Gateway Center

Today, I had to attend a corporate event at the Gateway Center. In case you’re unfamiliar, it is basically a sleek office building that is connected to the Newark Penn Station railroad terminal. The passageway allows the white collar workers in the building to travel between their offices and the train station without having to enter ghetto Newark. Along the passageway are a bunch of shops, restaurants, and newstands. Most of the shops sell tacky, touristy items. There’s one shop that sells New Jersey Devils memorabilia (hockey is as interesting as watching paint dry). Dining options include Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Subway, a pizzeria, and a few other misellaneous restaurants. The passageway also leads to a New York Sports Club (which, ironically, is in New Jersey) and the Hilton Hotel.
Gateway Center isn’t really a shopping center. It serves its purpose, but there’s nothing exciting about it.

For the convenience of getting from Penn Station Newark to Mulberry Street without going outside 5 stars. For pretty much nothing open at night 3 stars. For the persistent begging by aggressive panhandlers and horrid homeless smells 1 star. Daytime is okay but not great. No bathrooms available until Penn Station which is a drag but see homeless situation. In winter or a downpour this place is a godsend. Feel bad for the merchants here as there is not enough traffic. Wish more places would stay open on game nights. Only Subway stays open.

What the heck can you complain about here? Other than as reviewed before it closes at certain times. This hub connects from Mulberry St to W Raymond which is beneficial to me either it keeps me warm in the winter or cool in the spring/​summer, and i don’t have to deal with crossing the busy intersections.

There is nothing really grand at all about this center other than it’s convenience as a hub for Corporate offices as it connects to the PATH, Amtrak, NJ Transit, and several other transportation services.

With two Subways, two Dunkin’ Donuts, a derelict Hilton, a miniature NYSC, several «café”-terias, some chintzy souvenir shops, some banks, and a licensed Starbucks, Gateway Center in downtown Newark feels a lot farther away from New York City than it actually is.
And that strange smell as you turn the second corner doesn’t seem to be going anywhere – fried gym socks, anyone?
The only redeeming quality of the Gateway Center is that you can walk through it to get wherever you’re going. It is nice to be inside, since the weather outside isn’t always great and the bums around Newark Penn Station apparently study long-​form improv panhandling.
But the entrances to the Gateway Center are closed right when they would be most helpful! The back entrance (on Mulberry St) is closed from the outside nights and weekends, and the front entrance (from the station) is closed nights!
I watched the back door for five minutes on a Saturday once. I saw 20 people try to open the door with no luck, and subsequently walk around the building. I literally saw people banging on the back doors, trying to get in.
If this angers you as much as it angers me, do what I did – email Cory Booker about it. Here is the webpage: