Virtual Tour of Newark
1st Stop
Newark Penn Station
2nd Stop
NJPAC/CENTER ST.
3rd Stop
Washington Park
4th Stop
Military Park & South Broad St.
5th Stop
Washington St.
6th Stop
Branch Brook Park
1
2
3
4
5
6
Grove Street – Newark Penn Station (Newark City Subway)
Broad Street – Newark Penn Station (Newark Light Rail)
WHAT TO EXPLORE:
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
NJPAC is the largest performing arts center in New Jersey since its opening in 1997 and has attracted more than 15 million visitors for concerts, lectures, comedy shows and more. Dedicated to its development and growth, Prudential and the Prudential Foundation have provided nearly $45 million in support since 1990, including its preconstruction finances. The investments also supported the development of One Theater Square, Newark’s first new high-rise residential building in over 30 years, and has provided leadership and consulting to NJPAC’s ongoing effort to build an arts-oriented neighborhood.
Walker House
Built in 1929, the Walker House began as New Jersey Bell Headquarters, then the Verizon Headquarters. Soon after, Prudential’s Impact and Responsible Investing partnered with L+M Development to acquire and renovate the building to include 264 luxury apartments as part of Prudential’s focus on creating a viable residential community in Newark’s downtown. The building also features retail and office space, a rock-climbing gym, and more.
Newark Public Library
Designed after Palazzo Strozzi, a palace in Florence, Italy, the Newark Public Library houses various resources for Newark residents’, including an LGBTQ+ Resource Center, the James Brown African American Reading Room, and the Philip Roth Personal Library, plus exhibits ranging from Andean art to 1960s activism. The library has been a longtime grantee of The Prudential Foundation, offering all Prudential employees free membership regardless of residency.
Newark Museum of Art
Founded in 1909, the Newark Museum of Art is the state’s largest art museum, hosting the largest collection of Tibetan art outside of Tibet. The Prudential Foundation has provided more than $6.5 million in grants since 1998 to help the museum operate and grow. A true collaboration with the entire city, Prudential Financial and other institutions are key sponsors of the annual Newark Arts Festival, held most recently on Oct. 6, 2022, at
the museum.
Prudential’s Headquarters
The Prudential Plaza building opened in 1960 during what was called the “New Newark” era when modernist buildings were built downtown. The Plaza building currently stands as one of the tallest and most prominent buildings on the Newark skyline. Part its façade uses Imperial Danby marble from Vermont, the same marble used in the Supreme Court building and Jefferson Memorial in Washington. The lobby was originally adorned with mosaics designed by Hildreth Meière entitled “The Pillars of Hercules.”
Prudential Tower
In 2011, Prudential announced plans to construct another office tower near the Plaza headquarters. The company had received a $250 million urban transit tax credit from the state, which required that it create new jobs and build within walking distance of a transit hub. The building was completed in 2015 and $444 million was put toward the new construction, which soon created nearly 1,000 jobs. In keeping its promise to the state, the 20-story building hosts more than 5,400 employees.
The Washington Building
The Washington Building, known to employees as Wash, was completed in 1942. Soon after, it was taken over by the federal government for use by the Office of Dependency Benefits, which was moved to Newark from Washington, D.C. during World War II. The ODB was responsible for payments to military dependents and their families. War-related work went on around-the-clock at the building until it was returned to Prudential in 1946.
Halsey Street
Halsey Street is known as the city’s corridor for dining, shopping and entertainment. Prudential leaders work closely with local businesses on Halsey Street, lending their expertise to help attract new customers and continue Newark’s revitalization. Prudential investments have also helped five blocks of Halsey Street transform into a new paradigm for living, learning and shopping called Teachers Village. The innovative community contains 214 units for educators, 65,000 square feet of retail space, and three charter schools.
Hahne & Co. Building
The Hahne & Co. building was originally built in 1901 as a high-end department store (see first photo). Closed in the late 1980s after years of decline following World War II, the iconic building was vacant until its grand reopening in 2017. The redevelopment was led by Prudential’s Impact and Responsible Investments team and L+M Development Partners; Prudential also provided critical debt and equity capital. The reopening provided access to quality jobs and education, while also attracting visitors back to the city.
University Heights
Aptly named, University Heights hosts four academic institutions located within its boundaries: Rutgers University-Newark, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and Essex County College. In May 2019, Prudential committed $10 million to Rutgers University-Newark’s Honors Living-Learning Community — the largest donation in Rutgers-Newark’s history — to create the Prudential Scholars Program. The program provides Newark residents enrolled in HLLC with full scholarships to cover tuition, fees, and room and board during their full-time study at the university. The scholars also have access to resources designed to help them become agents for positive change in Newark.
