Copperwood Apartments in Princeton. (Click to expand)

‘Copperwood’, a significant apartment development on Bunn Drive in Princeton, opened at the end of the summer. As of now, most of the 153 units are still unoccupied, giving a good chance to take a walk around and see the new buildings.

The apartment complex is surrounded by forest on the Princeton Ridge. Here’s a map- Copperwood is at the red marker:

Although the construction was the subject of sustained opposition by a local residents group “Campaign to Save Princeton Ridge“, the design protects forested land, by clustering the apartments on one smaller part of the property.

Trees surrounding Copperwood apartments. (click to expand.)

As is the case with the ‘Residences At Palmer Square‘, steps lead to interior courtyards in the middle of the complex.

Steps to interior courtyard. (click to expand.)

Walkway in middle of apartment complex. (click to expand)

Terrace with fountain in Copperwood interior courtyard:

Patio furniture and fountain inside ‘Copperwood’.

The Transco gas pipeline right-of-way runs right in front of the Copperwood complex, making a swathe of green space. Another nice feature are the new side paths around the development, which provide a safe path for pedestrians along the north side of Bunn Drive, and also connect through to Mount Lucas Drive.

In front of Copperwood. Yellow flags indicate submerged Transco gas pipeline. (click to expand)

The design is much more modern than other apartments in Princeton. Whether you like it is obviously a matter of taste, but personally, I like it a lot more than the kitschy, faux-colonial style found on other local apartment developments.

Entrance to Copperwood. (click to expand)

The Copperwood development is an over-55 community, with 12 units set aside as ‘affordable’ (as defined by New Jersey law). Details and floorplans and prices are available at the official site here. The cheapest units are listed at $2,300 for a one-bed apartment per month. Cheaper apartments are certainly available in Princeton, but this is clearly not an average development.

As for walkability, the apartments are located about a mile north of Princeton Shopping Center (definitely not a half-mile, as the website claims). At Princeton Shopping Center, there are bars, restaurants, all kinds of stores and McCaffrey’s supermarket. It is technically walkable- although I would be more inclined to use my bicycle for that kind of trip. The multi-use sidepath on Bunn Drive is intended for cycling.  NJ Transit’s 605 bus service also runs right along Bunn Drive in front of the apartments, and connects to downtown Princeton, Princeton rail station, Route 1 malls, and, in the other direction, to locations in Montgomery Township including the Princeton North Shopping Center.

What do you think of the Copperwood apartments? Let us know in the comments section below.