GET OSCAR READY with DINNER and a MOVIE at HOME!

Here at the A-LIST we LOVE a movie night – and are huge fans of the Princeton Garden Theater, Montgomery Cinema, and the MarketFair. But as the snow falls and it’s time to hunker down, sometimes the perfect way to catch up on all things Oscar before the big night is a cozy night at home with a movie…and take-out, of course!

So when we started our search for A-LIST take-out spots in our area, we didn’t need to look very far.  We posed the question to our fabulous network of local experts, and conducted our first ever #AgentFaves poll.

We asked our agents, “What are your favorite spots for Take-Out?” and some even added their favorite order.  Here are the top 25 spots in no particular order, grouped geographically. It certainly is a delicious list – and chock full! Just one more reason why we love where we live.

PS – Not sure what movie to rent? Check out this fab list for some Oscar inspiration. And now for same A-LIST Take-Out:

PRINCETON

Chucks (try the wings and cheese steaks)

Contes (try the Roasted Red Peppers and Onions Pizza)

Local Greek (try their Soups and Salads, Spanikopita, and amazing Greek Yogurt)

Mamoun’s (try the Chicken and Rice Platters, Falafel, and off-the chart Humus!)

Olives

Nino’s Pizza Star (try their Pizza, Pasta, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, and the Pasta Fagioli)

Tortuga’s Mexican Village (try the Grilled Chipotle Chicken)

Trattoria Procaccini (try the Papardelle Procaccini)

Tiger Noodles (try the Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce and the Stir Fried String Beans)

Witherspoon Grill (try the Pan Seared Scallops)

Whole Earth Center (try the Whole Earth Salad)

MONTGOMERY

Alfonso’s (try the Eggplant Parmigiana – comes with Salad and choice of Pasta too – or the Shrimp and Scallop with Sauteed Spinach over Linguine in a Pink Sauce – a secret special and less than $20!)

Blawenburg Cafe (try anything on the menu!)

Lucy’s Kitchen (try the Lemon Chicken and the Greek Cherry Tomato Salad)

Midori Sushi (try the AMAZING roll, it is amazing!)

Sahara (try their Veggie Dish with choice of Spreads/Dips, and add a Chicken Kebab)

Ya Ya Noodles (try the Fried Dumplings and Pad Thai with Shrimp)

PENNINGTON

Cugino’s Italian Market

Mizuki Asian Bistro (try their Dinner Bento Boxes)

Pru Thai (try the Veggie Dishes)

Vito’s (try the Chicken Mediterranean Sandwich)

HOPEWELL

Antimo’s (try the House Made Ravioli and Spaghetti with Meatballs)

LAWRENCEVILLE

TJ’s (try the Brooklyn Pie)

FLEMINGTON

Two Brothers Ravioli 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food, Family, and the Holidays with @FreckledFoodie

We had such fun chatting with Cammie Linville (a.k.a. the fab instagrammer and blogger @FreckledFoodie) for an A-LIST feature in our Fall/Winter issue of Bricks & Mortar, we had to share more gems from our interview. For some serious foodie inspiration from this Princeton native, listen to Cammie’s take on food, family, holiday memories, and the influences that led her to open her own apartment doors in New York City to cook for the ones she loves:

“My earliest memories around food and cooking are not what you may expect. While the standard idea of a “family meal” consists of all the family members sitting around a dinner table and discussing their day, my childhood was a tad different. As one of three girls who all played competitive soccer and lacrosse, my parents were constantly shuttling us from one field to the next. Because of that, the majority of our meals were eaten in the car. I don’t say this with any regret or negativity towards the experience; in fact, I loved it. From an extremely young age I learned multiple lessons that would remain consistent throughout the rest of my life: prepping food is the only way to remain well-fed on a busy schedule, if you are enjoying a meal with people you love then it does not matter where you physically are, and just because you are on the go does not mean you cannot enjoy a home cooked meal.

While a majority of my weeknight dinners were spent in the car rushing off to practice, my weekends revolved around family meals and time at home. Whether it was grilling out on Saturdays or devouring Hoagie Haven while watching football on Sundays, eating always played a large role in our family time and became a main focus of our plans.

As I grew older and moved to NYC, my memories of food and cooking with my family now mainly encompass our holiday meals spent together. Whether it be Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, my family is guaranteed to enjoy a massive meal all together that includes a spread large enough to feed us for the week. These memories of sitting at a table while celebrating and enjoying a great meal with all of the people I love exude so much happiness and warmth in my belly and exemplify the main reason I enjoy food so much: it is a social activity that brings people together.

My mother taught me how inclusive the act of eating can be from an extremely young age. No matter the occasion, whether it be a team dinner or a Christmas caroling party, my parents always opened the doors to our house and welcomed everyone with a bountiful amount of food.

Especially around the holidays, my childhood memories are centered around these parties and the smile on everyone’s face as they approached the massive serving dish of Olive’s chili or plate of Bent Spoon cupcakes. These traditions that we began at such a young age, and that we still carry on to this day, have inspired me to open my own apartment doors in New York City and cook for the ones I love.”

Her cooking 101: “My mom was never one to use a cookbook, timer, or follow a step-by-step process. She taught me basic cooking skills and to trust my instinct and be creative when making a meal with what’s left in the fridge.”

Her best advice: “Leave it all on the field.” And: “If it was easy, everyone would do it.”

To hear more from Cammie, and to find out how to plan an A-LIST worthy tailgate, check out our A-LIST magazine feature in Bricks & Mortar Fall/Winter Vol. 2.

Follow Cammie’s culinary adventures on Instagram at @freckledfoodie and on freckledfoodie.com.

BRICKS & MORTAR: THE LITTLE VILLAGE OF SMALL WORLD

 

Experience the full article with the Bricks & Mortar digital edition available now at callawayhenderson.com.

Each and every day, scholars and students, professors and parents; waiters and Wall Streeters; townies and tourists; new mothers and old hats all make their pilgrimage—whether for the third time in a single day or for the first time ever—to a bustling, brilliant place where coffee reigns supreme tucked along a picturesque tree-lined street in the heart of Princeton. If the full-bodied aroma of perfectly ground and brewed coffee doesn’t immediately entice you upon entering, the hum of activity and energy will. Because when you enter into the universe that is Small World Coffee, you become engulfed in the sense of electricity, of excitement, of limitless possibility.

