Newark says it’s time for tourism
NEWARK, N.J. — Tourism in Newark? You might not think of it as a destination, but boosters say Newark is ready for visitors as part of a comeback.
A company called Have You Met Newark? has taken more than 2,000 visitors on walking tours and bar crawls. Tour company founder Emily Manz points out everything from Nasto’s ice cream parlor, made famous in an episode of The Sopranos, to a church, St. Stephan’s, that appeared in the movie War of the Worlds.
The Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau has started taking travel writers to see attractions like the Newark Museum and the Ironbound, a neighborhood known for Portuguese and Spanish restaurants and shops.
And in August, the 100 Things to Do Before You Die series will publish a Newark guidebook written by Lauren Craig, who fell in love with Newark while attending Rutgers Law School and calls herself the city’s “glambassador.”
But this summer also marks 50 years since riots scarred the city.
“The perception of Newark being unfriendly, dangerous, dirty is something that has been ingrained in people for many, many years,” Craig said. “I fight against that every day.”
Attractions and hotels
Destination Newark has a lot to offer: New Jersey Devils hockey games and more at the Prudential Center, concerts and shows at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Newark International Airport, which is among America’s 20 busiest airports.
Newark Penn Station is also just 20 minutes from Manhattan via PATH, NJ Transit or Amtrak trains. That makes Newark a viable lodging option for visitors to New York City. Downtown Newark hotels include the historic Robert Treat, which has hosted four U.S. presidents; the Hilton at Newark Penn Station, popular with airline crews; and the Indigo boutique hotel. Rates for a July Sunday night at the Newark Indigo were $136 compared with $209 at the Indigo in Manhattan.
Treasures at the Newark Museum, a 10-minute walk from Newark Penn Station, include an 1885 mansion called the Ballantine House, a room of paintings by Joseph Stella, a Tibetan altar visited by the Dalai Lama and impressive collections of Native American and AfricanAmerican art. “I go there as much as I can,” said Hrag Vartanian of Brooklyn, N.Y., editor-in-chief of online arts publication Hyperallergic.com. “But it’s amazing to me how many people have never heard of the Newark Museum.”
Before hopping the train back to New York, Vartanian heads to the Ironbound, where dining options range from old-school bacalhau at Seabra’s Marisqueira to tapas with a hipster vibe at Mompou.
The Ballantine House and the Ironbound are featured in Craig’s 100 Things to Do in Newark Before You Die book, too. On a recent day, she also took a visitor to the Off the Hanger boutique, where “Newark Vs Everybody” T-shirts are prominently displayed; the Jimenez Tobacco cigar lounge and bar; Casa D’Paco, an Ironbound restaurant; and Gateway Project Spaces, an art gallery adjacent to Newark Penn Station.
At one point on Craig’s whirlwind tour, a taxi driver disputed the idea that Newark was ready for tourists.
“I beg to differ,” Craig said politely, then said to a guest, “You see what I’m fighting against?”