The 411 on Newark

Fat man sitting on a little st

Having been born and raised here I wanted to offer some info on Newark since most people who have something to say about Newark have never actually been here. Here you go:

*Yes there are some bad and very bad parts of Newark.Follow directions to the Rock or Penn Station and there is no reason you would ever encounter them.

*There are also really great sections of Newark, some of which are right by the Rock, like the Ironbound, which is also called "down neck" Newark. this is a predominately Portugese/Brazilian area that still has a decent Italian influence. This is basically right "behind" Penn Station and a 5 minute walk from the Rock. Ferry Street is the main street and is agreat place to walk around eat and drink the day of the show.

* The food in teh Ironbound is TREMENDOUS and can be had for a great price. Portugese steaks and seafood at place like Forno's, Seabra's, Spain, MmBellos cannot be beat. Iberia Tavern and Penisula are a bit touristy if you ask me but they pack them in there. Don Pepe is also good but that is out on 21 over towards the NJPAC.

*you can go into one of the many BBQ places and get a whole chicken and enough rice and potatoes to feed 4 people for about $15. You can beat. Geat some sangria while you are there.

*Parking is plentiful right around the rock and ranges from $40 to $10. You get 6-8 blocks from the Rock and you will start getting into some rough areas.

*Hotels--You can stay over on Route 1-9 over by the airport but you need to be careful. Stay in the places you know. Plkaces like the "airport Motor Lodge" are the ones to avoid. A better place to stay is Harrison, which is right across the river from the Rock and is MUCH MUCH better than staying in Newark. Most places there are new and have been built for the new Soccer stadium.

Hope this helps. If you have a specific question let me know. I am looking for a good 10c seat for either MSG show if anyone has an extra to trade or sell.

TS164310

i've never been to the rock, but i heard they make you walk through a metal detector. is this true?!?! you don't even have to do that in Camden

jg1988

is the rock the Prudential Center?

amongsTheWaves

Parking can be pre-purchased for the garage right next to the arena from the arena's website.

PatricSaint III

I posted this hotel info a while back in another thread that seems to be buried on the Porch but is still relevant. I walk around the arena area every day at lunchtime and am gathering notes about parking, tailgating, and bars/taverns close by and will post that info soon in this thread.

This is the deal for Newark hotels in my humble opinion (I work two blocks from the arena).

There are 2 within easy and safe walking distance.
1- Hilton (at the train station)
2- Best Western (Robert Treat)

The Hilton is a typical 3/4 star business hotel and is three blocks from the arena and 500 feet from the train station.
The Robert Treat is not as nice (2 star at best, small rooms) but perfectly fine for one night and is 4 blocks away, directly across the street from NJPAC (where EV played in 2008).

The other two in-town Newark hotels are the Hampton Inn (very nice, just a bit too far to walk but maybe a 5 minute cab ride) and the Comfort Inn (not bad at all, about the same distance as the Hampton). I've stayed at all 4 of these in the last several years.

Your next best bet is the Newark Airport area and there are multiple 2, 3 and 4 star hotels there and are all at most a 10 minute drive or cab ride. The airport hotels can often be had pretty cheap via Priceline.

That's what I know. Staying in Manhattan is obviously an option as it's a 15 min train ride away from Newark. Staying elsewhere in North Jersey could be a big hassle traffic-wise if you don't know what you're doing.

Good luck and see ya there!

lukinsfridge05

can we tailgate??

Daily_Minefield

Yes! The Rock is the Prudential Center.....

Daily_Minefield

I'm not sure how tail-gating is for shows....I do know that there is one main parking area across the street from the Arena but there are many smaller, private lots in a 3-4 block radius around the arena..the thing with the Prudential center is that it was built in the middle of an old city and most of the footprint is taken up by the building itself....if it's anything like a Devils/Rangers game, you can expect to see a heavy police presence in the 3-4 block radius around the arena, but I don't know their policy on tail-gating for shows??....mass transit is always best, but if you have to drive, most of the lots are off of Mulberry street which runs right by the arena..and avoid Route 21 (a.k.a. McCarter Hwy) if you can..it's very busy during rush hour before shows and events...oh..and Mulberry st. is also blocked off directly in front of the arena so you will get detoured around it...always best to approach the Rock from the south whenever possible

RPAQ88

I have season tickets for the Devils and agree with what people have said regarding parking / restaurants. The area is safe with good parking and food. As with any big city you don't want to wander too far away from the arena. Stick along Mulberry Street and Ironbound and you will be fine.

Tailgating is not allowed - no open containers / fires allowed in Newark. However, I have seen people hanigng out and drinking in some of the parking lots around the arena.

jg1988

Daily_Minefield wrote:

Yes! The Rock is the Prudential Center.....

just wondering why its called the rock?

The Fixer

That is weak if you can't tailgate.

Any bars within walking distance to the venue? Not talking about fancy restaurants...bars

Thanks...

RPAQ88

It's called the Rock becasue of the Prudential Insurance company. There are plenty of bars in the area. You can google Newark to find more. Some good ones are: Brick City, Arena Bar, Spot Lounge, Scully's, Hells Kitchen.

sleightofhandman

The Prudential business slogan has something to do with "a piece of the rock". Dont worry I'm not a detective either.

jasongoz wrote:

Daily_Minefield wrote:

Yes! The Rock is the Prudential Center.....

just wondering why its called the rock?

sleightofhandman

Thank you "fat man" I live in Jersey and have to agree. From Penn Station NEWARK to The Prudential Center is an easy walk, typically with a large Police presence. They built this nice venue and apparently have placed the fans (customers) safety as a high priority. I, too, would just suggest that you dont stray too far from the pack, use the buddy system, and look out for your neighbors, as Ed would say. Then...once inside.... WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT PEARL JAM MAKES "THE ROCK" THEIR NEW SPECTRUM!!!!!!! lets all do our best to give them a warm welcome, huh?

Bobby

Fat man sitting on a little stool wrote:

Having been born and raised here I wanted to offer some info on Newark since most people who have something to say about Newark have never actually been here. Here you go:

*Yes there are some bad and very bad parts of Newark.Follow directions to the Rock or Penn Station and there is no reason you would ever encounter them.

*There are also really great sections of Newark, some of which are right by the Rock, like the Ironbound, which is also called "down neck" Newark. this is a predominately Portugese/Brazilian area that still has a decent Italian influence. This is basically right "behind" Penn Station and a 5 minute walk from the Rock. Ferry Street is the main street and is agreat place to walk around eat and drink the day of the show.

* The food in teh Ironbound is TREMENDOUS and can be had for a great price. Portugese steaks and seafood at place like Forno's, Seabra's, Spain, MmBellos cannot be beat. Iberia Tavern and Penisula are a bit touristy if you ask me but they pack them in there. Don Pepe is also good but that is out on 21 over towards the NJPAC.

*you can go into one of the many BBQ places and get a whole chicken and enough rice and potatoes to feed 4 people for about $15. You can beat. Geat some sangria while you are there.

*Parking is plentiful right around the rock and ranges from $40 to $10. You get 6-8 blocks from the Rock and you will start getting into some rough areas.

*Hotels--You can stay over on Route 1-9 over by the airport but you need to be careful. Stay in the places you know. Plkaces like the "airport Motor Lodge" are the ones to avoid. A better place to stay is Harrison, which is right across the river from the Rock and is MUCH MUCH better than staying in Newark. Most places there are new and have been built for the new Soccer stadium.

Hope this helps. If you have a specific question let me know. I am looking for a good 10c seat for either MSG show if anyone has an extra to trade or sell.

PatricSaint III

I looked into the parking from a "tailgating" perspective and found that tailgating is allowed (but no grills/cooking) at the two "J&L Park" lots directly across from the arena, both border the Mulberry - Lafayette St intersection. With the rain called for all day tomorrow it may not be the best circumstances for tailgating.

Either way have fun and see ya there!

love.and.evidence

Why tailgate, especially since it's supposed to be raining. Come check out the pre-party fundraiser at MMM Bellos Pub!

nippleholic

anyone know if backpacks are allowed?

coming from school and will have my laptop on me..

PatricSaint III

nippleholic wrote:

anyone know if backpacks are allowed?

coming from school and will have my laptop on me..

I called the arena today (asked for Security) and the gentleman told me yes, small packs were ok. I'm coming from work and will have a few things with me.

LOVE BOAT CAPT 3

WHERE IS MMM BELLOS??

Baba ORiley

Bump... WHERE IS MMM BELLOS?? Need a Pre-show spot!

pearljamdude420

whats the deal with smokin weed in this venue, will security just look and stare at me like alot of venues and be too scared to do anything, or are they pricks and will tell me to put it out? i remember LA last year the security were cocksuckers running up and down ailes telling people to put it out, most places dont care, like montreal when i smoke security smile at me lol

curmudgeoness

Okay -- My kids and I were planning on leaving the car at a park and ride and taking NJ Transit to Newark Penn Station, and then meeting my husband, who will be driving from work, at the Prudential Center. I would be taking the Morristown line or the Montclair-Boonton line, and now I see that those trains go to Broad Street, not Newark Penn Station. The NJ Transit "trip planner" has us taking light rail from Broad Street and then walking half a mile to the arena. How safe is this? I had been planning to avoid having two cars in lots around the arena, but now I am wondering what will be the best transportation option.

RPAQ88

I do not recomend doing that. It is pretty far from the Broad Street station to the arena. Two ideas that are better: Drive and park at a train station that has direct service to Penn Station. OR Take a train to Seacacus Junction and transfer to Penn Station from there.

curmudgeoness

RPAQ88 wrote:

I do not recomend doing that. It is pretty far from the Broad Street station to the arena. Two ideas that are better: Drive and park at a train station that has direct service to Penn Station. OR Take a train to Seacacus Junction and transfer to Penn Station from there.

Thanks -- lines with direct service to Penn Station are pretty far out of the way for me, so transferring at Secaucus is easier. What I am wondering about though is the light rail service from Broad Street station to Newark Penn Station. Looking at a map, the light rail line seems to go by the Newark Museum and NJPAC -- pretty nice area; I just want to check on safety since I will be with my kids.

RPAQ88

I've never taken the light rail so I can't tell you exactly where it will pick you up / drop you off. The area around the NJPAC is safe and from there it is a straight walk down Mulberry Street to the arena. I think you can also take the light rail direclty to Penn Station which is a shorter walk to the arena and there will be plenty of other people making that walk.

Not trying to scare you but I just thought it would be easier is you could catch a train directly to Penn Station. Assuming you are travelling during evening rush hour there will be plenty of people / commuters around and it will be daylight.

curmudgeoness

I appreciate the information, really. Now I just need to figure out how early to get there.

MikeSig

From my experience, the entire area surrounding the light rail line is pretty nice. I don't think it's a cause for concern, but transferring at Secaucus might just be easier from a logistical perspective.

elwayvedder

Baba ORiley wrote:

Bump... WHERE IS MMM BELLOS?? Need a Pre-show spot!

376 Market Street. A few blocks from the Prudential Center

curmudgeoness

Okay, thanks.

Another question, if you don't mind, which I just posted on the general tour info thread after elwayvedder's note: Is MMM Bello's a bar or restaurant? I'm happy to come by the pre-party and support the fundraiser, but I will have my kids (13 and 11) with me. Also, they are growing boys, so they always need to eat. I'd like to get them something other than fluorescent popcorn for dinner, so if I can feed them and support a good cause at the same time, so much the better.

elwayvedder

curmudgeoness wrote:

Okay, thanks.

Another question, if you don't mind, which I just posted on the general tour info thread after elwayvedder's note: Is MMM Bello's a bar or restaurant? I'm happy to come by the pre-party and support the fundraiser, but I will have my kids (13 and 11) with me. Also, they are growing boys, so they always need to eat. I'd like to get them something other than fluorescent popcorn for dinner, so if I can feed them and support a good cause at the same time, so much the better.

i would call Bellos and ask: 973 465 0052.

BoltOfLightnin'

I'm in south Jersey and won't be able to leave until about 5 - 5:30 pm. Google maps says it's about a 1hr 45 min drive to Newark, but I'm worried about hitting a bunch of traffic...someone else mentioned staying away from 21, but I think that's the way I'll be coming - from the south tho. So, can anyone tell me what, if any problems I might run into? Should I prepay for parking to be safe?