Newark’s Ironbound district reaches out to welcome Super Bowl fans

The signs along Ferry Street say “Welcome to Newark’s Ironbound.” As the City prepared to host thousands of visitors to the nearby Prudential Center on January 28th for Super Bowl Media Day, the Ironbound’s business community, including its nearly 200 renowned restaurants, bakeries, cafes and coffee shops were hoping hungry football fans will make a visit to the district part of their experience. “The amount and variety of restaurants in Newark’s Ironbound section make it a dining gem and one of the top destinations in New Jersey,” noted Marilou Halvorsen, President of the New Jersey Restaurant Association. “Its close proximity to the Meadowlands and the Super Bowl will give visitors unique and easily accessible dining options.” Generations of New Jerseyans have known the pleasures of eating and shopping in Newark’s Ironbound District. Authentic Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American and Brazilian cuisine, plus a dynamic international shopping scene earn high marks from locals and visitors. Now, the Ironbound Business Improvement District (IBID) is hoping its proactive marketing campaign will help spread the word to football fans visiting the area for the big game on February 2nd. The signs were the suggestion of Newark Mayor Luis Quintana, noted Seth A. Grossman, the IBID’s Executive Director. They represent just one final touch to a carefully orchestrated campaign that has been coordinated over the past 24 months by the organization representing local business and commercial property owners. The IBID has even kept its traditional holiday LED light display in place along the Ironbound’s Ferry Street and Wilson Avenue until the big game is completed to add to the festive atmosphere. More than one million pieces of Ironbound promotional materials have been distributed over the past several years. Most recently, more than 300,000 Ironbound Explorers Guides were printed and distributed at hotels throughout the Greater Newark area, the Hudson County waterfront and in the Meadowlands, as well as at Newark Liberty International Airport, Port Authority facilities in New York City, information centers along the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, in the City of Newark and beyond. The IBID also helped launch a new magazine, NewarkBound, that promotes places to go, things to do, dining hot spots and other information about Newark and the Ironbound. A three-minute promotional video, produced by Ironbound natives Igor and Yuri Alves of DreamPlay Productions, was also recently premiered. The video is posted to YouTube, Vimeo, GoIronbound.com and other online sources and has been shared with the IBID’s Newark marketing partners. Out-of-home, print and online advertisements feature the district’s tagline – “Meet Me in the Ironbound!” All stress that the district is just minutes from the airport, from New York City and from the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Grossman believes the Ironbound’s location at a nexus for transportation for travelers arriving by car, bus, plane or train, plus its distinctive atmosphere and outstanding dining and shopping opportunities, will appeal to Super Bowl fans coming from across the country and around the state. For up-to-date directories of businesses and restaurants in the Ironbound District, and information about programs and services provided by the Ironbound Business Improvement District, visit GoIronbound.com. You can also follow news from the Ironbound at Facebook.com/goironbound.