New Brunswick, New Jersey is the County Seat of Middlesex County. The “Hub” of central New Jersey, it is 35 miles south of New York City, and 45 miles north of Philadelphia. Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line stops here, making transportation a breeze. NB is home to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and Johnson & Johnson’s world corporate headquarters. NB is also the “Healthcare City” containing Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Saint Peter’s University Hospital and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).

The closest motel to I-95 is Howard Johnson’s on Route 1 North. Walking distance from the motel are a Benigans and a Fudruckers restaurants. 5 minutes off of I-95 on Route 18 North and you are in the heart of downtown NB. Here you will find the elegant Hyatt Hotel. This is the place to stay in NB. Walking distance to most of NB’s finest restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.

A different place each night and you’ll never repeat yourself!!! All downtown: The Old bay for seafood, Old Man Raferty’s for american cuisine, La Fontanna for Elegant Italian, Marita’s Cantina for Mexican, Stuff-yer-face for Stomboli’s, Thomas Sweet for Ice Cream, and many many more. Also in the city, Gambino’s Inn on Remsen Ave is excellent family owned and family friendly Italian. Los Molinos is terrific spanish cuisine at a good price. NB also has chains, McDonalds, Burger King, Bennigans, Fudruckers, Lone Star Steakhouse, On the Border and Houlihans.

New Brunswick’s claim to fame is its’ cultural center on Livingston Ave, home to the State Theater, the George Street Playhouse and Crossroads Theater, it is not to be missed. For a laugh, try the Stress Factory comedy club on Church St. To catch the game, try Draft Picks at the Hyatt. The Sony/Loews movie theater houses 18 screens and is located on Route 1 South. Rutgers Football and Basketball home games are a short drive over the John Lynch Memorial Bridge via Route 18 in nearby Piscataway. And, you can always catch a train for the 45-50 minute trip to Manhattan’s Penn Station underneath World Famous Madison Square Garden.

Drive, walk, taxi, public buses are all viable options in New Brunswick.

Need more? Try these links for additional information about New Brunswick, New Jersey.

New Brunswick Visitor’s Guide
The official site of New Brunswick City Market.

Rutgers
Rutgers is New Jersey’s State University.

The State Theater
New Brunswick’s cultural center’s anchor facility.

Newark is New Jersey’s largest city, with a population of approx. 275,000 and is also the third oldest city in the United States with more than 330 years of history, surpassed by only New York and Boston.

Newark is located 13 miles Southwest of Midtown Manhattan. Newark International Airport (New Jersey Turnpike Interchanges 13A & 14) is the closest airport to Manhattan and is also among the nation’s busiest. Many airlines including Continental use Newark as their hub airport. However, there is much more to Newark than just the airport.

Through the years, Newark has been portrayed as a dying city, without a future. Nothing is further from the truth. Newark today is experiencing a renaissance and is again asserting its position as dynamic city with a bright future ahead. New development is popping up throughout the downtown area, as the streets are clean and safe, businesses are moving back to the city, and planned projects including a new basketball & hockey arena as well as a new soccer stadium for New Jersey’s Pro Sports Teams.
Come see all the “New” Newark has to offer.

Downtown Area:

Hilton Gateway Hotel (New Jersey Turnpike exit 15E to Raymond Boulevard) is the premier feature to Newark’s Skyline. The hotel is located in the heart of Downtown at corner of Raymond Plaza West (Pennsylvania Station) and Raymond Boulevard The Robert Treat Hotel (New Jersey Turnpike exit 15W I-280 West to Exit 20-Route 21 South/McCarter Highway) is located next to the NJ Performing Arts Center at Centre Street and McCarter Highway and is a inexpensive alternative to the Gateway Hilton.

Airport Area:

The Days Inn, Howard Johnson’s, Marriott Courtyard, Holiday Inn North, Marriott Hotel @ Newark International, Sheraton, and Ramada Inn are all located off Routes 1/9 South and I-78 West at Interchange 14 on the NJ Turnpike. The Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Jetport, Newark Airport Hilton, and Wyndham Gardens Hotel are all located on Spring St at Interchange 13A on the Turnpike.

For fast food in Downtown, The Food Court located at McCarter Hwy & Raymond Blvd. is a good bet. If your looking for more ethnic fare, consider one of the many Portuguese restaurants in the city’s Ironbound district (Turnpike Int. 15E to Ferry Street/Raymond Blvd), or try the Don Pepe Restaurant on the McCarter Hwy in North Newark (I-280 Exit 20 to Route 21 North). For African-American fare try Je’s Restaurant on William St just off the McCarter Hwy. If Chinese is your taste, the Kim Yeum Restaurant on Court St, should satisfy. For more American fare the Market St. Bar and Grill at the Gateway Hotel should cater to everyone’s needs. In addition, all the hotels offer their own restaurant as well and in some cases 2-3.

The Newark Museum on Washington Street hosts world-famous collections include American Paintings and Sculpture, the Decorative Arts, the Arts of Africa, Classic Can, Numismatics, and the Arts of Asia, including the largest Tibetan collection in the Western Hemisphere. The Museum also features the 1885 Ballantine House restoration, a national historic landmark; the Dreyfuss planetarium; a Mini Zoo; and the Newark Fire Museum.

Branch Brook Park is home to one of the world’s largest display of Cherry Blossoms each year.

The NJ Performing Arts Center is the city’s newest and largest cultural center and houses two beautiful theaters: the 2,750-seat Great Hall and the 500-seat Victoria Theatre. Each boasting the best in national and international artistry and a center stage for New Jersey’s finest performers.

Newark Symphony Hall on Broad Street is one of the state’s major cultural centers, where audiences have enjoyed symphony, ballet, opera, professional theater groups and popular music programs. Architecturally, the building features a combination of Greek and Egyptian marble-columned, side promenades. Acoustically, the concert hall is considered by many to be one of the finest on the East Coast.

The Newark City Subway is Newark’s best kept secret. The 4.3 mile subway runs along a former canal bed from Downtown to the Belleville/Newark Border through Branch Brook Park using 1940’s vintage streetcars. A must see for any railfan (and see it soon, because the cars will be replaced with modern rail cars towards the end of 2000)

For Sports, the brand new Riverfront Park (Int. 15W to Exit 20), is home to the Newark Bears Atlantic League baseball team. Otherwise the Meadowlands Sports Complex in nearby East Rutherford (NJT Int 16E/W) offers NJ Devils NHL Hockey, NJ Nets NBA Basketball, Jets and Giants NFL Football, NY/NJ Metrostars Major League Soccer, and a racetrack with Harness Racing

In Nearby Jersey City the Liberty Science Center (Turnpike Interchange 14B) is a superb museum for hands-on learning, and Liberty State Park, where the center is located affords excellent views of the NYC Skyline and offers ferry service to the Statue of Liberty

Newark also offers many other cultural and historic sites, which are listed on the city’s official website.

Major Highways

The NJ Turnpike runs North-South along the eastern edge of the city towards New Brunswick/Elizabeth to the South and the George Washington Bridge/Lincoln Tunnel crossings into NYC to the North. (Interchange 13A, Airport; 14, I-78/US 22/Rt 21; 15E, Raymond Blvd/Ferry St/Market St; 15W, I-280)

Interstate 78 and US 22 run East-West along the southern end of the city, bordering the airport To the West is Somerville/Morristown and Phillipsburg, to the East is Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel Crossing to NYC (Exit 52, GSP; 56, Clinton Ave; 57, US 1/9 Airport; 58A; Port Newark

US 1/9 also called the Pulaski Skyway runs North and South through the southern portion of the city, Southbound travels toward Elizabeth, New Brunswick and Trenton, Northbound to the Holland Tunnel and through Hudson & Bergen Counties to the George Washington Bridge.

I-280 bisects Newark. I-280 runs westbound through the Downtown area from the Turnpike enroute to I-80/Parsippany and Dover(Exits Coming Soon)

Route 21 or the McCarter Highway with Broad Street is Newark’s primary artery through the Downtown area. Route 21 runs from the Airport through the heart of the city to US 46 in Clifton.

The Garden State Parkway passes through the West Ward & Vailsburg sections of the City (Northbound Exit 140, US 22; 142, I-78 East; 143, Lyons Ave/Chancellor Ave; 144, So. Orange Ave; 145 I-280/Central Ave; 148, Bloomfield Ave; Southbound Exit 148, Bloomfield Ave; 147, Springdale Ave/Park Ave; 145, I-280/Central Ave; 144, South Orange Ave/18th Ave; 143B, Springfield Ave/Clinton Ave; 143A, Lyons Ave/Chancellor Ave; 141, US 22)

Local Thoroughfares

Bloomfield Avenue (County Rt 508) runs through the Northern sections of town and through Branch Brook Park before continuing on as the main street through many suburban Essex County communities before ending at US 46 in the Parsippany Area.

Market Street runs from the Ironbound Section through Downtown to Main Street in East Orange at I-280

Springfield Avenue (Route 124) runs from Market Street in Downtown to Springfield Twp. at I-78

South Orange Ave. (County Rt 510) runs from Springfield Ave in Downtown and through the West Ward, and Vailsburg section to Morristown at US 202 & Route 124

Public Transit

New Jersey Transit Local-Long Distance Bus/Commuter Rail/City Subway/Airport Shuttle 1-800-626-7433; PATH Commuter Subway to NYC 1-800-234-7284; Greyhound @ Newark Penn Station 1-800-231-2222; Amtrak @ Newark Penn Station 1-800-872-7245

Need more? Try these links for additional information about Newark, New Jersey.

The I-95 Exit Information Guide
“Flat out, the single best website for auto travelers on the Net” — Yahoo’s Internet Life Magazine

Official City Website for Newark
The official Website for the City of Newark…Lists all city offices, places of interest, museums, colleges, and interesting facts about Newark.

The Newark Star-Ledger Online
The Newark Star-Ledger is online at New Jersey Online. New Jersey Online has forums, chat, as well as Newark Star-Ledger/Trenton Times/Jersey City Journal current and archived news

Freehold is a large town compared to other Jersey cities. It is located about 1 hour from Philly and New York City via the NJ Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway. A city of 32,000 is on the Manasquan River and 20 minutes from the Jersey Shore(Atlantic Ocean). Known as Western Monmouth Countys humble house, Freehold is the place to be!!

You can stay at the Days Inn on US Rte. 9 North before CR-522. Or, The Freehold Gardens Hotel on CR-537 by the Raceway Mall.

Most fast-food restaurants can be found on US RTE 9. If you would like to dine at a fine restaurant, Vans Restaurant and Lounge, Bachio’s and other downtown restaurants.

Six Flags Great Adventure is located 10 miles west of downtown on CR-537 in Jackson. Monmouth Battlefield is a historic site. The Battle of Monmouth took place there. The Wemrock Orchards is a way to get fresh items. Golf Courses are located within driving distance of the borough. The Jersey Shore is a family oriented place to soak up some sun, play arcade games on boardwalks, and play in the ocean. The Freehold Raceway is located across from the Raceway Mall on Bus. 33 and RTE 9.

US 9 goes through the Freehold Metro Area and continues up to NYC and South to Cape May, NJ. NJ 33 Runs from Asbury Park to Trenton. The Jersey Turnpike runs from NYC to Camden and Delaware. The Garden State Parkway runs from Ramapo, NY to Cape May. I-195 runs from Trenton to Belmar via NJ 138. I-295 runs from I-95 in Trenton to Wilmington, DE. I-80 runs from San Fransisco, CA to Teaneck, NJ. I 78 crosses the Watchung Mountains through Morristown.

Need more? Try these links for additional information about Freehold Township, New Jersey.

