10Newest Places to Live
5New Places to Work
The “G” Word
How to Prevent Gentrification from Happening
Hassan Keith Returns Home to Rebuild His City
Large corporations continue to move into Newark, small businesses continue to start up, and new and affordable residential options are continuing to offer Newarkers more and better places to live.
This was the inspiration behind our Fall 2018 Working and Living in Newark issue.
Job opportunities abound in Newark. Evidence of this can be found in the job training and placement available through RWJBarnabas Health (pg. 7)—for jobs all over the city and in several industries, not just healthcare. And you can get an idea of the wide diversity of job opportunities popping up throughout the city—from pet care to fintech—in 5 New Places to Work in Newark (pg. 24).
Newark’s Native Son Rebuilds Hometown (pg. 28) profiles Hassan Keith, Head of General Construction for Mid-Atlantic Alliance, a Newark native son whose development company is helping to provide other Newarkers with modern, well-appointed places to call home. We’ve also put together a comprehensive list of new residential options in the city (pg. 18), including developments that cater to Newark’s artistic community (pg. 11).
PUBLISHER
Sakina Spruell Cole scole@colemediainc.com
EDITORIAL
Sonja Mack Managing Editor smack@colemediainc.com
Rose Driscoll Writer
LaToya Harris Writer
Aubri McKoy Writer Kimberly Prime Writer
ART
Mary A. Brown Creative Director mbrown@colemediainc.com
Shay Lenora Designer
Nina Cochran Designer
EDITORIAL PARTNERS
Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC)
City of Newark
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
Here’s to the future of Newark!
Sincerely,
If the progress Newark has made during Mayor Baraka’s first term is any indication of the kind of growth the city can expect over the next four years, it will be a historic record of an urban city’s resurgence and it will re-position the city of Newark to the world.
Prudential Center One Theater Square
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On page 15 the dates for AeroFarms were misstated. It should read: “The company moved into Newark in 2011 and opened its third facility there in 2017. AeroFarms currently operates three facilities in the state of New Jersey.”
For more information contact Cole Media Inc at info@colemediainc.com All rights reserved. © Copyright 2018.
Does Mayor Baraka really believe that the working wage (including minimum wage) is enough for an original Newarker to afford these new lofts and buildings? And I don’t mean the lottery rent, I’m talking market price.
Mayor Baraka: There are Newarkers who can afford market rent. Everybody in Newark does not work below the minimum wage. About 30% of the city lives below the poverty line but our goal is to have an integrated community. We don’t want to concentrate poverty in one area and wealth in another. So we work to have units that are for people who make more money and units for people who make less money.
How do I as a Newark resident get a foot in at companies like Audible so I can live and work in Newark instead of commuting to the city?
Mayor Baraka: Go to the Newark 2020 website, newark2020.com, and click the button that’s for residents. Be patient because there are still some things we are trying to work out. But the Newark 2020 website has a direct link to the companies and corporations that are in the city. That’s a good start.
Mayor Baraka: You can get a job down at the Newark Downtown District (downtownnewark.com) or go to any of the other special improvement districts. There is the Bergen-Lyons-Clinton Special Improvement District, there is a West Ward improvement district (www.partnershipwestinc.org) on South Orange Avenue and there are several other improvement districts that you can work for privately to help clean up Newark. And, of course, you can apply for a sanitation job (newarknj.gov/jobs).
Everyone doesn’t need the newest gadget or the newest place to live or work. That’s why we sought out to find a few places to live that have a more historical flare. We also found a place with a ton of jobs that are not in the busy downtown district.
Of course you don’t have to be a doctor or a nurse to work there. For instance, there are jobs in more than 60 categories—from accounting to food service to social work—at
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in the South Ward. “I like to think of hospitals as cities,” says Zach Lipner, VP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, which is part of the RWJBarnabas Health network. “Cities require a variety of occupations to keep things running and to support their infrastructure. Hospitals are no different.”
RWJBarnabas Health conducts job training and placement for jobs both inside the medical facilities and outside as part of Mayor Ras Baraka’s Newark 2020 initiative, which endeavors to employ 2,020 Newarkers with full-time, living wage jobs by the year 2020. Last year, RWJBH president and CEO Barry H. Ostrowsky pledged publicly that the healthcare system would hire 350 Newarkers by 2020.
Located at 90 Tiffany Boulevard, the Tiffany Manor is a building rich with history. In 1887, Tiffany and Co. opened a silver plate jewelry factory where the current Tiffany Manor apartments now stand. Tiffany Manor was converted into 130 luxury apartments in 1996 and is still a coveted address in Newark.
