Princeton Area Information

The Arts Council of Princeton (102 Witherspoon Street, 609-924-8777) offers virtual and in-person art classes and workshops for children, teenagers, and adults.

Princeton Garden Theatre (160 Nassau Street, 609-683-4656) is closed but is offering online productions. Other cinemas include: AMC MarketFair 10 (Route 1, Princeton, 609-520-8700), and Hillsborough Cinemas (111 Raider Road, Hillsborough, 908-874-8181).

The Historical Society of Princeton, a 20-minute walk through the IAS woods or along Mercer Street, now is offering virtual tours and exhibitions. The society often features Einstein exhibits.

Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society is dedicated to the research, preservation, understanding, appreciation and celebration of the rich and proud history of African-Americans in Princeton.

McCarter Theatre is offering virtual events and classes. Check out McCarter@Home.

WHWH (1350 AM) and WKXW (101.5 FM) are local radio stations that report Princeton Regional School closings. In inclement weather, schools may be closed earlier than the customary dismissal time or may not open at all if road conditions are hazardous. WPRB (91 FM) is the student-operated station of Princeton University. National Public Radio (NPR) is on WHYY (91 FM) in Philadelphia. The Classical Network, WWFM (89.1 FM), is a service of Mercer County Community College.

Bookstores in Princeton include Labyrinth Books (122 Nassau Street, 609-497-1600), within walking distance of the Institute, and Barnes & Noble (Princeton MarketFair, Route 1, 609-897-9250). Labyrinth is open and also offers curbside pickup.

The Kiosk at Palmer Square sells magazines, newspapers, and maps. Princeton’s free weekly newspaper, Town Topics, is delivered on Wednesday afternoons to the Laundry Room. Other area papers available by subscription include: The Princeton Packet, published on Tuesdays and Fridays, The Times of Trenton, and The New York Times. The Kiosk is open.

Open and allowing for curbside pickup, Princeton Public Library (65 Witherspoon Street, 609-924-9529) offers a wide variety of books, audiobooks, periodicals, music CDs, and DVDs. A library card may be obtained through an online form or by requesting an application at the circulation desk. 

Helen Goddard hosts English Conversation virtually for members of the Institute community. The group meets via Zoom on Mondays from 10:30-11:30 a.m. If you would like to join, please email Linda Cooper, llg@ias.edu, to receive a Zoom link.

Princeton Adult School offers virtual non-credit courses open to adult residents of Princeton and neighboring communities.

Princeton University’s Community Auditing Program (CAP) enables members of the community, high school graduates ages 18 and above, to virtually audit University lectures on a non-credit basis for $200 per course unless otherwise noted. Auditors must live in New Jersey or be within a 50 mile radius of Princeton University. On average, 150-175 classes are available each semester for auditing. No credit or certification is given for CAP classes. However, certified teachers currently working in New Jersey and Au Pairs may obtain written verification for classes they have audited.

The Princeton YWCA (59 Paul Robeson Place, 609-497-2100) and Princeton Family YMCA (59 Paul Robeson Place, 609-497-9622) are membership organizations serving the greater Princeton area. Both organizations are open. Please see their websites for further information.

There are several websites to help you plan family day trips in New Jersey or trips to New York and Pennsylvania. Princeton Online offers a monthly e-newsletter with many area activities and lists a monthly calendar of events. New York City and Philadelphia visitor information pages are excellent planning resources. 

Coffee shops, restaurants and many shops are located in Palmer Square and along Nassau and Witherspoon Streets. Please check the website to see shop and restaurant hours.

- D’Angelo Italian Market (35 Spring Street, 609-921-0404) sells Italian specialty groceries and produce, including pastas, prepared foods, freshly-made pizzas and salads, and pastries. 

- McCaffrey’s (Princeton Shopping Center, 609-683-1600) is open seven days a week and has a full range of grocery items and prepared foods. The Institute Shuttle includes a stop at the Princeton Shopping Center. 

- Nassau Street Seafood and Produce Company (256 Nassau Street, 609-921-0620) sells fresh seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, and prepared foods.

- ShopRite (Mercer Mall, 609-275-8555) is open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. until midnight. It is a full service food store with a pharmacy and floral department. The Institute Shuttle includes a stop at this location.

- Wawa (152 Alexander Street, 609-921-3677), open 24 hours, is a convenience store located near the Princeton train station. Wawa sells coffee, drinks, sandwiches and salads, basic groceries, and telephone debit cards. It is equipped with an automatic teller machine (ATM). 

- Wegmans (Nassau Park Boulevard, 609-919-9300) is open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. until midnight and has a full range of grocery items, prepared foods, and pharmacy. A wine and spirits shop is located adjacent to Wegmans. The Institute Shuttle includes a stop at Wegmans. 

- Whole Earth Center (360 Nassau Street, 609-924-7429) offers a full line of organically grown fruits and vegetables.