A modern-day salon in the heart of Princeton, Small World Coffee revolves on a swiftly tilting axis of music, the arts, politics, and well-conceived puns (see the full article here to find out). The mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. often sat at a table with number-lined papers and a double latte. Author Jean Hanff Korelitz wrote a portion of her best-selling book, Admissions, fueled by the café’s signature java. Indeed, if good old Albert Einstein were alive today you could certainly imagine him holding court at the high-top table in the corner, surrounded by his protégées, his white hair ecstatic over his cup of perfectly roasted Grumpy Monkey. And on any given Saturday (and most days in between), you’ll find the virtuoso responsible for conducting the inner workings of the place is behind the counter, doling out steaming double Milky Joes to go, tough-chai lattes, and iced green teas, while chatting up every customer in line without missing a beat.

“I often use the phrase, ‘We build community from the inside out,’” says Small World Coffee co-founder and co-owner Jessica Durrie. “I believe if we are able to create an authentic community of support and camaraderie amongst the staff, we are much more capable of amplifying that [sensibility] out in the community of Princeton.”

Small World Coffee is a village that runs like a well-oiled machine thanks to the collaborative partnership at its heart: master roaster Jon March, the creator of Small World’s superior taste profiles and brews; co-founder Brant Cosaboom, coffee connoisseur, tech geek, and back-of-the-house guru; and Durrie, the doyenne of the retail-operations arm and the somewhat reluctant face of the S.W.C. brand.

Small World Coffee’s 14 Witherspoon Street café.

“I think that there’s an authenticity to our company. We’ve been able to take some of our personal beliefs and integrate them into the way we run the business,” Durrie says. “I tell my employees that once they get their feet on the ground in the shop, I want them to authentically be themselves behind the counter. Inclusivity is one of the tenets of what a place like a coffee shop is supposed to be. And not just Small World—it’s what our place is in society. That’s why the whole notion of a café resonated with me from the get-go.”

The concept of inclusion is one that can be traced back to Durrie’s globetrotting childhood: Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Durrie was raised primarily overseas. Her father, an employee of General Motors, and her mother both had a “risk-taking” approach to life: they lived in Rome, São Paulo (twice), and then Melbourne, Australia, before returning to a suburb of Detroit when Durrie was 16. Although it wasn’t as fabulous as her youth abroad, Durrie made the most of it, heading into Detroit’s famed Cass Corridor to see art shows and listen to punk-music bands—acquiring a rock-and-roll edge that is palpable today at the Small World Coffee cafés. She went to (and dropped out of) the University of Michigan, then headed back to California to live with her sister, where she was first introduced to the ways of the food-service industry. One of the chefs she worked for became a sounding board for an inspired Durrie, and encouraged her to look into the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. She applied and was accepted. That’s when the notion of opening her own restaurant took hold. And then, in her last semester, she went on a trip to Vienna.

“I was walking around and thinking, ‘Wow, these cafés are so cool,’” she says. “And then I thought, ‘I am going to do coffee.’ I was reacting to the environment and the feeling of a café. And so for me that was it.”

After graduating from Cornell and a brief stint in Chicago, she headed back to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to work for a company called Espresso Royale, with the intention of learning the business from the grounds (pun intended) up. When the opportunity to open a California location for the company presented itself, she headed west all the while working on a business plan with her S.W.C. partner-to-be, Brant Cosaboom, a fellow General Motors expat. Soon, Durrie began crisscrossing the country in search of a charming college town with a population of at least 100,000 residents in which to open their café. They found Princeton.

“We hadn’t even considered Princeton when we were doing the research because the population was 30,000,” Durrie says, laughing. “But when we came out here to visit family at Thanksgiving, I knew this was the town—and moved here a month later.”

Brant Cosaboom and Jon March (right), Durrie’s partners in Small World and the company’s “coffee connoisseurs.”

Divine intervention aside, Durrie and Cosaboom had their work cut out for them. They scoured town for the perfect space to rent, all the while refining their business plan right down to the last box of coffee stirrers and endlessly convincing naysayers they didn’t need to entice customers by selling pizza and cigarettes along with their coffee.

“We knew that if we didn’t get it right,” Durrie says, “we were going to be screwed for a very long time.

But then it all came together—quickly: They found a location, at 14 Witherspoon Street, and signed the lease at the beginning of August; they began construction at the end of that same month, and opened Small World Coffee’s doors on December 23, 1993.

“[The name] Small World was Brant’s idea,” Durrie says. “The minute it came out of his mouth, we both knew that was it. He had an expat upbringing also, and we both knew while there are many different places [in the world], basically everybody has the same needs—and coffee’s one of them. It just resonates. We’re all in it together.”

The rest, as they say, is history: The 1993 opening was followed, in 1997, by the creation of Small World Roasters, with friend and employee Jon March, when Durrie and Cosaboom decided they wanted more control over the quality of the beans that made the whole Small World sing. Since then, a wholesale business has flourished, with clients near (Princeton University, Rutgers University, Whole Foods) and far (an off-the-grid bird-watching bed-and-breakfast in Mexico). The Witherspoon Street locale underwent a significant renovation and expansion, in 2001; and then, in 2006, the 254 Nassau Street outpost was added to the S.W.C. realm. The trio has been presented with additional opportunities to grow the brand, but they’re content with the carefully managed success they’re currently enjoying, a practice of refinement and improvement that aligns with the “lifestyle approach” they take to their business.

“We’ve been able to consistently deliver great coffee,” Durrie says. “So much of it goes back to running a business professionally, no matter how small you are. We have systems in place that many small businesses don’t spend the time developing, but because we have, every time customers open the door, they can predict what’s going to happen. They can rely on us.”

But as everyone who frequents the café knows, the magic of Small World is in more than just the coffee. The good juju, Durrie insists, is in the people who support the enterprise day in and day out. From general manager Vincent Jule, who’s been with the company for 16 years; to head trainer Tuc Sargentini, perhaps the most-recognized face behind the counter; to the cheerful baristas, Durrie trains all employees in the ways of the “Worldling,” giving them a full understanding of how the café operates and then empowering them to be their creative, authentic selves—even if that means dressing up as a unicorn (true story).

“In the 24 years we’ve been open, I’ve probably interviewed well over 10,000 people,” she says. “It’s not a perfect science, but somehow we always manage to have the right number of individuals who are curious, creative, quirky, and fun. It’s kept me younger being around them.”

From left: General manager Vincent Jule and head trainer and “the Buddha of Small World,” Tuc Sargentini.

