Welcome to Princeton, NJ…home of, yes, Princeton University and all that it has to offer. Princeton is beautiful no matter what time of year you visit, but there’s nothing like summer in NJ! Here’s what I’ve done in Princeton in the summer…
- Shopping: Downtown Princeton (you may hear “Nassau Street” & “Palmer Square” come up quite a bit) is home to several higher end stores and boutiques. You can get anything and everything you need from this area, in case you may have forgotten to pack something for your trip. Stores in downtown include: Ralph Lauren, Urban Outfitters, Paper Source, Lululemon, Benefit, Hamilton Jewelers, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Club Monaco, J. Crew, MAC, Talbots, and many more!! There are many specialty stores as well such as the Princeton University Bookstore, where you can get Princeton memorabilia! As if downtown doesn’t have enough options…there is the Princeton Shopping Center and Market Fair (down Route 1), which also has many more shopping options! You can find The Papery, Rite Aid, and other stores in the Princeton Shopping Center. You can find White House Black Market, Anthropology, Barnes & Nobel, and other higher-end stores in the MarketFair Mall. Of course, there are food places located all throughout Princeton, it just depends on what you are in the mood for.
- Dining: In Princeton, your options aren’t “what should we get” but rather “what shouldn’t we get“, since your options are endless! Definitely save room for dessert where ever you decide to eat dinner, because ice cream in Princeton is like nothing else (and you’ll understand why every place has such a long line once you try it)!!
- In downtown, you have SO many options including the well-known Starbucks, Qdoba, Panera, 30 Burgers…but my advice would be to adventure out of your comfort zone and try something new! If you’re in the mood for Italian food, head over the Teresa Caffe in Palmer Square. In the summer, you have the option to sit outside on their patio area, inside at the bar, or inside at the table. If you go on a weekend for dinner, you may have to wait a bit, so grab a drink at the bar. If you’re in the mood for some thin crust pizza, Conte’s Pizza is where it’s at! Located in between downtown and the shopping center, Conte’s will not disappoint. If you’re in the mood for some farm-to-table dishes, head over to Agricola Eatery (and probably my favorite Princeton dinner spot). Here you can grab a signature cocktail, wine, or other drinks while enjoying super fresh meals. I LOVE their cheese platter to start! I haven’t ordered anything from there that I didn’t like…highly recommend this place!! This is Princeton, so your check might be a little $$$ but the atmosphere is awesome and the food is delicious, so worth it. If you need a place that isn’t too expensive and has something for everyone…head over the Alchemist & Barrister (or A&B for short). This restaurant and bar offers a variety of food and drink options, so the whole family can find something yummy! This is one of my “go to’s” for a fun Friday night. Their food is good, but their night atmosphere is even better. They offer indoor/outdoor dining and they have 2 bars, so you can hang out in the restaurant portion or in the bar area. If you want some brunch, then head over to Winberie’s located in Palmer Square. Of course, you can grab lunch or dinner here too…but brunch is definitely their best buy (in my opinion)! If you’re in the mood for some Tex-Mex cuisine…head into the neighborhood and check out Tortuga’s Mexican Village. This is a BYOB place, so don’t forget to grab a bottle or two before you go! They offer 1 complimentary serving of chips and salsa, but then you get charged $3 for every serving after that. Our food came pretty quick, so we didn’t even get a chance to order a second serving, so you may be OK with just one! The food was delicious and I had to ask for a box to bring some home! If this is your first time in Princeton, you HAVE to go to Hoagie Haven. This is a staple in the area and an absolute MUST DO! They have your normal hoagie options but they also have complex hoagies with everything in it #heartattackinabun, but it’s SO worth it (yes, do it for the gram). You should get either a Phat Lady or a Dirty Sanchez…yes, it’s OK to share it because can you say fries, cheese steak, fried chicken, and more on a hoagie!? Other places that are good (and expensive-ish) that I haven’t been to but you could try are: Mediterra, Witherspoon Grill, or The Peacock Inn. Don’t forget you have to save room for dessert aka ice cream! You can choose from Thomas Sweets on Nassau Street, Halo Pub in Palmer Square, or The Bent Spoon also in Palmer Square. There are several frozen yogurt places throughout Princeton as well and a to-die-for cupcake place (House of Cupcakes)….again, something for everyone!
- MarketFair: You can choose from your typical chain restaurants of Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, Bricktouse Tavern, P.F. Changs, The Corner Bakery, TGIFridays, Qdoba (again), Bobby’s Burger Palace, or Starbucks. There is also a ocean and seafood themed restuarant called Big Fish (never ate there but it’s fully decorated and cute inside #underthesea).
- Drinking: Of course you can grab a drink at any of the above restaurants, but here are some of my favorite places to go for a drink: Triumph Brewery (serves self-brewed beer…don’t ask for a Bud Light or any generic beer because they will look at you funny) or the Ivy (somewhat of a hole-in-the-wall bar with [sometimes lives] music and pool tables). Agricola and A&B are also fun and tasty go-to’s for a night out!
- Work it off: So you just ate your weight in delicious food and dessert and now it’s time to go for a stroll. You can take a self-guided tour through the Princeton University campus, walk around town, or drive down to the canal and walk down by the water. There are so many paths and places to go around the downtown area. There are some guided tours through Princeton as well if you want to learn about the history and information about Princeton. There is also a museum on campus that several tourists go to. If walking isn’t really your thing, you can go rent kayaks/canoes and paddle down the canal through Princeton Canoe. They close at 8pm during the summer, so the last rental is available at 7pm so make sure you pay attention to the time if this is something you want to do! My best advice would be to take some time and enjoy the scenery and atmosphere of Princeton University and the downtown area.
- Long story short: Visit downtown Princeton (Nassau Street and Palmer Square), shop, dine, and walk around! Grab a cocktail at Agricola, spend your night at A&B or Triumph and grab some dessert at an ice cream shop or House of Cupcakes.
Have fun, look up, look down, drink up, eat up, enjoy!!! Go tigers.
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