Newark: Recreation
Sightseeing
Newark, the third oldest city in the nation, exudes history, and its architecture serves as a chronological yardstick. Many buildings of interest are clustered along Broad Street, including the Blume House, which was built in 1710 and serves as a rectory for the House of Prayer Episcopal Church. Trinity Cathedral was built in 1743 and used as a hospital during the Revolutionary War. First Presbyterian Church, dedicated in 1791, remains a noted example of Georgian colonial architecture. Soaring above the buildings of the past, the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company building rises 275 feet and is adorned with colossal bas relief sculpture in Egyptian style.
The Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, begun in 1898, is as large as London's Westminster Abbey and resembles the famed basilica at Rheims. Built in the French Gothic style, the cathedral is enhanced by 200 stained-glass windows, bronze doors, and 14 church bells cast in Italy. The cathedral is near Branch Brook Park, comprising 360 acres of tranquility and cherry trees skillfully landscaped by the same firm that designed Central Park in New York. The Essex County Courthouse, a 1906 Cass Gilbert creation, is a modified Renaissance granite and marble structure. Penn Station, opened in 1935, is of neo-classical design. Newark's city hall is a good example of French Renaissance design, including a dome, balconies, and rococo decorations.
Newark's Military Park, formerly a drill field for the Colonial and Continental armies, now is famous for its monument entitled Wars of America. The massive sculpture is the work of Mount Rushmore artist Gutzon Borglum. The park also boasts a bust of President John F. Kennedy by Jacques Lipshitz. The history of Newark can be quietly explored at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery on Broadway; established in 1814, the burial ground is the oldest formal cemetery in Newark and has been the final resting place of many well-known residents over the centuries. Famous neighborhoods in Newark include Ironbound, a Spanish-Portuguese enclave, and historic James Street, known for its Victorian row houses.
Arts and Culture
The $150 million New Jersey Performing Arts Center, located on a 12-acre site downtown, opened its doors in 1997. It houses the 2,750-seat Great Hall and the 500-seat Victoria Theater. Symphony Hall on Broad Street has long been the performing arts heart of Newark. The fully restored 1925 Art Deco auditorium seats 2,800 patrons. Among the Hall's resident groups are the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey State Opera, the Newark Boys Chorus, the Opera/Music Theatre, and an opera school.
The Cathedral Concert Series schedules classical music performances in Newark's Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Free concerts are presented in Washington Park and in the Gateway Complex. Dance in Newark is represented by Gallman's Newark Dance Theatre, Garden State Ballet, which concentrates on classical dance, while the African Globe Theatre Works concentrates on works by African American writers. The Newark Community School of the Arts presents faculty performances, student recitals, and presentations by the Community Theatre Ensemble.
Amid a sprawling compound of galleries that include an 1885 brick-and-limestone mansion, the Newark Museum has become known for its Schaeffer Collection of antique glass, Tibetan objects, Indian relics, and African articles. On the museum property are a sculpture garden, a firehouse, and a schoolhouse. The museum adjoins historic Ballantine House, the restored mansion of a Victorian brewer. The New Jersey Historical Society, housed in a Georgian-style building maintains a collection of portraits, drawings, and prints of local personalities.
Among Newark's art galleries, the Paul Robeson Center at Rutgers' Newark campus displays changing art exhibits. Other galleries include Aljira: A Center for Contemporary Art and The Gallery, which both spotlight local artists; the Art Gallery exhibits graphics, paintings, and sculpture; City Without Walls features emerging New Jersey artists; Halsey Street Gallery focuses on African American paintings, posters and ceramics; and Richardson Gallery specializes in oil paintings, lithographs, and engravings.
Arts and Culture Information: Newark Arts Council, 17 Academy Street Suite 1104, Newark, NJ 07102; telephone (973) 643-1625
Festivals and Holidays
A city of numerous ethnic influences, Newark enjoys community parades and festivals all year long. In February, the New Year party keeps going with the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration coordinated by the Newark Museum. The traditional Lion Dance and holiday delicacies are on hand to mark this important event. During the St. Patrick's Day
The month of June is full of celebrations, starting with the Portuguese Day Parade and Festival and the Newark Festival of People. From late June until early August for the past 30-some years, the Newark Black Film Festival exposes residents and visitors to the independent film world through the eyes and talents of African American directors and actors. August stays hot with the Gospel and Africa-Newark Festivals.
Brazilian Independence Day is celebrated in September, and October is the month for the annual Columbus Day Parade and United Nations Day. The annual Sarah Vaughn Jazz Festival in November has also become a favorite event in the city.
Sports for the Spectator
The Meadowlands Sports Complex in nearby East Rutherford hosts professional sports events throughout the year. Among its home teams are the New York Giants and the New York Jets of the National Football League, and the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. The New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League play in the Continental Airlines Arena within the grounds of the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Trotting and thoroughbred horse-racing events include the Hambletonian, the most famous event in harness racing.
In 1998, professional baseball returned to Newark when the Bears came home—the Newark Bears had originally been a farm team for the New York Yankees, warming up such hardball legends as Yogi Berra. Construction was completed in 1999 on Riverfront Stadium to welcome the Bears back in the independent Atlantic League; the roster frequently lists some former luminaries of the majors.
Rutgers-Newark University competes in nine sports at the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, including men's and women's basketball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.
Sports for the Participant
Famous Newark parks include Military Park and Branch Brook Park, both of which offer a full complement of recreational facilities. An ice skating rink is located at Branch Brook Park, which is also home to a roller skating center with a state-of-the-art sound system. Weequahic Park offers a golf course. Nearby facilities provide opportunities for skiing, water sports, bicycling, and horseback riding.
A number of state and national parks are within easy reach of Newark, including areas of the Atlantic seashore where visitors can swim, kayak, and play beach volleyball. The mid-Atlantic section of the Appalachian Trail system passes through the western edge of New Jersey and then traces the northern state line to the east before cutting north through New York state.
Shopping and Dining
The downtown redevelopment district encompasses a unique shopping experience, especially along discount store-lined Broad Street. Both Military Park and Market Street host open-air, seasonal farmers' markets where fresh produce, baked goods, cheeses and other items can be found. Nearby Secaucus, referred to as the outlet capital of the eastern seaboard, is home to one of the most massive concentrations of outlet stores in the world. Other communities near Newark, most notably Manhattan and other New York neighborhoods, round out the shopping experience.
A broad variety of ethnic cuisines is the hallmark of New Jersey restaurants, and in Newark the selections range from European to Asian, African, and Caribbean. The city's Iron-side District is home to a smorgasbord of dining establishments featuring authentic Spanish and Portuguese cookery and some of the best sangria in the United States. A number of soul food eateries dish up traditional southern fare not often found in a northeastern city. The state of New Jersey is sometimes described as the "diner capital of the world," having more diners than any other place on the planet. However, restaurant ambiance varies widely from market-side cafes on busy downtown streets to fine dining in restored historic structures. Several specialty coffee shops are sprinkled around the city.