- Whole Foods Market (Windsor Green Shopping Center, 609-799-2919) is a supermarket that also offers cooking classes and other family activities. The Institute Shuttle includes a stop at the Market.

Several stores offer online grocery shopping and delivery to the Princeton area (fees may apply):

- McCaffrey’s in the Princeton Shopping Center accepts grocery orders by phone (609-683-1600) or fax (609-683-1893).

- Yummy Bazaar offers delivery service to the Princeton area

- Stop & Shop offers delivery service to the Princeton area

- ShopRite from Home offers delivery service to the Princeton area

-Instacart is a food delivery service.

Princeton is well-known for its ice cream shops, which include The Bent Spoon (35 Palmer Square, 609-924-2368), Halo Pub (9 Hulfish Street, 609-921-1710), and Thomas Sweet (183 Nassau Street, 609-683-8720). 

In New Jersey, wine and liquor stores may be open seven days a week. There are several in Princeton’s main business district, including The Corkscrew Wine Shop (49 Hulfish Street, 609-430-1200), and Varsity Liquors (234 Nassau Street, 609-924-0836).

- CVS (172 Nassau Street, 609-683-1337) is a source for both non-prescription and prescription drugs.

- Princeton University Pharmacy (36 University Place, 609-924-4545) has next day delivery Monday through Friday.

Sante Pharmacy (200 Nassau Street, 609-921-8822) offers "curated" nutritional supplements, vitamins, natural skincare products, homeopathic formulas.

- Walgreen's (Princeton Shopping Center 609-924-6125) has a pharmacy and also sells personal care products, groceries, cards and magazines, and other household items.

PetSmart (Nassau Park Pavilion, 609-520-9200) sells pet food and supplies and offers grooming services. Princeton Animal Hospital (726 Alexander Road, 609-520-2000) operates seven days a week and offers pet wellness services, dental care, and boarding services. 

A full listing of local places of worship can be found on Princeton Online.

Retailers at Nassau Park Pavilion (100 Nassau Park Boulevard) include: Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Home Depot, Home Goods, Target, and Wegmans. The Institute Shuttle stops here.

Princeton’s business district begins at Palmer Square, located off of Nassau Street between Chambers and Witherspoon Streets. Many retail and dining establishments are located along the Square, and the Institute Shuttle makes several daily stops here.

MarketFair (3535 Route 1) is an indoor mall that has shops and restaurants. The Institute Shuttle stops here.

Princeton Shopping Center (301 North Harrison Street) is an outdoor mall with many shops, restaurants and McCaffrey's Supermarket. Princeton-Nassau Pediatrics is also located in the Center. Concord Pet and Food Supplies is also in the center. The Institute Shuttle stops here. 

Windsor Green Shopping Center (Route 1) includes Marshalls, Whole Foods, and Sidney Albert Salon & Spa. The Institute Shuttle stops here.

Quaker Bridge Mall (Route 1 and Quakerbridge Road) is the area’s indoor mall. The Institute shuttle stops here.

Trader Joe's, 3528 Brunswick Pike, Princeton, NJ 08540, 609-897-0581, is located in The Square at Windsor Green. Lowe's home improvement store is also located in this shopping center. The IAS shuttle stops here.

Local resources for purchasing new bicycles and helmets include Jay’s Cycles (249 Nassau Street, 609-924-7233) and Kopp’s Cycle (38 Spring Street, 609-924-1052). Bike Exchange, located in Trenton, NJ, sells refurbished bicycles with proceeds benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Trenton. New Jersey state law requires individuals under the age of 14 to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. 

Princeton has a bus transportation system with numerous stops around the area. Visit the NJ Transit website for more information about local bus routes. CoachUSA also offers bus transportation around New Jersey and to and from New York City. The Kiosk at Palmer Square sells bus tickets.

There are several local hotels offering services at various prices: Nassau Inn (10 Palmer Square), Hyatt Place Princeton (3565 US Route 1, 800-230-4134), Hyatt Regency Princeton (102 Carnegie Center, 609-987-2584), Marriott Residence Inn (3563 US Route 1, 609-799-0550), Red Roof Inn (3203 Brunswick Pike, 609-896-3388), and The Westin (201 Village Boulevard, 888-627-7036). A full listing may be found in the Verizon Telephone Directory Yellow Pages and on Princeton Online.

Please reserve to ride the Institute Shuttle HERE. To view the Institute Shuttle schedule, click here.

Princeton is roughly equidistant between New York City, NY and Philadelphia, PA, which increases transportation possibilities in the area. Princeton has its own train station less than two miles from the Institute. Princeton Station connects directly with Princeton Junction Station, located along the New Jersey Transit Northeast Corridor line, which runs from Trenton, NJ to New York City’s Penn Station, and the Amtrak Northeast Regional line, which runs from Newport News, VA to Boston, MA.