Seventh Avenue - Newark, NJ Area Guide

The Seventh Avenue neighborhood once housed a large population of Italian immigrants. Area pizzerias and bakeries were visited by Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio, who once brought the entire Yankees baseball team out for a slice of neighborhood pizza. During the 1950s, Italian immigrants began moving to other sections of Newark, and a Latino community emerged in the area. Though an Italian community still exists, it has since diversified with Puerto Rican prominence.

On the edge of Branch Brook Park, Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart draws tourists from around the world. The fifth-largest cathedral in North America, this French-Gothic marvel holds free public concerts and guided tours throughout the year. The Newark Museum lies 15 minutes south of Seventh Avenue in University Heights. The site is perfect for days of cultural experience, and also features Dreyfuss Planetarium for an out-of-this-world experience.

Goody Restaurant tends to confuse many people walking in for the first time. On the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Webster Street, this fusion restaurant serves a unique blend of Chinese and Latin food, such as a juicy, roast half-chicken with beef-fried rice. Crispy tostones come with many low-priced Latin dishes. A long menu makes Goody a nice departure from traditional Chinese cuisine, adapting with the diverse community to serve an interesting collection of dishes.

Across Branch Brook Park and into neighboring Roseville, Dickie Dee's Famous Italian Hot Dogs & Pizza has served Newark residents and tourists for 60 years. The restaurant remains one of the last old-school Italian eateries in the area, and there's no question how it stays open. Deep-fried hot dogs, sausage and Italian burgers come piled with peppers, onions and potatoes. Dickie Dee's local popularity brings long lines into the small space — wait times can reach 20 minutes around the lunch and dinner rushes. An authentic slice of traditional Newark, Dickie Dee's is as much a historic asset to the community as it is a tasty one.

Las Canastillas' claim to fame is its pupusas: buttery, handmade tortillas filled with cheese, pork or vegetarian-friendly loroco, though the small stand-alone stop also receives local acclaim for its authentic Salvadorian dishes. The large, reasonably priced pupusas are great for lunch breaks or a quick bite to eat.

After the sun sets, travel down Broad Street and into University Heights to Martini 494 Bistro, an upscale urban bar with great drink options and unbeatable prices. The menu features typical bistro fare, including rack of lamb, hamburgers and chicken paillard. A wide-ranging selection of martinis promises drink options for every palette, with happy-hour prices covering mangotinis, saketinis and flirtinis for sugar cravers. Martini 494 also showcases art by local painters and photographers that can be purchased on-premises. A great way to get the night started or to wind down, Martini 494s city style makes you feel like you've taken a trip to New York City without venturing far from home.

Whether running errands on Bloomfield Avenue or laps in Branch Brook Park, most everyday needs can be fulfilled on foot. City bike riders utilize winding paths in Branch Brook Park for cycling, but biking along Bloomfield Avenue can be troublesome without dedicated bike lanes.

When traveling outside city limits, buses on Bloomfield Avenue transfer to light-rail services with paths to Hoboken and rail services to Penn Station. Plenty of Newark taxi services and Uber drivers provide lifts in a pinch to most places within New Jersey and New York. Residential parking in Seventh Avenue requires a permit, and parking spaces on Bloomfield Avenue and other major roads are metered.

Route 280 splits Seventh Avenue from neighboring University Heights, with access to the Holland and Lincoln tunnels to New York City. For Jersey-bound travels, Route 280 merges with Route 80, with exits to major highways and cities. Along the Passaic River, Route 21 winds around local municipalities and merges with Route 46, leading to many popular destinations in northern New Jersey.

Branch Brook Park, resting behind Cathedral Basilica and separating Seventh Avenue from Roseville, features activities and natural beauty within walking distance of Seventh Avenue residences. The gorgeous 360-acre park has walking and biking paths, ball fields, streams, unique bridges and the region's largest collection of cherry blossoms. Active days in the park include kids playing on the playground equipment and morning or late-afternoon romantic strolls along the 24-acre lake. Dogs are welcome as well.

The annual cherry blossom festival in Branch Brook Park brings more than 10,000 visitors annually. Movie nights, family nights out and concerts entertain locals throughout the year.

Houses price higher than in Roseville, across Branch Brook Park, by 16 percent. Compared with homes in Forest Hill to the north, however, Seventh Avenue residents enjoy 34 percent lower prices. One-bedroom apartments in Seventh Avenue rent for around $1,055 per month, much like many areas in Newark. The Seventh Avenue area has many cost-saving amenities, such as its proximity to public transportation and inexpensive restaurants. On Tuesdays, drinks at Martini 494 begin at $5 and pints of beer in local bars cost about $5 every day. Gas prices are on average with national pump costs.

For major shopping experiences, Seventh Avenue residents travel 10 minutes south to University Heights. The shops near the New Jersey Institute of Technology include a Barnes & Noble, a V.I.M. clothier, a Modell's and various specialty stores.

In University Heights, MH302 on Halsey Street sells wide-ranging clothing made by designer Marco Hall at very affordable prices. This New York City-inspired boutique displays its always-updated inventory on walls around the store. Knowledgeable salespeople help with sizing to help you find the perfect pants or top. Just over Route 280 sits one of New Jersey's most popular comic book shops, Fortress of Solitude. It has thousands of new and back-issued comic books as well as a variety of collectibles, movie posters and more. Look out for its in-store events, too.

Many stores along Park Avenue and 7th Avenue have everything necessary for most grocery shoppers. All Natural Vitamins Health on Bloomfield Avenue sells vitamins and supplements for healthy living. Just 10 minutes away, over the Passaic River, a ShopRite caters to every need not met in the many groceries dotting Seventh Avenue.