Together, these ambassadors of Small World Coffee create a sense of belonging that extends behind the café’s walls and into the community, whether it’s through the rotating exhibitions of work by area artists and the weekly lineup of live entertainment, or the cadre of local entrepreneurs that have become part of a cooperative support network. Durrie, Cosaboom, and March work with local vendors including Lillipies and The Gingered Peach bakeries, Terhune Orchards, Tico’s Juice Bar, and Griggstown Farm; and also engage in open and ongoing dialogues with fellow business owners like those behind Jazams, The Bent Spoon, Labyrinth Books, and the Princeton Corkscrew Wine Shop. Most importantly, however, Small World is a place that creates a sense of familiarity and trust, where people can come together, to interact and connect.

“Small World’s personality is the culture of the company: We are here to serve and take care of the public. To be a gathering spot for celebrations, for crises. To take in the wayward person and give them shelter,” Durrie says. “One of the first tenets I talk about with our staff is, ‘We are inclusive.’”

In December, Small World Coffee will turn 25, an anniversary Durrie acknowledges with a disbelieving shake of her head. S.W.C. aficionados, she says, can look forward to a slate of special events including an anniversary show, along with the unveiling of new S.W.C. packaging, a redesigned website, and a few other surprises.

“Princeton’s a little city, yet it’s cosmopolitan,” Durrie says, describing the town that has become home for not only her business but her family, as well. “You’ll hear so many languages in the café on any given day. And I love that. I love that Princeton has an international community. It’s a very brainy place.” She smiles and adds, “We picked the right town, man. We really did.” —Jennifer P. Henderson (photographs by Jess Blackwell)

 

 

 

BRICKS & MORTAR: GROWING UP PRINCETON WITH BLUES TRAVELER

Experience the full article with the Bricks & Mortar digital edition available now at callawayhenderson.com.

Skitching on snowy Nassau Street. Scaling the old fire slide inside McCarter Theatre. Navigating the tunnels below Princeton University. That’s about as rock-and-roll as you can get when you’re 12 and living in a small college town 50 miles outside of New York City. So it stands to reason that these kinds of experiences (and so many more) make up the formative years of members of the rock-jam band Blues Traveler. Established in Princeton in 1987, Blues Traveler was born when four aspiring musicians gathered in a room at Princeton High School to just play some music. Twelve studio albums and more than 2,000 live shows later, the Grammy Award–winning Blues Traveler has embarked on a U.S. tour to mark its 30th anniversary and is about to record its latest offering. Bricks & Mortar sat down with three of Traveler’s five troubadours—guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, and bassist Tad Kinchla—to talk about their auspicious musical beginnings playing churches and how the memories of growing up in Princeton have never left them. —Jennifer P. Henderson (photographs provided by Bill Filipiak, Denise Truscello, Dominique Callan, and Tad Kinchla)

The original four: John Popper, Bobby Sheehan, Chan Kinchla, and Brendan Hill.

First things first: What was it like growing up in Princeton?
Brendan Hill: Idyllic. It was the ’70s and ’80s, a different world. I remember the big piles of leaves along the roads, the smell of mowed grass, skating on a frozen Lake Carnegie, winter concerts at the University Chapel. I loved going to Community Park Pool in the summers. I had friends all over town and would ride my bike everywhere. The shopping center, Nassau Street, Hoagie Haven, Victor’s Pizza, the public library—it was the perfect little college town.

Chan Kinchla: We used to roam far and wide, to school and back. Town was within walking distance. We’d skitch (i.e., grab a bumper and slide behind a car when the roads are covered in snow) across town to friends’ houses. The whole town was our playground.

Tad Kinchla: Everything was so close. My best memories are of sledding at the Springdale Golf Course, playing stickball in the rain with Billy Byrne, the then-governor’s son, at Morven Museum & Garden, where we totally wrecked the lawn. Sneaking up the old fire escape at McCarter Theatre and taking the circular slide down 12 stories …

C.K.: The ride back down the spiral slide, in the dark, was like the grand finale. I wonder if the slide is still there? You really can’t stop a townie from going everywhere.

When did music first leave its mark?
B.H.: I started playing the violin at age three. By nine, I realized the violin wasn’t for me and I picked up drumsticks. I drummed and sang through high school and after graduating went to the music program at The New School, in N.Y.C. My dad is a big music fan and introduced me at an early age to everything from Jimmy Reed to 10cc to the Beatles. My music teachers in Princeton—Stephen Bussey, Joe Parella, William Trego, and Dr. Tony Biancossino—all gave me the encouragement and skill to pursue music professionally.

C.K.: I was 12 years old. My friend John Cogan, who lived across the street, got a guitar. I went to his house every day to play it. He finally just gave it to me. So he’s my inspiration and still a good friend to this day.

T.K.: In fourth grade, I joined the Trinity Church Choir because my buddy Milo Cogan was a member and sang there. It was an amazing education in classical-music training by a world-renowned choirmaster. Then I played the upright bass in the John Witherspoon School orchestra. I gravitated toward the bass because that year my brother got an electric guitar and I was jealous, so my parents got me a bass.

Tad Kinchla (far right) at his live band audition with Blues Traveler, at N.Y.C.’s Bar Bat, in 1999.

The story goes that the first, official Blues Traveler meet-up occurred at Princeton High School.
B.H.: I had a basement band in middle school; when I started in Studio Band at P.H.S. I met John [Popper] and invited him to come jam with us. We changed our name from The Establishment to Blues Band, and switched from playing Police and Bowie covers to George Thorogood and Jimi Hendrix.

C.K.: John and Bren were in the award-winning Studio Band and I was skipping class and practicing my scales in the little rehearsal rooms. I brought my friend, Bobby [Sheehan, the original bassist, who passed away in 1999], into the band. Our first gig was at the Christ Congregation Church, across from the high school.

B.H.: We played the Hightstown “Battle of the Bands” in 1983, and came in second place. Y.M.C.A. dances, churches, high-school spring flings, John & Peter’s (in New Hope), house parties, and a show in 1987 in front of the Nassau Inn, all before moving up to N.Y.C.

C.K.: Our senior year, we played every house party in town till the cops shut us down. Which happened a lot.

T.K.: Joining Blues Traveler was definitely surreal for all of us. I’d had a front seat to the band’s trials and tribulations leading to its eventual radio success. I actually attended the church gig; the sound was horrible but the energy and attitude was off the hook. At the John and Peter’s gig, I was escorted out of the bar before the first song because I was only 15, but I made up for it by frequenting shows at the Wetlands Preserve, in Manhattan, and then taking the train home at 4 a.m. to go to school. My parents were pretty awesome.

Most who grew up here, at one time or another, have tried to sneak into Princeton Reunions. I’m going to assume you all did, too.
C.K.: Being a university brat, I knew the ways the proctors didn’t. We would wander through the tents at dawn, collecting the commemorative cups, which we would use for years.

