The Walkable Newark Neighborhood New Yorkers Are Moving To For Top-Notch Amenities At Lower Costs In 2026

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.

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.

Back at the turn of the 20th century, when this corner of north Newark was known as the First Ward, it was a hub of Italian immigrants. One of the remnants of their influence is St. Lucy's Church, a stone building with an ornate baroque interior that looks plucked from the streets of the Old Country. Much grander is the 45,000-square-foot, gothic-style Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which took 55 years to build and is similar in size to London's Westminster Abbey. Both are open to the public and serve as places of worship and celebration for the local Catholic community.

All of this is contained within a relatively compact area. From NMOA to the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center at the northern end of Branch Brook Park, it's about an hour's walk. En route, you'll pass through the thick of the neighborhood, including most of its attractions and amenities. 

There's a good chance you'll choose walking or biking as your main method of transport in Seventh Avenue as sidewalks are plentiful, many of the streets are well-lit, and dog-walkers can let their canines loose in the park. Commutes to NYC are reasonable, too. From Newark Penn Station, just south of NMOA, to Penn Station in Manhattan, the train takes around 23 minutes. Factoring in connecting trains and walk time, a commute of less than an hour is within reason for many Seventh Avenue residents.

You're also close to a major transport hub. Newark Liberty International Airport is about 15 minutes from Seventh Avenue by car or 35 minutes on public transport. Newark Liberty offers nonstop flights to the Caribbean and services numerous other international destinations — India, Ireland, Canada, northern Europe, and the Middle East — as well as American cities.

One of America's busiest airports, Newark Liberty is getting an upgrade for United Airlines travelers after a crisis last year that saw insufficient air traffic control staff and outdated technology cause hundreds of flight delays and cancellations. United Airlines plans to create 2,500 new jobs at the airport, add more flights to its roster, and introduce jets powered by sustainable aviation fuel. Flying from Newark, widely considered one of the worst airports in America, might be about to get a whole lot better.