Princeton Magazine | Celebrating the Heritage of Princeton, New Jersey

A Spice Market of Flavors at Whimsy & Spice

By Taylor Smith

From stocking stuffers to wedding favors, try Whimsy & Spice for a memorable holiday treat.

Husband and wife duo Mark Sopchak and Jenna Park began their baking company Whimsy & Spice at the launch of the Brooklyn Flea in the spring of 2008. In the years since, Whimsy & Spice has grown, thrived, and expanded. A trained pastry chef influenced by the flavors of international travel, Sopchak handles the baking-side of the company’s operation, while Park manages the graphic design and marketing end, shooting much of the photography for the brand. Viewers will be struck by the New York design sensibility combined with unusual flavors. more

Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker’s  The George in Montclair

By Taylor Smith

Looking for a holiday getaway? Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown and her husband, entrepreneur Steven Plofker, have opened a stately and fashionable 32-room inn in the New York City suburb of Montclair. A 35-minute train ride from Midtown Manhattan, The George is the perfect weekend destination for tri-state area residents. more

Creative & Festive

In the spirit of the season, Princeton Magazine invited local artists and garden clubs to fashion holiday wreaths or centerpieces in their own style. The following one-of-a-kind pieces show just how diverse and eclectic a wreath can be.

Photography by Jeffrey Tryon

Q&A with Larissa Leary, Managing Partner, Advanced Education Director, L’ANZA Healing Artist, La Jolie Salon & Spa Interview

by Laurie Pellichero | Photos courtest of La Jolie Salon & Spa

After many years in downtown Princeton, La Jolie has moved. Tell us about your new location.

In October 2017, we officially opened our doors at 163 Bayard Lane Princeton. If you are a longtime resident of the area, you will probably remember it as the former location of Elements restaurant. The thoughtful design reimagined as a salon and spa is truly a modern retreat. Raw materials of wood, stone, and metal throughout give a rustic edge. We have created three defined spaces for hair, nails, and skincare. Comfort is a priority when you come to La Jolie. We wanted to make sure that from the moment you pull into one of our many parking spaces, you can escape the everyday hustle and enjoy any one of our services in a secluded atmosphere away from the busy downtown center. more

One Simple Wish

Granting Modest Wishes That Can Make a Big Difference in the Lives of Foster Children

By Laurie Pellichero | Photography courtesy of One Simple Wish

Every voice heard. Every child loved.” That is the goal of One Simple Wish, now celebrating 10 years of making wishes come true for children in foster care.

Founded by Ewing resident Danielle Gletow, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 55,000 children through 700 community partners in 48 states across the country through its online wish-granting platform at www.onesimplewish.org.

Books of Art for the Holiday Season

By Stuart Mitchner

Amsterdam was the first stop on my first trip to Europe and the first time in my life that I’d walked into a museum on a whim, on my own, casually, without thinking of it as a prescribed learning experience. Every painting was by the same artist. At 19, I knew about Van Gogh of course. I’d seen Kirk Douglas in Lust for Life. But here was the reality, vividly, wildly, uncontainedly there in the gobs, clusters, and swirls of paint everywhere I looked, and no one else was around, no crowds to contend with; somehow some way I’d lucked out and had the place to myself, just me and Van Gogh. I could almost hear him breathing, smell the smoke from his pipe, as if he were working as I watched, no brush, I imagined him squeezing the paint between his fingers and then slapping it on. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, I’d landed all by myself on the shore of a new world of art.

John Derian’s Treasure Chest in the East Village

By Taylor Smith

The mecca for all objects by designer John Derian is located across three distinct shopfront spaces at 6 East Second Street between 2nd Avenue and the Bowery in New York City. Derian’s signature découpage glassware is accompanied by hand-selected French and American antiques, home decor, linens, fine art, and accent pieces from around the world. A must-register destination for those who crave charming whimsy combined with craftsmen-like artisanship, customers can direct all inquiries to 212.677.1003. more

The World of Gennady Spirin

The Sea King’s Daughter A Russian Legend

Illustrating Tales and Stories for All Ages

By Wendy Greenberg | Photos courtesy of Gennady Spirin

While the work of artist and illustrator Gennady Spirin has been described as “realism,” he says that he doesn’t like that label. His distinctive illustrations of fairy tales, classic tales, and folk tales are the result of careful research and loving detail combined with imagination and interpretation.

And they resonate with children.

“Children have a realistic view of the world,” he explains. “That is why I try to make it look interesting to them. Children can’t draw what they see because they don’t have the skills yet, so it comes out childlike. They admire real objects the way they look, not a conceptual or a symbolic representation of it.” more

The Art at the Heart of the Art Museum Director

James Steward Steers the University Art Museum Expansion

By Ilene Dube | Portraits by Erica M. Cardenas

Big plans are underway for the Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM).

In September, the museum announced Sir David Adjaye as design architect, in collaboration with Cooper Robertson as executive architect, for a new building that will offer “dramatically enlarged space for the exhibition and study of the museum’s encyclopedic collections, special exhibitions, and art conservation, as well as classrooms and office space for the 100-person museum staff.” It is expected to be “an inspirational space, a center of cultural gravity.”

In accepting the position, Sir Adjaye called PUAM “one of the finest university art museums and among the oldest art collecting institutions in America…. The reimagined museum will be the cultural gateway between Princeton University, its students, faculty, and the world, a place of mind-opening encounters with art and ideas.” more

Maestro Dudamel Comes to Princeton

Welcoming Classical Music’s International Champion

By Anne Levin

In a YouTube video taped at a concert in Caracas, Venezuela, on New Year’s Eve 2007, the power of music is vividly on display. The Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra and the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble — an unusually large group on one stage — are playing the “Mambo” from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, and the place is rocking.