B.H.: I learned the ways from Chan. It was always a fun time of year and the fifth reunion was the Valhalla: the best bands, the most fun, but the hardest to get into. The 55th, on the other hand, was much simpler. You just had to move quickly and not draw attention to yourself. I had a collection of buttons and cups in my bedroom displayed like trophies.

T.K.: Reunions were a rite of passage for all Princeton kids. Our dad got us faculty passes that were the equivalent of “super V.I.P.” Sometimes we would sneak in just because it was more fun. Having grown up next to campus, we knew the elaborate cellar system that connected the dorms. I think we knew how to get around better than most campus proctors.

C.K.: In 2009, we returned to play the 20th as Blues Traveler. Afterwards, we were denied entry into the fifth reunion, so Tad and I proceeded to sneak in through a dorm room. You just couldn’t stop us.

Aside from campus, where else did you guys run rampant?
C.K.: Marquand Park. We would climb to the top of those magnificent trees and see the whole town.

B.H.: I love the grounds around the Institute for Advanced Study. My family and I would take walks there on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Herrontown Woods is another great trail.

T.K.: There’s a spot on Carnegie Lake where my family used to picnic, right below where Broadmead hits Lake Street. I’ve also always enjoyed the Battlefield. I used to fly kites and hike there. It’s pretty epic to have such an iconic part of our country’s history to play around in and it’s quite possibly the chillest space in Princeton.

There seems to be “something in the water” in Princeton: a lot of really amazing musical talent has come out of this area. Why do you think that is?
C.K.: Everywhere you look, there is great access to the arts. And really interesting parents.

B.H.: I think the middle and high school music programs were and still are exceptional. It’s a testament to a well-thought-out curriculum to include art and music. Some students just need that outlet; there are so many different types of kids and ways to learn. I feel very fortunate to have had such a great environment to learn and develop my own identity.

T.K.: Princeton is the perfect mix of old, new, and different. My experience here was always one of acceptance and inclusion. The university attracted a lot of intelligent and progressively thinking people from all over the world and I think that influenced the town insofar as it treated the arts. Creative types were accepted and bolstered by a community that not only enjoyed it but also encouraged it.

From left: Ben Wilson, Brendan Hill, and Tad Kinchla in the studio.

So when can we expect you back in town?
B.H.: Blues Traveler is starting the first of a two-part 30th anniversary tour next week and we have a new album coming out in the early spring. We’ll be close to Princeton several times, but it won’t be until 2018 for an actual Princeton show.

T.K.: We’re all pretty stoked and appreciative to still be doing what we love. We’ll probably do it as long as we can because it’s still fun and we still like each other.

B.H.: I’d love to come back and play our real hometown again soon. It’s been years since we played McCarter Theatre.

C.K.: Hopefully we’ll be back in town soon. As our dear, departed dad Ron “The Prof” Kinchla used to say, “Princeton is Brigadoon—the city on the hill that never changes.”

Blues Traveler featuring John Popper (lead vocals, harmonica), Chan Kinchla (guitar), Tad Kinchla (bass), Brendan Hill (drums), and Ben Wilson (keyboard) can be seen on the first leg of its 30th Anniversary U.S. Tour now through November 19, and then again in January through February 2018.

 

BRICKS & MORTAR: BOOKS, GLORIOUS BOOKS

 

Experience the full article with the Bricks & Mortar digital edition available now at callawayhenderson.com.

Even in this age of digital and big box, our local independent bookstores and libraries still play a vibrant role. The neighborhood book purveyor cultivates this romantic notion of place—nurturing their community and providing a haven for ideas, reverence, constancy, and maybe even a little bit of magic. We walk in to indulge our curiosity, and perhaps to go on an adventure. Armed with our treasure, we can travel to the moon, to the past, to worlds steeped in monsters, heroes, and mystery—all without leaving our most comfortable armchair. The right book can be transformative. It can make us feel less alone or more brave; it can inspire new ideas or transport us; and in its best moments, it can shed light where darkness reigns. And aren’t we lucky that our towns are chock full of the wonderful independent bookstores who stand at the ready to keep our nightstands piled, our book groups vibrant, and our storytimes engaged? Here, our Princeton-area favorites responsible for putting the right book into someone’s hand. —Rae Padulo (photographs by Jess Blackwell) 

Panoply Books in Lambertville.

THE TREASURE HUNTER’S PARADISE: PANOPLY BOOKS
Treasure hunters, rejoice! A stroll through the charming riverfront town of Lambertville would not be complete without an expedition to North Union Street’s Panoply Books. Though offbeat, rare, and out-of-print used books are its main focus, a perfectly curated “impressive collection of things” is what gives this shop its sparkle. While owner Roland Boehm credits his store’s success to Lambertville’s special community of poets, writers, artists, and collectors, it’s the shop’s exciting art, vintage clothing, and ephemera that keep them coming back. Orderly stacks of books include amazing offerings like a first book printing of the “Star Spangled Banner,” circa 1857, a vintage Lord of the Rings box set, and the scarcely seen Henry Miller chapbook, “On Turning Eighty,” while a recent visit also revealed a signed Andy Warhol photo, vintage leather jackets, and futuristic mid-century lighting. Panoply Books, 48 North Union Street, Lambertville. panoplybooks.com

THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT: FARLEY’S BOOKSHOP
Just a bridge away, on New Hope’s main thoroughfare, Farley’s Bookshop is a beloved literary fixture in this irreverent, artsy, riverfront town. Professing its old-school love of books, the shop’s vibe is that of a peaceful protester from the ’60s, supporting small presses like Aqueduct, Moontree, and Red Hen, and revering the analog appreciation of the written word. There’s a “Read the Book Before You See the Movie” section, and a good selection of children’s books—amid handwritten recommendations and signs, including “Put your cell phone away,” and at the cash register, a printed list of local restaurants to keep the hungry in town for lunch. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Farley’s is vibrant as ever, still asking for your undivided attention, knowing from experience that there’s no substitute for exploring titles firsthand. Farley’s Bookshop, 44 South Main Street, New Hope, PA. farleysbookshop.com

The Book Garden in Frenchtown.

