Princeton, New Jersey Real Estate
Princeton: Home of Great Minds

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In July of 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, 15th on its list of the "100 Best Places to Live" in the United States. This recognition came as a result of three centuries of progress, determination and persistent effort

The area is rich in history. During the War for Independence, British and American armies crossed New Jersey several times. On January 3, 1777, the American forces led by George Washington scored an important victory over British forces led by Charles Cornwallis in the Battle of Princeton. In the summer of 1783, the Continental Congress met in Nassau Hall at Princeton University, making Princeton the country's capital for four months. It was there that the Continental Congress learned of the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1783) which ended the war.

Before the formation of Mercer County in 1836, Nassau Street, the main street of Princeton, was the boundary between Middlesex and Somerset County, New Jersey. Like many communities in the region, Princeton (an abbreviated "Prince Town") is divided into two legal municipalities, a township and a borough. Because the township completely surrounds the borough, they are referred to together as "the two Princetons." The community is also home to Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton University, and Westminster Choir College. The university campus lies mostly within Princeton Borough, but parts of it extend into Princeton Township and it has fields and a separate enclave in West Windsor Township. The university was chartered in 1746, and is one of two universities in New Jersey to be chartered before the American Revolution (Rutgers University is the other).

Other historical events and personalities have graced Princeton since the Revolution. In 1840, Joseph Henry operated one of the first telegraphs here. Three former U.S. presidents, Founding Father James Madison, Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson all had either lived, taught or died in Princeton. And in 1933, Albert Einstein arrived at Princeton, where he taught and conducted research, staying until his death in 1955. Princeton was also the historical setting of the Academy Award-winning film, "A Beautiful Mind," about the schizophrenic mathematician John Nash. Other famous residents include one of America's earliest stalwarts of faith and key leader of "The Great Awakening," Jonathan Edwards, polling pioneer George Gallup, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke, and actors John Lithgow, Bebe Neuwirth, Christopher Reeve and the legendary Jimmy Stewart.