Broadway is an unincorporated community and neighborhood within the city of Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the west bank of the Passaic River, in Newark's North Ward, east of Forest Hill and north of Seventh Avenue. The neighborhood extends from Interstate 280 to Belleville. The term "Broadway" has only come into use recently, most Broadway residents simply refer to their area as part of the North Ward. The street itself "Broadway" was called "Belleville Avenue" until the early twentieth century. Today, the area is predominantly Italian American and Puerto Rican, with a growing population from other parts of Latin America. The neighborhood is poor and there are many facilities that provide assistance and public housing to the indigent. The New Jersey Historical Society was located here from the 1930s to 1997. The neo-classical Mutual Benefit building was constructed in the Broadway neighborhood in 1927. The district has many old brownstones in various states of repair.