Shopping & Services
You probably want to stick to the local malls and Route 1 to purchase most items and enjoy window-shopping on Nassau Street and Palmer Square. Still, there are places for the impecunious and the prosperous Princetonian, and here's a brief summary. Look out for deals for Princeton students.
Clothing
Palmer Square has Banana Republic and J. Crew. If you really have to prep yourself up, there is Talbots and Ralph Lauren on Nassau Street and Ann Taylor in Palmer Square. Kate Spade, Rouge and Zoe carry fashionable women's clothing, while Lululemon and Princeton Running Co. on Nassau Street carry athletic apparel. If you like pink, Palm Place by Lilly Pulitzer might beckon. The consignment clothing shops Jane on Spring Street and Greene Street on Nassau are well worth the visit.
Landau on Nassau Street has wool scarves, coats, socks and blankets. Oddly, the store also parks its mascot, an Icelandic ram, on the street, and a corner of the shop is dedicated to former Princeton resident Albert Einstein. There's also J. McLaughlin on Witherspoon Street, a men and women's clothing shop that bills itself as "the Hamptons with a sense of humor" -- you be the judge.
And for the artsy, check out the chic but expensive Mandalay Trading Co. on Witherspoon Street. Ditto for Bucks County Dry Goods on Palmer Square. On the cheaper side, the Army & Navy Store (Witherspoon Street) carries more pairs of blue jeans and flannel shirts than camouflage pants.
Affordable shoes are a little harder to find around town, but the shoe stores often have sales. Try Hulit's (142 Nassau St.), Ricchard's (next door), or Aerosoloes on Palmer Square and The Walking Company at 46 Nassau St.
Hair
Haircuts in Princeton are not cheap. The barber shops cost between $15 and $20 a cut after tip, and the salons generally start at $40. You can find some student specials if you look around. The closest barber shops are Continental Barber Shop (38 Witherspoon Lane), Jimmy's Barber Shop (141 John St.), Theo’s of Princeton Salon (236 Nassau St.) and Rialto (128 Nassau St.). Don't expect personalized service -- the haircuts take about three minutes. Fancier salons in town include Cosmo Bleu (170 Nassau St.), La Jolie (6 Hulfish) and Godfrey Aziz (15 Witherspoon St.).
Music
Princeton is the home to an amazing new and used music store. The Princeton Record Exchange (20 S. Tulane St.) is well known with vinyl fans, and people actually come from New York City to browse the aisles (rows upon rows of $5 used CDs). If you want to forget that embarrassing little Enya phase you went through in high school, ask if they'll buy the disks.
Visit the U-Store for CD's by Princeton groups.
Groceries
Believe it or not, there isn’t a grocery store within walking distance of the University. A terrific bet during the academic year (harvest season in fall and spring) is the farmers' market, which was started by Princeton students and is held near Firestone or in the square outside the Princeton Public Library. Vendors at the market represent organic, sustainable local producers. D'Angelo Italian Market on Spring Street has some groceries -- mostly dry goods -- as well as freshly prepared meals. La Mexicana (150 Witherspoon St.) sells a small selection of Latin American groceries and the Whole Earth Center (360 Nassau St.) is an authentic organic food store. You can also order delivery from McCaffrey's (301 N. Harrison St.). Thanks to the USG, they'll bring it to your dorm for free. For any significant shopping, though, take Route 1 South to Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Sam's Club and ShopRite, all within 10 minutes of campus.
Books & Paper
The key bookstore in town for academic books and more is Labyrinth Books at 110-114 Nassau St. There's also Glen Echo Books (14 Nassau St.), a small, bookshop that's below street level, in what used to be a bank vault.
If you're looking for school supplies, the U-Store is a good bet, as is The Office Store (28 Spring St.), which carries Moleskine journals, binders, printer cartridges, paper and writing utensils.
For greeting cards, stop in at Joy Cards (6B Chambers St.) or The Papery (43 Hulfish), and Paper Source (82 Nassau St.) for fancy, handmade cards. If you're on a budget, hit up CVS (172 Nassau St.).
Flowers
Whether you're buying roses for your significant other or trying to spruce up a dorm room with some sunflowers, there are two spots in town for flora and fauna -- Jardiniere Florals (195 Nassau St.) and The Flower Station (203 Nassau St.).