THE COMMUNITY CREATIVE: THE BOOK GARDEN
Housed in one of Frenchtown’s fairytale “Painted Lady” Victorians, The Book Garden captivates from the moment you climb its colorfully painted steps and take in the reading-friendly front porch. Inside is no less charming: The store feels like your very best friend—its love of literature wrapping its arms around you with a creative selection of books and gifts. There’s something special for everyone: a well-stocked section of local history and authors, a “read-in” kitchen filled with previously owned tomes, a fabulous children’s room. Community is “at the core of everything the shop does,” whether it’s author signings, book clubs, writing workshops, or community events like Riverfest and Milford Alive, supported by The Book Garden and more of Frenchtown’s vibrant indie shops. The Book Garden, 28 Bridge Street, Frenchtown. bookgarden.biz

THE PERFECT PROWL-AROUND: BOOKTRADER OF HAMILTON
“A child who reads will be an adult who thinks” announces the sign marking the entrance to the Booktrader of Hamilton. Inside, Johnny Mathis croons on the speakers and colorful spines beckon as far as the eye can see. There’s a reason the Booktrader is on the N.J. Best Of List—it’s the perfect prowl-around bookstore. Previously owned titles are stacked in every nook and cranny, including a great cookbook section and beach reads galore, with yards of mystery and historical romance novels to choose from. Add in a healthy dose of visiting authors and a store credit system, and you have a bookshop you will seek out again and again. Booktrader of Hamilton, 2421 Nottingham Way, Hamilton. booktrader.weebly.com

The Bear and the Books in Hopewell.

THE TRUSTED STORYTELLER: THE BEAR AND THE BOOKS
Bobbie Fishman, former overseer of the children’s sections of both Princeton’s Micawber Books and Labyrinth Books, is the trusted heart and soul behind Hopewell’s children’s bookstore, The Bear and the Books. Her devotion and expertise are evident in the incredibly thoughtful collection that fills this storybook (literally!) shop. Titles on her do-not-miss list include old favorites like A.A. Milne’s When We Were Very Young, and newer ones like Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr and Katherine Rundell’s Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms. This is the kind of shop where customers quickly become friends, and Fishman wants them to know that The Bear “is a place to find good books to grow up with that not everybody knows, and it’s a place where someone who knows the books is happy to help you, if that’s what you wish.” Oh yes, we wish. The Bear and the Books, 45 West Broad Street, Hopewell. thebearandthebooks.com

THE MYSTERIOSO: THE CLOAK AND DAGGER
Calling to mind an old-time London bookshop (just substitute the heart of Princeton’s Jugtown for the proverbial darkened alley), The Cloak and Dagger dishes up equal servings mystery, thrills, and whodunits. This hidden treasure is the one-stop shop for mystery fans, ably guided by owner Jerry Lenaz. Suggestions run the gamut from political thrillers by Princeton-based author John Altman, historical mysteries from Jacqueline Winspear and Patricia Highsmith’s popular suspense novels to classic whodunits from that grand dame of mysteries, Agatha Christie. On November 4, the shop, along with the Arts Council of Princeton, is sponsoring “A Mysterious Affair in Princeton,” a “murderously fun” panel comprising master storyteller SJ Rozan and 10 more mystery pundits. The Cloak and Dagger, 349 Nassau Street, Princeton. thecloakanddagger.com

Labyrinth Books in Princeton.

THE ACADEMIC: LABYRINTH BOOKS
Front and center on Nassau Street, Princeton University–affiliated Labyrinth Books serves both town and gown with their well-stocked offerings for the academic and local communities. This clean, well-lighted space offers a wide selection of titles to appeal to both academics and the community at large. As well as being the University’s go-to spot for its course-book needs, the shop stacks an exciting calendar with University notables and community events, earning it a place on the N.J. Best Of List. One of the standouts happens on November 9, a collaboration with the Princeton Public Library and Grounds for Sculpture: “Isabel Allende—In the Midst of Winter: A Novel and Conversations About Creativity.” Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Princeton. labyrinthbooks.com

THE NON-BOOKSTORE BOOKSTORE: THE FRIENDS BOOKSTORE
These two shops are not bookstores per se, but still fantastic for gem-mining. As if the incredible offerings and impeccable renovation of the Princeton Public Library weren’t enough, tucked away on its first floor is the Friends Bookstore, an ongoing sale of gently-loved tomes. New titles are added daily to its bargain-priced selection, and proceeds from the Bookstore, along with the Friends Annual Book Sale, help fund the Library’s books, materials, and support programs. Everybody wins. The Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. princetonlibrary.org

THE NON-BOOKSTORE BOOKSTORE: JAZAMS
Just a block away, Jazams, Princeton’s beloved toy store, has been helping families and friends choose perfect gifts for their littles. Even after more than 20 years in business, the Jazams staff are still some of the jolliest folks around, and their enthusiasm for what makes kids happy is infectious. The store’s colorful cornucopia of toys is complemented by a beautiful selection of children’s books, many signed by their authors, and its commitment to keeping kids reading is reinforced by its sponsorship of the popular Princeton Children’s Book Festival every September. Jazams, 25 Palmer Square East, Princeton. jazams.com

BRICKS & MORTAR: LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE

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Scott Anderson is the executive chef and co-owner of Princeton’s Elements and Mistral restaurants. A James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic for the past five years, Anderson also showcases his culinary predilection for fresh local ingredients and modern techniques at the recently opened Mistral in King of Prussia, PA.

“I’ve been in Princeton for about 20 years now. From the first time I set foot here, I loved it. I’m a nature guy; my alter ego is ‘monk chef,’ so my favorite part about Princeton is all the parks, trails, streams, and forests. Living here has allowed me to get to know the forests and parks, which I try to forage and locally source ingredients from every day. The amount of wild edibles makes this area really special.

I get to work with people who are most interested in doing the best they can at what they do. My chef team and I like to visit the local farms and butchers almost every day to source ingredients for that day’s service. Both the Elements and Mistral menus rely heavily on the seasonality and freshness of ingredients—it’s what we’re known for and what makes us stand apart from the many other restaurants in the area. Especially so at Elements: We’ll change our menu daily in order to reflect the ingredients available to provide our guests with the highest-quality flavors they might not find elsewhere. I take them with us on our journey, introducing them to the flavors of the Central Jersey area.

[I’ve also enjoyed] watching how the town grows, including the people who live here. I get to know many of our guests on a personal level and so they feel at home when they arrive. In this town, it’s important for us to connect with our guests beyond just the five senses they experience while eating.” —As told to Jennifer P. Henderson

Howard Russell Butler’s “ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED”

The former art studio of Howard Russell Butler in his self-designed Princeton residence, 107 Library Place.

Our newest A-LIST feature, the “THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED”, (inspired by Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway genius, “Hamilton”) seeks to honor the extraordinary history of properties in the Princeton area, and the unprecedented legacy of their distinguished and notable residents.  From Einstein to Toni  Morrison, our town has been home to Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, Oscar winners, and Presidents…just to name a few.

