Looking to explore what is most certainly one of the busiest Costcos I have ever come across in all of my travels? Well then, welcome to the Costco here at Lawrence Township. Granted, it looks and feels brand spanking new and it’s just down the road from the very well-heeled enclave that is Princeton, NJ and is situated squarely in the middle of suburbia, but this retail outpost is busier than a hornet’s nest in full bloom after someone has taken a very good hit to the vespid’s nest.
If you are drawn to retail parking lots with loads of traffic and jam-packed parking scenarios, where you know the situation - you have to brake every 10 feet or so for a pedestrian with a shopping cart - and don’t mind this crowded mess, then this Costco may just be perfect for you. For the rest of us, I suggest heading somewhere else instead.
But if you do decide to brave these fairly frenetic driving conditions, let alone, ‘drop anchor’ for the night amidst this fairly busy hustling and bustling patch of pavement, then you will benefit from some freshly poured, absolutely flat pavement, super cheap gas prices at the eponymous gas station situated in the SE corner of this Costco’s property. The best location in this frenetic, non-stop busy retail outpost to lay up for the evening would be in the northwest corner of the just medium-sized parking lot, which will keep you away from the store’s main entrance or near Quaker Bridge Road, which is the primary road from which you likely entered from and where most of the traffic is focused.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Should you be RV'ing with your four-legged friends entowe, you’re in luck as just due southeast of here you’ll have Mercer County Park, which is headlined by Mercer County Lake, which is simply fantastic whether you are looking to dip your kayak or canoe in for a dip, want to cast a line, play some tennis (not in the lake, the park) or otherwise get some very decent hiking or biking in; (2) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the remains of what is in your onboard mini-fridge, half-empty Cordova roto-molded cooler, of course, there’s the pretty amazing food court inside this very Costco featuring footlong hot dogs, fresh made pizza, chicken Caesar salad or baked chicken, but if you’d like something a bit smarter, then you’ll have to head south where there’s Wing It & Grill or Villa Maria for Italian, otherwise, you’ll want to head back north towards US1 where there’s a Cheesecake Factory, Bonefish Grill, Olive Garden, Shake Shack or several other fast casual national chains; (3) Looking for a fun diversion for the kiddos? Then head north on US1 to Amazing Escape Room where the diversions and entertainment here will keep the kids off their smart phones for at least 2 hours!; and (4) Should you be needing to stack up on supplies while in this vicinity, obviously Costco has you pretty well covered, but should you need additional supplies, within a few miles, you’ll have Whole Foods, Home Depot, Trader Joe’s, Lowes and Star Big Bazaar.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 3
Safety & Security: 4
Quality: 3
Peace & Quiet: 2
Amenities: 3
Overall, I scored this location a 3.
Happy Overnighting!
