Things To Do

Daytime Attractions

What to do while downtown Newark...

Whether going as a family, a couple or solo, there are so many things to do while the sun is shining into the early evening such as:
 
Watch a play or an on-stage performance
Concert
Orchestra
Museum exhibit
Take a glimpse into history
Ice skate
Watch a sports event
Create Art
And of course SHOPPING!
 
Prudential Center from Championship Plaza view
A view from the balcony of Newark Symphony Hall (Star Ledger)
Front view of NJPAC
Rutgers-Newark students fire up burners at GlassRoots (Rutgers)
Main entrance of the Newark Museum (daviding.com)
The main atrium at the Newark Public Library (Star Ledger)
The New Jersey Historical Society at it's current location on Park Place
Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium during a baseball game (minorleagueballparks.com)
NY Red Bull Arena packed during a game (thevipersnest.com)
The NJ Symphony Orchestra performing

Fitness & Health

You don't have to go far to stay healthy!

With everyone in a fitness craze these days, it’s nice to know that if you’re Downtown Newark, you don’t have to go far to stay in (or get into to shape). If you’re looking for:

Personal Training
Swimming
Casual Work Outs
Strength Training
Martial Arts
Calisthenics
Gym Memberships
Cycling
Walking
And much more, check out the links below…

www.clubmetrousa.com
www.newarkymca.org
www.mastergkungfu.com
www.mysportsclubs.com
 

A Zumbi class held at Club Metro USA (zumbisenzala.org)
Instruction being taught at Master G's School of Martial Arts (mastergkungfu.com)
New York Sports Club in Newark

Historic Landmarks

There is history everywhere in Newark

Saving a City's Heritage
 
There are approximately 75 entries for Newark on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places. They include historic districts, buildings, parks, cemeteries, and statuary.
 
Following is a complete list of the Newark sites that have received official recognition, often through nominations sponsored by the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee.
 
This list includes only places that are still in existence. Buildings that were once listed but have been demolished are not listed. The dates are for original or major subsequent construction. Corrected to February 2008.
 
Please note that the buildings are classified by their original use, in the following categories: Historic Districts; Houses; Churches; Synagogues; Cemeteries, Parks & Statuary; Office, Commercial & Theater Buildings; Industrial Uses & Transportation; Education, Health & Senior Services; and Government Buildings.

HISTORIC DISTRICTS
FOREST HILL All or part of 56 blocks bounded by Branch Brook Park, Heller Parkway; DeGraw, Verona, Clifton, Elwood, Mount Prospect and Second Aves.
FOUR CORNERS All or part of 27 blocks bounded roughly by Raymond Blvd., Mulberry Street, Edison Place; Broad, Hill, Washington & Market Sts.; and University Ave.
JAMES STREET COMMONS All or part of 21 blocks, including all of Washington Park and portions of Broad, Orange, James, Bleeker, Summit, Halsey, Washington, New, Linden, Warren, Boyden, Essex, Burnet, and Eagles Sts.; Central and University Aves.; King Blvd. & Washington Place.

LINCOLN PARK All or part of 10 blocks, including Lincoln and Clinton Parks and portions of Broad, Halsey, Spruce, and Washington Sts. and Clinton and Pennsylvania Aves.
MILITARY PARK COMMONS All or part of 11 blocks, including Military and Doane Parks and portions of Broad, Cedar, Center, Fulton, Halsey, Mulberry, New, E. Park, W. Park and Rector Sts., Central Ave., Park Place, Raymond Blvd. (Note: The 5 blocks west of Broad St. are excluded from the State Register listing.)
NORTH BROAD STREET Rowhouses (1890s), 136-148 Broad St.
WEEQUAHIC PARK park (1895) and 28 blocks approximately bounded by Elizabeth, Renner, Maple and Lyons Avenues.

HOUSES
c. 1711 SYDENHAM HOUSE
, Old Road to Bloomfield, between Heller Parkway & Elwood Ave.
c. 1725 PLUME HOUSE , now House of Prayer rectory, 407 Broad St.
1808 SYMINGTON HOUSE, later Continental House and St. Philip Academy, 2 Park Place
1871 COE HOUSE, 698 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (High St.)
1880 CLARK MANSION, now North Ward Center, 346 Mount Prospect Ave.
1884 BALLANTINE HOUSE, Newark Museum, 43 Washington St.
1889 KRUEGER MANSION, later Scott Civic Center, now vacant, 601 King Blvd.
1905 FEIGENSPAN MANSION, now Community Agencies Corp., 710 King Blvd.

CHURCHES
1791 OLD FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 820 Broad St.
1809 TRINITY & ST. PHILIP'S CATHEDRAL (Episcopal), Broad & Rector Sts.; base of tower dates from 1744
1828-47 ST. JOHN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 22 Mulberry St.
1848 GRACE CHURCH (Episcopal), 950 Broad St.
1849 OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL CHURCH, originally Second Dutch Reformed Church, later Ironbound Cultural Center, now Igreja Assembleia de Deus, 176 Edison Place
1850 CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, now medical office building, 76 Prospect St.
1850 HOUSE OF PRAYER EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 401 Broad St.
1850 NEW POINT BAPTIST CHURCH, originally South Baptist Church, 17 E. Kinney St.
1850 ST. PATRICK'S PRO-CATHEDRAL (Roman Catholic), Washington St. & Central Ave.
1852 ST. JAMES A.M.E. CHURCH, originally High St. Presbyterian Church, 588 King Blvd.
1855-84 SOUTH PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, only facade and towers remain, abandoned, 1035 Broad St.
1857 ST. MARY'S ABBEY CHURCH, King Blvd. & William St.
1859-68 NORTH REFORMED CHURCH, 510 Broad St.
1861 QUEEN OF ANGELS CHURCH, originally St. Peter's R.C. Church, 44 Irvine Turner Blvd. (Belmont Ave.)
1864 ST. BARNABAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, West Market St. Sussex Ave.
1871 ST. COLUMBA'S R.C. CHURCH, Pennsylvania Ave. & Brunswick St.
1871-80 ST. JOSEPH'S R.C. CHURCH, now St. Joseph Plaza and Priory Restaurant, 221 W. Market St.
1873 FIRST REFORMED CHURCH, now Iglesia Roca de Salvacion, 27 Lincoln Park
1874 CLINTON MEMORIAL A.M.E. ZION CHURCH, originally Belleville Avenue Congregational Church, 151 Broadway
1874 ST. STEPHAN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, Ferry St. & Wilson Ave.
1890 FIRST BAPTIST PEDDIE MEMORIAL CHURCH, 572 Broad St.
1898-54 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL BASILICA (Roman Catholic), Clifton & Victoria (Sixth) Aves.
1901 ST. STANISLAUS R.C. CHURCH, 146 Irvine Turner Blvd.
1920 ST. CASIMIR'S R.C. CHURCH, 91 Pulaski St.
1926 ST. LUCY'S R.C. CHURCH, Ruggiero Plaza at Seventh Ave.
1927 ST. ROCCO'S R.C. CHURCH, 208 Hunterdon St.

SYNAGOGUES
1884 OHEB SHALOM CONGREGATION, originally synagogue, later Metropolitan Baptist Church, now Greater Newark Conservancy environmental center, 32 Prince St.
1923 CONGREGATION AHAVAS SHOLOM, 145 Broadway
1924 TEMPLE B'NAI ABRAHAM, originally synagogue, now Deliverance Evangelistic Center, 621 Clinton Ave.
 

CEMETERIES, PARKS & STATUARY
1844 MOUNT PLEASANT CEMETERY
, 375 Broadway
1853 EVERGREEN CEMETERY, entrance at 1137 N. Broad St., Hillside; also portions in Newark and Elizabeth
1895 BRANCH BROOK PARK, including Ballantine Parkway gatehouses
1907-31 RIVERBANK PARK, Raymond Blvd., Market, Van Buren Somme Sts.
1911-26 (GUTZON) BORGLUM SCULPTURES "Seated Lincoln" (1911), Essex County Courthouse; "Indian and Puritan" (1916), Washington Park; and "Wars of America" (1926), Military Park

OFFICE, COMMERCIAL & THEATER BUILDINGS
1901 HAHNE & CO., former department store, vacant, 609 Broad St.
1912 NATIONAL STATE BANK, office building, now vacant, 810 Broad St.
1925 SYMPHONY HALL, originally Salaam Temple and later Mosque Theater, 1020 Broad St.
1926 ESSEX CLUB, now New Jersey Historical Society, 52 Park Place
1927 GRIFFITH BUILDING, former music store, now vacant, 605 Broad St.
1927 MUTUAL BENEFIT LIFE INSURANCE CO., now Broadway House nursing home, 300 Broadway
1927 STANLEY THEATER, later Italian Cultural Center, now Newark Tabernacle, 985 South Orange Ave.
1928 FIREMEN'S INSURANCE COMPANY, now office building, 10 Park Place
1929 NEW JERSEY BELL TELEPHONE, now Verizon, 540 Broad St.
 

INDUSTRIAL USES & TRANSPORTATION
1851 WATTS, CAMPBELL CO., originally machine shop, 1270 McCarter Highway
1890 MURPHY VARNISH CO., originally factory, McWhorter & Chestnut Sts.
1892 TIFFANY & COMPANY, 820 Highland Ave.

EDUCATION, HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
1784 LYONS FARMS SCHOOLHOUSE
, originally at Chancellor & Elizabeth Aves., now moved to Newark Museum garden, 43 Washington St.
1845 STATE STREET SCHOOL, now school audiovisual center,15 State St.
1857 EBERHARDT HALL, originally Newark Orphan Asylum, now NJIT Alumni Center, 323 King Blvd.
1875 YOUTH CONSULTATION SERVICE, originally Protestant Foster Home, 284 Broadway
1886 NEWARK DAY CENTER, originally Newark Female Charitable Society, 305 Halsey St.
1927 KENNEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, later Community Hospital, now New Salem Baptist Church, 130 W. Kinney St.

GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
1837-95 ESSEX COUNTY JAIL
, abandoned, New & Newark Sts.
1906 CITY HALL, 920 Broad St.
1906 ESSEX COUNTY COURTHOUSE, King Blvd. & West Market St.
1916 ESSEX COUNTY PARK COMMISSION, 115 Clifton Ave.
1935 U.S. POST OFFICE, Federal Square, Franklin & Walnut Sts.

 
All information and photos come directly from The Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee website at http://www.newarklandmarks.org/landmarkslist.htm.
Image of James Street door post (by: L. Craig Schoonmaker)
Weequahic Park Historic District was put on the National Register by NPLC in 2003
St. John's dates from 1828 and is New Jersey's oldest Catholic church
Plume House and House of Prayer Episcopal Church are both registered landmarks
Temple B'nai Abraham, now Deliverance Evangelistic Center (photo: Jonathan Prinz)
Gutzon Borglum's statue of President Lincoln at the Essex County Courthouse
The old Essex Club on Park Place is now the home of the New Jersey Historical Society
Tiffany & Co. factory in the northern end of Newark is now an apartment complex
Many local landmarks are now identified with historical markers from NPLC

Nightlife

A Night on the Town

If you enjoy the nightlife and are looking to explore a night on the town, here are some things that may interest you whether you’re into:
 
Sports
Bars and Taverns
Clubs that play ALL varieties of music
Fine Dining
Concerts
On-Stage Shows
…you will find that Downtown Newark has a lot to offer!
 
Summer night outdoors at 27 Mix
Brick City Bar and Grill is becoming a very popular hangout
Concert patrons go wild at a performance at the Prudential Center
Spain Restaurant offers an international dining experience in a beautiful environment
The Spot Bar and Lounge is a great place for great food and great drinks
McGovern's Tavern is a great Irish pub with pleasant food and drinks
NJPAC is one of the best places to enjoy a play, symphony or concert
Port 44 is Newark's first brew pub and boasts a huge variety of beers

Sports

Newark is home to many sports

Downtown Newark is home to sports teams in the NBA, WNBA, NHL, NCAA, CanAm Baseball League, and just outside of Downtown there is Major League Soccer. Those that have made a home here are:

NJ Nets
NY Liberty
NJ Devils
Seton Hall Pirates
Rutgers Scarlet Raiders
Newark Bears Baseball
NY Red Bulls

www.nba.com/nets
www.wnba.com/liberty
http://devils.nhl.com
www.shupirates.com
www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com
www.newarkbears.com
www.newyorkredbulls.com
www.prucenter.com
 

NJ Nets play during a home game at the Prudential Center (Star Ledger)
Leilani Mitchell of the WNBA NY Liberty and the rest of the team will soon make Newark's Prudential Center their temporary home
The opening ceremonies for the first New Jersey Devils home game in the Prudential Center (Star Ledger)
Fans of the Seton Hall University Pirates at a home game in the Prudential Center
Kristen Venning of Newark Rutgers Scarlet Raiders getting physical in women's college basketball
MLS NY Red Bulls Arena during an off day
Newark Bears during a baseball game in the summer
Sports fans gather to gain entrance to the Prudential Center