The Weequahic section of Newark, built primarily between 1910 and 1930, is known for its tree-lined streets, an expansive park with a golf course, and turn-of-thecentury-styled homes. The section between Lyons, Maple, Keer, and Elizabeth Avenues is currently listed as a historical section in the New Jersey historic register.
The former Murphy Varnish Company, built in 1865, is currently listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places. Once a beacon of Newark industrialization, the building is currently being converted into residential and retail space. So you may soon be able to claim this historic site at 129-143 Chestnut Street as home.
Every October, the American Cancer Society holds their annual Making Strides in Newark fundraising walk. On October 21, 2018 at 10:00am, Destination Newark will be participating and we want you to join us! Check-in begins at 8:00am at the NJ Devils Championship Plaza, Prudential Center. Please visit www.destinationnewark.net for details on how to join Team Destination Newark! We look forward to meeting you for a healthy cause.
The American Cancer Society has held the walk in Newark for 21 years and over 21,000 people have participated in it.
NBIMC conducts genetic testing to discover your risk for breast cancer and genetic counseling to help you understand and deal with the results.
NBIMC offers psychological and nutritional counseling, pastoral care and support groups to breast cancer patients and their families.
MyBCTeam.com is NBIMC’s social network and online support group for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
NBIMC’s Frederick B. Cohen, M.D. Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center specializes in the care and treatment of patients facing the following cancers: Blood Cancer, Brain & Spine Cancer, Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Gastrointestinal Cancer, Gynecological Cancer, Head & Neck Cancer, Lung & Thoracic Cancer, Pediatric Cancer, Prostate Cancer.
As part of their Breast Health Program, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, also a supporter of M aking Strides, will host a free breast cancer screening. All participants will receive a clinical breast exam, voucher for a screening mammogram, and continental breakfast and refreshments. There will also be a raffle and activities!
Saturday, October 20, 2018
8:00 am - Noon 201 Lyons Avenue, Newark NJ
All participants must register by Friday, October 12, 2018 by calling 973-926-2673.
—LaToya Harrisames Baldwin said, “The precise role of the artist … [is] to make the world a more human dwelling place.” As Newark moves forward, it is the goal of the city administrators to assure that our creative community will firmly be supported and entrenched in our neighborhoods, in Newark’s economic growth, and in helping the city become Baldwin’s more human dwelling place for our artists.
Certainly one step forward in this aim is to assist in the development of affordable and accommodating living spaces for artists in any of Newark’s neighborhoods. Assuring live/work spaces for Newark artists is not a new concept. Even in the days when local residents opened their homes as performance spaces, like Amiri and Amina Baraka’s Kimako’s Blues People, Mrs. Elma Bateman’s home, or Ms. Louise Scott’s mansion, the creative community knew Newark as a place where interactive expressive juices could flow to a warm and receptive local and international community.
Today that expressive, imaginative creativity continues and we see new real estate developments opening with the artist community in mind.
—Gwen Moten
Today the expressive, imaginative creativity of the 1960s continues and we see new real estate developments opening with the artist community in mind. Here are three of the artist-centered housing designs for Newark.
1. The Willows at Symphony Hall is a four-story, 60-unit affordable rental community located in the historic Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District. Seventy-five percent of the units are set aside as housing for the growing artistic community. The complex has both gallery and rehearsal spaces, along with a two-story community lounge, furnished sundecks, a playground, and more.
The Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District is a historic arts and cultural, live-work, sustainable, green, urban community located immediately south of Newark Symphony Hall on Broad Street.
2. The 505 Clinton Avenue Project, a 23-unit artist live-work space, is being developed in the Clinton Avenue Artist Corridor. Franklyn Ore, vice president of Newark Community Economic Development Corporation tells us, “There will be ground-floor communal workspaces for tenants, a poet’s café for forums and performances, and a performance space and gallery that will be an area for displaying and discussing work, serving as a cultural resource and a venue for artists to increase their profile.”
505 Clinton Avenue is a currently vacant historic bank building in the South Ward.
The Newark Center for Entrepreneurs has a vision to serve as a live/ work community, a business incubator, an educational support center, and a counseling and mentoring program. The development will have a campus of 51 market-rate apartments, 16 creative maker shops, and 16 makers affordable apartments. A makerspace is a place where people come together to discuss ideas, share, create, learn, and develop creative projects.
Located on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (High Street) and listed on the National and State Registry of Historic Places, the Krueger-Scott Mansion will be rehabbed to accommodate its commercial use with respectful preservation of the building’s historic façade and integrity.
The Krueger-Scott Mansion was originally built, circa 1882, by the founder of Newark’s Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company. It was later owned by Louise Scott who made the mansion her personal residence as well as her place of business. She operated a beauty school out of the dwelling.
With 11,000 new housing units in the pipeline in Newark, and the renovation and repurposing of existing properties, live-work spaces are paramount in the planning and development of human dwelling places for artists in Newark. We welcome you!
