Living and Learning in Princeton

Princeton is a foodie’s paradise for everything from ice cream and bagels to upscale dining for a family dinner. The diverse cuisine reflects the town’s multicultural roots and often focuses on seasonal, local ingredients. These are just a few of our—and our students’—favorites!

Princeton

• Arlee’s Raw Blends, 246 Nassau Street, New Jersey’s premier source for 100% organic cold-pressed juice
• The Bagel Nook, 301 North Harrison Street (Princeton Shopping Center), Bagel store with sweet and savory bagels in a range of inventive flavors and much more (Locals line up on weekend mornings to get their fix!)
• The Bent Spoon, 35 Palmer Square West, Internationally recognized and award-winning farm-to-spoon ice cream shop
• Conte’s Pizza and Bar, 339 Witherspoon Street, Princeton’s first pizza place serving up thin-crust pizza since 1950; named one of the nation’s top-ten pizza places
• Halo Pub, 9 Hulfish Street, Shop serving all-natural ice cream from nearby Halo Farm as well as coffee and espresso drinks (there may be a line!)
• Hoagie Haven, 242 Nassau Street, Student-favorite hoagie landmark for more than four decades
• The House of Cupcakes, 34 Witherspoon Street, Cupcake Wars-winning bakery with more than 35 cupcake flavors and other sweet treats
• Jammin’ Crepes, 20 Nassau Street, Counter-serve operation known for sweet, savory, and breakfast crêpes made with local ingredients
• Mediterra Restaurant and Taverna, 29 Hulfish Street, Upscale restaurant featuring Mediterranean cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients

• The Meeting House, 277 Witherspoon Street, Community restaurant focused on simple American cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients
• Mistral, 66 Witherspoon Street, Upscale restaurant featuring culturally influenced interpretative American cuisine made from fresh, local ingredients
• Playa Bowls, 10 Hulfish Street, Healthy açaí, pitaya, and coconut bowl and smoothie shop with sustainability and community in mind (a New Jersey original with more than 150 locations nationwide)
• Rojo’s Roastery Princeton Espresso Bar, 33 Palmer Square West, Small-batch, artisan coffee roaster (maker of The Hun Blend!) for all your caffeine needs
• Small World Coffee, 254 Nassau Street and 14 Witherspoon Street, Urbane cafés offering fresh, custom-blended, gourmet coffees; pastries; and sandwiches (Nassau Street location) in a dynamic, artsy atmosphere
• Tacoria, 110 Nassau Street, Modern tacos, burritos, and vegan offerings in a funky Mexican setting with vibrant art
• Thomas Sweet, 183 Nassau Street, Dessert shop serving small-batch ice cream, frozen yogurt, shakes, and coffee since 1979 (Be sure to check out their chocolate shop in Palmer Square!)
• Tico’s Eatery and Juice Bar, 33 Witherspoon Street, Juice bar offering cold-pressed fruit and vegetable blends plus smoothies
• Witherspoon Grill, 57 Witherspoon Street, One of New Jersey’s premier steakhouse destinations in a refined, casual setting

In town for a visit and want to get a little shopping in? Princeton and the surrounding area offer something for everyone, from Apple to ZOË.

Princeton

• Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Acclaimed independent scholarly and community bookstore that also offers frequent in-person, hybrid, and virtual author lectures, conversations, and signings

• Marketfair, 3535 U.S. Highway 1, Upscale mall with more than 35 specialty shops, including Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Pottery Barn, and Williams-Sonoma, as well as casual restaurants and a multiplex movie theater
• Palmer Square, across from Princeton University, A unique collection of shopping—including Barbour, Bluemercury, J.Crew, Ralph Lauren, Urban Outfitters, and ZOË—and dining, right in the heart of downtown
• Princeton Record Exchange, 20 South Tulane Street, One of the country’s top record stores according to Rolling Stone, TIME, USA Today, and Buzzfeed
• Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street, More than 40 local and national storefronts surrounding a two-acre landscaped courtyard home to frequent festivals and outdoor concerts

Nearby

• Quaker Bridge Mall, 3320 US Highway 1, Unit 150, Lawrenceville (5 miles), New Jersey’s premier shopping destination with 90+ stores, including Apple, Coach, Macy’s, Michael Kors, Sephora, and much more

Princeton is an idyllic place for outdoor recreation and provides numerous opportunities for hiking, boating, biking, skating and more. Much of the surrounding area features open spaces with protected habitats for numerous species, so look for a variety of wildlife!

Princeton

• Lake Carnegie,  boat launch area adjacent to Route 27 just south of Kingston, Scenic reservoir formed from a dam on the Millstone River as a gift of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie; owned by Princeton University, but open to the public for fishing (catch and release), boating (rentals available), and ice skating. Fun fact: Lake Carnegie is home to the U.S. Olympic rowing team!
• Delaware and Raritan Canal, 523 Alexander Road, More than 70 miles of linear multi-use path along an historic canal and additional trail networks and connections across several counties, offering opportunities for hiking, canoeing/kayaking, tubing, and mountain biking
• Lawrence Hopewell Trail, Carson Road, Princeton, NJ (Princeton entrance), Family-oriented, 22-plus mile trail that offers safe access to various sections of the towns of Princeton, Hopewell, Pennington, Lawrenceville, and West Windsor for kids, families, bicyclists, joggers, and hikers
• Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve Trail, 30 Mountain Avenue, A 2.3-mile loop trail generally considered an easy route, but offering some challenges
• Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, A 200-acre family farm growing over 35 different fruits and vegetables open to the public every day of the year with a farm market, bakery, cider plant, greenhouses, gardens, farm trail, pick-your-own fruits, tours, and farm festivals

Nearby

• Hopewell Quarry, 180 Crusher Rd, Hopewell, Nonprofit, protected open space featuring an “old-fashioned swimming hole” in a natural spring-fed one-acre lake, a large pool for non-swimmers, and other recreational activities
• Mercer County Park, Entrances at 1050 Hughes Drive, Hamilton Township, and on Paxson Ave, West Windsor Township (7–9 miles), More than 2,500 acres covering areas of the townships of West Windsor, Hamilton, and Lawrence. with year-round facilities for all ages and opportunities for both active and passive recreational opportunities. In addition to numerous athletic fields, nature trails for hiking and mountain biking, and picnic areas, there are tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, cricket pitches, and an ice skating rink. Kayak, row, and pedal boat rentals are available for Mercer Lake, which also offers opportunities for fishing.
• Plainsboro Preserve, 80 Scotts Corner Road, Cranbury (10 miles), More than 1,000 acres of undisturbed open space with nature trails and 50-acre McCormack Lake that serves as a protected habitat for numerous plant and wildlife species, including those that are rare or endangered. The Rush Holt Environmental Education Center offers a diverse array of educational programs for organized groups and the general public.
• Sourland Mountain Preserve, 421 East Mountain Road, Hillsborough (12 miles), A 6,300-acre reserve that provides a core habitat for a diversity of plant and animal species. It offers several recreational opportunities in an undisturbed natural setting, including hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, bouldering, and horseback riding.
• Watershed Reserve, 31 Titus Mill Road, Pennington (9 miles), Nearly 1,000 acres of forest, wetlands, meadows, and farmland, through which more than 10 miles of hiking trails wind and pass by two historic farmsteads that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The Watershed Center for Environmental Advocacy, Science and Education offers exhibits and live animal displays (including a butterfly house!) and hosts hundreds of educational programs and events each year.