College Life in New Brunswick, NJ

Things To Do

A major part of day-to-day life for Rutgers-New Brunswick students center around extracurricular activities and events both on and off-campus. Many Rutgers students are heavily involved in student-led clubs and other activities, on campus. Sports and cheering on the Scarlet Knights is a huge part of social life for students, so on game days make sure to suit up in your red and black and join your fellow peers at a game!

New Brunswick offers an abundance of attractions, restaurants, and shops for students to frequent. Visit the Geology Center, spend a day relaxing in Buccleuch Park with friends, or grab your bike and set off down the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. If you’re feeling adventurous, hop on a train out of town to go to New York City or Philadelphia for the weekend.

Highlights include:

Cheer on Rutgers’ Scarlet Knights
Learn about the natural history of New Jersey at the Geology Museum
Take the train to NYC
Bike the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail

Dining/Bars

When it comes time to indulge, students at Rutgers often head to College Ave a bite to eat. frat parties or club-sponsored parties, and hit the bars and clubs. Weekends typically start on Thursdays for most students – as social life is quite lively in the general New Brunswick area. Here are a few places you won’t want to miss while you’re attending Rutgers.

Best Restaurants:

Destination Dogs

Stuff Yer Face

Mamoun’s Falafel

Old Man Rafferty’s

Due Mari

Best Bars:

Clydz

The Ale N Wich Pub

The Dillinger Room

Hub City Brewhouse

Harvest Moon Brewery

Outdoors/Recreation

During the warmer months, you can catch the majority of students hanging out on one of the campus grounds tossing around a frisbee or soaking up the sun in between classes. If you’re looking to engage in outdoor activities with classmates, consider joining the GO Outdoors program. Trips include hiking Mount Tammany sunset kayaking, and camping trips. Students can also take classes, some include learning how to build campfire, or learning the best knots for rock climbing.

On campus, students like to hit up the Recreation Center to blow off the stress of studies, and engage in physical activities with friends. Here students can take advantage of the fitness facility, swimming pool, and many sports courts and fields. If you like to play sports consider joining a club or intramural team!