By Matt Ford

Greetings from the Walled Garden, dear reader! I should start by saying that the Walled Garden is a name I have for my apartment building. I live in one of the new construction buildings in the area. It is just like all of the other new construction buildings in the area, and for reasons that may become clear, I think of this as an appropriate name for both my building and all the similar buildings in the area as a whole.

People will often ask me what it’s like to live at the Walled Garden, and when they do, I’m often not quite able to put together a satisfying answer. I hope, though, I may be able to give a picture here, dear reader, both for your benefit, and for mine.

If you know about the Walled Garden, there’s a good chance you’ve seen it on social media. There are excellent manicured Instagram photos of all the common areas. TWG’s website meticulously gives virtual tours of all the apartment models. The tours are usually expertly staged but sometimes mildly stark and empty. There are videos of neighbors doing self-styled influencer videos about their move-in experiences. All of these things are beautiful, and in a somewhat unsatisfying way, completely true.

In this way, there is no big secret, no big lie. The apartments are indeed all in excellent condition, and generally have layouts that are modern and designed with convenience in mind. TWG has a lovely and impressive staff that dutifully maintains all the common areas, facilitates your mail, fixes any and every broken apartment fixture, organizes community events, and even greets you as you come and go, assuming you extend them the same courtesy. There are small shops like a coffee shop and a restaurant at mine, and at most similar buildings.

I’ll even share that there is a good amount of joy that I take in simply living at TWG. I enjoy simply going for a walk in the common areas at TWG. The trees have just about started to mature, blooming apples in the late season. There is birdsong most spring and fall mornings. There are small community garden plots and a pool available in the summer. I jokingly call common areas here “The Grounds” as if I am some degree of well-kept royalty. As my name for TWG implies, though, this enjoyment can sometimes, if not often, have a hollow ring to it.

While all these positive aspects of living at TWG are true, it is also true that it is in fact just an apartment. It is a place to sleep, store possessions, and cook meals. At some point, you need to go outside, see friends and family, acquire material goods and possessions, explore the world, and, if you are still so inclined, go to work and generally live life. And it is here that TWG, similar buildings, and all walled gardens disappoint, as is their nature.

TWG has a contemporary facade, which, while giving a sense of place and having a sense of art to it, is also somewhat unremarkable. TWG is also surrounded by other similar, lovely-yet-forgettable buildings. It is, of course, in an area of “five-over-one” development. It too is a five-over-one. Once you exit, there is a small bit of a walkable street, maybe a block or two that the developer has carved out, but it fades into an unremarkable environment. 

It’s certainly possible, though, for this to be done better. In our area, we’ve seen great changes in places like Halsey Street and University Avenue with thoughtful planning and community activation. There are other great examples throughout the country. Vibrant urban communities can thrive everywhere, especially here. They may not need giant redevelopment projects to exist.

It is frustrating to know that this apartment building and all the buildings around it have thoughtfully built environments, but that they are planned in such a way that they are only available to those who can afford to live there, and not available to the community as a whole. TWG buildings sell an urbanist lifestyle but cannot deliver it alone, if at all. There’s still so much for us to learn from places that do this well. I’ll do my best to keep talking about it to everyone who will listen, and hope you will, too.

Having said that, I’m overdue for a stroll of the grounds. It’s a lovely day here at The Walled Garden; please visit if you have the chance.

Matt Ford is a multidisciplinary designer and engineer doing whatever it takes to make a living out here. He sometimes lives and works in and around Newark. Find him on Instagram @mattisnotelsewhere.

All photos by Gary Sprengel