Princeton, NJ

We were planning this trip for a while, and finally went there last Sunday. It was a beautiful day and it took us about one and a half hours to get there from Queens.

On weekends, you can park your car at any restricted parking around the University. We parked on Ivy Street (turn left from Washington Street and the parking is on the left hand side, across from the Library.

Princeton University boasts a bevy of charming architecture styles and a great deal of pleasure can be taken in simply strolling the grounds (the map could be printed out from http://www.princeton.edu/main/visiting/ or obtained at the Welcome Desk in Frist Campus Center). By the way, if you want to join the free tour around the campus with one of the student-volunteers, this is the place the tour starts on weekends.

The oldest building on campus is Nassau Hall. Construction began in 1754 and completed in 1756; this was the seat of the Congress of the Confederation (and thus capitol of the United States) from 30 June 1783 to 4 November 1783.

A notable stop on campus is the Princeton University Art Museum. Its permanent collection (68,000 works exhibited on a rotating basis) includes ancient antiquities, and Renaissance, Impressionist, and modern works by the likes of Warhol, Picasso, Monet and Toulouse-Lautrec. The Museum is open until 5 pm and admission is free.

Another stop not to be missed is The University Chapel, which has stained-glass windows showing scenes from works by Dante, Shakespeare, and Milton, as well as the Bible.

After wondering around the campus we decided to see Princeton downtown.

Downtown Princeton is easy to explore on foot. Walking North out of campus, you will hit Nassau Street—Princeton’s main drag. You can find the free map of Princeton in many places on Nassau Street; we picked one up in the Panera bread, where we had lunch.

Walking down Nassau Street, do not miss one of eight editions of the ‘Out to Lunch’ bronze sculptures across the country. Going towards Borough Hall, you will come to the site of several sculptures including EMC, a square (herein lies the joke) of granite featuring a bust of Princeton’s favorite adopted son, Albert Einstein and a little further - “Newspaper Reader”.

If you’re in the mood for a detour, find Mercer Street on a map and look for address 112. The home is a private residence and is not open to the public (as Einstein requested in his will), but in locating it, you can say you’ve seen where Albert Einstein lived. In the event all this searching for Einstein has left you wishing for a museum dedicated to the man and his work, you’ll find one in a family owned shop at 102 Nassau Street www.landauprinceton.com/einstein-museum. It's the only Einstein museum in North America and is FREE! Landau shop has been open for business for 53 years and is run by three generations of folks who know their wool. We did not have time to walk in the heart of the town - Palmer Square, located across from Princeton University. We'll do it next time, when we come to Princeton - this place is worth to visit more than once.

Before planning your trip to Princeton, do not forget to check McCarter Art Center website http://www.mccarter.org/home.aspx?page_id=1 for upcoming performances.

And last, but not least: Princeton is only 20 minutes away by car from Grounds for sculpture (see my article posted earlier) and 35 from a very cozy small town - New Hope, PA with many galleries, antique stores and little cafes. So, if you would like to stay overnight in one of numerous hotels in Princeton, you can see all places at once.