Newark, founded in 1666 by Puritan Robert Treat from the New Haven Colony, has the largest population of any city in New Jersey. The second-largest city in the metropolitan New York area, Newark is a major air, rail, and shipping hub. Port Newark, part of the Port of New York and New Jersey, is the largest shipping container terminal on the east coast. Hipmunk.com arranges flights from worldwide destinations to Newark Liberty International Airport, the first commercial airport in the country. Newark Airport, eight miles from New York City, is New York’s third airport.
Better Hotel Rates than Manhattan
Hotels in Newark are more economical than those in New York City. Visitors staying in Newark can easily travel to Manhattan by bus or train. Best Western Plus Robert Treat Hotel, three blocks from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Prudential Center, offers a complimentary breakfast every morning. Guest room amenities include free Wi-Fi and free wired high-speed Internet access. Ramada Plaza Newark Liberty International Airport provides complimentary airport transportation. Guest rooms have free Wi-Fi, a refrigerator, and a coffee and tea maker.
Branch Brook Park
Branch Brook Park, primarily in Newark with a small part in neighboring Belleville, is the oldest county park in the United States. This 360-acre park has the largest collection of Japanese cherry blossom trees in the country. Visitors travel to Newark to view the 4,300 trees in more than 14 varieties. Even when the cherry blossom trees are not in bloom, there are beautiful meadows and gardens for everyone to enjoy. In 2012, the park unveiled statues of sports figures Roberto Clemente and Althea Gibson.
Jersey Devil and New Jersey Devils
The Jersey Devil is a mythical being with a blood-curdling scream thought to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey. The legend about the devil has persisted for more than 250 years. The New Jersey Devils are a professional hockey team, based in Newark, which competes in the National Hockey League. The team plays at the Prudential Center.
John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum and Abraham Lincoln
Gutzon Borglum was an American artist and sculptor famous for creating the heads of four U.S. presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt — on Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Mount Rushmore Lincoln wasn’t the only sculpture of the 16th president Borglum created. Seated Lincoln, created by Borglum, is outside the Essex County Courthouse in Newark. President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the statue of Lincoln on Memorial Day 1911. The statue is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Share Your Newark Anecdotes
If you have visited Newark, what sights did you see? Were you one of the countless tourists who had their picture taken seated next to Abraham Lincoln? Did you spend most of your time in New Jersey or in New York?
Daisy Mariposa is a freelance travel writer who has worked with clients such as Hipmunk. She has occupational certificates in both travel management and international business and has worked as a travel agent. Daisy has traveled to half the states in the United States and more than 33 countries, island nations, and island dependencies. She has certifications as both a specialty travel writer and travel copy writer from one organization and has industry elite status in travel from another. Daisy was born in Newark, N.J., and lived there through her high school years.
