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Awesome Things To Do In New Brunswick, NJ

ByKasia Kalemba Hours
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When I first came to Rutgers, never did I imagine I would spend 10 years living in the New Brunswick area. After graduation, I coincidentally landed a job here and decided living in the area would be easier. Although that chapter has ended for me, throughout all the years of being in the area, I gathered this awesome list of things to do in New Brunswick, NJ.

Here is your Rutgers triple alumna, New Brunswick’s top-notch expertise of things to do and see in this infamous Jersey college town. I will also include some neighboring towns that also have some cool spots too. Whether you’re visiting New Brunswick for the college vibes or you’re curious to see what the hype is all about, I hope that my guide will give you a least a couple of gems to visit!

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New Brunswick became my home because of attending Rutgers University. Three degrees is enough though 🙂
Table of Contents show

Let’s start with the basics. There are three sides to New Brunswick:
1) the college part including Easton Ave bars where you’ll rarely find anyone older than twenty-one
2) the young professional and industry area based off of George Street
3) the part you shouldn’t venture off to after dark

Fun activities in New Brunswick

Stroll along the Rutgers University Campus

Let’s start with the obvious first and just get it out of the way. If you’ve never been here, you might be a little confused about the layout of this giant university. It’s composed of the following campuses across two cities. In the most basic way this is the layout:

  • College Ave is the liberal arts, the center of many important offices New Brunswick campus
  • Busch is a nerdy science center in Piscataway 3
  • Livingston is the business hub also in Piscataway and
  • Cook/Douglas is a weird place with science and performing arts.

To see the highlights, visit Vorhees Mall and walk along College Ave to get the gist of Rutgers life. Notice the beautiful Chapel too.

Attend a Rutgers football game but not for the football

The team sucks most of the years but you’re not here for quality football. You’ll attend the game for the spirit of the tailgate, the ultimate Rutgers pride despite the team’s inability to win much, and of course the drinks. Rutgers families and alumni love this event and so should you. If you can’t join someone’s tailgate, more public options including a beer garden are located closer to the stadium.

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Spend a Sunday afternoon at Rutgers Gardens

Rutgers Gardens is such a cute place and it really fascinates me how many students and NB residents don’t know about its existence. You can find beautiful flowers and other plants and even take a mini hike among bamboo trees. They also host local farmer’s market even in the winter. I love going there for a fairly quiet Sunday afternoon stroll.

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See a comedy show at Stress Factory

This is simply a must. I never went to this place when I was in college and I only discovered it after graduation. Stress Factory is the best comedy club around, probably even in New Jersey. I saw people like Pete Davidson, Ilana Glazer, Leslie Jones, and Anthony Jeselnik from only a couple of feet away.

Ticket prices vary with the performer and you must meet a certain minimum at each table. The experience is simply amazing! I strongly recommend this for a night full of laughs.

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Run in a Big Chill 5k

Big Chill is an annual 5k race that should you certainly partake in. I did this in college and then every year after graduation. I am certainly not a runner and neither are 80% of the participants. But it is a sweet way to feel the Rutgers warmth in December, donate a toy to their toy drive and grow your Big Chill t-shirt collection. Even though it’s a short 5k race, a lot of people end up walking 40% of it. I enjoy it for my reward beer after and meeting up with my friends. Don’t forget to grab a picture with Chilly!

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Nightlife in New Brunswick

Enjoy a Salsa Night at Esquina Latina

Esquina is my favorite restaurant in town for a couple of reasons. First, their food is delicious, specifically, ALL of their appetizers. Second, their drinks are strong and the margarita’s amazing. Third, on the weekends after 10 pm, the place transforms into a mini dancing club. Yes, it’s Latin dancing with Salsa and Bachata but the DJ makes sure to mix in some reggaeton.

After work, you can also stop by for an amazing happy hour. They recently opened a sister restaurant Fat Cactus which I imagine will have a similar vibe after ‘rona calms down. I couldn’t recommend this place enough!

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Have a drink at Stuff Yer Face

Ok ok, I’m cheating a little because this is technically a college bar BUT this is also a family and alumni favorite because of its fish bowls and famous bolis. Stuff is the definition of a nostalgic college bar that you used to go to. It’s nowhere near fancy but its borderline dungeness makes you love it. They have awesome outside seating and a cool place to hang out in the summer.

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Good for steins
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and pints
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and of course FISH BOWLS

… but if you want fancier vibes, check out Clydz

Clydz should be at the top of your “things to do in New Brunswick as an adult list.” It serves some serious cocktails, its bartenders are top-notch and the food doesn’t disappoint either. At $14 a cocktail, I try to opt out for the half-price happy hour. I don’t think I ever had a bad drink there. The crowd is much more sophisticated compared to Easton Ave for obvious reasons.

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Remember college at Olive Branch

When you’re a Rutgers student, you’re either a Queens or an OB girl. I was 1000% an OB girl and spent a lot of happy hours as well as late nights hanging out at Olive Branch. The best part is that even after graduation you can enjoy a drink at the bar without feeling 100 years old. They have a ton of TVs for sports, an awesome crew of bartenders (shoutout to Matty), and a classic college vibe. If you didn’t have a $0.50 Happy hour slice there did you even go to Rutgers?

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Speaking of Happy Hours, George Street has them all

Working in New Brunswick is fun because once 5pm strikes, you can venture to George Street for some decent happy hours.

  • Esquina Latina: Beers start at $3 and cocktails go around $5. There is also an appetizer menu with some tasty bites.
  • George Street Ale House has $5 beers and wines, $4 well drinks, and a ton of bar bites.
  • INC has a similar price point for drinks and a HH bar menu.
  • Clydz probably has the best HH in town as their coctails go at 50% less than dinner prices.
  • Redd’s opened not that long ago but they’re not slacking on their HH menus. Grab some pints and pretzels in true Biergarten style.
  • Roosterspin’s happy hour is pretty standard but they also have reverse HH at night until closing!
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Best New Brunswick Food Options

Check out the Mexican culinary scene

New Brunswick has a decent-sized Mexican population living in the non-college part of it. If you’re adventurous and want like the real real Mexican, it’s not hard to find. For your more authentic journey, I recommend El Oaxaqueño, a small establishment where speaking Spanish is a must and so is a case of BYOB beer.

Not ready for that level of authenticity? Tacoria should do that then. It’s also BYOB, has an awesome new patio, and is probably one of the coolest places around.

Another amazing place in town is La Catrina, the food is authentic, delicious and did I mention it’s also BYOB? I would vote this as my favorite Mexican around.

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Have ice cream at Surreal

For some reason, every single person you talk to will automatically send you to Thomas Sweets, the New Brunswick staple for ice cream. Although I like that place, I would strongly argue that Surreal’s ice cream is actually surreal. Their creations come in cute little mason jars that you can actually keep. My recommendation is the Matcha ice cream with nilla wafers, simple yet surreal.

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Be vegan at Veganized

I love meat with all my heart but I will take a meal from Veganized any day of the week. When it first opened it was a small hole in the wall with a couple of tables upstairs serving some bomb vegan plates. Due to their popularity, they have now moved to a new location up the street.

Every single one of their dishes is simply amazing but my favorite will always be Mackin cheeze, a heavenly cashew cheese vegan pasta. I will make a bold argument that this is one of the best kinds of pasta I have ever eaten and to brag, I’ve been to Italy a couple of times 🙂 Prices are steep for New Brunswick but totally worth every penny.