Gwen Moten is a former White House-appointed American Cultural Specialist and served as a U.S. cultural attaché. She is presently the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Cultural Development and Tourism for the City of Newark.
If someone would have told Morgan Takae Smith as a child that she would be one of the faces of a major technology company, she wouldn’t have believed them. A girl once bullied over her acne, Smith is now an intern at Audible and is featured in their local ad campaign
Newark-based Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon and is the largest audiobook producer in the country. Smith is one of 70 Newark high school students who participate in the company’s yearround internship program.
The internship has gotten Smith model-ready and exposed her to coporate life. Prior to beginning her internship, Smith was set on a career as a makeup artist.
“Audible exposed me to things I wasn’t exposed to before in business,” she said. “I always thought business was super boring and wasn’t anything enjoyable.” But through her internship, Smith was able to see what goes on behind the scenes with large projects and the hard work that goes into them. She has assisted with projects like Audible’s website, Audible Range, and others.
Smith grew up in the Ivy Hill section of Newark. After graduating high school in 2019, she hopes to attend Howard University and major in marketing.
—Interviewed by LaToya Harris
Name: Morgan Takae Smith
Age: 17
Occupation: Intern at Audible
Hometown: Newark, NJ
School: Science Park High School
Grade: 12th grade
One of the things that makes pursuing a higher education in the city of Newark so unique is the breadth of disciplines you can specialize in. You can obtain a degree or certification in law at Seton Hall Law, technology at NJIT, a number of medical fields at Essex County Community College, religious counseling and education at Pillar, business at Berkeley, and most of the above and more at
Rutgers University-Newark, part of New Jersey’s largest institute of higher education and one of the most respected research universities in the country.
These graduates of Newark’s six major colleges and universities put their education to work by finding rewarding careers in the areas their schools specialize in.
Dr. Michael Akinyemi is a board certified diagnostic/vascular and interventional radiologist. He graduated in 2001 from Essex County Community College with high honors and an associate’s degree in science and biology in pre-medicine. In 2004, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) after majoring in biomedical engineering/chemistry/applied mathematics. And in 2009, he graduated with a medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Angie Feliz is an engineer at PSE&G energy company. She graduated from NJIT with an associate’s degree in civil engineering in 2013. A few months before she graduated, Feliz became a technical intern at PSE&G, which led to the offer of a permanent position with the company. She started full-time at PSE&G in January of 2014. Feliz returned to NJIT and graduated in 2017 with a master’s degree in engineering management.
Ruben Sanrelus is a financial analyst for Burlington Stores. He graduated from Rutgers University-Newark in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, after which he worked as a pricing analyst and accountant for Bank of America. In 2015, Sanrelus returned to Rutgers Business School. In June of this year, he graduated with a master’s degree in finance and real estate.
Nicole graduated from Berkeley College in 2014 with a degree in business management-entrepreneurship. In 2012 she founded It Takes a Village, Inc. (ITV), a non-profit organization that helps formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reintegrate into society through social services and training in trades. Singletary was the student speaker for Berkeley College’s Class of 2015 commencement. She is also an activist in the Newark community.
Norberto Rivera is a youth pastor, coach and mentor. He graduated from Pillar College in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In 2014, he graduated with an associate’s degree in bible/biblical studies. That same year, he began working as a peer counselor at the Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center in Wayne, NJ, and in July of 2016, he became a youth pastor and director at the Church of Nazarene, both in Newark and the New York Metro District.
John E. Keefe Jr. is the president of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1990. After graduating,Keefe worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Kenneth MacKenzie. In 1995, he became one of the founding members and co-managers of Keefe Law Firm. Keefe’s long and successful career as a legal counsel includes cases that resulted in million dollar settlements and verdicts.
Joel Bloom, the president of NJIT, is doing his part to establish Newark as the world capital of advancing technology. In July, he brought MODEV’s VOICE Summit to NJIT, winning bids against New York and Los Angeles, among other cities.
The groundbreaking event focused on emerging voice technology, also called natural language programming—the same tech that powers iPhone’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. MODEV, a leading tech community, chose to hold their summit in the heart of NJIT specifically because of its leadership in tech innovation.
“Our goal is to get people to recognize Newark,” Dr. Bloom said. “The summit brought nearly 3,000 people to our campus
from eight countries. And we partnered with the city and the convention bureau to make sure this was lucrative for Newark.”
Part of Dr. Bloom’s focus as the president of NJIT is equity—he wants to make sure developing tech benefits Newark and its residents rather than displacing them or leaving them behind. He has been working toward this mission since he became NJIT’s president in 2011, rising from his previous position as Dean of the Honors College.
