Under $100: Princeton

The beautiful little town of Princeton, N.J., has a small-town look surrounded by big, gorgeous homes. Princeton University is at the center of the little town and is reminiscent of a church or small castle. With its beautiful arches of stone engulfed by ivy, the building could not be better placed.

After a walk around, pop into Princeton Record Exchange for some deeply discounted CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, LPs, cassette tapes and, yes, even VHS tapes. Don’t forget to bring your own unwanted media to trade in and get an even better deal.

© Grisha Levit | Flickr

After hitting some of the unique shops in the area, head into Green Street Consignment for some gently worn, high-end clothes shopping.

For lunch, head to Jammin Crepes, which offers much more than the name would suggest. All of the food is locally grown, sourced and in season, so the menu is eclectic, fresh and highly original. They offer breakfast all day from $6.50 for homemade granola, fruit and local honey, to $8.95 for “The Full Monty.” The savory crepes are amazing and are all just more than $8 while the sweets are all around $4.50 to $6.00.

© Kennethchern | Dreamstime

To get the local food from the source, every Thursday, there is a small farmers market with music, local food and crafts right on Witherspoon Street. While visiting, definitely check out an exhibit at the Princeton Library next door. See the papers of F. Scott Fitzgerald on display from his stint at the University.

After having something to eat, catch a film or play at the Princeton Garden Theater. Student ticket prices are $8 and the films available are constantly changing. They range from indie films and Oscar-nominated movies to foreign documentaries and even the classics. Very near by is Mercer Street where tourists can see the home of Albert Einstein.