Lower Roseville - Newark, NJ

The naming of the Roseville neighborhood remains clouded in mystery and rumor. While some believe it to be a simple nod to the roses that once grew in the area’s pastures before urbanization, others suspect that it comes from the Irish farmer James Rowe, who refused to sell his local farm until the buyers agreed to name the land after him.

The neighborhood was fully equipped and functional by the year 1917, boasting a church, school, theater and other important social amenities. Like other nearby neighborhoods, over the years Roseville has grown to adapt the atmosphere of its own small city within the greater city of Newark. Just down Park Avenue to the east of Lower Roseville stands the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, an important social, religious and historical moment for the entire city. The fifth largest cathedral in America, it was declared an historic landmark in 1974.

Just north of Lower Roseville, Calandra’s Italian & French Bakery supplies locals with fresh bread, varieties of sweets, and coffee on the go. Some of the chefs hail from Europe and have studied pastry-making in official French institutes; this high level of authenticity can be found in their wide tableau of options, from basic whole-wheat bread to lobster tails with French cream. They offer custom cake-making for any occasion.

Looking towards Lower Roseville’s dinner and lunch options, the Bloomfield Avenue BBQ sits right around the corner from Calandra’s. Cooked with an authentic wood charcoal oven, every meal here comes complete with an order of yellow rice and fries. The atmosphere is quick, local and unassuming, providing an easy option for a casual meal. All of their meats and breads are guaranteed fresh.

In nearby East Orange, Bogies Lounge hosts frequent nightly events with live DJs. Depending on the evening, they provide VIP booths, pitchers, hooka bowls, special deals on shots and more. Bogies has even been known to sponsor specialty events such as fundraisers, holiday parties and open mics.

Bus stations maintained by NJ Transit line Lower Roseville’s Park Avenue and Roseville Avenue. The NJ Transit bus service provides several ticket options for regular commuters, such as monthly passes, discounted college student fares, children’s fares and 10-trip tickets. The Newark Light Rail runs within walking distance of any Lower Roseville home and is a convenient option for Newark commuters.

By car, the neighborhood can be accessed via the Garden State Parkway to the west or I-280 to the south. Exit 13 of I-280 leads directly into Lower Roseville. Street parking meters in the city of Newark charge $1.50 per hour, from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., with free parking on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lower Roseville is completely equipped with walkways for pedestrians, and any location should be completely accessible by foot. While there are no biking lanes offered in the neighborhood, Newark itself harbors a lively biking community, with other routes provided all throughout the city.

Uber serves Lower Roseville and other parts of Newark through its New Jersey service. Local taxi services can be contacted by phone, such as the Black & White Cab Co.

The Branch Brook Park borders the eastern edge of Lower Roseville, a central natural attraction for residents all across Newark. The park welcomes visitors from dawn until 10 p.m. everyday, charges no admission fee and welcomes pets. The parks sees all kinds of action on a daily basis with everything from bikers, joggers, picnics and organized sports games at its outdoor roller rink and grass sports fields. Special events in the park are easy to schedule.

More than 4,000 cherry trees blossom in the park every year, and the park sponsors the annual event Bloomfest every spring, which plays host to a park full of local crafters and artists. The event has live food, music, activities for children and more.

To the southwest of Lower Roseville, the Newark Museum hosts the annual Jazz in the Garden outdoor concert series that runs through July and August. A great number of performers come out, demonstrating old and new jazz classics.

The median cost of living in the city of Newark hovers around 22 percent higher than the national average. The average rental rate for an apartment in Lower Roseville is about $605, which is lower than the national average for living outside of an urban city center.

Gas prices in Lower Roseville typically fall 12 percent lower than the current national average. A beer at a local pub costs in the range of $6. Taking the Newark Light Rail from Park Avenue in Lower Roseville, a one-way bus ticket to the center of Newark is $1.50.

Lower Roseville profits from its proximity to other Newark neighborhoods in many ways, and shopping is no exception. Many small local boutiques can be found, such as the Rock Paper Scissors store that sits across the Parkway in Montclair. The stacks and stacks of cloth that line the walls at this store will make any crafter feel at home. The stores sells all of the materials needed for scrapbookers, jewelry-makers and sewers, and even provide workshop-style classes for those ages 6 and up.

The Fortress of Solitude, a local toy and comic book store, may be worth the walk from Lower Roseville for any lover of superheroes or action figures. Squished and hidden between buildings, this place truly has the feeling of a hidden gem. The store stocks new and used comic books and even offers trades.

A variety of small grocery stores serve Lower Roseville, such as Brothers Grocery, just off of I-280, and the Super Stop 1 on Park Avenue. The Park Avenue Minimarket also provides a small local option. North of the neighborhood, the Garden Farmers Market is one of the city’s many local farmers markets and supplies a huge amount of organic food for very low prices. They have their own parking lot and charge a $3 minimum for credit cards.