“We’re working to close the digital divide,” Dr. Bloom said, referring to the university’s pre-college programs and recruitment outreach activities that target women and minorities, two groups that are vastly underrepresented in STEM fields. The university is also cooperating closely with Newark’s administration on the Smart
City kiosks, improving the quality of life for city residents and training a highly-paid workforce to upkeep and innovate the city’s tech infrastructure.
NJIT is in a growth trajectory. More students enroll every semester. More research grants are bestowed and more projects are started every year. The university has hired more than 100 new faculty members, and it has just added over a million square feet of new facilities. NJIT’s growth is having a significant impact on Newark as well as the entire state of New Jersey, both economically and socially.
“This is the best job in the world!” said an optimistic Dr. Bloom. “I’m looking forward to all the great work we have yet to do.” —Rose
Driscoll
Nearly 8 from countries attended the inaugural VOICE Summit from July 24 to 26 to learn about the emerging technology of natural language programming.
3,000 people
by The Editors
On July 16, 2018, Chris Keys moved into a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Newark that overlooks NJPAC. “I work long hours, sometimes 13 hours a day at the restaurant, so I want to get home fast and be in a space that I enjoy and can relax in,” says Keys, who is the general manager of Marcus B&P on Halsey Street.
Keys didn’t move from New York. He moved to the new luxury apartments at One Theater Square from the other end of Broad Street where he had lived for the last eight years.
“Newark has this amazing vibe and culture. There is a really strong sense of community here that is unlike anywhere else. We all watch out for each other, we root for the new startups, and we support each other’s dreams,” says Keys, explaining why he stays in Newark. “There’s something bigger than just us happening here. It is a transformation for everyone.”
Since 2017, almost 1,000 new apartments have been completed, and more than 300 of those have been deemed affordable housing units, according to the 2018 City of Newark State of the City report.
Some of those new developments include Riverview Arms, which has 128 affordable housing units, and the Hahne and Co. Building, which has 100 market-rate units and 60 affordable-housing units. One Theater Square has 244 apartments, including 24 affordable housing units. The developer of One Theater Square held a lottery in August for applicants who make less than the average median income. The lottery enabled a broader pool of Newarkers to have a chance at obtaining some of the residential units.
Keys staked a claim to his home well before any lotteries. He secured his market-rate unit two years ago and waited patiently as the construction crew laid the foundation, topped off and finally finished the 22-story glass and brick sensation.
More than 1,000 new places to live have sprung up in the last year. Who lives there and is it affordable?
“I absolutely love my apartment! There’s nothing like brand new everything or sitting on my balcony and seeing the New York skyline.”
Chris Keys
One Theater Square | Opened August 2018
2 Center Street | (973) 832-0282 | onetheatersquare.com
The newest and possibly most unique development yet in Newark is developed by Philadelphia, PA-based Dranoff Properties. In addition to this property’s unique view of NJPAC, it also has 12,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. There are more than 200 rentals in this property; 24 of them made available for families with low-to-moderate incomes.
Make friends here now if you want to hear and even view the NJPAC Sounds of the City free concerts (or the Military Park movie nights) from a sought-after balcony next summer!
Lofts At Lincoln Park | Opened in July 2018
90 Clinton Ave | (973) 755-1753 | loftsatlincolnpark.com
This is truly a homegrown project that everyone in Newark can be proud of. Developed by Newark-born Hassan Keith and his partners at Mid-Atlantic Alliance, these luxury lofts are located slightly outside of the central downtown area. There are only 24 condos in this property and they are for sale at market-rate. Most are already sold.
TIP
Make friends here if you need a restroom break during the Lincoln Park Music Festival next year!
Halston Flats | Opened February 2017
127-131 Halsey Street | (201) 858-8182 | halstonflats.com
Halston Flats is a new development of a historic building constructed in the early 20th century upon the banks of the former Morris Canal. The building is located in the heart of the Business District of Newark, on the corner of Halsey Street and Raymond Boulevard.
Check out the all-you-can-eat buffet at Pages Restaurant, which is within walking distance.
Residences at Hahne & Co | Opened January 2017
50 Halsey Street | (973) 988-4138 | livehahne.com
The Hahne building is an especially unique place to live. Not only are there state-of-the-art apartments but retail shops and even a Whole Foods Market downstairs so you don’t have to leave the building to go grocery shopping. There are 100 rentals at this location and 60 of them were made available for low-to-moderate income families.
Take advantage of the parking garage at this residential/ retail space. If you spend $10 at Whole Foods, parking is free.
4
The Willows at Symphony Hall | Opened June 2017
395 Halsey Street | (973) 844-6220 | livewillows.com
This community caters to artists with designated art spaces and is just 1 out of 100+ communities developed by Ingermand Developers. All 60 of the apartments at this location are priced for low-to-moderate incomes.
