2 day use hotels in Newark (NJ), United States

First settled in the reign of Charles II, Newark has more recently welcomed a large number of Portuguese-speakers which has influenced the city’s culture and dining scene. Visiting for a daycation and wondering what to do? Give our recommendations a look.

Your Newark Day Stay Recommendations

• Food – Fans of Portuguese, Brazilian, and Spanish cooking are in for a treat, as Newark boasts a large number of excellent restaurants in those culinary styles. Family-run restaurant Sabor Unido prepares Portuguese and Brazilian delights, and you can enjoy traditional Spanish dishes at the Spanish Tavern. More Spanish fare can be had at Casa d’Paco, while Adega Grill cooks a mix of seafood and Portuguese dishes. Indulge your sweet tooth at Nasto’s Ice Cream Co, or explore more of the city’s dining scene to experience Kosher, Cuban, Basque, Italian, or Mexican food.
• Live Music – The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is the home of both the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the New Jersey State Opera. The child-friendly venue is a stage for national acts and festivals and is a great spot to visit if live performances give you a buzz.
• Museums – Newark Museum is an expansive museum that displays American art, decor, and houses a planetarium, as well as an interactive nature exhibit. The Jewish Museum of New Jersey tells the story of the city’s Jewish history, and has a range of permanent and visiting exhibits. Families can visit the Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum, which includes hands-on art, history, and science exhibits.
• Architecture – Connoisseurs of architecture have varying styles and imposing edifices to admire. Sacred Heart Cathedral is a French Gothic Revival church, the fifth-largest cathedral in North America with a magnificent pair of towers flanking the entrance. Art deco fans can check out some early skyscrapers, such as the National Newark Building. Newark Symphony Hall is an interesting structure, combining Greek and Egyptian elements in a Moorish Revival style.

Six Intriguing Newark Facts

1. Newark is the biggest city by population in the state of New Jersey.
2. Newark was first settled by Connecticut Puritans in 1666, and was granted a royal charter in 1713.
3. The city’s name may have derived from Newark-on-Trent, an English town that was connected to Newark’s first pastor Abraham Pierson, or it may be a contracted version of New Ark (as in Ark of the Covenant).
4. The city has one of the largest Portuguese-speaking populations in the United States.
5. The Portraits mural, created in 2016, is the second longest continual mural in the United States, running the length of 25 football fields.
6. Newark has the nicknames The Brick City (thought to be due to its large number of brick buildings) and The Gateway City (because it’s the largest city in the Gateway region).