Newark, Nj?

[jnclelland]

I'm going to a conference at Rutgers-Newark this week, staying in a hotel downtown. I won't have a car, unfortunately. Can anyone recommend restaurants and/or grocery stores within walking distance of campus, or easily reachable by public transit?

Thanks!

Jeanne

[babysteps]

not sure if this is exactly walking distance (may depend on weather!) from where you are staying, but in September I ate cleanly at Adega in the Ironbound district, there are many restaurants there, quite a few of them Portuguese or Brazilian cuisine. Address: 130 Ferry Street, Newark NJ ; 973 589-8830

Adega was not familiar with gluten free, but waiter listened carefully and double checked with the kitchen. Open Original Shared Link It was in the pricey range (dinner entrees $21 and up), but the appetizers were very generously sized (so were the entrees, if you dine with someone else, 2 app's and a single entree would suffice, unless you are REALLY hungry).

For anyone else reading this post, they *do* have a parking lot "around the corner at 84-98 Madison St."

[debmidge]

I grew up in that city and my family lives there. Ironbound (east side of Newark, but not East Newark) have superb Portuguese restaurants - the parking in Ironbound is terrible - never anywhere to park. And my Aunt works at Rutgers Newark.

Which hotel will you be at? Are you staying near Newark Liberty International Airport? So that I can see on street map what is closest to you. Someone at Rutgers probably has a few restaurant recommendations. But take food with you on your trip.

The mass transit in Newark is not safe - take a cab.

Call restaurants before you arrive to make sure that they are still available. There's a new sports/entertainment center downtown Newark - the Prudential Center as well as the NJ Performing Arts Center. The are located downtown Newark - which is near the Ironbound section of Newark, and draws a lot of crowds to watch the NJ Devils Hockey Team (prof) & other venues. Sometimes the restuarants are booked by groups who have tickets to these events - so call first, maybe make reservation.

There is also "Spanish Tavern" 103 McWhorter St. 973-589-4959 call first, I cannot say they have gluten-free menu.

Ironbound is predominately a Portuguese/Spanish/Polish neighborhood. The buildings are all crammed together (hence the lack of parking).

Other names of other closeby restaurants - don't know about gluten-free status:

Don Manuel, 130 Main St. 973-344-3614

There is a Hilton downtown Newark - Hilton Gateway, Raymond Blvd. & McCarter highway 973-622-5000 and they have a restaurant - again I cannot say if they have a gluten-free menu.

Your hotel should be able to recommend a taxi company for you....don't attempt to do that on your own

from the phone book. Get a recommendation first.

Newark is very close to NYC - if there's a group of you, you might want to go to NYC for dinner instead. It's about a 30 minute drive into NYC by taxi/bus. You'd get the NYC bus at Penn Station at downtown Newark (take taxi to Penn Station it's not safe to walk or take a bus). Again, the NYC restaurants are packed and there could be a waiting time of an hour or so. You may not want to go there if it's too busy.

Phone number for Ironbound Business Assoc. 973-344-4565 (hope it still works, I've had it since 2004) Or

www.ironboundbusiness.org

You may even see the Mayor of Newark (Corey Booker) or the Governor (Jon Corzine) or our state Senators at the Ironbound restaurants.

This is also from 2004 Newark phone book

Health food store on Ferry St. (Ironbound) Newark Naturalista 118 Ferry St. 973-522-1030 (I can't vouch for them as I've never been there) -- I am just reading from yellow pages. Newark is the last place I'd go for health food. In Ironbound I belive their big food store is called "Seabra". I'll ask my co worker who lives in Ironbound for more info. I don't think there are any supermarkets in the downtown area - probably in Ironbound section. A lot of merchants left the city over 30 years ago and new stores did not open up. I grew up very close to where Rutgers is now but we moved further west when I got a little older.

But all this depends on where your hotel is: if you are in heart of City, then yes, you are near Ironbound section; the downtown part of Newark has not come back as a place of commerce like the politicans wanted. So you might see a lot of new construction mixed with old and some empty buildings and open lots. Rutgers is near the Courthouse and Hall of Records. I believe there's a McDonalds or Burger King around that area, but I wouldn't walk there....nor take a bus. A lot of people will criticize me for saying this but it's not a safe city like NYC even. I moved out of the county (Essex) because I kept getting Jury Duty too often and I did not feel safe driving to the Courthouse from one end of the city to downtown. If you travel to downtown by highway, it's ok, because it dumps you out by the Courthouse and/or the Pru Center, but I was driving through the city - through risky areas which I could not avoid. So I do not have good memories of the city. However, again, my family still lives there but they do not go out at night unless they have to.

If you are staying in a hotel near the airport, then you are pretty much isolated because the airport is in an industrial center - as a matter of fact the Budweiser plant (or it used to be) is near the airport. It's not an nice environment and you'll need to take a taxi from there too.

If I get more info, I'll do another post. Too bad you aren't going there in the Springtime as the Cherry Blossom trees in Branch Brook park are the best in the country. That would be late March/early April. I'd recommend going there and to Sacred Heart CATHEDERAL. Newark has a wonderful Museum which is near Rutgers too.

[jnclelland]

Wow - thanks for all the info! I'm staying at the Robert Treat hotel, at 50 Park Place. It's just east of the Rutgers-Newark campus.

Jeanne

[debmidge]

There is a Pathmark on Lafayette St. but again you'll need to take a taxi

The main street in Newark downtown is Broad St. , Park Place is off of Broad St. right at Military Park. There is nothing there to walk to on Park Place. A lot of offices and maybe luncheonettes for the lunch hour rush.

You'll need a taxi to take you to those restaurants by way of Raymond Blvd. into Ironbound.

[jnclelland]

There is a Pathmark on Lafayette St. but again you'll need to take a taxi

The main street in Newark downtown is Broad St. , Park Place is off of Broad St. right at Military Park. There is nothing there to walk to on Park Place. A lot of offices and maybe luncheonettes for the lunch hour rush.

You'll need a taxi to take you to those restaurants by way of Raymond Blvd. into Ironbound.

Great - thanks so much for your help! I'm in the airport now waiting on my flight to Newark; hopefully the conference will be good and I'll find food to eat! The Portugese places in Ironbound sound really interesting.

Jeanne

[debmidge]

Bumped up for other member who is traveling to Newark NJ