TIP
Located near Route 21/McCarter Highway (973) 878-1600 | riversidearmsliving.com
Located near Route 21/McCarter Highway, Riverside Arms Apartments has one-, two- and three-bedroom options available. All 128 apartments are priced for all income levels.
TIP
999 Broad | Opened October 24, 2016
999 Broad Street | (973) 744-5410 | 999broad.com
Developed by RPM Development Group, 999 Broad was built with the intent to transform its surroundings and to enhance the quality of life for its residents. Embracing the diverse cultures and interests of the city, 999 Broad features amenities like a yoga studio, energy-efficient green living, wheelchair access, and a very interesting rooftop.
Try the street food on Broad Street. The food cart in front of the Game Stop has the best chicken and lamb over rice.
TIP 8
Adjacent to ShopRite and in the heart of the college community, the modernly styled Residences @ 24 Jones are positioned in the heart of University Heights. With studio, one- and two-bedroom options, Residences @ 24 Jones comes with furnishings, stainless steel appliances, and a Whirlpool washer and dryer in every home.
Make friends here if you are a college student and need a place to crash in between classes.
(Honorable Mention) 1 Rector Street | Opening in 2019 (732) 846-3636 | boraie.com/development
This property is worth mentioning although it hasn’t actually opened yet. Developed by Shaquille O’Neal & Boraie Development LLC, this construction is being deemed the first high-rise building of its size since 1960. The property will contain 169 market-rate rental units. Applications are being accepted now.
TIP
Make friends here if you need to take the Light Rail at the NJPAC stop. You’ll be close enough to see the train, but high enough that you shouldn’t hear it.
(Honorable Mention) Montgomery II | Opening in 2019 685 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard | (973) 718-9926 pennrose.com/apartments/new-jersey/montgomery-heights
Located in Newark’s historic High Street District, the Montgomery Heights Apartments is in the “up and coming” area of town. The first phase was built in 2010 on the old Brick Towers site.
You can easily get to Vonda’s Kitchen from here and to the Rutgers University campus.
“Although the prospect of gentrification has lately inspired a lot of concern (and some fear) in Newark, gentrification—at least in its typical forms—does not seem to be driving displacement in the city yet,” reads a report released in November 2017 by David D. Troutt of the Rutgers Center on Law, Inequality & Metropolitan Equity.
Below is an excerpt from the report titled “Displacement Risk and Gentrification.” It concludes with 5 overarching goals that should be pursued “by cities like Newark as they confront the challenges of growing equitably.”
GOAL #1
Preserve as much of the inventory of regulated, income-restricted housing as possible.
GOAL #2
Take a holistic, fair housing approach to housing stability.
GOAL #3
Reinvent good government.
GOAL #4
Seek market restitution and regional equity for destructive and discriminatory practices.
GOAL #5 Gentrify from within. To “gentrify from within,” a poetic phrase attributed to Mayor Baraka, is a fitting goal on which to conclude this report because it elegantly symbolizes what equitable growth means. Gentrification scares populations at risk for displacement because it suggests that desired growth (the revitalization of areas long in need of infusions of capital and resources) will occur without them.
But what if the very people whose new skills, education, financial capacity and political voice are typically wooed from elsewhere were, instead, grown on Newark’s fertile earth?
What if—with stronger schools and the commitment of local colleges and universities, skills training facilities, and more stable housing arrangements and opportunities for democratic expression—Newarkers become as much of the change they’ve been waiting for as anyone else?
These questions are being actively addressed by community-based organizations, advocacy groups, neighborhood alliances, and a broad consortium of institutions called Newark 2020.
*Source: Rutgers Center on Law, Inequality & Metropolitan Equity: “Displacement Risk and Gentrification: The CLiME Displacement Risk Indicators Matrix (DRIM) Methodology,” November 2017
by Kimberly Prime
1COMPANY NAME: Broadridge Financial Solutions Global Technology & Operations Division
LOCATION
2 Gateway Center
In Newark Since: November 2017
Broadridge Financial Solutions relocated to Newark in November of 2017. The company, which provides advanced communications, technology, data and analytics solutions for the financial services industry and businesses, moved its global technology and operations division to Newark, contributing to the city’s identity as a growing tech hub.
According to Glassdoor.com, more than 60% of those currently employed at the company have a positive outlook about it.
Joan: “I have to say that I’ve been enjoying the commute to Newark and taking advantage of all the great restaurants.” Joan says Broadridge embraces diversity and is deeply respectful of all employees and their opinions: “It sounds cheesy but employees truly matter, and this mirrors my own beliefs. I like the people I work with and want to help them succeed.”
