Newark, New Jersey - A Visitors Guide
Newark, New Jersey is a vibrant city across the river from NYC. It features world class entertainment venues, restaurants, museums, hotels, and public transportation.
Newark, New Jersey offers a wealth of attractions and activities for visitors. Whether you're a history buff, a sports enthusiast, or a foodie, Newark has something for everyone.
Newark is a popular destination for a day trip, or weekend getaway, or even for the budget conscious tourist looking for a place to stay when combining a visit to NYC with Newark.
Newark stands on its own as a city that can be safely walked around the downtown center with easy access to hotels, major entertainment venues, restaurants, churches, museums, parking, and public transportation.
Newark is also home to one of the nations largest International Airports - Liberty International Airport.
Newark has an excellent public transportation system and plenty of safe, affordable downtown parking. The hub of rail transportation is the restored Penn Station, an art deco landmark, used by over 70,000 commuters per day. It also has a good Subway system. The system is a subway-surface light rail line which runs underground downtown and above-ground in outlying areas. The line is 5.3 miles long and runs between Newark Penn Station and Grove Street in Bloomfield.
In addition to these attractions, Newark also boasts beautiful parks, shopping districts, and a lively nightlife. Whether you're exploring the historic Ironbound neighborhood or enjoying a stroll along the waterfront, Newark offers a unique and memorable experience for visitors.
Plan your trip to Newark, New Jersey, and discover all that this vibrant city has to offer. From cultural attractions to delicious cuisine, Newark is sure to leave a lasting impression on every visitor.
Things to See and Do
Cherry Blossom Festival
Branch Brook Park
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The second largest Cherry Blossom display in the United States with the National Cherry Blossom display in Washington, DC being the largest and usually occurs about two weeks earlier. This blossoms peak in the second and third weeks of April. There are over 3,000 cherry trees. The blossoms can be best enjoyed by a casual walk or picnic in the park. This is a week long festival with many events including a 10K race, trolley bus tours, and family Day with Japanese cultural activities, including demonstrations on origami, bonsai, ikebana, and martial arts.
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
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The fifth largest cathedral in North America. The French Gothic structure took more than fifty years to build and earned Basilica status from Pope John Paul in 1955. Located near Branch Brook Park on Ridge Street, the architecture closely resembles two of the world's great cathedrals at Cathedral Notre Dame at Chartres in France and the Cathedral of Rheims in Germany.
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Houses two venues that attract the world's best performers in Prudential Hall, one of the world's great concert halls, and the Victoria Theater. It is also home to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
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The Newark Museum
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New Jersey's largest museum provides experiences in the arts and natural sciences. In operation since 1909, it includes an 1885 brick-and-limestone restored mansion, the Dreyfuss Planetarium, and a zoo with more than 100 animals. Take an inspirational journey through 80 galleries of world-class collections including American, Asian, African and Classical. Take a walk through the beautiful sculpture garden, visit the museum shops and enjoy a delicious lunch or snack at the cafe.
The Prudential Center
This18,000 seat arena is one of the finest in the country and home to the New Jersey Devils NHL hockey team and other college basketball, indoor soccer, concerts, family shows and special events.
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The Ironbound Neighborhood
Ironbound is a Portuguese neighborhood with Ferry Street, being its commercial hub, is noted for it's moderately priced Portuguese, Spanish and Brazilian restaurants. In the mood for an ethnic lunch or snack? Try one of Ironbound's cafes and bakeries. Enjoy a sandwich or some pastry and a cup of dark South American coffee. With the revitalization of Newark, new restaurants are beginning to emerge that offer the diner a variety of different dining choices.
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