“Is Newark the new Brooklyn?” the New York Post recently asked, in its usual provocative fashion. But with the Brick City welcoming billions of dollars in new residential, commercial, and industrial development, along with a blossoming arts scene, it’s a question worth asking.

At 24 Jones, you can claim your corner of New Jersey’s most unlikely up-and-coming hotspot. Located in University Heights, this 152-residence apartment building is convenient to transit, colleges, and the ultimate symbol of a neighborhood on the rise: the Whole Foods Market located on Broad Street.

But you don’t even have to get in the car to go grocery shopping. Because at 24 Jones, you’re just steps away from the Springfield Avenue Marketplace, a bustling town center with 125,000 sq. ft. of retail space, anchored by a ShopRite store.

Prior to its opening, 25,000 Newark residents lived in a “food desert” devoid of the healthy choices a full-service supermarket provides. Now, owner/operator Neil Greenstein, a third-generation grocer, meets with area residents to determine what products to stock, and sources some of the store’s produce from the Greater Newark Conservancy community garden. The ShopRite even offers customers the services of a dietician.

From this prime spot in Newark’s Central Ward, you’ll enjoy easy NJ Transit access to Newark Penn Station, and from there, midtown Manhattan in less than an hour. The Turnpike and Newark Liberty Airport are also just a short drive away. Even closer to 24 Jones are the campuses of higher learning institutions like Rutgers University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Seton Hall University School of Law, and Rutgers University Law School – after all, the area’s not called University Heights for nothing!

With so many students in Newark, it’s no surprise that the city is turning into a hub for culture and the arts. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Newark Museum, and the NJ Symphony Orchestra are all just a ten-minute trip away, as is the Prudential Center, host to big-name concerts as well as Devils hockey. Prefer a movie? The CityPlex 12 is less than a mile away.

Additional developments of note happening in Newark include the $100 million transformation of Triangle Park into Mulberry Commons, expected to reach completion in summer 2018, the recently revitalized Hahne & Co building, which includes the city’s long-awaited Whole Foods, as well as the ambitious Teachers Village project which should wrap by year’s end.

24 Jones is the perfect place to live when you’re ready to immerse yourself in Newark’s renaissance. Here, residents can choose from studios, one-, and two-bedroom rental apartments with upscale finishes and access to luxury community amenities.

Those amenities include a fitness center with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment, a WiFi-connected internet lounge with seating and flat-screen TV, bike storage, covered on-site parking, a lobby with a 24-hour doorman, and outdoor picnic areas.

With thirteen different floor plans, there’s a perfect layout for everyone. Each of the residences boasts oak hardwood floors, central heating and cooling, Whirlpool washer and dryer, and oversized windows that bathe living spaces in light. In the kitchen, you’ll find granite countertops, stainless steel Energy Star certified GE appliances, ceramic tile backsplash, and espresso-colored modern custom cabinets. The bathrooms feature cultured marble countertops, while the bedrooms offer walk-in closets with ample storage.

So is Newark really the new Brooklyn? With a cost of living 40% less than Jersey City’s, an easy commute, a blossoming arts scene, and the lowest crime rate in 50 years, it doesn’t need to be. “Newark is not Brooklyn,” said NJPAC president John Schreiber. “Newark is Newark.”

Life in the new Newark at 24 Jones starts at $1,550 per month. For more information visit 24Jones.com or to schedule a tour, contact Kathleen Thenor at [email protected] or 973-799-0301.

[gmap]24 Jones St, Newark, NJ 07103[/gmap]

24 Jones St, Newark, NJ 07103