Princeton, NJ

Princeton is in central New Jersey, roughly equidistant between the cities of New York City and Philadelphia. Although best known for Princeton University, the town boasts several other prestigious academic institutes and research centers, while also serving as home to a number of leading national and international corporations. According to census estimates, Princeton was home to approximately 13,500 residents in 2007.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Some of the leading industries in the city are educational, healthcare and social assistance.

Major employers in the city are Rockwood Holdings Inc., Covance Inc., Berlitz International Inc., and The Trustees of Princeton University.

Education is the principal job provider in Princeton, employing nearly a third of the town's residents. Food service is also a major source of employment. Major corporations with headquarters in Princeton include Tyco International, Church & Dwight, and Covance, one of the largest drug developing companies in the world.

A largely affluent community, Princeton was ranked 15th in Money Magazine's annual list of the "Top 100 Towns in the United States to Live and Work In" in 2005.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Princeton's main street is Nassau Street, which borders on the university and features shops and restaurants set in vintage buildings, with side streets of Victorian houses branching out.

EDUCATION

The campus of Princeton University is spread across both the borough and the township, with portions of the school also within the boundaries of nearby West Windsor, New Jersey. Founded in nearby Elizabeth in 1746, the school moved to Princeton a decade later. Originally called the College of New Jersey, the school was rare among American colleges during the period for not having a specific religious affiliation. The college was renamed Princeton University in 1896.

Currently, Princeton has the largest per-student financial endowment in the world. It is classified as a "research university" and is renowned for its broad liberal arts curriculum. Twenty-nine Nobel laureates have graduated from the school.

Other schools in the Township of Princeton include:

• Westminster Choir College: Located in central Princeton, the college is a division of nearby Rider University.
• Princeton Theological Seminary
• Institute for Advanced Study: Albert Einstein was among the institute's most famous faculty members.

In 1947, New Jersey declared school segregation unconstitutional. Princeton's lower schools soon became the model for how to approach the problem of integration; the process was eventually referred to as the "Princeton Plan."

GETTING AROUND

Princeton's local rail service is colorfully nicknamed the "Dinky." Taking its name from both from the diminutive size of the rail line and the system's archaic locomotive terminology, the commuter train connects Princeton University with NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor line at Princeton Junction. The service dates back to 1865, when a realignment of the railroad route between New York and Philadelphia moved standard rail service to a point just east of Princeton. The "Dinky" consists of a single rail car. Princeton Junction station is located three miles from Princeton station, in the town of West Windsor.

Drivers are served by Interstate 95, which takes commuters to both New York City and Philadelphia, and Interstate 295. U.S. routes 1 and 206 connect Princeton to Trenton, the state's capital. State Highway 27, along with U.S. 206, runs through the center of Princeton.

FOR VISITORS

• Princeton's role in the American Revolution is preserved in the Princeton Battlefield State Park, a roughly 100-acre park just south of the university. The park is the home of two trees commemorating the 1777 Battle of Princeton: the Mercer Oak, marking the approximate spot where General Hugh Mercer died in battle, and the Washington Oak, a prodigious white oak overlooking the battlefield. After the Mercer Oak died in 2000, a sapling was planted in its place. The original Washington Oak still survives today.
• Nassau Hall, the oldest building on the Princeton campus, was the meeting place of the first New Jersey state legislature in 1776. It then fell briefly into British hands, until the Continental Army reclaimed it during the Battle of Princeton. Once New Jersey's tallest building, it is now home to the school's administrative offices.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• The Princeton University Art Museum, founded in 1882, houses nearly 68,000 works of art. Pieces on display include Greek and Roman antiques, sculptures from various periods, metal work and stained glass from medieval Europe, Renaissance-era art, contemporary pieces, and Asian art.
• The Princeton Symphony Orchestra, founded as the Little Orchestra of New Jersey in 1980 by a trio of amateur musicians, is today hailed as the best in the state.
• Princeton is also home of the Princeton Record Exchange, the largest independent record store in the northeast, and one of the largest in the country.

SPORTS TEAMS

The Princeton University athletics department is best known for its men's basketball program. From 1967 to 1996, under legendary coach Pete Carril, the school won 13 conference titles, made 11 trips to the NCAA tournament and won one NIT title. Carril and the school later became famous for the "Princeton Offense," a methodical, pass-oriented attack.

Princeton, then known as the College of New Jersey, participated in what is considered the first intercollegiate football game in the history of the sport. The traveling squad lost to Rutgers in New Brunswick, 6-4.

LOCAL MEDIA

WPRB 103.3, currently Princeton's lone radio station, is a student-run, non-profit station broadcasting mostly independent music and sporting events. It was once named best college station in the United States by Spin Magazine.

Due to its proximity to both New York and Philadelphia, Princeton receives TV and radio broadcasts from both cities.