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Treat yourself to a fancy dinner

New Brunswick and fancy in the same sentence? Is that even possible? You’d be quite surprised that it is. This town has a couple of very known places that attract people from neighboring towns too. My favorite in the area is Steakhouse 85. You get a top-notch dinner and an awesome selection of wines. Salt is a newcomer to town and it serves some pretty decent but pricey oysters in addition to their impressive seafood menu. It’s the perfect place to impress your boo. Another town classic is The Frog and the Peach. It’s tucked away in a corner of New Brunswick and you certainly won’t find any college kids there.

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Other places worth mentioning

Here is a list in no particular order, of the places I love in the area but that don’t necessarily fit in my categories above. Ramen Nagomi has the best ramen on this planet. I am not joking. Fritz’s will cure any hangover, its breakfast options are divine. PJ’s pizza is the only pizza in New Brunswick you should eat. Halal guys who? King of Gyro has platters way better than any NYC stand. Find cool weenie dishes at Destination Dogs. Oh, and Namli has superb Turkish dishes.

Activities outside (but near) New Brunswick

Above I listed things to do IN New Brunswick ranging from Rutgers-themed events to the best places to eat and drink at. However, New Brunswick has some pretty exciting neighbors too and you’d be a fool not to visit them.

Awesome parks and trails of the area

If you love biking like me, Raritan Canal should be your next adventure. This thing runs along the Raritan river all the way to the Delaware River at PA border. It’s the perfect bike path for warmer days and you should at least stroll along it. Right on the other side of the Raritan, you’ll find Johnson Park, a large park with courts/fields, bike and running paths, and oh a little zoo. Don’t forget Buccleuch Park for a nice short run and beautiful scenery in the spring.

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A little further out off of Rt. 27, you can find the 6-mile run trail, mostly flat but cool preservation you can explore on foot or on a bike. My favorite however has to be Duke Farms, a huge chunk of land with walking and biking paths, sculptures, a stunning orchid garden, farmer’s market on the weekends, a farm, waterfalls, and many other beautiful spots hidden within.

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6 mile run
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scenery at 6 mile run
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and Duke Farms!
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Island Spa, the ultimate Korean spa experience

When I first entered Island Spa, I wasn’t made aware of Korean spa etiquette. That involves being totally naked in the jacuzzis and common same-sex areas. It was pretty weird at first, not going to lie, but after you get over it, this is the most relaxing thing you can do in the area. The place houses multiple hot jacuzzi baths and a variety of saunas. They offer yoga once a day, napping rooms, working spaces, a fresh juice bar, and a restaurant on-site.

The best thing I recommend there is a full-body scrub. Yes, it feels like someone is rubbing your skin off with sandpaper, but you will be like a baby’s bottom after. Upstairs, you can book a private massage and other spa services. It can be pricey so make sure to spend a full day there to make the most of it.

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Get competitive at Bowlero or Top Golf

If you haven’t checked out my New Jersey drinking guide yet, you should. I talk about these two places and what I like and dislike about them in more detail. Bowlero is a cool bowling alley with a full bar located in North Brunswick. Top Golf is an awesome golf lounge also with a full bar and restaurant located in Edison. Although I enjoy both places from time to time, I would recommend going with a larger group of people as per hour prices can be a little rough.

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Explore Highland Park

Highland is a small town across the river. You can walk there from New Brunswick if you wanted to. It’s mostly residential but along route 27, you can find a couple of stop-worthy spots. I like Midori Sushi for truly amazing sushi, Chef Tan for authentic Chinese dishes and Pino’s for wine lounge vibes at night.

Final Thoughts

After 10 years of living in the New Brunswick area, I hold very warm memories of my times here as an undergrad and ever better ones post-graduation. As a young professional here, I took advantage of the NYC train connection, proximity to fun towns, and abundance of things to do. I hope you find an activity or a place you haven’t considered before from this list!

What is your favorite place in New Brunswick? Let me know in the comments below.

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Kasia is a travel blogger that loves to share her detailed itineraries and travel tips with her community. She's traveled to numerous countries and makes it a priority to explore her home state of New Jersey while still being passionate about her 9-5 career.

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