 
Krapug
Member
Username: Krapug
Post Number: 65
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 1:13 pm: |    |
I put this under "connections" as Newark and Detroit will forever be linked owing to the riots of July, '67 that occured in both cities.
I recently spent a week in downtown Newark, staying at the Robert Treat Hotel, one of 2 Hotels downtown, and the only one of Newark's Hotel's from it's glory days to have survived. The other Hotel, The Hilton Gateway, opended in 1970 as the Downtowner Inn.
During the mornings before heading off for what seemed like an endless day of meetings, I managed to walk the downtown area bit by bit. On the happier side, there have been a number of new developments in the recent years, and a new arena, Prudential Center is due to open on October 25.
Downtown now has a BID designation, and the streets where clean, further no one bothered me on these walks, and I could not help but to think to myself how much I and most people are panhandled in Center City Philly (where I lived for 5 years), as oppossed
to my walks through downtown.
That said, for those of you interested in "urban exploration", downtown Newark remains a goldmine.
Some of the "Ruins" include;
S. Klein, On The Square. The store closed downtown in 1976, and it has been vacant since.
Wiss Building, Wiss Jewelers, was at one time "The" Jewelers in Newark. The entire building has been vacant since the 70's as well.
Griffith Piano Building, this early skyscapper contained a recitial hall on the top floors, a piano retail store on the street floor, and classrooms and office space in between.
RKO Proctors Theatre, the main theatre has sat unused since the early 70's, and the upper theatre has been closed since the riots. The lobby is now a retail store with the rest of the building closed off.
Paramount-Newark, this theatre held out through the 80's and then closed. The marquee is still inplace and the lobby once again holds a retail store.
Adams Theatre, this building is completely closed, the marquee is still in place.
There are others as well, on my next trip I'll have to pack a camera.
Ken
FTR, the other Hotels from downtowns heyday have either been torn down (Essex House, Military Park), converted to senior housing (Douglas), or are used today as transient housing (Carlton). |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5501
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 2:50 pm: | |
Isn't Newark's largest theatre, the 4,200 seat Stanley Theatre, now a church?
I wonder how nearby Jersey City is doing? I do know that their largest theatre, the 3,400 seat Jersey Theatre is being restored. Originally, a dog food comglomerate (I think it was "Harz Mountain") was going to save the lobby and entrance exterior of the Jersey Theatre (a stunning Baroque/Rococco design by Rapp & Rapp) and destroy the auditorium by putting their HQ office tower there. But public protests stopped that travesty. So now the Jersey is being fully restored. |
Krapug
Member
Username: Krapug
Post Number: 66
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 3:32 pm: | |
The Stanley Theatre is located in Jersey City, near Journal Square and close to the Jersey Theatre. Today the Stanley is home to a Kingdom Hall, and they run tours, and from what I have been told the tours are free from any Jehovah Witness propaganda.
Ken |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5505
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 4:44 pm: | |
Thanks Krapug, for some reason I thought the Stanley was in Newark.
Even though the Stanley is a larger theatre, it's the Jersey that is a show stopper. It was very similar to the San Francisco Fox (razed 1963), which was considered the most palatial movie palace of all time. |
Lowell
Board Administrator
Username: Lowell
Post Number: 4230
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 6:59 pm: | |
Thanks Krapug, great report. It makes me want to visit. |
Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3780
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 11:15 pm: | |
I'll probably be visiting there this winter. Looking forward to it. All the pictures and word of mouth i've gotten is that it, like Detroit, has alot of great architecture and distinctive neighborhoods. Thanks to its location, though, it is at a much more advanced stage of redevelopment. |
Krapug
Member
Username: Krapug
Post Number: 67
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, October 13, 2007 - 3:01 pm: | |
When it comes to which city has an advanced stage of re-development, Newark is still struggling. The NJ Performing Arts Center, located right next to the Robert Treat Hotel is doing well, but other than the Hotel itself, it has not spun new businesses around it, and of 2 new upscale dining spots that opened nearby 1 has already closed (The Savoy), and the other (Key Club) only serves dinner when
there is an event at NJ PAC. The former flagship of Bamberger's (The Hudson's of Newark), has been redeveloped as an office building, but retail stores planned for the Market Street side have been slow to rent, and a large Old Navy store has already closed.
There are almost no national chain stores downtown, save for a Starbucks, and a Fed-Ex/Kinkos.
Like Detroit, Newark prided itself on being a city of home owners, and there are interesting neighborhoods to explore like Clinton Hill, Weequahic, Forest Hills (still the most upscale) , and the most vibrant, The Ironbound.
The population demographic has also changed. In the 1970's Newark was 70% African-American, 10% Hispanic, and 20% White. Today it is 50% African-American, 45% Latino/Hispanic, and 5% White.
Ken |
Miketoronto
Member
Username: Miketoronto
Post Number: 674
Registered: 07-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 11:35 pm: | |
I think Newark personally weathered the riots and decline a little better then Detroit.
While there may be decay, Downtown Newark held its own much better then Downtown Detroit as the centre of the region. And even retail wise, while it may not be chains, there is much more shopping in downtown Newark then Detroit.
Newark is reviving, and it is because of how close it is to NYC. |
Krapug
Member
Username: Krapug
Post Number: 70
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 25, 2007 - 7:51 am: | |
Today is a big day for downtown Newark, as Prudential Center Arena opens (with a 10 day run of Bon Jovi concerts).
One of the few businesses that has stayed the course downtown, Hobby's Jewish Deli, said in a TV interview that the arena's opening will mark the first time that they will stay open for dinner service since the riots.
It will be inteersting to see how this arena impacts downtown over time.
Ken |
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