It’s no secret that New York is a little pricey these days — the average one-bedroom apartment costs more than $4,000 a month in rent, 148% higher than the national average. And since the pandemic, if not earlier, many Manhattanites have been fleeing to the cheaper suburbs. It’s not just people seeking better value for money that has caused the exodus from the world’s wealthiest city. The far-flung suburbs are cleaner, greener, and more spacious, with decent commute times. They often have excellent amenities, and many are walkable, allowing famously fleet-footed New Yorkers to engage in their favorite mode of travel. Choosing which suburb to relocate to is no easy task, but Seventh Avenue in Newark, New Jersey, is raising its hand as a genuine contender.
Areas like Long Island, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and elsewhere in New Jersey’s Essex County are also luring city dwellers out of the concrete jungle. But Seventh Avenue could hold a candle to any of them. Based on an Apartment Guide analysis from 2024, Seventh Avenue is the third most walkable Newark neighborhood, with a total score of 87 out of 100. It has a nice urban-suburban fusion, with attractions, restaurants, cafes, bars, grocery and drug stores, and fitness centers, and despite Newark’s “Brick City” moniker, access to the lush Branch Brook Park. This handsome green space hosts America’s largest collection of cherry blossom trees and is connected to the 36-mile Lenape Trail, running through the parks and municipalities of Essex County.
Apartments are much better value here, too. At the time of writing, a one-bedroom apartment costs around $1,950, according to apartment listing site Rent Hop, which means Seventh Avenue is half as cheap as New York. That alone should be enough to pique the curiosity of anyone considering fleeing the Big Apple.
Top-notch amenities in Seventh Avenue
Part of what makes a neighborhood livable is having things to do on your doorstep. And that Seventh Avenue has in spades. You’ll find the Newark Museum of Art (NMOA) here, founded in the early 20th century on the belief that art should be a great equalizer, rather than a signifier of class and taste. That tenet still underscores the exhibitions today, whether celebrating the art of tap, a dance form popularized by Irish and African American communities, or vibrant murals that have emblazoned the city walls and brought art directly to the people. There’s also a several-thousand-strong collection of fine and decorative art, classical ceramics, ancient handicrafts, and scientific artifacts. The Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium, New Jersey’s first, sits on the NMOA campus, and the museum also helps host the Newark Black Film Festival — the oldest of its kind in America — and often partners with the Newark Arts Festival…