Newark

Introduction

Newark is the largest city in the state of New Jersey with a population of over 250,000. Settled in 1666 by Puritans from New Haven Colony, Newark is one of the oldest European cities in the United States. Its location at the mouth of the Passaic River (where it flows into Newark Bay), has made the city's waterfront an integral part of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Today, Port Newark-Elizabeth is the primary container shipping terminal of the busiest seaport on the American East Coast. In addition, Newark Liberty International Airport was the first municipal commercial airport in the United States, and today is one of its busiest.

Neighbourhoods

The city is divided into five wards, each with its own character. Downtown has retained much of early 20th century architecture and has an iconic skyline. Nearly 100,000 people commute to the central business district on workdays, making for a lively urban landscape. Since the millennium it has become more residential as former office buildings and warehouses, such as the art deco Eleven80 (at 1180 Raymond Blvd.), are converted to housing. A new performing arts complex and sports/concert venue and restaurants have encouraged visitors to linger longer into the night.

The North Ward is home to Branch Brook Park, site of the nation's largest collection of cherry blossom trees, and the neo-Gothic Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Surrounding neighborhoods include architecturally interesting suburban enclaves on the east and bustling urban districts on the west. The East Ward, or the Ironbound, is home to a large Portuguese/Brazilian community, with a "restaurant row" offering a cornucopia of eating establishments for every budget. The South Ward, once the heart of the Jewish community and home to the Weequahic Park and architectural gems, has fallen on hard times, and is where much of the city's crime is concentrated.

Sights and Activities

• Branch Brook Park, Park Ave & Lake St. Branch Brook Park contains 360 acres of open meadowland and small patches of woodland on gently rolling terrain. More than 4,100 cherry trees that blossom during April are greater both in variety and number than the famed trees in Washington, D.C. The park is only 1.7 miles from downtown, and accessible by light rail. Includes spectacular views of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
• Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge St, ☎ +1 973 484-4600. Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a French Gothic-styled cathedral, the fourth largest in North America boasting upwards of 200 stained glass windows and 14 giant bells cast in Italy. The cathedral hosts a number of symphony orchestras and other concerts, in addition to serving as the mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. It is north of downtown Newark, across from Branch Brook Park, and accessible by light rail.
• Military Park, Broad St between Rector St and Raymond Blvd, ☎ +1 973 733-9333. A park downtown that was originally a militia training green in the 1600s. Wars of America monument is an imposing work of Mount Rushmore artist Gutzon Borglum. In the summer on Thursdays, the park hosts Common Greens, a farmers market.
• Newark Museum, 49 Washington St, ☎ +1 973 596-6550. W-Su noon-5PM. The Museum complex incorporates 80 galleries of art and science, a mini zoo, planetarium, cafe, auditorium, sculpture garden, schoolhouse and the Ballantine House, the restored 1885 mansion that is a National Historic Landmark. Suggested admission $10 adults, $6 children/seniors/students/veterans. Planetarium an additional $5 adults, $3 children/seniors/students.
• Weequahic Park, Elizabeth Ave & Meeker Ave (If driving, take the Elizabeth Ave exit from Route 78 West). Very big park plus golf course and large lake. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers.

Events and Festivals

Holidays

• New Year’s Eve - The US celebrates the outgoing of the old year and incoming of the New Year quite dramatically. Every state boasts its own parties to ring in the New Year, but none is more extravagant than New York’s Time Square, which sees people overflowing into the neighboring restaurants, bars, parks, beaches, and neighborhoods.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law.
• St Patrick’s Day - March 17 celebrates the US’s large Irish population. Many cities around the country boast boisterous parades and Irish-themed parties, especially New York and Chicago, where the river is dyed green. Be wary of the drunkenness that dominates as this is definitely a party-day.
• Memorial Day - Memorial Day is an important holiday throughout the United States, but not for crazy festivities. Parades commemorating wartime heroes are often held and the day is also the ‘unofficial’ start of summer. Most visitors follow the crowds to parks and beaches, which are capped off with informal BBQs.
• Independence Day - Also known as the Fourth of July, Independence Day celebrates the US’s break from the British during the 18th century. Barbecues, street parties, beach trips, and weekend getaways are commonplace to appreciate freedom.
• Labor Day is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. It is recognized as a federal holiday. Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor.
• Halloween - Halloween is a fun holiday on October 31 for all generations to dress up in costumes and relive their youth. Children walk around the neighborhood trick-or-treating for candy, while adults attend parties. Other seasonal events include haunted houses, pumpkin farms and carving, and corn mazes.
• Thanksgiving - On the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving is held in almost every home in the US. Tourists will have a hard time finding anything to do as the country essentially shuts down in observation. A typical Thanksgiving meal consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie commemorating the original Pilgrim’s feast at Plymouth Rock.
• Christmas - On December 25, Christians celebrate Christmas as the pinnacle of their calendar by attending church and opening gifts from Santa Claus. Almost everything shuts down to promote family togetherness. The northern regions hope to experience a “white Christmas,” with trees and festive lights blanketed by snow.

