Newark : New Jersey

Newark is situated in northeastern New Jersey along the west bank of the Passaic River and Newark Bay. It is a thirty minute drive from New York City. Newark has been recently titled as the "Most Livable City" and an "All-America City" under the leadership of a long-serving mayor and civil rights movement veteran. Newark has also won the Environmental Protection Administrator's Award. Newark is the most densely populated state of the nation. It is an important transportation, manufacturing, and education center. The service economy of Newark is dominated by medical research, insurance, and high technology research and development activities. Racial riots have tarnished the city’s image and though things have improved with the turn of the century, it has still not been able to rebuild the stores and the neighborhood that were destroyed.  While the average cost of a home in Newark has remained high, the city has made notable efforts to make housing accessible to all by building affordable complexes. Newark is now famous for its renaissance of construction, recycling and civility
The topography of Newark is dominated by the Piedmont Region which is flat and marshy with some high points to the southwest and northeast. Newark's weather is greatly influenced by the city's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Fall and winter storms, called "northeasters," blow off the ocean and account for much of the city's rain and snow.

Area: 24.14 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 0 to 273.4 feet above sea level

Latitude: 40.74 N,

Longitude: 74.18 W

Average Temperatures: January, 30.7° F; July, 76.6° F; annual average 54° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 19.7 inches of rain; 27.6 inches of snow

Population: 280,666 as on 2005

Attractions:

    * Blume House
    * Trinity Cathedral
    * New Jersey Bell Telephone Company
    * Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
    * Newark's Military Park
    * Mt. Pleasant Cemetery

Festivals

    * Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration
    * St. Patrick's Day Parade
    * Newark Cherry Blossom Festival
    * African American Heritage Day Parade
    * Portuguese Day Parade
    * Brazilian Independence Day