Join In For ‘The Mayor’s Bike Ride’! This Sunday, 1 p.m., Community Park South!

Posted on October 25, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert (center, holding cell phone) consults with local transportation officials while checking out a new cycle route in Princeton earlier this year. (Click to expand.)

Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert (center, holding cell phone) consults with local transportation officials while checking out a new cycle route in Princeton earlier this year. (Click to expand.)

This Sunday, October 27, there is going to be a group cycle ride around Princeton! The ride, organized by Princeton Joint Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee is intended to be a fun opportunity for residents who enjoy two-wheeled transportation to get together and enjoy riding through some beautiful parts of Princeton while admiring the fall leaves! Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Biking, Community, People, Princeton, Trails | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Princeton Zoning Board Nixes Mixed-Use 255 Nassau Street Plan

Posted on October 24, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Princeton Zoning Board members Louisa Clayton, Richard Kahn, Penelope Baskerville and Sara Segal, with municipal officials at front, at the meeting on Wednesday night when they rejected the 255 Nassau Plan. (click to expand.)

Princeton Zoning Board members Louisa Clayton, Richard Kahn, Penelope Baskerville and Sara Segal, with municipal officials at front, at the meeting on Wednesday night where they rejected the 255 Nassau Plan. (click to expand.)

If you were thinking about renting one of the 15 proposed apartments envisioned as part of a plan to redevelop the Crossfit gym at 255 Nassau Street, it’s time to start making other plans. On Wednesday night, the Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously voted to deny the use variance required for the plan to move forward. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Complete Streets, Density, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, Traffic, Walking, Zoning | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Is That A Good Deal? ‘Two For Two Thousand’

Posted on October 23, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Who'd Live In A House Like This? It could be you, if you think $2,000 for a 2-bed, 1-ba apartment sounds right. (Click to expand.)

Who’d Live In A House Like This? It could be you, if you think $2,000 for a 2-bed, 1-ba apartment sounds right. (Click to expand.)

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

Today we are looking at an apartment for rent with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. The address is listed as ‘Nassau Street’- those in the know will recognize Continue reading →

Posted in Good Deal? | 2 Comments

Secrets Of Princeton’s Autumn Hill Reservation

Posted on October 22, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Princeton's Autumn Hill Reservation is one of our largest natural green spaces. (Click to expand.)

Princeton’s Autumn Hill Reservation is one of our largest natural green spaces. (Click to expand.)

At the far north-eastern corner of Princeton lies a huge tract of preserved natural land. This is ‘Autumn Hills Reservation’, north of Herrontown Road, which was acquired by Princeton Township’s Open Space Commission in the late 1960s. At that time, it was “being developed for nature trails, family and group camping”. In 2013, it remains a nearly-wild area, with just a few rough paths cut through the canopy of trees. We took a walk through this most isolated of Princeton’s open spaces, in search of the elusive ‘scenic overlook’. Continue reading →

Posted in Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Trails, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

What The Dinky Can Learn From James Bond’s Aquatic Car

Posted on October 21, 2013 by walkableprinceton
James Bond's aquatic Lotus Esprit from

James Bond’s aquatic Lotus Esprit (left) from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ may be a model for future transit opportunities along Princeton’s Dinky (right) rail right-of-way. (click to expand)

(Mild spoiler alert-contains scene reveals that will absolutely not ruin the enjoyment of the movies discussed.) Back in the days before Michael J Fox jump-started a heavily modified DeLorean using a 1.21 Gigawatts lightning bolt, the coolest car in the world was James Bond’s white Lotus Esprit from the 1977 movie, ‘The Spy Who Loved Me‘. In addition to a legendary power ballad theme song sung by Carly Simon, the movie features Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Transit | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Are You A Lover Of Princeton’s Quaint Brick Crosswalks?

Posted on October 18, 2013 by walkableprinceton
'Brick' crosswalk near Westminster Choir College in Princeton. (Click to expand.)

‘Brick’ crosswalk near Westminster Choir College in Princeton. (Click to expand.)

There are at least three different types of marked crosswalks in Princeton. Can you name them? Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Princeton, Walking | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Homes For Diversity And Inclusivity Part 1: Accessory Dwellings

Posted on October 17, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Accessory dwellings have many advantages for increasing walkable housing options, providing extra income for homeowners, and maintaining Princeton's historic charm in the face of population growth. (Click to expand.)

A beautiful single-family home in Princeton with external secondary dwelling unit (right), accessible through its own side door. (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.

Accessory dwelling units are self-contained units in owner-occupied single-family homes. They can be Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Density, how-to-add-density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Beautiful Walkable Princeton: Stony Brook Near Johnson Park School

Posted on October 16, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Stony Brook vista in Princeton (Click to expand.)

Stony Brook vista in Princeton (Click to expand.)

This post is part of a series where we celebrate the many beautiful and characterful sights of Princeton, NJ. You can find previous entries in this series here and here or by searching our site for ‘beautiful walkable Princeton’.

The Stony Brook is Continue reading →

Posted in Beautiful Walkable Princeton | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Janette Sadik-Khan: Walking The Walk.

Posted on October 15, 2013 by walkableprinceton

janette1

What does it take to get progress in walkability and great urban spaces? According to Gil Penalosa, founder of 8-80 Cities, the primary issue is Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Complete Streets, People, Placemaking, Trails, Walking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Princeton Tigerlabs At The Forefront Of Urban Tech Entrepreneurship

Posted on October 14, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Reception area for Princeton's TigerLabs. (Click to expand.)

Reception area for Princeton’s TigerLabs. (Click to expand.)

You might not even know it, but downtown Princeton is home to Jersey’s most exciting technology startup space! Tigerlabs, on Nassau Street at Chambers Street, is a “a flexible co-working venue for emerging startup companies”, providing a shared working environment, mentorship and seed capital for technology entrepreneurs. Tigerlabs is also part of an urban boom in the tech sector, and has the potential to quite literally to change the way we live. Continue reading →

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