In this first installment of “THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED”, we celebrate Princeton University alumnus and Princeton resident Howard Russell Butler (1856-1934).  A portrait and landscape artist, he was a graduate of the University’s first school of science. He obtained a law degree from Columbia University, left the profession to pursue his art, and ultimately founded New York City landmark, the American Fine Arts Society.

Butler went on to work for Andrew Carnegie for many years, first as the president of Carnegie Music Hall, after which he oversaw the purchase and construction of Carnegie’s Fifth Avenue mansion (now the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum), and sold off the adjacent lots that now comprise the Upper East Side historic neighborhood, Carnegie Hill.  Their final collaboration was the creation of Lake Carnegie in Princeton.

In 1911, Butler moved to Princeton, this time as a resident. The stunning Italianate Villa he designed, 107 Library Place, is within three blocks of town center and long admired as one of the most stately homes in Princeton.  The abundant space with soaring ceilings and wonderful natural light, the grand-sized rooms, exquisite architectural details, oak-sheathed library with 12-foot ceiling and 2-story glass-topped atrium all offer turn-of-the-century magnificence and display Butler’s masterful hand, while affording comfortable living and entertaining spaces.

107 Library Place has since been meticulously updated and maintained for a modern lifestyle. Recent renovations include a chef’s kitchen, luxurious master suite with a spa bath, Jacuzzi tub, and 4-person cedar sauna – plus bedroom wings and a full apartment to easily accommodate family and guests. On one of Princeton’s most prized streets, this masterpiece is enveloped by lush gardens and a delightful air of privacy.

And now to come full circle, just in time for the first solar eclipse of this century on August 21, 2017, the Princeton University Art Museum’s newest exhibit features the oil on canvas Eclipse Paintings of Howard Russell Butler. At a time when photography could not yet capture the nuances of the eclipsed sun, Butler’s paintings were a tour de force, providing astronomers and the public with perhaps the best record of eclipses at the time. 

Stay tuned to see our next A-LIST “ROOM”, where we continue to celebrate our town’s remarkable properties and its residents…

Solar Eclipse, Connecticut-New York, 1925. Oil on canvas, right panel of triptych Princeton University, gift of H. Russell Butler Jr.

BRICKS & MORTAR: A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

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There’s a peaceful, practical magic associated with a river. Stand on its banks and the spirit surrounds you: the soothing burble and rush; the rhythmic, shifting movement; the sense of time ceaselessly ebbing and flowing. This natural alchemy can be seen in the towns that have cropped up along these ever-changing bodies of water, too—and in New Jersey’s stretch of the Delaware River, the waterside gems of Lambertville, Stockton, and Frenchtown are among the area’s best-kept secrets for just this reason … and so many more.

Whether you’re a local whose family has called it home for generations; a weekend warrior from a nearby metropolis; a day-tripper searching for treasures; or someone seeking out the best breakfast this side of the Delaware, these distinct towns offer a return to a simpler, sweeter way of life. And with summer on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to explore these picturesque spots beyond Princeton, brimming with things to do, see, and indulge in. Happy trails. —Jennifer P. Henderson (photographs by Jess Blackwell)

LAMBERTVILLE
The lowdown: Perhaps it’s the beautifully preserved 12-foot-wide Victorian and Federal-style row homes that line this quaint town’s narrow streets. Or the warm and welcoming community of artisans and craftsmen whose one-of-a-kind stores, galleries, and restaurants make it a cultural and culinary destination. Or maybe it’s simply the feeling you get the moment you turn onto Bridge Street: because entering Lambertville is like taking a serendipitous step back in time.

What to indulge in: Start off with a visit to Rojo’s Roastery (1) for a fresh-brewed cuppa and then make breakfast a must at Sneddon’s Luncheonette (2) (order a side of griddled corn muffins) or Full Moon Cafe for one of the establishment’s famous Eggs Benedict concoctions. Next up, lunch, and decisions, decisions: a wood-fired pie at Liberty Hall Pizza; Texas-style wood-smoked barbecue at More Than Q (3); traditionally prepared Oaxacan tacos at Tacos Cancun; or a table along the canal at the historic Inn at Lambertville Station (4). Best midday snack ever: a double scoop at oWowCow Creamery, named one of the best ice cream shops in New Jersey. From there, it’s a hop, skip, and a happy-hour jump to The Boat House, where the art of the handcrafted cocktail is alive and well. For dinner, tuck into homemade pasta and classic Italian desserts (the cannoli is beyond) at DeAnna’s Restaurant or Hamilton’s Grill Room, where the menu changes daily to feature seasonal offerings from local farms and butchers. Finally, don’t forget to pop in at Anton’s at the Swan for après-dinner drinks.

What to see and do: Work off that sweet-honey-cream cone with a hike, bike, walk, or kayak along the Lambertville stretch of the Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath. After your nature excursion, head over to Zanya Spa Salon (5) for a manicure, pedicure, massage, or cut and color with one of the stellar stylists. And beginning June 2 through September 2, 2017, experience Lambertville’s First Friday Celebration, including a gorgeous fireworks presentation along the banks of the Delaware; special events and promotions at area boutiques and restaurants; and the First Friday Art Crawl with exclusive exhibitions and refreshments at select galleries.

Where to shop: So many stores, so little time. Peruse the stacks, racks, and displays of treasures at the legendary antiques mecca The People’s Store (6). Place your bid on everything from fine and decorative art to furnishings and jewelry at the famed Rago Arts and Auction Center. Browse the thoughtfully curated sartorial collection at Greene Street consignment. Panoply Books (7) thrills with its array of unusual, offbeat, rare, and out-of-print books, and vintage vinyl, art, and cultural ephemera. Bucks County Dry Goods (8) is the best of both worlds, offering a mélange of mid-century antiques, local artwork, and contemporary fashion and accessories. Explore the modern-meets-cottage home furnishings and lifestyle store Blue Raccoon (9) or tap into Zinc Home and Garden’s (10) industrial-farmhouse vibe.

STOCKTON
The lowdown: This tiny Delaware River town may be small in size—0.6 square miles to be exact—but it’s big on old-world charm. Established in the mid-1800s, Stockton specializes in acclaimed contemporary cuisine with a nod to the area’s rich history, along with parks and protected green space perfect for hiking, picnicking, rafting, and bird-watching to your heart’s content.

