Cranbury
I have a habit of describing Cranbury like this: Imagine Princeton as being a large iceberg from which a smaller chunk, called Cranbury, broke off and started floating to the east. Crossing over all of Plainsboro, it finally came to a stop when it hit Route 130. Cranbury is a little piece of Princeton that has every bit of that more famous township’s elegance and charm, along with membership in its vaunted school system.

Cranbury is tiny, but it makes up for that with a main street that is a source of tourist attraction and homes, some of them surrounding a lake, that are spectacular. To live or even visit Cranbury is to experience a small New Jersey town that has been lovingly maintained by its residents. Class and charm are everywhere, and that extends to the nature of the residents themselves.

Needless to say, homes in Cranbury reflect the nature of the township and mirror the prices of their Princeton counterparts. One will not find a shoddy property anywhere; I do believe that maintaining property in top-notch condition is written somewhere in the constitution of the municipality. If you like vinyl siding or vinyl flooring, do not look for them in Cranbury.

With the exception of patronizing the quaint shops along the aptly named Main Street, residents avail themselves of malls and shopping in nearby Plainsboro, South Brunswick and West Windsor. The Princeton school system is a most definite draw for the community, even if the commute to that township is a bit longer than for most school children in nearby towns.

Cranbury is a stone’s throw away from the bus park-and-ride along Route 130 and the New Jersey Turnpike. The Princeton Junction train station is a few minutes away as well, offering an array of possibilities for the township’s commuters.