Alameda County Feature: Newark

Last updated: June 3, 2023

Spruce Street is located in Newark, a city of approximately 48,000 people in Alameda County, California. Incorporated in 1955, Newark is an enclave surrounded by the city of Fremont. Together with Union City, the three make up the Tri-City Area of the SF East Bay. Around 41% of adults in Newark have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with the national average of 22% of adults.

Previously an agricultural, manufacturing, and railroad hub, Newark’s prime location 35 miles south of San Francisco has pushed its significant evolution into the dense suburban bedroom community it is today—a popular destination for families working in high-tech and biotech industries seeking a quiet, safe place to call home. It’s no surprise that Newark participates in BayREN, a multi-county coalition providing financial incentive and technical assistance for homeowners and businesses looking to adopt greener and more energy-efficient technologies.

The diverse community and pleasant climate create endless opportunities for arts and cultural activities, as well as year-round outdoor recreation. It’s not surprising that Newark (and the surrounding metro area) consistently ranks extremely high in lists of best cities for a variety of categories, ranging from healthiest city, to best places for senior living, foodies, teleworking, and more.

The Food Scene

The year-round Newark Farmers Market is held every Sunday, rain or shine, and is not to be missed. Other local Newark food experiences include fresh Filipino food at Isla Restaurant, and authentic Vietnamese cuisine at Rice and Spoon.

The Perfect Weather

And we’re not kidding about the “pleasant climate” bit. The BestPlaces Comfort Index for Newark, California weather is 9.9… on a scale where the highest possible rating is 10! That puts Newark not only near the top for California, but near the top nation-wide. With only an average of 2 freezing days per year (1 in December and 1 in January), you’ve arrived at a gardening and light-sweaters-only paradise. There are an average of 0 snowy days, and only 9 very hot days that are mercifully spread between May and September. Nota bene—microclimates are real and your mileage may vary! The closer to the Bay your property is, the cooler it will be at night.

Newark is Driving Distance to… Everywhere!

So what about convenience to surrounding communities? It’s easy to see why residents feel like Newark’s location puts it at the center of industry, academia, sports, and air travel, as well as a gateway to California’s most-loved getaways. Minutes away, Newark leads to the Dumbarton Bridge, which provides access to Palo Alto, Stanford, Redwood City, and Mountain View. An under 40-minute drive puts you in the beautiful coastal community of Half Moon Bay, where great seafood and beautiful sandy beaches abound, and the world-famous Maverick’s surf competition is held. A similar drive across the bridge and north takes you to San Francisco.

Have sports fans in the family? Newark puts you in the center of everything. Catch the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara (23 minutes), see a Golden State Warriors basketball game at Chase Center (San Francisco, 39 minutes), San Jose Sharks ice hockey at the SAP Center (San Jose, 27 minutes), or head north on 101 to see the SF Giants (Oracle Park, 40 minutes). And for a weekend away? Start out on 880 northbound; in a little over an hour, you’ll be in Napa. For frequent travelers, Newark has easy access to several airports, including SFO (25 minutes), OAK (22 minutes), and SJC (27 minutes).

Events & Activity Centers

Closer to home, the yearly “Newark Days” festival is a 4-day shindig held in September. The plethora of events include the famous “Newark Mile” 4k foot race, art & craft shows, a parade, car show, carnival with rides, a food festival, live stage shows, and special contests and activities for kids. Newark is also well-known for its premier indoor aquatic park, the The Silliman Activity and Family Aquatic Center. Looking for more of a sit-down event? Head to Fremont to catch a symphony at the Bay Philharmonic. For more adventure, the Annual Rodeo in nearby Livermore, the Cherry Festival of San Leandro, or the Latin Jazz festival of Hayward. Need a prehistoric excursion to entertain the dino-obsessed kids in your life? Look no further than Pleasanton’s Jurassic Quest—complete with fossil excavation and life-size animatronic dinosaurs. For some target practice, check out Newark’s premier archery pro shop and service center, Archery Only. That’s just an extremely small sampling of the possibilities put at your fingertips. Simply put, if you like to be on the go, you’ll never have to stay home bored, and if you’re more of a homebody, you’ll find Newark equally comfortable.

Outdoors and Pet-Friendly

For the dog moms and dads out there, don’t forget the “NewBark” Dog Park! Other great walks and parks include the Lakeshore Park, and Lake Elizabeth Dog Park in nearby Fremont.

