Hugging the southern banks of the Raritan River, New Brunswick is a commercial hub and commuter town for Newark and New York City. It is home to one of the campuses of Rutgers University, which was chartered before the American Revolution and is now the largest university in New Jersey.
Things to do in New Brunswick
In the far north-west of New Brunswick is Buccleuch Park, a 30-hectare green space home to recreational fields, picnic lawns and walking trails. Dominating the park is an 18th-century Georgian mansion that was originally built by Anthony White. Open to the public for guided tours, it is beautifully decorated with Federal and Victorian furnishings.
On the campus of Rutgers University is the Zimmerli Art Museum, which houses an outstanding collection of global art dating from the 15th century to the modern day. In addition to Russian and Soviet Nonconformist artworks from the Dodge Collection, it showcases 19th-century French paintings, American prints and rare books. Also nearby is the Rutgers Geology Museum, which occupies a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Spanning the Raritan River east of New Brunswick are the Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges, a pair of bridges that connect to the township of Edison. The oldest of the two is an Art Deco-style arch bridge named after its designer, Morris Goodkind, and features historical plaques detailing the site’s significance to the Lenape Indians and colonial settlers. For the best views of the bridges, head to the riverfront trails of Donaldson Park.
Getting around New Brunswick
New Brunswick is around 40 minutes’ drive from Newark and 30 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Regular trains connect to the New Brunswick railway station and buses travel throughout the city.