Can We Make More Space For People On Princeton’s Witherspoon Street?

Posted on February 26, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Outdoor dining at Terra Momo Bread Co...can we maybe get a bit more of this in downtown Princeton? (Click to expand.)

Outdoor dining at Terra Momo Bread Co…can we get more of this in downtown Princeton? (Click to expand).

Kevin Wilkes, Chair of the Alexander Street Task Force updated Princeton residents last Saturday about plans to revamp circulation and transit around the Dinky station and in downtown Princeton. Speaking at a meeting of Princeton Future at the public library, Wilkes presented possible concepts that his committee are considering. One exciting possibility relates to street use along Witherspoon between Nassau Street and Hulfish Street in downtown Princeton. The Alexander Street Task Force have been studying a traffic model, with which it is possible to  Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Downtown Vibrancy, Placemaking, Princeton, The Parking Question | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New 7-11 At Princeton’s West Coast Video: Good, Bad Or Ugly?

Posted on February 25, 2014 by walkableprinceton
The West Coast Video Site at 259 Nassau Street. (Click to expand).

The West Coast Video Site at 259 Nassau Street. (Click to expand).

Remember the ‘good old days’, when if you wanted to watch a movie at home, you had to go round to a store and rent out a book-sized ‘videotape’? It was pretty expensive and you had to pay extra if you were one day late bringing it back? Crazy, right…why didn’t we just watch it on Netflix? Well, that’s what we do now, and that’s why the West Coast Video store at 259 Nassau Street has been shuttered for years. But new life is coming to the site in the form of…a 7-11 convenience store! Are you excited? The online consensus (as seen at Princeton’s primary online news forum, ‘Planet Princeton’)  is that Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Report: New Jersey Is Second-Worst State In The Country For Housing Cost

Posted on February 24, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Home For Sale in Princeton.

A home for sale in Princeton. Princeton and New Jersey are responsible for some of the worst housing costs in the country. (Click to expand).

Statistics released last week from the non-profit Center for Housing Policy reveal that New Jersey is the second-worst state in the USA for housing expense. 31% of New Jerseyans are facing a ‘severe cost burden’ in paying for their homes. A severe cost burden is defined as spending greater than 50% of household income on housing costs. The only state in the country that has a worse percentage of cost-burdened households is California, where 32% of households face a severe cost burden. But Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Local, Princeton, Real estate, Zoning | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Princeton’s “Hometown” Trader Joe’s Is Not In Princeton. Is That OK?

Posted on February 21, 2014 by walkableprinceton
The sign talks about Princeton's "Hometown" Trader Joe's. But it's in West Windsor. (click to expand)

Have you visited Princeton’s “Hometown” Trader Joe’s? (click to expand)

Trader Joe’s is a great place to find fun stuff that’s good to eat. People drive from all over Central Jersey to shop at ‘Trader Joe’s Princeton’. There’s just one thing that about it that is a little bit annoying…well, two actually…. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Local | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Discuss Traffic Matters With Princeton Future At Princeton Library This Saturday, Feb 22, 2014

Posted on February 20, 2014 by walkableprinceton
This image shows a number of features of a 'Complete Street'. Can you name then? (Click to expand, image via Local Motion).

This image shows a number of features of a ‘Complete Street’. Can you name then? (Click to expand, image via Local Motion).

This Saturday (2/22/2014) Princeton Future will hold a public meeting at Princeton Public Library at 9 a.m. to discuss matters relating to Traffic and Transit in Princeton. The meeting will focus on how to implement the new Circulation Element of the Princeton Masterplan, which aims to  ‘entice people out of their cars and to promote using mass transit, bicycles or walking as their primary means of travel.’

Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Complete Streets, People, Princeton, Traffic, Transit, Walking | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Princeton UPS Store To Relocate To Nassau Street

Posted on February 19, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Existing UPS Store at Grigg's Corner, Princeton. (Click to expand.)

Existing UPS Store at Grigg’s Corner, Princeton. (Click to expand.)

If you’re still getting over the news that Princeton’s USPS post office is about to move out of the historic home on Palmer Square, then get ready for another surprise. The United Parcel Service outlet on Witherspoon Street, opposite the public library, is also downsizing and is set to move to a new location on Nassau Street. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Placemaking, Princeton | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Is That A Good Deal? “Walk to Small World Coffee in 15 minutes”

Posted on February 18, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Living room in home for rent at Henderson Avenue in Princeton. (click to expand.)

Living room in home for rent at Henderson Avenue in Princeton. (click to expand.)

As part of an occasional series where we cast an eye over walkable rentals and real estate in Princeton, we invite you to comment on a current, local listing. You can find previous entries here and here.

‘Is That A Good Deal’ is back after something of a hiatus since early January! It’s a quiet time for selling and renting homes, and there’s been so much other stuff going on in Princeton! Today we are looking at a: Continue reading →

Posted in Good Deal? | Leave a comment

Just Off Route 206, Princeton University’s Merwick-Stanworth Housing Rises

Posted on February 17, 2014 by walkableprinceton
New graduate housing being built at the Princeton Merrick-Stanworth Site. (click to expand.)

New graduate housing being built at the Princeton Merwick-Stanworth Site. (click to expand.)

In addition to building a new roundabout and its ‘Arts and Transit’ complex, Princeton University has made major progress this winter with construction at its Merwick-Stanworth housing site. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Density, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Homes For Diversity And Inclusivity Part 4: Allow Microapartments

Posted on February 14, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Cosy: micro-aparments have less than 400 sq. ft. - too small for a family, but enough for many people. (Image via rentreporters.com - Click to expand.)

Cosy: micro-aparments have less than 400 sq. ft. – too small for a family, but enough for many people. (Image via rentreporters.com – Click to expand.)

Princeton planning and zoning has had unintended exclusionary outcomes, making it hard for local middle-class workers to live in town, and incentivizing car-dependency and traffic. In this series, we explore options for adding more walkable housing in Princeton to enable diversity and inclusivity, while maintaining and enhancing Princeton’s historic charm. (See other posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Going small is a potential answer to the idea that Princeton doesn’t have space to provide more homes for people locked out of the local real estate market. In recent years, ‘micro-apartments’ have emerged as a way to provide more affordable housing in hot real estate markets like Princeton. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, how-to-add-density, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Zoning | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Walkable Housing Helps Local Princeton Businesses

Posted on February 13, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Produce at Nassau Street Seafood & Produce in Princeton. (click to expand.)

Produce at Nassau Street Seafood & Produce in Princeton. (click to expand.)

Princeton is lucky to have a number of really great local businesses. Despite the combined onslaught of the big box chain stores and internet shopping, these businesses have survived and play a great part in making our town an interesting place to live. We all want our local merchants to be successful, and one way we can help them is by increasing the amount of walkable housing. Walkable housing helps  Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton, Zoning | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment