With New York City just a car (or train) ride away, it’s hard to imagine a need for great performance spaces in New Haven-Hartford area. However, Firehouse 12 in New Haven saw an opportunity and has jumped on it. Originally a recording space, Firehouse 12 has transformed itself into a multi-faceted entertainment venture, combining a recording studio, a record label, a performance space, and a full-service bar. The performance room doubles as the tracking space for the recording studio, creating an intimate acoustically engineered listening room with space for 75.

Every Friday, the seasonal jazz series features well-known and up-and-coming musicians, many of whom have worked around the venue in the studio or with the label. The chic bar is perfect for relaxing before or after a set of hot jazz and it attracts a young, local, jazz-loving clientele.