What to indulge in: At the very heart of town is the Stockton Inn (1). Once a private residence (and a speakeasy) dating back to 1710, it now houses a recently renovated restaurant and the Dog & Deer Tavern bar (2) (read: the only establishment in town with a liquor license), which both offer acclaimed contemporary American cuisine with a side of authentic yesteryear ambience. Boasting a similarly storied background—rumor has it that former first POTUS George Washington once rested his boots here—The Sergeantsville Inn is known for its fine dining, including its vast array of entrées and delicious staples, like the tomato bisque. For less-formal food options, Via Ponte’s traditional Sicilian dishes and brick-oven pizza are molto buono, along with the aptly named Cravings, the perfect spot for breakfast, lunch, or an ice cream cone, located just off the towpath between the center of town and Prallsville Mills.

Where to shop: Seek and ye shall find—unique wines, eclectic spirits, and craft beers, that is, when you swing by Stockton Fine Wines & Spirits (3) for a tasting and a chat with the owners, who know a thing or a two about everything from pinot noirs to DeuS Brut des Flandres. Foodies, get ready: The Stockton Market (4) is so much more than your typical farm store. A veritable trove of deliciousness, this year-round farmers’ market-grocery-café (with live music on Friday evenings) hosts a slate of local vendors who proffer their wares, from artisanal breads and gourmet chocolates to small-batch pasta and grass-fed meats to dried spices and handmade jewelry. Insider’s tip: A visit to the famous Sweet Melissa baked goods stall will have you whispering sweet nothings to the delicious display of cupcakes, cookies, and gorgeous cakes (even their icing is a work of art).

What to see and do: Dating back to 1720, the Prallsville Mills (5) complex comprises the original grist mill, a linseed oil mill, saw mill, and granary, and is now maintained by the Delaware River Mill Society as a cultural destination for art shows, history tours, live music, and yoga classes. A few miles north of the Prallsville Mills, a towpath leads to Bull’s Island State Park, where you can take a stroll along the walking bridge to Lumberville, PA. Keep your eyes open for the American flag affixed to the bridge girders: the flag was anonymously hung there after 9/11 and local residents have taken up the efforts to care for it. Farther down the D&R Canal Park towpath, in Titusville, you can get your American Revolution fix with a journey across the pedestrian bridge to Washington Crossing Historic Park, in Pennsylvania.

FRENCHTOWN
The lowdown: Situated on what is affectionately known as “New Jersey’s west coast,” the hamlet of Frenchtown is as quaint as they come, with a main street of specialty shops, restaurants, and art galleries surrounded by quiet streets dotted with beautiful Victorian-era homes. This laid-back little gem also is an unexpected creative enclave, with a vibrant community of artists of every medium.

What to indulge in: There’s no better place to begin in Frenchtown than Early Bird Espresso & Mercantile (1), for your caffeine fix (the house specialty: espresso, of course) and a freshly baked croissant. If you’re looking for gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan fare, the Pulp Café & Juice Bar (2) has a full menu of locally sourced foods, including juices and smoothies. Breakfast and lunch are a lock at the Frenchtown Café (3), where daily specials keep things deliciously interesting. If you’re hankering for pizza, Galasso’s Pizza & Restaurant is the answer with options including chicken parm, primavera, and traditional margherita pies. A converted warehouse is home to Lovin’ Oven (4), a delightful farm-to-table eatery that believes food is love. The historic Frenchtown Inn is ideal for special-occasion meals with a contemporary American and French–inspired menu. And no trip to town is complete without a sweet-tooth stop at Minette’s Candies, where confections like house-made truffles and coconut haystacks reign supreme.

Where to shop: Equal parts cool and quirky, the boutiques and shops of Frenchtown will guarantee you won’t go home empty-handed. Be sure to give yourself enough time to explore every nook, cranny, and treasure tucked inside Modern Love (5), the brilliantly curated paean to vintage and modern finds for women, men, and children. From book clubs, signings, and workshops, The Book Garden (6) is more than just the new and rare independent bookshop around the corner; it’s a gathering place for the community where everyone knows your name—and the title of the next great book you need to read. Crafters will find their blue heaven (and every other color of the rainbow) at The Spinnery (7), purveyors of all manner of knitting, spinning, weaving, and dying supplies, along with creative toys for kids and artisan-led classes.

What to see and do: With the picture-postcard-perfect Delaware River as its backdrop, much of Frenchtown’s fun can be had on or along the water. Delaware River Tubing offers easy and accessible tubing, rafting, kayaking, and canoeing, and reservations include a classic riverside BBQ meal, to boot. The Cycle Corner of Frenchtown makes exploring the area a breeze for visitors of all ages with two-hour and daily bike rentals. If staying on two feet is more your speed, tap into Frenchtown’s creative force with a paint-your-own session at Re-new Paint Studio. Little Engine Studio is a recently opened gathering spot for creators of all ages with classes, explorations, and other diversions. Don’t miss the exhibitions, installations, and film screenings at ArtYard, a gallery and creative incubator founded by resident artists, filmmakers, curators, and writers. And if you happen to find yourself in Frenchtown this July, embrace the local esprit de corps with themed events, store promotions, and restaurant specials in honor of the town’s Annual Bastille Day Fete.

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BRICKS & MORTAR: OFF THE RECORD WITH MITCH HENDERSON

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The Jadwin Gym basketball court is gleaming, buffed to a nearly blinding high gloss. “See that guy over there?” Princeton Men’s Basketball Coach Mitch Henderson says, gesturing to an older gentleman in a team jersey wiping down chairs set up along the sideline. “That’s George. He’s been here for 80 years. He’s the one who keeps these floors looking so nice. He’s an institution in this place.” Named the 2016 Ivy League coach of the year and one of 20 finalists for the coveted Jim Phelan Coach of the Year Award, Henderson, it seems, is poised to become something of an institution at Princeton too. But don’t let him hear you say that.

After a stellar run—undefeated in the Ivy League regular season, inaugural Ivy League Tournament champs, and losing a nail-biter of a game against Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament—Henderson is back to rotating on his axis of campus life: from Jadwin Gym to Frist Campus Center to the quad outside Firestone Library (a favorite spot) and back again. The past year has been a long, rewarding, and exhausting journey for him and the team, and he acknowledges the accolades he’s received by giving the credit where he sees it’s due.

“It’s a nice honor, of course, but I think good players make good coaches,” he says. “They always thought they would win. Even when we took that last shot against Notre Dame, we all thought it was going in. So right now I’m just appreciating and enjoying what they did so much. I am very proud of them.”

From left: Henderson and wife Ashley in their mid-century-modern living room; the bright and airy kitchen.

Mitch Henderson’s Princeton story began long before he became part of the university coaching staff. As these things sometimes happen in this town, it all started with a trip to Conte’s. Recruited out of high school by the legendary Princeton basketball coach Pete Carril, the Indiana-born Henderson had played varsity baseball, too, and was being drafted by the New York Yankees. When the Yankees scout found out he had been accepted to Princeton, he told Henderson in no uncertain terms to go to school and then promptly hung up on him.

“On recruiting trips, almost everybody who came and played for Coach Carril would go to Conte’s,” Henderson says with a laugh. “He’d hold up a slice of pizza—his order was, I believe, onions, peppers, and a little bit of sausage—and if it stayed flat he’d say, ‘Now, that’s a good pizza.’ I remember it well, being there with him. I go there with him now too. To me, he’s the culture of Princeton basketball and he’s influenced me more than anybody else.”

After graduating in 1998, Henderson headed west, to San Francisco, and found himself a research associate sitting behind a desk and not exactly thrilled with his gig or with the thought of maybe heading off to business or law school. Then came the call from his former Princeton basketball coach, Bill Carmody, who’d coached Henderson as a junior and senior, and since then had taken the post of head coach at Northwestern University. Carmody offered him a position as assistant coach. The idea of doing something familiar with someone he admired was too good an opportunity to pass up.

“Right away, I realized coaching was extremely challenging, but I loved it,” he says. “You wear so many different hats: recruiting, mentoring, coaching the strategy, and relationships with the media and with families. Each day was different. I liked being in the work and trying to do my best. That really appealed to me.”

Then, more than a decade later, he was approached by his cherished alma mater to be head coach of the team he had played on for four years and saw through three NCAA Tournaments—and to return to the town that had been a mystery during his undergrad years but had nevertheless left an impression.

“When you’re a student here, you don’t leave campus that often. We played rock–paper–scissors to see who would go up to Halo Pub for chocolate shakes. We went to Wawa. Professors would invite us to their houses. But other than that, I didn’t know the town,” he says. “When you play here, though, the place never really leaves you. It really is part of who you are.”

From left: A Princeton Tiger holds court in the breakfast nook; the dining room with a view of Lake Carnegie.

Days later, when a photographer arrived at Henderson’s Littlebrook-neighborhood home, the door was thrown open by a small, curly headed mini-Mitch. The child grinned mischievously and took off, careening around the kitchen island to disappear through a doorway.

“This was a big year for Theo,” Henderson says, referring to his four-year-old son, who can now be heard bounding along the upstairs hallway with his younger sister, Pippa. “You tell him a number and he can tell you the name of the player. When he sees a 25 mph speed limit sign in Princeton, he goes, ‘There’s [forward] Steven Cook.’ I love that the players have embraced our kids. I think that’s a big part of coaching—integrating them into your own life.”

When Henderson and his wife, Ashley, an executive producer at the advertising agency BBDO New York, first arrived in Princeton, they were planning a wedding and looking for a home—and they didn’t know a soul. They settled on a 1920s-era, neoclassical-style home, two miles from campus with a picturesque view of Lake Carnegie. Finding their niche in the community also didn’t take long as they soon realized being part of the university and having a young family exposed them to all manner of interests, activities, and people in ways they’d not expected—or experienced before.

“As a student, I had no idea—the town is better than I ever thought it could be. And now I get to double dip as a university staff member,” he says with a smile. “In my professional career, I’ve seen town-gown relations and I think Princeton does it best. I love its diversity. And it all starts on Nassau Street: There’s growth but things stay the same; that’s the beauty of it.”

With the births of his children, Henderson has also come to understand the unique parallels between coaching and parenting.

“It’s not static; there’s no straight line. You’re constantly working at it, constantly bettering yourself, but I love the challenge,” he says. “With the players, there are conversations, just like parents have, about, ‘Did we do this right? How should we handle this?’ And I find that the more open-minded I am about being a good parent or being a good coach, the better it is.”

At the end of the day, whether he’s off on recruiting trips, showing incoming players the university he loves, running drills with his team, or enjoying runs along the university’s cross-country trail off of Washington Road and hikes with his kids in the Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve trails, he cherishes his time with the people he comes across living in town. For Henderson, being a part of the Princeton community is all about the people.

“Welcome to your opportunity to live out Cheers, where everyone knows your name,” he says with a chuckle. “That’s my favorite thing about Princeton: In community events, in local politics, in storms—it just feels like everybody is together and I love that. Having lived and worked in other spots, it’s all about your village, and Princeton has everything you’d want in a place to raise a family. I have friends who have kids in college now, and they say that they want to come back to Princeton, and I think that tells you everything.

You learn here, you grow here, but it’s still about the people. I really enjoy being part of a community and hopefully making an impact. There’s still so much to be done.” —Jennifer P. Henderson (photographs by Jess Blackwell)

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BRICKS & MORTAR: LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE

Experience the full article with the Bricks & Mortar digital edition available now at callawayhenderson.com.

Emily Mann is the artistic director of the Tony award–winning McCarter Theatre. Currently at work on a play about feminist icon Gloria Steinem’s life, for New York’s Lincoln Center Theater, she will next be seen directing the world premiere of Chris Durang’s Turning Off the Morning News, for the 2017–18 McCarter Theatre season. Here, she waxes poetic on the town she calls home.

“I have lived in Princeton since July of 1990. Princeton has such a smart, adventurous, and diverse audience, and so I’ve been able to write, direct, and produce a great variety of theater, ranging from the classic repertoire to adventurous new plays and musicals. Many of our productions start here and go on to Broadway and London and theaters around the country, and they garner awards. And because of the wonderful audience, I have been able to build a huge body of work as a writer and director over 27 years. And I have seen more great dance and heard more great music since I moved to Princeton than I ever did when I lived in New York City, thanks to Bill Lockwood [special programming director] and McCarter.

I often walk in Marquand Park, the woods behind the Institute for Advanced Study, and along the canal towpath. When I’m in production or rehearsal, I love to dash across the street and have a drink or small plate at the Dinky Bar & Kitchen or walk up to Witherspoon Street and have a coffee at Small World, lunch at Agricola, or dinner at La Mezzaluna. And I love spring here, when the town blooms—it’s a breathtaking experience. You see flowers everywhere. It’s as if people planted the flowering shrubs and trees for one another as a gift.

One night I looked around the dinner table, and I was sitting with people in business, in science, and in engineering; there was a poet, a novelist, and a classical scholar, and I thought I could not be with a more diverse or interesting group of people anywhere else in the world. Einstein called us ‘a small town of experts,’ and he was right. I love that about our community. We are chock-full of interesting people who love to get together.” —As told to Jennifer P. Henderson (photograph, above left, by Merri Cyr)

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