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| From historic buildings to friendly locals, Hartman and Lewis check out everything Newark has to offer. |
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It's easy to forget that another major urban center is just twenty minutes from Manhattan by train. |
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Hartman and Lewis begin with a discussion of the early history of Newark, founded in 1666 by Puritans who migrated from Connecticut. They talk with Dr. M. William Howard, Jr., Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, the oldest African-American Baptist Church in Newark, established in 1871. They explore Military Park, the town common and a training ground for the militia in Colonial times, and Branch Brook Park, the first public-use county park in the United States. The old Morris Canal, later converted into a subway route, is also on the itinerary. On a visit to the site of a former leather factory in what is now University Heights, historian Charles F. Cummings sheds light on Newark's important industrial past. Later history, specifically the riots, is discussed with Rutgers-Newark history professor Clement Price. Other historic highlights of A WALK THROUGH NEWARK include the elegant Forest Hills section, the Old First Ward and Weequahic.
As the film shows, the Newark of today is a city in transition. Business and career opportunities are growing, and art and culture abound. In fact, the audio portion of A WALK THROUGH NEWARK includes original music discovered in nooks and crannies around town. Hartman and Lewis visit the Newark Public Library, jazz radio station WBGO, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and the Newark Museum, which houses one of the most important collections of American and Tibetan art in the world. Along the way, locals from Mayor Sharpe James to the long-time owner of a Jewish-style deli discuss living and working in Newark.
The program marks the seventh installment of Thirteen's popular Walking Tour series. Launched in 1998, the series includes A Walk Through Central Park, A Walk In Greenwich Village, A Walk Around Brooklyn, A Walk Through Harlem, A Walk Up Broadway, and A Walk Down 42nd Street.
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