Housing and Activities

Welcome to our residency program!  The following information should be a great resource in finding housing and activities to do while exploring New Jersey.

Living in this area

 

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The main campus of Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School is located in the University Heights area of Newark, New Jersey. Newark is the third oldest city in America, being settled by Puritans in 1666 (New York and Boston are the two oldest cities in America). It is a dynamic city of over 277,000 people that is home to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Prudential Center,  Newark Bears Baseball Team, as well as the "Ironbound" neighborhood which is known for authentic Portuguese, Brazilian, and Spanish cuisine. The Newark Museum on Washington Street hosts world-famous collections including American Paintings and Sculpture, The Decorative Arts, the Arts of Africa, and the Arts of Asia, including the largest Bibetan collection in the Western Hemisphere.

The Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium is home to the Newark Bears Atlantic League baseball team. The Prudential Center in downtown Newark is the home of the NJ Devils NHL hockey and the NCAA Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team, as well as a world class concert and event venue. The NJ Performing Arts Center is the city's newest cultural center and is one of the largest performing arts centers in the U.S., housing two beautiful theaters: the 2,750 Great Hall and the 500-seat Victoria Theatre. The Meadowlands Sports Complex in nearby East Rutherford includes the MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets NFL football.  
Branch Brook Park in north Newark has the largest collection of cherry blossum trees in the U.S. with over 4,300 trees in more than 14 different varieties and attracts approximately 10,000 visitors each April during the annual Cherry Blossum Festival. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Basilica on the east side of the park is one of the largest cathedrals in the U.S.

Newark International Airport and New York City are readily accessible from Penn Station in Newark or the numerous train stations in the suburbs of Newark via bus or train. A convenient shuttle bus is operated throughout the day and evening to connect Penn Station with the Rutgers-NJMS campus.

 

Housing Information

On-Campus Housing

Information regarding on-campus housing is available at: www.umdnj.edu/home2web/housing. If you have not yet completed your application and would like to do so, you still have time. You will need your UMDNJ ID # (also known as your A #), which was mailed to you in May.

Off-Campus Housing

There is ample housing available within a short distance from all the facilities. Below is a list of local realtors and brokers. Several of our present and past residents with families reside in homes and have enrolled their children in excellent school systems in the area.

Realtors/Brokers

Prime Network Bkr   973-676-8900

Home Hunters Bkr   973-994-6555

Debaron Bkr     908-810-9667

Weichert Realtors     908-232-9401 and 973-746-1533

Caldwell Banker     908-687-5050

Pinnacle Realty     973-743-7600

Newspaper Listings of Apartments for Rent

The Star-Ledger       1-888-453-3437     Sunday paper is best.

Web Sites

www.nj.com - these sites will search all area newspapers for local apartment listings.

You should also try:

www.nytimes.com

www.dailyrecord.com

www.apartment.com


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Activities

While it would be impossible to list every great activity in the northern New Jersey area, the following is a list of some local restaurants and places of interest that the residents frequent on a regular basis, all of which are close to the Kessler West facility*.

Restaurants

Haru -Japanese, Well known by our residents for its great all-you-can-eat sushi BYOB, South Orange, (973) 762-4988

Pal's Cabin -American Contemporary/Steak house, site of many Journal Clubs, West Orange (973) 731-4000.

The Manor -(Jacket Required)-American Contemporary, a little more upscale and pricey but a great seafood brunch, West Orange (973) 731-2360.

Highlawn Pavilion -American Contemporary, similar to The Manor with a view of Manhattan , West Orange, (973) 731-3463.

Mount Fuji Japanese Steakhouse -Close to Kessler West, cooking up close and personal, West Orange (973) 736-5255.

Restaurant 28 -In the heart of Montclair with a New York feel, (973) 744-9263.

Fornos of Spain -Great Portuguese, Spanish, and Latin American food in the Ironbound section of Newark, (973) 589-4767.

Iberia -Similar to Fornos of Spain, (973) 344-5611.

Don Pepe -Spanish, Try here for dinner before seeing a show at NJPAC, (973) 623-4662.

Tinga's Taqueria -Good Mexican food, relaxed atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Locations in Millburn, Montclair (973) 509-8226, and Westfield .

Sports and Concert Events

Continental Arena, Giants Stadium, Meadowlands Race Track -see the Giants, Jets, Nets, and Devils and local college teams in action. Both venues also hold concerts all year round. Visit the track and try your luck on a horse. See web sites for venue schedules.

Madison Square Garden -Just across the Lincoln Tunnel, home of the Knicks, Islanders, Rangers, pro tennis and tons of concerts. See web site for venue schedule.

