Recently, one of my childhood best friends flew all the way from Edmonton, Alberta to visit me in Princeton for a weekend. In the style of the New York Times column “36 Hours”, here is a breakdown of our 48 hours together to inspire a visit to Princeton.
Friday
5 pm
I met my friend at Newark airport and we took the train to Princeton Junction. I got to show her the “Dinky”, the shortest scheduled commuter rail line in the United States, which brings you from Princeton Junction to campus in five minutes. We made it from the airport to campus in less than an hour.
6:30 pm
After dropping off her things, we headed to 2D for dinner. I am a proud member of the 2D cooperative, a group of 50 students split into cookshifts of 5-6 students that prepare a delicious vegetarian meal for the entire co-op once a week. (Check out this Daily Princetonian article and a blog from 2015 which still holds true if you’re interested!)
7:30 pm
Despite sleeping only a handful of hours, my friend was willing to attend Princeton Christian Fellowship’s Friday Night Fellowship with me. We sang worship songs, heard from our new staff members John and Megan Musick, and mingled with other students afterward. I brought her downstairs to show her the Murray-Dodge Cafe, which has free tea and cookies for students every day.
Saturday
9 am
The next day, we hopped on the Dinky again to head to New York City. Lucky for us, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) happened to be sponsoring a trip to Bryant Park Winter Village, so I got free train tickets to and from the city.
11 am
We arrived at Bryant Park and spent some time wandering the stalls, eating pasteis de nata, and watching the ice skaters. I was worried it would be extremely busy, but it didn’t feel overcrowded.
12:30 pm
We ducked into the New York Public Library (NYPL) next to the park. I had a vague idea that there was a public library location next to Bryant Park, but we were in for a treat! The Schwarzman building is perfect for exploring on a chilly day. It’s a beautiful building reminiscent of the Met which holds NYPL’s rare books and special collections.
We had lunch at the library cafe, perused the bookstore, and explored the free exhibitions. I was shocked to discover that NYPL has the original Winnie the Pooh and friends. The circumstances were perfect because my friend’s family loves Winnie the Pooh, and we saw the movie Christopher Robin together when it came out in 2018.
The third floor features a majestic foyer with murals depicting the acquisition of knowledge and the Rose reading room, which we arrived right on time to join a tour of.
3:30 pm
After making our way through the exhibits, we started making our way down Fifth Avenue toward Central Park, window shopping and exploring a cathedral along the way.
4:30 pm
We made it to Central Park and sat on a bench watching the sky darken. For our last stop, we walked to a Trader Joe’s, which we don’t have in Canada. Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything because the line was extremely long. I guess New Yorkers do their shopping on Saturday afternoons! We hopped on the subway to Penn Station and took the train back to campus.
9 pm
After relaxing in my room, we headed to Noodle House for some soup to warm up. We had planned to attend the USG-sponsored showing of Wicked: For Good at the Garden Theatre, but after a whole day on our feet, we were worried we might fall asleep.
Sunday
8:30 am
On Sunday mornings, we were transported back to elementary school when we took the yellow school bus arranged for students to attend Stone Hill Church.
10:30 am
This week, Princeton alumna Laura Megill organized a brunch for students interested in the medical field to meet physicians and researchers in the church. My friend and I enjoyed hearing their varied career paths and the role of faith and church community throughout their lives.
1 pm
Finally, it was time for a tour of the highlights of Princeton! We stopped at Labyrinth, the local bookstore, to pick up some postcards, my friend got some souvenirs from the U Store, then I wanted to show my friend one of my favorite study spots, the Princeton Public Library. There’s currently a cute holiday market on the plaza outside the library, and I was very tempted to buy something from Flore, who makes beautiful art and jewelry from real flowers from her garden. (Fun fact: she is also a Princeton professor who was my friend’s thesis advisor!) I went back a few days later and bought a few cards.
3:30 pm
Now it was finally time to take photos in all the popular spots: Blair Arch, where the Dinky used to stop and now the site of a cappella performances, known as arch sings; Rockefeller College, backdrop of countless photoshoots; Richardson Auditorium, home to performing arts and orchestra concerts; Nassau Hall, Princeton’s most iconic building; and Chancellor Green Library, filled with comfy armchairs and stained glass.
5 pm
We managed to fit that all in before sunset, when we visited the tower room of Firestone Library.
Although 48 hours might feel short, you’ll have time to visit the big city and the small town and get a taste of life as a Princeton student.
Thanks for reading! Since I took a semester off last fall, my graduation date was extended from May to December, so I am reaching the end of my time at Princeton. If there are any topics you’d like to read about, send me an email at the address in my bio and I’ll try to make it happen!