By Anne Levin

At its March 14 meeting, Princeton Council voted in favor of an “Outdoor Dining” ordinance that replaces the “Sidewalk Cafes” ordinance dating back to 1974. The new measure recognizes changes brought on by such factors as the widening of sidewalks on Witherspoon Street, and the increased demand for outdoor dining that was particularly strong during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ordinance addresses such issues as the width of pedestrian passageways, control of trash, seating, fee structure, furnishings, design guidelines, and the maintenance of the dining areas. It was voted in after removing the allowance of retractable awnings. more

By Anne Levin

Penn Medicine Princeton Health is planning a new cancer center at its Plainsboro campus. The proposed 195,000-square-foot facility includes more than 40 exam rooms, over 30 infusion chairs, and two radiation oncology linear accelerators.

The estimated cost of the project, which includes a six-level parking garage and a 31,000-square-foot imaging center for outpatients, is $401 million, according to a Penn Medicine spokesperson. The proposal is currently in the early stages of the approval process in Plainsboro Township. more

CROSSROADS OF A VILLAGE: The house at 342 Nassau Street originally had its kitchen wing on the east side, but it was moved to the west side of the building in a widening of North Harrison Street. This and other historical facts are the focus of a new publication on the history of Jugtown. (Photo by Clifford Zink)

By Anne Levin

Clifford Zink is a longtime resident of Princeton’s Jugtown section. During one of his regular walks down Nassau Street, he began to wonder about two small remnants of its past — a flat, brownstone slab in front of No. 343, and an upright, granite post topped with a hook at No. 361. A historian and author, Zink put his researching skills to work.

The slab, he found, was a block for horse and carriage mounting. And the column of granite was a hitching post for horses. These discoveries were the beginning of Zink’s new booklet Jugtown/Queenston, Princeton’s 18th Century Crossroads Village. The 48-page publication about Princeton’s third-oldest neighborhood is illustrated with then-and-now photographs of houses; pictures of jugs made in the area’s potteries, which closed in the mid-1800s; and historical maps. Zink, who is leading a walking tour of the area this Saturday, March 16 (sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton and sold out), shot all of the photos himself. more

By Anne Levin

Come July, riders on NJ Transit trains may be paying $18.40 to travel one way between Princeton Junction and New York’s Penn Station, up from the current $16. Public comment ended last week for fare increases proposed by NJ Transit earlier this year to close a budget shortfall of $106.6 million.

Since the onset of the pandemic, ridership has returned to approximately 80 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels, with many peak period trips at or exceeding pre-pandemic levels, according to a January 24 press release from NJ Transit. But the system is entering the fifth consecutive year of ridership that will be below pre-COVID-19 levels, meaning a loss of nearly $2 billion in revenue. Federal COVID-19 relief funding ends at the end of June 2025. Rising fuel costs, operational costs, wage increases, and health care costs have also contributed to the shortfall. more

By Anne Levin

Following a prolonged discussion, Princeton Council voted at its February 26 meeting to allow the Graduate Hotel to maintain the work zone on Chambers Street through May 16, which is more than two months longer than previously scheduled. That means the street will remain one-way going north until the hotel opens for business on that date.

Much anticipated, the hotel’s opening is delayed due to structural issues in the front part of the hotel, an existing building at 20 Nassau Street. Opening up the street to two-way traffic was not considered a viable alternative at this point, since it would likely entail periodic closures. more

LEARNING ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT: Last year’s participants in the Princeton Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Academy included Princeton Councilwoman Leticia Fraga, at far right. The group was immersed once a week, for eight weeks, in the methods and operations of the department.

By Anne Levin

At the beginning of the six-week Citizen’s Police Academy held by the Princeton Police Department last spring, one of the 16 participants — a man in his seventies — told Sgt. Dan Federico that he had never really trusted the police. By the end of the program, “I think we opened his eyes on a few things,” said Federico. “He actually referred three people for this year.”

Getting the Citizen’s Police Academy up and running was a goal of Chief Jon Bucchere when he took over the top spot in October 2022. The success of the inaugural program last spring has prompted the department to schedule a second series, which begins April 18 and runs on Thursday evenings through June 6. Spots are still available for the 20 slots. Participation is free. more

FROM OBSCURITY TO SUPERSTARDOM: The award-winning musical “Dreamgirls” is onstage at McCarter Theatre through March 24 in a production directed by Lili-Anne Brown. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski)

By Anne Levin

A video on McCarter Theatre Center’s website takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the set and costume shops as they prepare for the opening of Dreamgirls. With some 3,000 square feet of shimmer panels adorning the set, the musical, which is on stage at McCarter’s Matthews Theater March 6 through 24, is big on flash and glitz.

But there is more to Dreamgirls than glamour and sequins. “I love the story. I think it has a better book than it gets credit for,” said Lili-Anne Brown, director of the show, during a break from rehearsals this week. “I have always felt that while it was very glitzy and very much about that life, with really showy singing, that’s just one of the many parts of that story. It’s a generalized story about the music business, and also about womanhood and friendship, and how these things can be exploited in a business that’s supposed to be about people’s talent.” more

By Anne Levin

At a meeting on Monday, February 26, Princeton Council held its annual discussion with Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber on the relationship and collaborations between the University and the municipality. The gathering allows members of the governing body to ask Eisgruber about specific areas of collaboration with the University, while giving him an opportunity to speak about the state of the University, its priorities, and higher education in general.

On January 30, the University announced its plan to contribute more than $50 million over five years to the municipality, community organizations, and lower- and middle-income residents to support mutual community interests including college access, sustainability, diversity and equality, mass transit, municipal infrastructure, safety, and emergency services. The plan provides for contributions of $39.5 million to the municipality. more

By Anne Levin

For retailers and restaurateurs, post-Valentine’s Day is a traditionally quiet time of year. What better time, the creators of Princeton Restaurant Week thought four years ago, to jump-start the local culinary scene with seven days of special menus and reduced prices?

The first Princeton Restaurant Week debuted in 2020 with a few participating eateries. Then the pandemic hit, putting the concept on a two-year hiatus. The event returned last year under the aegis of Experience Princeton, the nonprofit formed in 2022 as the Princeton Business Partnership, a Special Improvement District (SID) dedicated to promoting and marketing the town. Some 40 restaurants signed on. more

By Anne Levin

A few weeks ago, Mimi Omiecinski was dropping off some posters for Pi Day Princeton at the front desk of Princeton Public Library when two teenaged boys who were walking by stopped to comment. “Oh, Pi Day,” one of them said to the other. “We have to do the Pie Eating Contest.”

Omiecinski, whose Princeton Tour Company started the annual Pi Day celebrations in 2009, was pleasantly surprised. “I said to them, ‘You know Pi Day?’ And they said, ‘Of course! We’ve done this since we were kids.’ It hit me then,” Omiecinski said. “This is a thing.” more

By Anne Levin

Friday, February 23 is the last day to view the exhibit devoted to the Princeton Affordable Housing Map at the Bernstein Gallery in Robertson Hall of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). The show is being unofficially ushered out with a special panel discussion being held in the building the evening before.

The past, present, and future of affordable housing in Princeton is the topic of the event featuring Fern Spruill, chair of the former Princeton Civil Rights Commission (CRC); Edward Truscelli, executive director of Princeton Community Housing; and Matt Mleczko, a Ph.D. candidate at the University, in a conversation moderated by Anastasia R. Mann, lecturer and founding director of SPIA. Admission is free and open to all. It begins with a reception from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by the panel from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

While the exhibit is ending, the document that inspired it remains interactive and available online at spia.princeton.edu/events/princeton-affordable-housing-map. more

SCHOOL DAYS: A still from Frederick Wiseman’s film “High School,” which was shot at Philadelphia’s Northeast High School in 1968. The film is among the highlights of the upcoming “Real Life, Reel Representation” symposium at Rider University.

By Anne Levin

Since 2007, Rider University’s Department of Media Arts has been producing a film festival focused on specific themes. This year’s event, on February 28 and 29, is titled “Real Life, Reel Representation: The Art and (Personal) Politics of Nonfiction Film.”

Screenings and panel discussions are devoted to work by students and professional filmmakers, including the award-winners Ross McElwee, known for such features as Sherman’s March and Photographic Memory; and Frederick Wiseman, who created High School, City Hall, and numerous other works. McElwee is a guest speaker. more