May 25, 2004

11:26 PM

I have 11 hours in Newark on the 6th. It's a layover, I have no contacts in the immediate area and although things are getting better, I would like a nice diversion that is not in the airport or Newark itself. Suggs?

And yes, I'm looking at you amberglow.
posted by Dagobert to (10 comments total)

NJTransit runs frequently between EWR and Penn Station in NYC.
posted by PrinceValium at 2:43 AM on May 26, 2004

When I was last in Newark, I took the NJTransit train over to NYC. It was my first time on a train that wasn't inside of an airport, plus it drops you right in NYC. Connecting over to the subway can get you to lots of places very quickly.

But the train does take, if I remember correctly, something like 30 or 40 minutes, so consider both ways, and grab a schedule at the station. The subways will run much more frequent.
posted by benjh at 2:58 AM on May 26, 2004

I just used the NJtransit a couple weeks ago and the ride was only about 20-25 minutes long. The downside is you have to wait for scheduled departures, which can sometimes add 20-30 minutes of waiting on each end.

But with 11 hours, that's plenty of time to take the train into the city and hang out.
posted by mathowie at 4:46 AM on May 26, 2004

there's also an express bus that comes in--takes about a 1/2 hour too, and goes to Grand Central or near Penn Station.

It's a Sunday, so maybe brunch? and a museum? or just bopping around? email me--i'll see what's going on...there are some great shows up now. (making up for amsterdam, huh?) : >
posted by amberglow at 5:28 AM on May 26, 2004

Newark is still a very rough, urban area, and I wouldn't suggest exploring on your own. The only attraction I can think of is The Newark Museum, where I worked during the summer of 1999. There is a recreation of a Buddhist temple within, but the actual art collections are not too impressive. If you do stay in Newark, you could explore the Ironbound section, which is full of good Portuguese restaurants. Also, Naughty by Nature (one-hit wonders of 'hip-hop-hooray') has a store close to Rutgers. heh.

There are two train stations in downtown Newark: Penn Station (it is important you do not confused this with NYC's 34th & 8th avenue Pennsylvania station), and Broad Street station. The first is further down into the heart of downtown Newark, within a cluster of corporate buildings such as Merrill Lynch & Prudential. The second is a smaller station very close to the Rutger's Newark campus. From either station, you can easily get into NYC, which is where i recommend you go instead. Regardless of each station, you are only 15-20 minutes away from Penn Station NYC, which is an ideal location to start a city adventure.

But i assume you'll be riding into NYC from the airport? I reccommend the trains, which are more efficient. And possibly a bit cheaper than the busses. NJ Transit has a relatively new direct train that goes from Penn Station/NYC to the Newark Airport. I've never used it, and haven't heard anything about it, but i'm sure it's reliable. Just make sure to buy your tickets beforehand because NJ Transit has a policy of a $5 surcharge if you buy your ticket from the conductor on the train. There are vendors or machines that take cash or credit. Keep in mind too that weekend schedules for NJ transit are not as efficient as during the week. The NJT trains usually run 10 minutes late all day...so make sure to leave enough time to get back to the airport! Have fun...
posted by naxosaxur at 1:49 PM on May 26, 2004

11 hours? I would try the NJ Performing Arts Center or The Newark Museum

(Of course if you are a big Philip Roth fan you might want to inspect Newark's Weequahic section. instead.)

Then get some really excellent Portugese food in the Ironbound section (Ferry Street)

more information here, here, here, and here
posted by lilboo at 2:40 PM on May 26, 2004

isn't there a PATH tube that goes from EWR to Hoboken? Not a bad town to spend a few hours in, and less chance of getting stuck in the city.
posted by neustile at 3:16 PM on May 26, 2004

Hoboken isn't a bad idea at all, but the only thing to do there is drink on Washington Street. Which gets old fast.

As for Bricktown, Portugese in the Ironbound is very good. However, I wouldn't go walking around Weequahic, just to be on the safe side...
posted by naxosaxur at 10:31 PM on May 26, 2004

I live in Hoboken, and while I like it, there isn't much to see unless you are really into Frank Sinatra, and even that is pretty limited. If you are going to take the trip from Newark, you might as well just go right into NYC.
posted by lilboo at 12:41 AM on May 27, 2004

what happened?
posted by amberglow at 8:58 PM on June 6, 2004