Joan, Managing Director, started working in Newark at Broadridge one year ago.
Robert: “The commute [to Newark] is an easy drive for me, coming from Bergen County. And I also have the option of taking the train. Typically, I’ll do that, actually. It’s a pretty quick ride for me, so that certainly makes it attractive.”
Robert says he was attracted to Broadridge because the company is “well-positioned in the industry to support what clients are looking for today, which basically is partners that can help them from both a technology perspective as well as from a business perspective.”
Robert, Vice President, started working at Broadridge in Newark one year ago.
Meet 5 of the most recent companies to open in Newark
2
COMPANY NAME: HelloFresh
LOCATION: 60 Lister Ave.
IN NEWARK SINCE: 2016
HelloFresh is an international, publicly traded meal-kit company based in Berlin, Germany. It’s the largest meal-kit delivery provider in the U.S. The company moved to Newark in 2016, bringing its 350,000-sq.-ft. distribution center to the East Ferry neighborhood. The company’s close proximity to the Passaic River and the New Jersey Turnpike offers better access to the tri-state area market. The distribution center employs approximately 240 people, with 25 percent of them being Newark residents.
Valdon: I enjoy the opportunity to work in a diverse community with talented young leaders who are eager to learn and grow. Newark is a place of unlimited potential. Valdon says HelloFresh “provides me with the opportunity to use my 20-plus years in the military to develop future leaders and civic minded workers. Community extends beyond the walls of HelloFresh.”
Valdon, Director of Operations, started working at the HelloFresh distribution center in Newark last year.
Destination Newark asked you to tell us why you love your Newark workplace. Here’s what some of you had to say.
COMPANY NAME
Fabuwood LOCATION
69 Blanchard Street
IN NEWARK SINCE
August 2018
New to Newark’s continually-expanding employment landscape, Fabuwood Cabinetry Corp. recently moved its headquarters from Jersey City to Newark. The company’s green-certified, state-of-the-art facility is equipped with cutting-edge manufacturing technology and comfortable, spacious offices for its employees. According to the company’s Chief Operating Officer Joel Epstein, “Our new building encompasses all of Fabuwood’s core values: quality, service, innovation and community… Expansion means more employees and we can’t wait to be a part of the local Newark community.”
COMPANY NAME
TRYP by Wyndham Newark Downtown LOCATION
24 East Park Street
IN NEWARK SINCE
April 2018
COMPANY NAME
Petco LOCATION
609 Broad Street
IN NEWARK SINCE
August 2018
Petco is a leading specialty pet retailer. With more than 1,500 locations across the country, the company set up shop in Newark this summer. The Newark location offers products for a wide variety of pets, including dogs, cats, reptiles, fish and birds; premium pet services like full service and self-service dog grooming and training classes; and pet vaccinations. The location also has special adoption events for those looking for their next special friend.
According to Indeed.com, the company is touted as a fun, team-oriented workplace with supportive management. Last year, the company earned its sixth consecutive Ethisphere Institute recognition as one of the world’s most ethical companies.
TRYP by Wyndham Newark Downtown sits in the heart of the city’s bustling business district, minutes from New York City and Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports. The hotel occupies a historic building erected in the 1920s and its art-deco inspired design harkens back to that era. The Newark location is the sixth U.S. location for the TRYP by Wyndham brand. The employee benefits package is reportedly one of the things that makes Wyndham a great company to work for. Other reasons include advancement potential and a team-oriented culture. 2018 is the ninth consecutive year that Wyndham companies have been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index as one of the Best Places to Work for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality employees.
InCharged
I love my job at InCharged in Newark because I get the opportunity to work with really creative and smart people. Also, the city of Newark is our muse—great views coming to work!
I My Newark Workplace: Link Community Charter School
I love my Newark workplace—Link Community Charter School at 23 Pennsylvania Ave. It’s convenient to downtown Newark and major highways, and it’s in a charming area with many historic buildings.
I My Newark Workplace: McKinley Elementary
I am proud to be a native of Newark and a special educator in such a diverse and dynamic school district. The support from my Newark Public School administrators at McKinley Elementary, the collaboration with my students’ parents, and helping a new group of early learners will make 2018-19 an amazing school year.
Hassan Keith likes to brag about James Baxter Terrace, the historic Newark housing project where he grew up.
“It was really a village — there were cousins, there were elders,” he said. “Those of us who grew up there are all highly educated and employed now.”
As the head of general construction for the Mid-Atlantic Alliance and managing partner of Lofts at Lincoln Park, Keith is one of Baxter Terrace’s highest achieving sons. From his community connections, to his own entrepreneurship, to his efforts to make more Newark residents homeowners, Keith spends every day building a better Newark.
