurice Bailey’s portfolio of New Haven movie theaters. Bailey’s theaters closed with his death in 1978.

With the entrance of Rock & Roll into mainstream culture, there was a demand for music venues throughout the country and New Haven. On York Street, Toad’s Place opened its doors in 1975. Agora Ballroom was established at 379 Whalley Avenue in 1983. However, the site would change names annually until 1985, when it would cease its operations as a short-lived music venue.

Meanwhile, a group of yogis had created a vegetarian supermarket on Edgewood Avenue in order to promote their vegetarian lifestyle to the broader public. Looking to expand, they saw an opportunity at the site on Whalley Avenue. Accordingly, they moved into the site in 1986 and have operated their supermarket ever since. It is important to note that Claire’s Corner Copia, the famous vegetarian restaurant, had opened its doors in 1975. Perhaps the emergence of Edge of the Woods suggests a larger sociocultural trend that prioritizes healthy food. If so, the commercial history of 379 Whalley Avenue reflects greater trends in American culture –– in music and in food. 

Edge of the Woods sits on Whalley Avenue, a major thoroughfare in the City of New Haven that is lined with many commercial properties. In fact, Edge of the Woods is only a half-mile from a corporate supermarket, Stop & Shop. On the block-scale, it shares a parking lot with smaller commercial operations across from it. This strip mall and the supermarket are managed by the same property owner. Although Edge of the Woods fits neatly into the Whalley Avenue streetscape, if approached from the North, the structure signals an abrupt border to the quiet residential neighborhood of Beaver Hills. The back of the building and the austerity of the unpainted brick contrasts sharply with the color and detail of the Greek Revival homes along Norton Street.