New Brunswick is often regarded as a temporary home by its student population. It reminds me of a neighborhood on the edge of an outer borough that no one has heard of or set foot in. Ironically, I once told someone I would be living in New Brunswick for college, and they responded in enthusiastic recognition: “Oh, that’s great, I love Bushwick!” When you google “New Brunswick,” the first several results refer to the Canadian province that borders Maine. Needless to say, New Brunswick’s significance is limited to its status as a regional “hub” of healthcare and higher education.
Most undergraduate students who live in New Brunswick dorm by or on College Avenue, inhabit downtown apartment buildings like The Standard, and dorm on or by the Cook/Douglass campuses. Even off-campus students are only familiar with frequented streets such as George, Easton, Hamilton, Guilden, etc. Those who live on other campuses or commute to Rutgers have limited exposure to New Brunswick. So, in fact, there seem to be two New Brunswicks– Rutgers and the other.
It’s difficult to blame Rutgers students for their lack of enthusiasm for a place they are obliged to call home. New Brunswick has neither the quaint charm of a small northeastern college town nor the amenities of a medium-sized city (like decent transport options, for one). New Brunswick is just a small, not very alluring city (to put it politely), composed of the University, some hospitals, and a few Middlesex County government buildings.
So, is it surprising that the vast majority of Rutgers students feel no motivation to become more active citizens of the city they inhabit (or at least a city they frequent)? With the commencement of my first column, I would like to suggest some places that may allow you (presumably a Rutgers student) to get more acquainted with the other New Brunswick and all of its quirks.
Boyd Park
Boyd Park is quite literally “on the banks of the old Raritan River.” It is probably the closest you can get to nature within city limits (if you can tolerate some stray trash lying around). In its defense, there is a towpath by the river almost a mile long, at the end of which is the New Brunswick graffiti gallery. There are plans to open a dog park within Boyd Park in May. It is not paradise, but it does offer some greenery– albeit, right next to Rt. 18.
Neilson St
Neilson Street is like an alternate universe that preserves some of New Brunswick’s charming old American architecture. Most of the old architecture in New Brunswick was torn down to pave way for more parking garages than it could ever possibly need. The result is the New Brunswick that we see today: concrete, brick, and the all-too-familiar vibe of a post-industrial American city that never quite got its mojo back. However, as a consolation prize, you can walk down Neilson and feel like you live in an old, coastal New England town (just try to ignore the large Hyatt and its corresponding parking garage across the street from where this picture was taken).
New Brunswick Public Library
The New Brunswick Public Library was completed in 1903, and constructed with funds received from the Carnegie Corporation. The Carnegie Corporation of New York funded dozens of municipalities throughout the state to build beaux-arts style libraries (a style that is timelessly refined).
Upon entering the New Brunswick Public Library, one can tell that it is a historic building by its ruggedly labyrinthine interior and its distinctly aged smell. NBPL is a relic of the old New Brunswick that has been left behind in favor of economic growth– a process that is inevitable and arguably necessary as cities age.
It is essential to integrate Rutgers students into New Brunswick; it may create a city where a large portion of its residents are invested in its past, present, and future. There are plenty of problems to solve in the NB (like a housing shortage, for one) that will persist if residents continue to regard them with apathy. In my vision of a utopian New Brunswick, there is an urban symbiosis of Rutgers students and townies– a city where residents of different backgrounds can advocate for each other instead of ignoring each other or worse, but not uncommon, butting heads about noise and parking.
But, as a final word of advice, make the most of your time in New Brunswick. Try to let it make an impression on you. It doesn’t even have to be a good impression. Geography has a strange way of cementing eras in your life. Let this be your “Rutgers– New Brunswick” era, for all the good and bad that it may entail. And if nothing else, assure yourself that living in a town like New Brunswick builds character.