The residential real estate market in Princeton is similar to that of many village type settlements. There are pockets of wealth, which have not changed much over the course of time. The initial wealthier families settled in the western portion of the town and built large estates within walking distance of the downtown. The northern central portion of the Borough (buffered from the western portion by Route 206) has a relatively small district of lower value single and multi-family residential dwellings which blends into more moderate value neighborhoods toward the east.
The eastern, more suburban neighborhoods are characterized by their larger lot sizes in comparison to the central portion of the Borough. One notable feature in the southeastern portion of the borough is the proximity to Carnegie Lake. The lake falls outside of the Borough border but it still has an obvious effect on the real estate in addition to the favorable elementary school (Riverside). 
The following maps depict that very story with the mapping of all residential real estate listings by price, as well as the number of listings by census block. The data includes all listings (TREND MLS) from April 2000 through November 2009.
The overall volume of all those listings organized by census blocks, shows the relationship between the various property types, number of housing units (density) as well as real estate activity in those regions.
As evidenced in the map, the western, wealthier portion of town has a larger density despite the fewer number of units which is expected due to the substantially higher property values. The central portion of the Borough has a lot of activity and a good mix of dwelling types and higher densities which leads to substantial volume. Interestingly the eastern side of town, despite sustained higher property values and a moderate housing density, does not display a large volume of listings, which is indicative of market inactivity.
The following map shows the amount of time these listings sit on the market. Known throughout the industry as marketing time, the number of days on the open market is a result of several factors, not the least of which is a struggling real estate market. The overall factor of time has a definite influence on the shorter “marketing time” in this instance since the time period included in the analysis includes one of the best and one of the worst turns in residential real estate (housing bubble 2005-2006 and current recession). Princeton however, has shown some resistance the recent recession while surrounding communities have really suffered. The values have sustained in Princeton Borough (as well as the surrounding Township) according to the tax assessor who has chosen successfully to increase assessed values over the past several years (most municipalities have decreased – substantially in some cases). Other factors in marketing time include higher value properties and obviously favorable markets or locations with quick turnover.
[...] Residential Listings [...]