Vailsburg, Newark
Encyclopedia
Vailsburg is a neighborhood in the West ward of Newark, New Jersey
elevation 280 ft. As of 2000, Vailsburg has a population of 34,348. The Vailsburg section of Newark seems to stick out from the rest of the area, not only geographically, but because of its hodgepodge of suburban, urban and park areas. Vailsburg is divided into Upper Vailsburg and Lower Vailsburg by Sanford Ave (Lower Vailsburg is to the east).
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 28, 1894, from portions of South Orange Township
. Vailsburg was annexed by Newark on January 1, 1905. In the mid-1890s, Vailsburg had been proposed as one of the municipalities that would form a "Greater Orange
", in an effort to avoid piecemeal annexation by an expanding Newark. Vailsburg was the last independent suburb to be annexed to Newark, in 1905, during a failed attempt by the mayor of Newark to absorb Kearny
, East Orange
, Belleville
, and Harrison
. The district today stands out from the rest of Newark like a peninsula and is separated from the rest of the city by the trench of the Garden State Parkway
.
Apartments, New Jersey's largest rental complex. Vailsburg has some abandoned property and other signs of urban decay
, but many parts feel suburban. Its commercial streets, particularly South Orange Avenue, underwent street-scape improvements at the turn of the 21st century and many businessesrenovated their storefronts. Many mom-and-pop businesses line the avenue, giving the sense that entrepreneurial activity is greater than most other neighborhoods of Newark. Residents are mainly working class, and with more than 37 block associations, Vailsburg is known for its strong sense of community.
The primary service and advocacy organization in Vailsburg is Unified Vailsburg Services Organization (UVSO). Founded as an ecumenical coalition with a mission to stabilize the neighborhood in 1972, UVSO now serves an average of 1,200 Vailsburg residents every day through a wide range of programs. These include three preschool centers, four public school-based after school programs, a teen center, a senior center, transportation, meals on wheels, home makers and visiting nurses, community organizing, and housing development.
Vailsburg is served by the Vailsburg branch
of the Newark Public Library
.
Recording artist Lauryn Hill
mentions the neighborhood in one of her songs.
and Mt. Vernon Place. Like Independence Park in the Ironbound, Ivy Hill Park is a small, unadorned park, yet one heavily used.
," an amusement park owned by the Krueger brewing
family. The residents of Vailsburg believed that Electric Park harmed the peace of the neighborhood and lobbied to have the amusement park converted into a park for passive recreation. A velodrome
across from the park was built at the turn of the 20th century and was taken down in the late 1920's.
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, on the south side of Sanford Avenue, off South Orange Avenue, is the most prominent structure on the street as well as the largest parish church in Newark. The parish itself was founded in 1892, prior to the Newark annexation and the construction of the Sacred Heart Basilica, which explains the use of the same name as the great North Ward cathedral. The present church was built in the 1920s and was designed by Neil J. Convery, who also designed St. Lucy´s Church in the North Ward. The church celebrated its 115th anniversary on June 10, 2007.
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, located on Sanford Avenue, is one of Newark´s most interesting congregations and beautiful churches. The building is a combination of modern and Byzantine architecture. The stained glass and mosaics of St. John´s tell the story of Christianity in Eastern Europe.
Newark Gospel Tabernacle, is a South Orange Avenue landmark and official historic building. It was formerly the Stanley Theater
, and is the best-preserved 1920s-era movie palace in Newark. The facade that´s visible from South Orange Avenue is misleading; the structure is much larger on the inside. A side view of the structure better illustrates how far back the theater actually extends. The building was designed by architect Frank Grad, the principal of one of Newark´s two most prominent architectural firms. The interior of the church/theater is reminiscent to a Mediterranean-style courtyard, with the main auditorium designed to look like the square of a Spanish village. The large auditorium sat 1,200 people when first built.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
elevation 280 ft. As of 2000, Vailsburg has a population of 34,348. The Vailsburg section of Newark seems to stick out from the rest of the area, not only geographically, but because of its hodgepodge of suburban, urban and park areas. Vailsburg is divided into Upper Vailsburg and Lower Vailsburg by Sanford Ave (Lower Vailsburg is to the east).
History
Vailsburg had existed as an independent municipality, and was incorporated as a boroughBorough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on March 28, 1894, from portions of South Orange Township
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
. Vailsburg was annexed by Newark on January 1, 1905. In the mid-1890s, Vailsburg had been proposed as one of the municipalities that would form a "Greater Orange
The Oranges
The Oranges are a group of four municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word Orange in their name. All of these communities were named for the ruler of England, William III of England, also known as William of Orange...
", in an effort to avoid piecemeal annexation by an expanding Newark. Vailsburg was the last independent suburb to be annexed to Newark, in 1905, during a failed attempt by the mayor of Newark to absorb Kearny
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, East Orange
East Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
, Belleville
Belleville, New Jersey
Belleville is a Township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 35,926.-History:...
, and Harrison
Harrison, New Jersey
Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 13,620. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.-Geography:Harrison is located at ....
. The district today stands out from the rest of Newark like a peninsula and is separated from the rest of the city by the trench of the Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
.