Branch Brook Park
Prudential commissioned two limestone lions in 1901, sculpted by famed sculptor Karl Bitter, to adorn the main entrance in Prudential’s original headquarters in Newark. After the building was set to be razed in 1956, the lions were saved and donated to Essex County and were installed at Branch Brook Park in 1959. Prudential has been a major donor to Branch Brook Park and the Branch Brook Park Alliance. If you drive or walk just past the Prudential Concert Grove within the park, you will see Art and Pat, beautifully crafted concrete replicas of the lions that used to greet Prudential employees and visitors at the former headquarters building, now gracing the park.
Our past and current chairmen and CEOs have served and continue to serve on NJPAC’s board of trustees’ executive committee.
Did you know?
A statue of founder John Fairfield Dryden, sculpted by Austrian-born artist Karl Bitter, resides on the seventh floor of the Plaza building. This statue has been part of the scenery since the company’s 125th anniversary in 2000. As the story goes, insurance agents used to rub the feet of the statue hoping for good luck in making sales. (See 2nd and 3rd photos)
Did you know?
The Prudential Tower was designed by the same architecture firm that designed the expansion of New York City's Museum of Modern Art in 1997. The eco-friendly Tower features two living green walls (see 2nd photo), one of which showcases the Rock of Gibraltar), a 50,000-square-foot rooftop terrace (see 3rd photo), a built-in water conservation system, and electric-car charging stations.
Did you know?
The lions are named for former Prudential CEO Arthur Ryan and his wife Patricia.
Did you know?
Newark Penn Station
Built during The Great Depression, Newark Penn Station was one of the most prosperous sites in the city.
Did you know?
Prudential Center
This multipurpose indoor arena is the home of the New Jersey Devils hockey franchise and the GRAMMY Museum Experience™. As part of our partnership, a multicolored mural honoring legendary musician Whitney Houston (see 2nd photo) was unveiled in December 2020 through a partnership between Prudential, the Prudential Center, the city of Newark, and other organizations. The mural is one of three completed murals in the GRAMMY Museum Experience’s™ five-part mural series throughout the city in partnership with Prudential, which began in 2018. The murals celebrate Newark as the East Coast home of the GRAMMY Museum, housed within the Prudential Center. Find this mural at 45 Williams Street in Newark.
Gateway Center
The Gateway Center office complex is another series of major investments Prudential is making as part of its $25 million commitment to the acquisition and repurposing of Newark Penn Station and Gateway. Efforts to completely restore the Gateway Center are underway in the next few months and will feature 100,000 square feet of retail space, more than 10,000 new residential units, plus an indoor pathway to restaurants, a hotel, conference center and more. The goal: to present a new and improved experience for office workers, tourists and Newarkers.
Newark Penn Station
Newark Penn Station is the epicenter for New Jersey’s major transit systems — the Newark PATH train, the Newark Light Rail, and a stop on the NJ Transit and Amtrak systems. Created in 1935, Newark Penn Station is one of the proverbial “front doors” to the ever-developing city. Enhancements to Newark Penn Station are currently underway in a $190 million public investment, in an effort to restore the transportation network to its full glory. So far, $30 million of restoration have already begun.
In January 2007, Prudential purchased naming rights to the arena for 20 years, paying over $105 million. Now, visitors refer to the arena as “The Rock” after the Prudential’s corporate logo.
Did you know?
The parking lots by Prudential Center and Mulberry Commons were originally meant to be two more Gateway buildings.
Did you know?
Senator Cory Booker is a tenant of the Walker House and used his space as his 2020 presidential campaign headquarters.
Did you know?
You can volunteer to help the Newark Public Library and other nonprofits and small businesses through Prudential’s PruBono program.
Did you know?
A panel featuring the Rock of Gibraltar, made up of 36,500 pieces of marble tesserae from around the world, resides at the Newark Museum of Art and was gifted by Prudential in 2012. (See 2nd photo of Dorothy Wolfe, former Prudential archivist who led the rescue of mosaics from the Prudential Plaza building)
Did you know?
The three Prudential buildings are connected by underground passages.
Did you know?
Halsey Street was named after William Halsey, the first mayor of Newark.
Did you know?
Hahne & Co. was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1994, for its significance in commerce and social history.
Did you know?
Since 2013, Rutgers-Newark’s enrollment of Newark residents has grown by 87%, and half of the 220 HLLC Scholars in 2019 were Newark residents, reflecting the university’s efforts to build and strengthen pathways from Newark schools and from New Jersey’s county colleges to the university.
Did you know?
Prudential Center
Gateway Center
Walker House
Newark Public Library
Newark Museum of Art
Prudential's Headquarters
Prudential Tower
Wash Building
Halsey Street
Hahne & Co. Building
University Heights