Audience members of all ages are on their feet, dancing, cheering, clapping, and tossing confetti at the stage. The musicians, having a hard time staying in their seats, manage to shimmy and sway as they play. On the podium leading this exhilarating pandemonium is Gustavo Dudamel, the youthful, curly-haired conductor who is a legend in his home country and a superstar in the music world. more

Immigrants and the Institute

A Longtime, Mutually-Rewarding History Continues

By Donald Gilpin | Photographs courtesy of the Institute for Advanced Study

The United States is a country of immigrants, but the question of immigrants and immigration has never been without controversy. It has been especially dominant in the national media during the past two years. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” wrote Emma Lazarus in an 1883 poem to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. Long before 1883 and in the 135 years since, immigrants, from refugees in direst poverty to students, entrepreneurs, and the most prosperous, have helped to shape the country and have permeated its civic and political dialogue.

Visiting History

Photo courtesy of Princeton Tour Company.

Walking, Trolley, and Driving Tours of Princeton and Hunterdon County

By Taylor Smith

The town of Princeton was made for walking, but why explore the many historic landmarks with your nose stuck in a guide book? These innovative tour companies allow you to navigate the town and Princeton University’s campus, all with the aid of your iPhone or with or without a tour guide. In addition, during the Covered Bridge Artisans Tour, visitors can go on a self-guided scenic drive through picturesque Hunterdon County and the nearby Delaware River, where they can complete their holiday shopping for unique, handcrafted gifts.

Does Hemp Have the Power to Heal?

By Taylor Smith

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD oil, is a chemical compound derived from the cannabis sativa plant, but it contains no THC (the psychoactive constituent) and is not evident in a drug test. Also known as hemp oil, many wellness practitioners have begun to tout the many benefits of CBD oil for the treatment of everything from anxiety and/or depression to pain relief, PTSD, insomnia, skincare, digestion, and seizures. more

An Urban Oasis — The Rubin Museum of Art

By Taylor Smith

Photos courtesy of The Rubin Museum of Art

Looking for a cultural day trip? Fall is a great time to visit The Rubin Museum of Art, located at 150 West 17th Street in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. With an emphasis on cross-cultural connections, the Rubin showcases the art, ideas, and culture of the Himalayas, India, and neighboring regions. Special exhibitions celebrate art forms that range from ancient to contemporary. more

Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center: A Community Hospital Morphs Into a Major Health Care Community

Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center was formerly known as the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. The hospital was a member of the Princeton HealthCare System, which was formally incorporated into the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 2018. The addition of the Princeton HealthCare System will make it the sixth hospital in the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

By Wendy Greenberg

Approaching its 100th anniversary, the former Princeton Hospital, which has treated so many, was itself put to the test. Six years ago, the beloved Witherspoon Street hospital closed, replaced by a gleaming glass structure on the other side of Route 1. The new building is a mere three miles away, but to some, it felt much further. more

Professor Prud’homme and the Pediatric Drug Project

Delivering Life-Saving Drugs to the Children Who Need Them Most

by Donald Gilpin | Photos by David Kelly Crow, Princeton University

Robert Prud’homme, Princeton University professor of chemical and biological engineering, has written more than 200 publications and filed more than 25 patents in a 40-year career that has been distinguished by deep scientific knowledge combined with an affinity for practical problem-solving and a dedication to collaboration. more

Buildings by Bauhan

Library. Residence of Mr. Alexander Benson, Mountain Avenue, Princeton.

A Look at Princeton’s First Preservation Architect

By Anne Levin | Photographs of the Bauhan Collection Courtesy of the Historical Society of Princeton.

As part of an occasional series on Princeton’s architectural history, we look at one of its most prolific architects, Rolf W. Bauhan. But to call Bauhan “prolific” is an understatement. The man considered to be Princeton’s first preservation architect designed more than 70 local buildings and renovated or restored another 150.

Bauhan, who lived from 1892 to 1966, was known for fine craftsmanship and integrating historical styles with the needs of modern living. more

Smart Homes Can Be Safe Homes

Examining the security behind smart home appliances

By Will Uhl | Images courtesy of Shutterstock.com

In the 1930s, innovators fantasized about the “Homes of Tomorrow”: futuristic houses integrating imaginative, far-flung technology. Nearly a century later, more and more homes are integrating technology that aims to simplify and streamline. Lights shift their intensity and hue with the time of day, doors lock when they see unrecognized faces, and cameras watch for intruders. However, as computers have evolved from calculators to ubiquitous networked communications devices, security and privacy concerns have grown more serious and frequent — and smart home devices are no exception. more

Home Thoughts for Fall

By Stuart Mitchner

As someone who grew up in Bloomington, “the Gateway to Scenic Southern Indiana,” I know something about fall colors. Even for a kid with limited aesthetic awareness, there was no ignoring the splendor of the leaves. I walked to school splashing through puddles of gold and red, and since bonfires were allowed in those days, the air always had a hazy, mysterious quality. Whenever I think back to that time of year, I’m in seventh grade and we’ve moved from graduate student barracks on the outskirts of town to a large two-story house five blocks from the University campus. Suddenly my parents had a veritable mansion to furnish with enough space for a grand piano, sofas, easy chairs, coffee tables — this after four years in the equivalent of a four-room cabin with a pot-bellied stove in the living room. more