The Mid-Atlantic Alliance has three developments in Newark: Lofts at Lincoln Park, Black Wall Street Project, and Urban League Townhomes. The ribbon-cutting for Lofts at Lincoln Park, a $7 million, 18-unit condominium development at 90-96 Clinton Avenue, took place this summer.
When Keith graduated from Rutgers in 1994, he moved back to Baxter Terrace to live with his grandparents and help care for his mother who’d just been diagnosed with cancer.
“The neighborhood was no longer what it was when I grew up,” he said. “It was dangerous.”
This spurred a search for a new home. Keith eventually found a three-family house in East Orange, NJ, fit for little else but a total rehab. But he did it—and moved his whole family out of Baxter Terrace.
“I got my passion for building out of that experience,” he revealed. “Out of ripping down the walls and putting them back up. From there I bought another house and got my friends from college involved.”
Keith has been gutting homes and fixing
them up ever since, putting up new apartments and duplexes, and helping more Newark residents become homeowners. Members of the community know his mission and call him or stop him on the street to ask how they can qualify to buy a home, sort out mortgages, navigate credit inquiries, and build up the financial ability to own a home.
Even as Mid-Atlantic strives to meet the growing demand for at-market and even luxury housing in Newark, Keith takes care of his own.
“We have to make sure that we’re not push-
ing out residents that have been living in Newark for 30 or 40 years,” he said. “There’s no way that I would come in and move my cousins.”
But at the same time, he’s optimistic about what is happening in Newark.
“You can see changes every day. Our neighborhoods are becoming more desirable. People are coming to Newark and seeing the value.”
Those college buddies who helped Keith rehab that first house are now his business partners: Victor Baker, whose contracting firm was merged with Keith’s to form the Mid-Atlantic Alliance, and Michael Bunton, who went to Wall Street after college and helped Keith get the down payment for his first house.
A newer but no less valuable arrival to the crew is Mike Adams, the starting safety for the Carolina Panthers, who is involved in youth programs in Paterson, NJ, and who is emotionally invested in redeveloping urban communities.
And that emotional investment, shared by all of the Mid-Atlantic Alliance, is more central to their goals than the financial investments. What sets them apart from other developers is their dedication to the city of Newark.
“You need to have a conscience,” Keith says. “This work is more than just bricks and mortar.” dN
Broadway producer Neil Goldberg, the director of Cirque Dreams Holidaze which is coming to NJPAC for the first time in December—is happy to clear up any confusion between “The Cirques.”
“We are aware that audiences buying a ticket to see a show with the word ‘cirque’ in it are expecting gravity-defying, daredevil acts that bring you to the edge of your seat,” explains Goldberg. “So we have all of that.”
This past July, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group acquired Cirque Dreams, its circus arts subsidiary, and VStar Entertainment. PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue is a VStar Entertainment property, which is also coming to NJPAC in December. The deal made Cirque du Soleil one of the top three live entertainment producers and gave it a foothold in quality family attractions, especially those presented in non-arena spaces.
Both productions hold great appeal for diverse, generation-spanning audiences, says David Rodriguez, NJPAC’s Executive Vice President and Executive Producer.
“When first-rate programs like these are booked in our Prudential Hall, I know I’ll see and hear a lot of excitement from the kids,” say Rodriguez. “But I also see the emotional response of their parents and the faces of grandparents who obviously enjoyed introducing their children, and now grandchildren, to the magic of live theater.”
PAW Patrol Live! , a tour adapted from Nickelodeon’s hit animated series, filled Prudential Hall last season and returns for five performances over December 8 and 9. In this adventure, rescue dog Ryder summons his pack of buddies—Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma and Everest—to help
find Mayor Goodway, who has disappeared on the day of the Great Race.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze, scheduled on December 26 and 27, is a global production with a cast of aerialists, acrobats and other artists that represent a dozen countries. Goldberg, who founded the Cirque Dreams franchise in 1993, was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family but was enchanted with Christmas pageantry as a child. Today, he has a collection of over 10,000 Christmas ornaments.
“In Cirque Dreams Holidaze , the 30 performers are dressed as really elaborate ornaments inspired by my collection. They’re dangling from a 24-foot tree and scattered all over the stage when the curtain goes up. It’s probably my favorite moment. When the audience goes ‘Aaahh!’ I know it’s not what they expected.
“Then, of course, come all the acrobatics and edge-of-your-seat spectacles,” Goldberg adds excitedly. “It just builds from beginning to end!”
Here’s a chance to kowtow to your inner princess and sit among the royals of musical theater. Laura Osnes, who played the title role in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, hosts Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’s original Belle (Susan Egan) and original Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin (Courtney Reed) in an evening of princess-power songs and stories on September 15 Lucky Adam J. Levy is the special guest prince. Cosplay, contests and more!
This magical coupling of wide-screen films with musicians from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is back—and bigger— in audience popularity. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ ( October 27 ) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ (June 1, 2019) are screened in their entirety with
live symphonic accompaniment of the scores. And just in time for the holidays, Danny Elfman’s whimsical score to Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is performed by the NJSO at a December 15 screening in Prudential Hall.
Some prefer their “Nutcracker” salty or sweet— NJPAC offers both. Always in demand at the box office, the Arts Center’s original The Hip-Hop Nutcracker returns home on December 14 following another successful U.S. tour. The buoyant Tchaikovsky mash-up, hosted by rapper Kurtis Blow, is a delightful contrast to the National Ballet Theatre of Odessa, which arrives on December 16 with a resplendent Nutcracker in the grand Russian tradition.
Here are some highlights ofParty Princess Family Films Nutcracker Weekend
September 16, 2018
Broadway
This year, Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc. will celebrate yet another landmark year in its cultural history with the Puerto Rican Day Parade and a one (1) day Boricua Festival consisting of arts, entertainment, music and dance on Sunday, September 16th, 2018. Visit prdpnj.org for more info.
October 2018 to April 2019
Prudential Center
Experience the unparalleled excitement of New Jersey Devils hockey live at Prudential Center this season as the three-time Stanley Cup Champions, led by new GM Ray Shero and new head coach John Hynes, face off against the top teams in the NHL and rekindle local rivalries with the Rangers, Islanders and Flyers. Visit prucenter.com for more info.
October 2018 to June 2019
NJPAC
Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships, and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians. Visit njsymphony.org for more info.
October 4-7, 2018
Newark Arts Council, 17 Academy St.
The citywide arts tour celebrates Newark’s unique and diverse contributions to American arts and culture. Download the festival mobile app for the ultimate gallery-hopping experience, featuring 50-plus events and 40 venues with over 350 artists, complete with visual, performing and literary art. Visit newarkarts.org for more info.
October 19, 2018 -
June 30, 2019
GRAMMY Museum
ExperienceTM
Prudential Center
Curated by the GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles and the Estate of Whitney
E. Houston, Whitney! brings together a collection of diverse artifacts, rare photographs and footage from the private collection of the Houston family. Visit grammymuseumexp.org for more info.
October 27, 2018 • NJPAC
Since its debut on the page and then on the big screen, the magical Harry Potter series has reached hundreds of wmillions of people around the world, making it one of the most beloved franchises in entertainment history. Visit njpac.org for more info.
November 1-4, 2018
Prudential Center
Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party. Become immersed in the fantastic worlds of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Toy Story and The Little Mermaid as the search party becomes an all-out celebration! Visit prucenter.com for more info.
December 14, 2018
NJPAC (Prudential Hall)
The Hip-Hop Nutcracker resets Tchaikovsky’s classic score to explosive Hip-Hop choreography, courtesy of Jennifer Weber. A dozen all-star dancers—plus a DJ, a violinist, and awesome digital scenery—bring the traditional Nutcracker story to life with a distinctly urban twist. Visit njpac.org for more info. dN
Featuring over 60 poets and musicians and more than 120 poetry events over four days, the festival will take place at NJPAC as well as historic churches, museums and other venues within easy walking distance.
The following Main Stage events will be held in Prudential Hall at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). Visit dodgepoetry.org for more info and the complete schedule.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
Afternoon
■ Poetry Sampler—Jan Beatty, Jericho Brown, Tina Chang, Sandra Cisneros, and more
Evening
■ Academy of American Poets Chancellor’s Reading (Poets Forum) Elizabeth Alexander, Ellen Bass, Marilyn Chin, Kwame Dawes, and more
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
Afternoon
■ On Being Interview Krista Tippett and Jericho Brown
Evening
■ Main Stage Readings—Jan Beatty, Henri Cole, Kwame Dawes, Gregory Pardlo, Sapphire, and more
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
Afternoon
■ The Beloved: A Poem and Song Cycle—Gregory Orr and Parkington Sisters
■ On Being Interview—Krista Tippett and Gregory Orr
■ Main Stage Readings—Sandra Cisneros, Mary Ruefle, David Young
Evening
■ In Praise: A Hundred Ways to Kneel and Kiss the Earth (Poetry and Music)—Jan Beatty, Jericho Brown, Henri Cole, Kwame Dawes, Ross Gay, and more
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21
Afternoon
■ Special Event: In Conversation with Ntozake Shange
■ On Being Interview— Krista Tippett and Sharon Olds
Evening
■ Main Stage Readings—Juan Felipe Herrera, Eileen Myles, Sharon Olds, Ntozake Shange
