Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

The United States has more than a hundred different arenas, with many states having multiple arenas in their large cities. The Prudential Center is one arena located in New Jersey, specifically Newark. The arena is an indoor structure in the downtown district. It was designed by Populous or HOK Sport with Morris Adjmi Architects as the exterior designers.

The Prudential Center is a newer arena, having opened in 2007. It is the home base for NHL's New Jersey Devils and the NCAA's Seton Hall Pirates. The arena is also used as a home for the New Jersey Ironmen, an Xtreme Soccer League. Locals refer to the Prudential Center as "The Rock'' due to the logo of Prudential Financial who has the naming rights. The center can hold up to 17,625 people at one time for different performances. The cost for the center was $375 Million, and it took two years for the center to be completed, with work beginning in 2005. The most the center is able to hold is 19,500 people for concerts.

The Prudential Center has the distinction of being the first sports venue to be built since the Brendan Byrne Arena in 1981, at least in the New York Metropolitan Area. The arena had two purposes. One was to make a home for the sports teams mentioned above and the second was to help revitalize the area.

Even as the sports arena was being built talk about the New Jersey Devils moving out of town was going on. In fact talk from 1995 when the team when the Stanley Cup stated that the team would move to Nashville. Even after a top season in 2002 to 2003 talk was consistent about the team moving on. However, Newark was able to raise the money for the Prudential Center keeping the team local.

Currently top performances at the center or coming to the center include the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, David Foster and Friends, the Devils versus Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders, Miley Cyrus, Devils and the Anaheim Ducks, Seton Hall and Saint Peter's, and Taylor Swift.

The Prudential Center is more for sporting events, so very little concerts will appear throughout the year. In the past concerts such as Bon Jovi and the Eagles have opened at the center. A broadcast of Today, the Guinness Book of Records, and WWE have also visited the arena.

The Prudential Center has a restaurant onsite for events and special business groups. The restaurant serves gourmet salad, pizza, and a bar menu. They also have ala carte menu items such as soups, meats, and a dessert selection. Reservations are required for all ticket holders and other attendees. The restaurant is just part of the food available. There are also concessions spread throughout the concourse at the Prudential Center offering typical sports fare like beer, popcorn, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and Philly sandwiches. Parking around the center is plentiful and ranges in cost depending on the event being hosted.