Yankee/Shea Stadiums - Go Yanks and Mets. See web sites for game schedules

New Jersey Bears -Great local minor league baseball right here in Newark , www.newarkbears.com .

A more extensive sporting schedule can be found at

www.metrojersey.com/sports.htm

PNC Bank Arts Center -Popular entertainment center in Holmdel, (908) 442-9200.

New Jersey Rock Gym, Faifield -Indoor rock climbing. (973) 439-9860, www.njrockgym.com.

Outdoor Activities

Golf -There are many private golf courses and country clubs in the surrounding area. If you can afford to join one, please enjoy. For the rest of us, consider getting an Essex County card and play on any of the three county courses at a reduced rate. Francis Byrne Golf Course (across the street from Kessler West) is a popular course among the residents. Call Essex County Parks/Recreation/Cultural Affairs (973) 268-3500 for details.

Mountain biking/Hiking/Rafting -There are 36 national and state parks and forests traversed by the Appalachian Trail . The Delaware Water Gap provides a local area for whitewater rafting. For a very local trail call West Essex Trail (973) 268-3500 for details. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (908) 496 - 4458 .

Skiing -Local skiing can be found at Mountain Creek Resort in Vernon , NJ (973) 827-2000. Within two hours are Camelback and Shawnee in Pennsylvania , and Hunter Mountain in NY. Six hours away is Killington Ski Resort in Vermont a very popular weekend trip.

Six Flags Great Adventure -You may or may not consider this an outdoor activity, but if you like roller coasters, Great Adventure is only a short distance away in Jackson . (732) 928-1821. The Highlands/Thomas H. Kean New Jersey State Aquarium, Camden (609) 365-3300 has a 760,000 gallon open ocean tank and a 170,000 gallon pool to view over 40 different species of fish and gray seals.

New Jerey Shore Line -From lying on the beach to water sports to rides to deep sea fishing to "letting it ride" in Atlantic City (609) 348-7100, the Jersey Shore has it all. The closest beaches are less than a one-hour drive away such as Sandy Hook or the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk (908)899-2424, while the more distant ones are up to three hours away at the tip of New Jersey in Cape May (609) 465-7181.

Morris Trails Conservancy - Organize hikes in Morris County and trail repair/blazing. www.morrisparks.org.

Arts and Theater

The Paper Mill Playhouse - (973) 379-3636, New Jersey 's State Theater, is about 10 minutes from Kessler West, offering outstanding drama, music and dance performances.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center -Located on the Newark riverfront 1-888-GO NJPAC, recently opened in 1997 and is host to world-class performances in dance, theater, and music. Of course, across the Hudson River, New York City is home to on and Off-Broadway shows, concerts and ballets at Lincoln Center , the Metropolitan Opera House, and Carnegie Hall.

Jersey Juggling Club -Meets every Tuesday at 7:45 pm at Littleton Elementary School gym. All skill levels are welcome (including no skill) www.jerseyjugglers.org .

Shopping

New Jersey offers some of the best shopping in the nation. There is no sales tax on clothing and one can shop in high-end stores at the nearby Mall at Short Hills , in Short Hills (see www.shorthills.com for a complete list of stores.) There are also factory outlets in Secaucus, Harmon Cove Outlet Center (800) 358-2373, and the Jersey Gardens Outlets in Elizabeth . Other local malls include the Livingston Mall (973) 994-9390, the Garden State Plaza , Woodbridge Mall, Menlo Park Mall, and Willowbrook Mall (willowbrook-mall.com), all within a 20 minute drive of Kessler West.

If that is not enough, there are numerous stores just a few miles from Kessler West along Route 10 West, where dozens of specialty stores can be located.

Also check out IKEA in Elizabeth and Paramus . If you're willing to drive a little farther, Woodbury Commons Outlet Center , in Central Valley , New York , offers hundreds of discount stores and great restaurants.

Fitness/Health Clubs

Do we all pursue a home exercise program? Many residents do belong to a health club. There are many surrounding the area, the wellness center which is located on the campus of UMDNJ is the Newark YMCA , which is operated by the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity. Near Kessler West, the YMCA in Livingston is reasonable and close by (973) 992-7500, the YMCA also has locations in Montclair and Summit , and there is Bally's Health Club in Livingston ( www.ballyfitness.com ). Once cleared, residents may also work out at Kessler West and manage your time when on call!

Web Sites for Activities

Visit njtransit.com for public transportation.

Visit nj.com and metrojersey.com for a very detailed list and description of activities, restaurants, bars/nightclubs, concerts, sports teams, etc.

*While this list is certainly not meant to be comprehensive, It gives you and your significant others a flavor of things to do in the local area. Don't forget New York City is only 30 minutes away, and Philadelphia is less than 2 hours away by car, bus or train.

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