Weequahic, Newark
Weequahic (pronounced Wee-QUAY-ic , or Week-wake "when spoken rapidly")
History
The name "Weequahic" is
Weequahic was largely a middle class
Author
The post-
Weequahic Park
The jewel of the neighborhood is the 311-acre (1.26 km2) Olmsted Brothers-designed Weequahic Park. This park has a 2.2 miles (3.5 km) rubberized jogging path around its 80-acre (320,000 m2) lake[7][8] and Weequahic Golf Course, the oldest public golf course in the United States. It is listed on the state and federal registers of historic places.[9]
Elizabeth Avenue
Several highrise apartment buildings, among the tallest buildings in Newark, were built in the 1960s along the Elizabeth Avenue corridor opposite the park.[10]
440 Elizabeth Avenue, formerly Carmel Towers, is a residential tower and parking structure which opened in 1970. The apartment building is 313 feet (95 m) and 25 stories tall.[11][12] Originally built as market rate rentals, it became affordable housing for individuals and families with low income. Rent was based on 30% of adjusted gross income and was subsidized by United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under a program known as Section 8.[13] Conditions in the building deteriorated, with the structure becoming a center of drug-dealing and violence.[14] In 2011, the building was vacated due to failed inspections.[15][16] The buildings were sold in 2015,[17] and as of 2019 there were plans for redevelopment and gut rehabilitation of its 216 apartments and renaming as the Essex Lake House.[18][19]
Zion Towers, at 515 Elizabeth Avenue, is a residential tower built atop a parking structure that opened in 1972 that is one of the tallest buildings in Newark.[20][21] The apartment building is 313 feet (95 m) tall and has 29 stories with 268 apartments.[22][20] It also provides affordable housing.[23] The building was sold for $28 million in 2018 with plans to upgrade it.[24]
Other buildings include the 22-story Elizabeth Towers at 455 and the 24-story Heritage Estates at 555.[25][26][22]
Education
Newark Public Schools operates public schools. Weequahic High School serves the neighborhood. The 1931 Art Deco building that housed the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art is in the neighborhood.[27]
The Weequahic Branch Library of the Newark Public Library (NPL) serves the neighborhood. The branch, which opened in May 1929, was the sixth NPL branch to open between 1923 and 1946. In 1992 the library system renovated the branch for $1 million; the renovation added air conditioning, online public access computers, an elevator, new lighting, off-street parking, and a children's storytelling pit.[28]
References
- JSTOR 24047827. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Essex County". New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ "Chancellor Avenue, Newark". www.newarkhistory.com. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ County of Essex: Weequahic Park, accessed September 21, 2006
- ^ "Weequahic High School Alumni Association". Weequahic High School Alumni Association. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- Rutgers–Newark. Accessed October 6, 2007.
- ^ "Weequahic Park". Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Essex County Parks Department. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Weequahic Park". Newarkology. newarkhistory.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Essex County". New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ impressM. "Mansions Give Way to Low-Rise Apartments". Charles Cummings. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ "Carmel Towers". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- ^ "Carmel Towers - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ "Carmel Towers, 440 Elizabeth Ave, Newark, NJ 07112 - PublicHousing.com". www.publichousing.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ Peet, Judy (August 2, 2009). "A block in Newark known for drugs and gangs is safe, for now". nj.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ "Tenants scramble as HUD abandons Newark residential tower". The Real Deal New York. October 25, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ McGeehan, Patrick (October 25, 2011). "As Newark Tower Loses U.S. Aid, Tenants Fear Eviction". Retrieved May 28, 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "203-221 MEEKER AVE, owned by ESSEX LAKE ASSOCIATES, LLC in Newark City - NJParcels.com". njparcels.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ Kofsky, Jared (October 19, 2016). "A Vacant 25-Story Apartment Tower in Newark Could Soon See Revitalization". Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ "THE ESSEX LAKE HOUSE - The Ishay Group". Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ a b "Zion Towers Apartments, Newark - 121293 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ "Zion Towers - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- ^ a b "Heritage Apartments, Newark - 121297 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ "Zion Towers in Newark, New Jersey". Affordable Housing Online. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- ^ Kofsky, Jared (April 23, 2018). "L+M Pays $28M for Newark's Zion Towers, Plans Rehabilitation". Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ "Elizabeth Towers - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ "Elizabeth Towers, Newark - 121294 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ A Drive through Newark James Betelle, where are you?
- ^ "Weequahic Branch Library." Newark Public Library. Retrieved on March 2, 2010.
Further reading
Forgosh, Linda B. (2008). Jews of Weequahic. Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia.