Favorite Places: New Brunswick

As anyone who has ever lived in or visited New Brunswick knows, it has a lot to offer. I’ve been a New Brunswick regular since the early 1980s when I'd hit the Melody Bar on French Street for New Jersey punk rock or take in The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the old Arts Cinema.

In those days, you could find me in the stacks of Pyramid Books or Cheap Thrills Records, or hanging with my friend Glenn at his health food store, Back to the Garden.

Much has changed in the city over the last 20 or so years, but New Brunswick remains a cultural hub for the region--hence, its nickname. I think all of us have our favorite places in town, whether they be small restaurants or places to shop for trinkets or books—and Patch wants our readers to share.

I am going to kick off the series today with a trio of my favorite New Brunswick places. Add yours to the comments or send them to us and we’ll post them. If we can encourage more people to visit, then we can ensure that some of our favorite places will remain successful for a long, long time.

, 71 Hamilton St.: The museum is one of the jewels of the Rutgers College campus, a place to see world class art and learn from some of the most important scholars around. When I was a student at Rutgers, I'd often take my lunch into the museum, pull out a notepad as I stared into a painting, using it as inspiration for my writing. I don't get there as often now, but it remains a favorite stop when I am in New Brunswick.

, George Street: I'm a fan of the microbrews and Harvest Moon serves some of the best around. And the food is as good as the beer.

, Church Street: I don't get here much--I'm getting old--but the Court remains on of the best places to find local music from one of the more underrated rock scenes in the nation.

So, what are you favorite places in New Brunswick?