The front beer garden at the ‘Ivy Inn’ on Nassau Street in Princeton
“Every Hour Is Happy Hour” at Princeton’s Ivy Inn (map), and one thing that helps makes those hours happy is the beer garden out front, where patrons can hang out while enjoying the wide selection of food and drinks. People who moved to town recently might not realize that this space was, until quite recently, a parking lot, where up to five vehicles could occupy the space where the picnic tables now stand. It was converted to a beer garden after the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when outdoor dining was strongly favored. And now, five years later, the Ivy is hoping to make that arrangement permanent, through an application to Princeton’s Planning Board.
Part of the Avalon Bay rental development at Thanet Road in Princeton, which opened in 2023.
Princeton Public Schools look set to get new funding thanks to a resolution that is on the agenda for the Princeton Council meeting tonight (May 12, 2025). In particular, Princeton Council is establishing an agreement with the school district to hand over a significant portion of the ‘PILOT’ payments that the town receives from Avalon Bay for their apartment and townhouse community at Thanet Road.
Despite the town adding giant STOP signs at Jefferson Rd & Terhune Rd, crashes keep happening
Princeton Council aims to convert a dangerous intersection on Jefferson Road into a four-way stop. Ordinance 2025-10, establishing a new four-way stop at the intersection of Jefferson Road and Terhune Road, is set to be introduced at the Council meeting on Monday, May 12, 2025.
Bicycles in use for a recent ‘Wheels Wednesday’ at Community Park Elementary School
May is National Bike Month and it is being marked in Princeton in several ways! The Whole Earth Center is performing ‘Random Acts of Community’, where they give out gift vouchers worth $60 for local businesses to people biking at randomly-selected intersections in Princeton. To get clues about where they might be, follow Whole Earth Center on Facebook, Instagram or Bluesky at @wholeearthcenter! Last Saturday, the Princeton Police put on another successful Wheels Rodeo next to the town hall. The event was in partnership with Greater Mercer TMA, a local organization that supports sustainable transportation. Greater Mercer TMA has also launched a new “Ride & Snap” photography competition, giving local residents a chance to win prizes by uploading photographs of themselves with their bicycles in and around Princeton…
Host Meishka Mitchell (top left) asked questions to gubernatorial candidates Steve Sweeney (top right), Sean Spiller (bottom left) and Steve Fulop (bottom right)
New Jersey is electing a new state governor this year, but where do the candidates stand when it comes to walking, biking and transit? NJ Future, a nonprofit organization that promotes smart growth, held a candidate forum last week to try to find out. Although all candidates from both parties were invited, none of the Republican candidates for governor participated. Three of the Democratic candidates joined, and they each brought interesting perspectives to the conversation.
The four gubernatorial candidates participating in the New Jersey Future debate tonight
“How will the next governor make it easier and safer for residents of all ages and abilities to get around the state?” That is the key question for a candidate forum happening TONIGHT (Wednesday, April 30). Orgnized by planning non-profit ‘New Jersey Future‘, the forum aims to put the focus on what the gubernatorial candidates will do to help walking and biking in particular. Walking and biking have not got a lot of love in New Jersey in the past. Can these candidates offer anything better?
Picture of Juan Francisco Guerra Galvez, who was killed by a car driver in Princeton earlier this year
The Guatemalan Consulate in Philadelphia has issued a public call for information to try to trace the family of Juan Francisco Guerra Galvez, who died after being struck by a motor vehicle in Princeton earlier this year.
Rendering of the proposed new sign at the Princeton Shopping Center Mall
At a meeting on April 3, the Princeton Planning Board approved an application by the owners of the Princeton Shopping Center to put up a sign saying “Princeton Shopping Center” at the Princeton Shopping Center (map). If you think that must have been a quick meeting, you would be mistaken. Signs are strictly regulated by local ordinances, and the meeting lasted 3 1/2 hours. It was, in fact, the second hearing that the management firm, Edens LLC, had to attend in their efforts to update signage at the 1950s-era mall. The previous meeting, on November 7, 2024, lasted 2 hrs 38 mins.
Rendering of the new Princeton University Art Museum building. Via artmuseum.princeton.edu
The Princeton University Art Museum will re-open in its new building on October 31, 2025. The University made the announcement this week, giving everyone in the town something to look forward to! The Art Museum closed during the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020, and stayed closed for a planned redevelopment of the site. After removal of all the artworks, the old museum building was demolished, and has been replaced with a new structure to showcase the University’s collection, described as “117,000 objects representing over five thousand years of human creativity”.
The University’s announcement highlight the features of the new 144,000 sq ft facility. With three levels, nine interlocking pavilions, galleries, classrooms, “artworks” and classroom space, it promises to be one of the most interesting places to explore in New Jersey.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing though. The project was originally supposed to be done in 2024, and around halfway through construction, the lead architect, David Adjaye, was the subject of allegations of sexual assault, and was dropped from other big commissions. The design of the building has also been sniffed at by some pundits, to the extent that architecture student Kayleen Gowers felt moved to write a defense of it before it has even opened (“Why the Art Museum deserves a second look“).
Opening Day itself looks set to be a big party. In an interview with “The Art Newspaper”, museum director James Steward envisioned a “24-hour open house”, featuring “a dance party, yoga, spoken-word poetry, curator-led tours and a film screening as part of the all-night affair.” Steward also said that the Princeton Hometown Halloween parade, which is normally organized by the Princeton Arts Council, will end this year at the new Art Museum, to help celebrate the opening and make for a family-friendly event.
Part of the Johnson Trolley Line Trail in Princeton
Princeton residents have a chance to comment on two important Mercer County planning initiatives relating to trails and street safety. Public comment for both of them closes at the end of March, so now is a great time to get your comments in!
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