Freehold Facts
Facts about Freehold!

Orbitz
Lodging and Airfare for all!

Expedia
Great Prices, Great Times!

Many of you who have benefited from my original cityguide should appreciate this new, edited version with up-to-date information about the town. For those who don’t know, East Brunswick is a medium-sized town of 25 square miles and a population of about 50,000 people.The northern part is home to Tower Center-twin 25-story towers visible from the Empire State Building.The main highway that runs through the heart of the state,Route 18, has it’s large stretch of commercial centers and diners in East Brunswick. The town’s school system is nationally recognized as an educational standard with its 8 Blue-Ribbon schools. Other attractions are the Brunswick Square Mall and the various farms in the picturesque rural section to the south, with berry and pumpkin picking at Giamarese Farm, as well as the wide selection at the many garden centers on Cranbury Road.

Now down to the nitty-gritty. Topping the list of places to stay is the Hilton, sandwiched between the “twin towers”. It is visible for miles down the turnpike and is conveinient for business travellers, as well as whenever any politicians are staying in the area. A Holiday Inn, as mentioned in the 2001 edition, will be completed soon and sits close to the towers near the turnpike. Going down a notch, there are familiar chains such as the Motel 6, (which has just added an extended-stay building)Macintosh Inn, and the Ramada Inn. I have been to all of these and found them suitable. As far as food at these establishments are concerned, I have had Easter brunch at the Ramada’s downstairs restaurant and found the service and price reasonable. The Hilton is home to the annual high school prom here, and the food is unbelievable. If you don’t believe me, call the White House.

From low to high, there are the little strip mall diners that I don’t recommend, that is unless you have a lot of Maalox on hand. There are McDonalds, Miami Subs, Baja Fresh, Wendy’s, Burger King, Denny’s, Roy Rogers, Olive Garden, Chili’s, Chi-Chi’s, Ruby Tuesday’s, Red Lobster, and Applebee’s are all great familiar eateries. Personally, both the Colonial and Seville Diners are great but I prefer the Colonial for selection and price. Very good coffee for the early morning start-ups. The Tomato Factory on Ryder’s Lane is very good but call ahead for seating as theres always a wait. Finally, The Blue Water Seafood Company is a small, elegant, restaurant near the GMC dealership that has the finest seafood in the area. Make sure to come with enough cash and without the kids. There is also the Chateau, but that is on Cranbury Road and is the kind of place you would have your wedding at (not for a little dinner).

This is probably where East Brunswick falls short. Entertainment is few and far between for a town this size, but we manage. The movie theater in the mall has 20+ screens, and is a favorite hangout of the high school crowd on Friday nights. There’s a bunch of tanning salons, some arcades, an indoor sports place called Sports N’ Stuff, and thats about it.

If you enter town from the turnpike by the towers and the big East brunswick sign, the traffic will bottleneck over the bridge because you lose a lane at the footbridge. If that happens, you can go turn right at Eggers Street at the footbridge traffic light and follow down until you see the east brunswick racquet club on the left of the road. Follow that down to the Toys R Us-then u should be in a parking lot with a Shopper’s World-then you can see Route 18 from there and go back on or continue on the back road near the Mr.Pizza and follow straight past the junior high on your right until you see a cream & red warehouse at the end of the road with a light and apartments on your right. Left takes you to 18, right takes you to Ryder’s Lane and the Acme Shopping Center. This is probably the best advice to give you if you come in during rush hour. Also, for local news turn to 1450 am and 98.3 fm.

Need more? Try these links for additional information about East Brunswick, New Jersey.

East Brunswick Township Page
The township website with information about town events and road closings, as well as more about what makes East Brunswick “The Heart of Middlesex County”.

Home News tribune
The central jersey newspaper headquartered in town. Find out more about East Brunswick by clicking the “Day In The Life” link on the left column and click “East Brunswick”. Note:This may take a short time to load with a 56k.

EBNET
The Innovative Educational System Linking The Resources Of The Community.