Sport

• Super Bowl Sunday - the world’s most watched sporting event and one of the highest grossing TV days of the year, Superbowl Sunday is a spectacular extravaganza. Held the first Sunday in February, the Superbowl is the final playoff game between the NFL’s top two teams. The venue rotates every year around America, yet the local parties seem to remain. Pubs, bars and restaurants are great places to enjoy the Superbowl or locals throw their own parties with different variations of betting.
• The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in North America, contested since 1903 between the American League (AL) champion team and the National League (NL) champion team. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff, and the winning team is awarded the Commissioner's Trophy. As the series is played during the fall season in North America, it is sometimes referred to as the Fall Classic.

Weather

Summers last from June to September and are nice and warm, between 25 and 30 °C during the day and between 15 and 20 °C at night. Winters last from December to March with average daytime temperatures mostly around 0 °C or slightly above. Nights are well below 0 °C during this time. Precipitation is quite evenly distributed throughout the year, with sometimes very heavy snowfall in winter. During summer, heavy showers can occur, especially after periods of hot weather.

Getting There

By Plane

Newark Liberty International Airport (IATA: EWR; ICAO: KEWR) is one of the three major airports in the New York City area, operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

By Train

Many Amtrak trains travel to and from Newark:

• The Acela Express between Boston and Washington DC.
• The Cardinal/Hoosier State between New York and Chicago.
• The Carolinian/Piedmont between New York and Charlotte, North Carolina.
• The Crescent between New York and New Orleans.
• The Northeast Regional between Boston and Newport News, Virginia.
• The Pennsylvanian between New York and Pittsburgh.
• The Keystone between New York and Harrisburg, via Philadelphia.
• The Silver Service/Palmetto between New York and Tampa/Miami.
• The Vermonter between Washtington DC and St. Albans, Vermont.

By Car

Route 21 (McCarter Hwy) runs North-South along the railroad tracks a few blocks east of downtown. I-78 skirts the south edge of town and I-280 cuts across the north. Route 1/9 comes across the Pulaski Skyway from Jersey City and Manhattan (via the Holland Tunnel). Take the Raymond Blvd. exit and drive along the Passaic River into downtown.

By Bus

Check Greyhound buses for more information.

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

The Newark Light Rail runs two lines both originating at Penn Station. The City Subway Line (shown in blue on maps) has service to University Heights, Branch Brook Park and Grove Street (in adjacent Bloomfield). The Broad Street Line (orange on maps) operates between Penn Station and Broad Street Station.

There is a extensive network of New Jersey Transit buses, many originating at Penn Station.

Eat

Newark has three "restaurant rows' downtown: Around the Prudential Center, Halsey Street, and Ferry Street in the Ironbound, the latter known for its Portuguese, Brazilian and Latino food.

Drink

There is a liquor store in Penn Station. You can buy individual bottles of beer (including microbrews).

Sleep

You can use the form below to search for availability (Travellerspoint receives a commission for bookings made through the form)

Work

More than 100,000 people commute to Newark on weekdays, making it New Jersey's largest employment center with many white-collar jobs in insurance, finance, import-export, health-care, and government. As a major courthouse venue including federal, state, and county facilities, it is home to more than 1,000 law firms. The city is also a "college town", with nearly 40,000 students attending the city's universities and medical and law schools. Its port and rail facilities make Newark the busiest transhipment hub on the East Coast in terms of volume. Light manufacturing survives in Newark too.

Keep Connected

Internet

There is a very small internet bar/cafe culture in the USA. Even then most of the internet bars/cafes tend be located in major urban centers. Accessible WiFi networks, however, are common. The most generally useful WiFi spots are in coffee shops, fast-food chains, and bookshops, but also restaurants and hotels more and more have a network to connect on. Some of them might require you to buy something and you might need a password too, especially in hotels.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The general emergency phone number is 911. The USA has a great landline phone system that is easy to use. The country code for the U.S. is +1. The rest of the telephone number consists of 10 digits: a 3-digit area code, and a 7-digit number. Any small grocery store or pharmacy has pre paid domestic or international phone cards. These phone cards are very cheap and offer good rates. The once ubiquitous pay phone is now much harder to find. Likely locations include in or near stores and restaurants, and near bus stops. The cellphone network in the states is slowly getting better but is still not as good when compared to other western countries. Cell phones tend to operate using different frequencies (850 MHz and 1900 MHz) from those used elsewhere in the world (2100 MHz). This used to prevent most foreign phones from working in America. Phones must be tri- or quad-band to work in the U.S. Fortunately, technology has meant that most phones should now be able to pick up one of the U.S. networks. Prepaid phones and top-up cards can be purchased at mobile phone boutiques and at many discount, electronics, office supply and convenience stores. A very basic handset with some credit can be had for under $40.

Post

The US Postal Service is a very good and well priced mail system. There are post offices in every small and large town for sending packages internationally or domestically. Although some might keep longer hours, most are open at least between 9:00am and 5:00pm. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. First-class international airmail postcards and letters (up 28.5 grams) cost $1.10. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS, TNT and DHL, which might be better value sometimes and are generally very quick and reliable too.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website