Newark, New Jersey

Newark at a Glance

Newark is New Jersey’s largest city, with a population of approx. 275,000 and is also the third oldest city in the United States with more than 330 years of history, surpassed by only New York and Boston.

Newark is located 13 miles Southwest of Midtown Manhattan. Newark International Airport (New Jersey Turnpike Interchanges 13A & 14) is the closest airport to Manhattan and is also among the nation’s busiest. Many airlines including Continental use Newark as their hub airport. However, there is much more to Newark than just the airport.

Through the years, Newark has been portrayed as a dying city, without a future. Nothing is further from the truth. Newark today is experiencing a renaissance and is again asserting its position as dynamic city with a bright future ahead. New development is popping up throughout the downtown area, as the streets are clean and safe, businesses are moving back to the city, and planned projects including a new basketball & hockey arena as well as a new soccer stadium for New Jersey’s Pro Sports Teams.
Come see all the “New” Newark has to offer.

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Places to Stay in Newark

Downtown Area:

Hilton Gateway Hotel (New Jersey Turnpike exit 15E to Raymond Boulevard) is the premier feature to Newark’s Skyline. The hotel is located in the heart of Downtown at corner of Raymond Plaza West (Pennsylvania Station) and Raymond Boulevard The Robert Treat Hotel (New Jersey Turnpike exit 15W I-280 West to Exit 20-Route 21 South/McCarter Highway) is located next to the NJ Performing Arts Center at Centre Street and McCarter Highway and is a inexpensive alternative to the Gateway Hilton.

Airport Area:

The Days Inn, Howard Johnson’s, Marriott Courtyard, Holiday Inn North, Marriott Hotel @ Newark International, Sheraton, and Ramada Inn are all located off Routes 1/9 South and I-78 West at Interchange 14 on the NJ Turnpike. The Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Jetport, Newark Airport Hilton, and Wyndham Gardens Hotel are all located on Spring St at Interchange 13A on the Turnpike.

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Places to Eat in Newark

For fast food in Downtown, The Food Court located at McCarter Hwy & Raymond Blvd. is a good bet. If your looking for more ethnic fare, consider one of the many Portuguese restaurants in the city’s Ironbound district (Turnpike Int. 15E to Ferry Street/Raymond Blvd), or try the Don Pepe Restaurant on the McCarter Hwy in North Newark (I-280 Exit 20 to Route 21 North). For African-American fare try Je’s Restaurant on William St just off the McCarter Hwy. If Chinese is your taste, the Kim Yeum Restaurant on Court St, should satisfy. For more American fare the Market St. Bar and Grill at the Gateway Hotel should cater to everyone’s needs. In addition, all the hotels offer their own restaurant as well and in some cases 2-3.

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Places to Go in Newark

The Newark Museum on Washington Street hosts world-famous collections include American Paintings and Sculpture, the Decorative Arts, the Arts of Africa, Classic Can, Numismatics, and the Arts of Asia, including the largest Tibetan collection in the Western Hemisphere. The Museum also features the 1885 Ballantine House restoration, a national historic landmark; the Dreyfuss planetarium; a Mini Zoo; and the Newark Fire Museum.

Branch Brook Park is home to one of the world’s largest display of Cherry Blossoms each year.

The NJ Performing Arts Center is the city’s newest and largest cultural center and houses two beautiful theaters: the 2,750-seat Great Hall and the 500-seat Victoria Theatre. Each boasting the best in national and international artistry and a center stage for New Jersey’s finest performers.

Newark Symphony Hall on Broad Street is one of the state’s major cultural centers, where audiences have enjoyed symphony, ballet, opera, professional theater groups and popular music programs. Architecturally, the building features a combination of Greek and Egyptian marble-columned, side promenades. Acoustically, the concert hall is considered by many to be one of the finest on the East Coast.

The Newark City Subway is Newark’s best kept secret. The 4.3 mile subway runs along a former canal bed from Downtown to the Belleville/Newark Border through Branch Brook Park using 1940’s vintage streetcars. A must see for any railfan (and see it soon, because the cars will be replaced with modern rail cars towards the end of 2000)

For Sports, the brand new Riverfront Park (Int. 15W to Exit 20), is home to the Newark Bears Atlantic League baseball team. Otherwise the Meadowlands Sports Complex in nearby East Rutherford (NJT Int 16E/W) offers NJ Devils NHL Hockey, NJ Nets NBA Basketball, Jets and Giants NFL Football, NY/NJ Metrostars Major League Soccer, and a racetrack with Harness Racing

In Nearby Jersey City the Liberty Science Center (Turnpike Interchange 14B) is a superb museum for hands-on learning, and Liberty State Park, where the center is located affords excellent views of the NYC Skyline and offers ferry service to the Statue of Liberty

Newark also offers many other cultural and historic sites, which are listed on the city’s official website.

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Getting Around Newark

Major Highways

The NJ Turnpike runs North-South along the eastern edge of the city towards New Brunswick/Elizabeth to the South and the George Washington Bridge/Lincoln Tunnel crossings into NYC to the North. (Interchange 13A, Airport; 14, I-78/US 22/Rt 21; 15E, Raymond Blvd/Ferry St/Market St; 15W, I-280)

Interstate 78 and US 22 run East-West along the southern end of the city, bordering the airport To the West is Somerville/Morristown and Phillipsburg, to the East is Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel Crossing to NYC (Exit 52, GSP; 56, Clinton Ave; 57, US 1/9 Airport; 58A; Port Newark

US 1/9 also called the Pulaski Skyway runs North and South through the southern portion of the city, Southbound travels toward Elizabeth, New Brunswick and Trenton, Northbound to the Holland Tunnel and through Hudson & Bergen Counties to the George Washington Bridge.

I-280 bisects Newark. I-280 runs westbound through the Downtown area from the Turnpike enroute to I-80/Parsippany and Dover(Exits Coming Soon)

Route 21 or the McCarter Highway with Broad Street is Newark’s primary artery through the Downtown area. Route 21 runs from the Airport through the heart of the city to US 46 in Clifton.

The Garden State Parkway passes through the West Ward & Vailsburg sections of the City (Northbound Exit 140, US 22; 142, I-78 East; 143, Lyons Ave/Chancellor Ave; 144, So. Orange Ave; 145 I-280/Central Ave; 148, Bloomfield Ave; Southbound Exit 148, Bloomfield Ave; 147, Springdale Ave/Park Ave; 145, I-280/Central Ave; 144, South Orange Ave/18th Ave; 143B, Springfield Ave/Clinton Ave; 143A, Lyons Ave/Chancellor Ave; 141, US 22)

Local Thoroughfares

Bloomfield Avenue (County Rt 508) runs through the Northern sections of town and through Branch Brook Park before continuing on as the main street through many suburban Essex County communities before ending at US 46 in the Parsippany Area.

Market Street runs from the Ironbound Section through Downtown to Main Street in East Orange at I-280

Springfield Avenue (Route 124) runs from Market Street in Downtown to Springfield Twp. at I-78

South Orange Ave. (County Rt 510) runs from Springfield Ave in Downtown and through the West Ward, and Vailsburg section to Morristown at US 202 & Route 124

Public Transit

New Jersey Transit Local-Long Distance Bus/Commuter Rail/City Subway/Airport Shuttle 1-800-626-7433; PATH Commuter Subway to NYC 1-800-234-7284; Greyhound @ Newark Penn Station 1-800-231-2222; Amtrak @ Newark Penn Station 1-800-872-7245

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Newark Links

Need more? Try these links for additional information about Newark, New Jersey.

The I-95 Exit Information Guide
“Flat out, the single best website for auto travelers on the Net” — Yahoo’s Internet Life Magazine

Official City Website for Newark
The official Website for the City of Newark…Lists all city offices, places of interest, museums, colleges, and interesting facts about Newark.

The Newark Star-Ledger Online
The Newark Star-Ledger is online at New Jersey Online. New Jersey Online has forums, chat, as well as Newark Star-Ledger/Trenton Times/Jersey City Journal current and archived news.

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