Highland Park: A Small but Mighty Downtown on the Banks of the Old Raritan
By Rebecca Hersh
Executive Director, Main Street Highland Park
September 10, 2022
A short walk over the bridge from New Brunswick and Rutgers University, Highland Park is a shining example of what can be done on a shoestring budget with a committed group of volunteers, local officials, and a tiny Main Street staff.
“Our special events have made Highland Park a destination – allowing us to weather the pandemic and continue to come to life post-pandemic better than ever,” says Jenni Chapman, board member of Main Street Highland Park and owner of a local gift shop that maintains its presence in town thanks to the weekly special retail venues, including the Farmers Market, Saturday night markets, holiday markets, and ongoing special programming.
“I live in Old Bridge and go to Farmers Markets throughout the state. The Highland Park’s Farmers Market is the best of them all – it is just a fun happy environment layered onto excellent produce and local products. And when I come, I always take the opportunity to get a manicure downtown too,” says market patron Beth Rubin.
The artistic character of the community has been enhanced by the addition of several murals decorating the outside walls of buildings in the downtown. Music also permeates the air on a regular basis with outdoor performances Pino’s, the local pub, wine and gift shop, and performance venue; on various street corners in the downtown; and in the outdoor market space, a municipal parking lot that has been transformed into a part-time de facto town square.
The lot is much more than a parking lot — it essentially functions as our community gathering space for many events throughout the year. Our town does not have any other public gathering space downtown, and as a result, a wide variety of events happen in this space, including the weekly farmers market, outdoor movies, downtown planting days, the tree lighting, the menorah lighting, Halloween festivities, an arts and crafts market, live music, and more.
Main Street Highland Park’s goal is to improve the vitality and resiliency of our downtown for our local businesses and the community at large. This project will continue to invest in the economic development that will help our town thrive, and continue to foster a walkable and bikeable town that improves local business activity, improves public health, and improves the environment.
Main Street Highland Park (MSHP) is a volunteer-based non-profit community development organization that manages the downtown Business Improvement District (BID) for the benefit of merchants, businesses, and residents of Highland Park. As a dedicated advocate for the downtown, MSHP’s programs and projects improve the image of downtown Highland Park, focusing on its commercial assets, visual appeal, safety, and desirability as a destination for business, shopping, dining, fun, community, arts, and sustainability.
More information at https://www.mainstreethp.org/, or follow them @MainStreetHP on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.