Hikers—with or without canine companions!—can observe waterfront wildlife and abundant spring wildflowers at Coyote Hills Regional Park. The 1,266-acre park is popular for walking, jogging, birdwatching, horseback riding, and more! There are reservable group picnic and campsites, and a full summer schedule of naturalist programs conducted in both English and Spanish.

In late 2022, trail markers were updated to include Chochenyo translations—the language of the native Tuibun Ohlone people who lived off the rich biodiversity of the wetlands since time immemorial—as evidenced by the remains of 2,000-year-old shellmound sites preserved there today. The park is also the site of a decommissioned NIKE missile base, Mission settler ranches, a dairy, salt mines, rock quarrying, and a biosonar research facility.

The… Drawbacks?

So what’s the catch? In short: a high cost of living and car-dependent lifestyle. The average cost for a home in Newark is hovering around $1.14 million, with listed properties going into “pending” status in about 10 days. Yes, the educational opportunities and healthcare options can be fantastic and even affordable! But you pay a lot up front for that benefit. While Newark is centrally located to, well, everything, the common commute routes and times can become congested with traffic—and “quick” commutes of under 20 minutes can be hard to come by. (Various sources put the average commute for Newark residents at 30-33 minutes, making it clear why telework is a popular option!)

The picture for public transit users can become headache-inducing. That 40-minute drive to Half Moon Bay for clam chowder at Sam’s? That quickly becomes a 7+ hour nightmare on a cobbled together patchwork system of buses and trains. A 19-minute drive to Menlo Park could become a 3.5 hour bus excursion—one way! Even to closer destinations, like say Costco in Fremont, you’re looking at 1.5 hours of travel, with considerable walking to get to a bus stop. However, there is a silver lining! City planners are aware of these limitations—in the past few years, the Alameda County Transportation Commission gave Newark a grant to develop its first Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. More recently, in May 2023, non-uniformed officers conducted a pedestrian safety operation to determine driver compliance of marked crosswalks.

The Past and Present of the Ohlone

Previous to settlement by Spanish colonizers and later genocide by European settlers, the city of Newark fell into the region home to northern Ohlone tribes. The Ohlone (previously called “Costanoans”) were a cluster of over 50 distinct groups; today, the Muwekma Ohlone is comprised of all known surviving lineages. In addition to an impressive record of hunting and fishing, the Ohlone had a knack for finding varied uses for native plants, ranging from dyes to toothache cures and basketry fibers. Much can still be learned about modern fire ecology from the historic land stewardship of the Ohlone, which included yearly prescribed burns to clear undergrowth. Understanding and restoring these practices of “good fire” has become an increasingly urgent issue to stem the tide of severe, destructive fire seasons in California. Now if you decide to call this region of the Bay Area your home, you too will carry a little bit of the Ohlone story!

Citations and Further Reading

Newark Flag and City Seal: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-canwk.html

General City Information: https://www.newark.org/residents/about-newark

The Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN): https://www.bayren.org/

Isla Restaurant: https://dinfo.me/myislarestaurant.com/index.html

Rice and Spoon: https://www.riceandspoon.com/?ref=travellens.co

Newark Farmer’s Market: https://www.agriculturalinstitute.org/newark?ref=travellens.co

Historical Information and Photos: https://www.newark.org/visitors/about-newark/newark-history

Newark Rankings: https://www.bestplaces.net/rankings/city/california/newark

Newark Geographic, Historical, and Climate Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark,_California

Newark Days Festival: https://newarkdays.org/

Indoor Aquatic Park: https://www.newark.org/departments/recreation-and-community-services/aquatic-center-hours

Bay Philharmonic: https://bayphil.org/

NewBark Dog Park: https://www.newark.org/departments/parks/new-parks-projects/dog-park-at-newark-community-park

Newark Real Estate Trends: https://www.zillow.com/home-values/49611/newark-ca/

Newark Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan: https://www.newark.org/departments/public-works/engineering-division/pedestrian-bicycle-master-plan

Car-Dependent Cities and Metro Areas: https://www.kake.com/story/41622894/the-most-car-dependent-cities-in-america

Newark Pedestrian Safety Operation: https://patch.com/california/newark/newark-police-conduct-pedestrian-safety-operation

Ohlone tribes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohlone

Costanoan ethnobotany: http://naeb.brit.org/uses/tribes/50/

Muwekma Ohlone history: http://www.muwekma.org/historical-overview.html

California tribes’ usage of prescribed burns: https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/using-fire-to-fight-fire