NEWARK AVENUE, JERSEY CITY, NJ
The bustling, car-free Newark Avenue walkway is where Jersey City, NJ, urbanites and nearby suburbanites meet to eat and drink with room to breathe. Given that it’s a mere 15-minute PATH train ride from the World Trade Center, New Yorkers in the know are heading there, too.
“Newark Avenue was a huge pull for me,” says David Hohensee, house manager and owner of the multistory South House ( 1) (149 Newark Ave.; 201209-1316). “The walkway builds community.” The restaurant serves dishes such as okra and brisket, while downstairs patrons can lounge on couches with cocktails including the Cajun Queen (vodka, olive juice, a dash of hot sauce, Sriracha sea salt and a blue cheese-stuffed olive). At the similarly spacious Porta ( 2) (135 Newark Ave.; 201-544-5199), nosh on woodfired pizza and indulge in the house-made gelato. On weekends, you can dance off the carbs upstairs during late-night DJ sessions. For handmade noodles bathed in savory, slow-simmered broth, try just opened Miso Ramen ( 3) (189 Newark Ave.; 201-333-8634). Want to do brunch? A favorite spot is Skinner’s Loft (4) (146 Newark Ave.; 201915-0600), which offers a rooftop perch over the walkway. There’s plenty to do between bites, too: Cafe and independent community bookstore WORD ( 5) (123 Newark Ave.; 201-763-6611) is a dose of quaint neighborhood charm, and you can get your Pac-Man on at Barcade ( 6) (163 Newark Ave.; 201-332-4555), a combination arcade and bar with a focus on classic video games. But the avenue’s main attraction might just be the cocktails served in a spate of cool bars: the Atlas Public House ( 7) (130 Newark Ave.; 201-4798353); Raval (8) (136 Newark Ave.; 201209-1099) for gastropub fare and American craft beer; the Archer (9) (176 Newark Ave.; 201-309-1090) for eclectic cocktails; and, just off the avenue, dullboy (10) (364 Grove St.; 201-795-1628), one of the area’s cozier options with a book-lined wall that may just feature in your next profile picture. — Lauren Steussy