Today
Vailsburg has a significant stock of Dutch Colonial and Victorian inspired homes, mostly built between 1945 and 1947. Upper Vailsburg consists largely of single-family homes, while Lower Vailsburg consists of both single-family and two-family housing units. The area is also home to the Ivy HillIvy Hill
Ivy Hill is a diverse neighborhood in the West Ward of Newark, New Jersey which is notable for having high crime. While the Ivy Hill neighborhood is often considered as part of the Vailsburg area, it is actually a separate area.-History:...
Apartments, New Jersey's largest rental complex. Vailsburg has some abandoned property and other signs of urban decay
Urban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
, but many parts feel suburban. Its commercial streets, particularly South Orange Avenue, underwent street-scape improvements at the turn of the 21st century and many businessesrenovated their storefronts. Many mom-and-pop businesses line the avenue, giving the sense that entrepreneurial activity is greater than most other neighborhoods of Newark. Residents are mainly working class, and with more than 37 block associations, Vailsburg is known for its strong sense of community.
The primary service and advocacy organization in Vailsburg is Unified Vailsburg Services Organization (UVSO). Founded as an ecumenical coalition with a mission to stabilize the neighborhood in 1972, UVSO now serves an average of 1,200 Vailsburg residents every day through a wide range of programs. These include three preschool centers, four public school-based after school programs, a teen center, a senior center, transportation, meals on wheels, home makers and visiting nurses, community organizing, and housing development.
Vailsburg is served by the Vailsburg branch
Newark Public Library
The Newark Public Library is the public library system for the city of Newark, New Jersey.-History:In 1902 John Cotton Dana became employed at the Newark Public Library in Newark, New Jersey from until his death in 1929. He established foreign language collections for immigrants and also developed...
of the Newark Public Library
Newark Public Library
The Newark Public Library is the public library system for the city of Newark, New Jersey.-History:In 1902 John Cotton Dana became employed at the Newark Public Library in Newark, New Jersey from until his death in 1929. He established foreign language collections for immigrants and also developed...
.
Recording artist Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
mentions the neighborhood in one of her songs.
Demographics
Vailsburg today is majority Black, yet still diverse. Many of Vailsburg's blacks are actually immigrants from Africa and the West Indies. Haitian, Guyanese and Jamaican establishments particularly have a high profile. Haitian pride is on display in many a Haitian-owned store and eatery. Blacks from Africa, especially Nigerians are also a growing Vailsburg constituency. There is also a Ukrainian presence in the neighborhood as well.Parks
There are two parks located in the neighborhood are Vailsburg Park and Ivy Hill Park. Vailsburg Park is located on South Orange Avenue and Oraton Parkway, running alongside the Garden State Parkway. A mid-sized park heavily used primarily by neighborhood residents, it lies within the Vailsburg area of Newark and is the tenth largest park within the county park system. Ivy Hill Park is a neighborhood park on the westernmost border of Newark, between Seton Hall UniversitySeton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
and Mt. Vernon Place. Like Independence Park in the Ironbound, Ivy Hill Park is a small, unadorned park, yet one heavily used.
Local landmarks
One major landmark of Vailsburg is Vailsburg Park. The land for Vailsburg Park was originally "Electric ParkElectric Park
Electric Park was a name shared by dozens of amusement parks in the United States that were constructed as trolley parks and owned by electric companies and streetcar companies...
," an amusement park owned by the Krueger brewing
Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company
The Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company was a brewery in Newark, New Jersey founded by Gottfried Krueger and John Laible in 1858.The company produced Krueger Beer, which was the first beer to be produced in cans on January 24, 1935....
family. The residents of Vailsburg believed that Electric Park harmed the peace of the neighborhood and lobbied to have the amusement park converted into a park for passive recreation. A velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
across from the park was built at the turn of the 20th century and was taken down in the late 1920's.
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, on the south side of Sanford Avenue, off South Orange Avenue, is the most prominent structure on the street as well as the largest parish church in Newark. The parish itself was founded in 1892, prior to the Newark annexation and the construction of the Sacred Heart Basilica, which explains the use of the same name as the great North Ward cathedral. The present church was built in the 1920s and was designed by Neil J. Convery, who also designed St. Lucy´s Church in the North Ward. The church celebrated its 115th anniversary on June 10, 2007.
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, located on Sanford Avenue, is one of Newark´s most interesting congregations and beautiful churches. The building is a combination of modern and Byzantine architecture. The stained glass and mosaics of St. John´s tell the story of Christianity in Eastern Europe.
Newark Gospel Tabernacle, is a South Orange Avenue landmark and official historic building. It was formerly the Stanley Theater
Stanley Theater (Newark, New Jersey)
The Stanley Theater is located in Newark, New Jersey. The building was built in 1927 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1986....
, and is the best-preserved 1920s-era movie palace in Newark. The facade that´s visible from South Orange Avenue is misleading; the structure is much larger on the inside. A side view of the structure better illustrates how far back the theater actually extends. The building was designed by architect Frank Grad, the principal of one of Newark´s two most prominent architectural firms. The interior of the church/theater is reminiscent to a Mediterranean-style courtyard, with the main auditorium designed to look like the square of a Spanish village. The large auditorium sat 1,200 people when first built.