I recently found myself in Newark listening to the Deputy Mayor, Stefan Pryor, speak about the city’s transformation from an industrial hub to a viable live/work/play destination. And it got me thinking. Is the city really on its way to becoming a popular neighborhood for the 20-to-30-something crowd like Hoboken, NJ or Jersey City. And, if so, could other cities learn from Newark?

I don’t think many people would argue with the fact that Mayor Cory Booker has done a fantastic job ever since he first took office in 2006; he was elected for a second term in 2010. Under the mayor’s leadership, Newark has committed to a $40-million transformation of the city’s parks and playgrounds through a groundbreaking public/private partnership. The Booker Administration has also doubled affordable housing production within the past two years. Even Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is giving the city money to the tune of $100 million for its public schools.

And yet, when I ask my friends, none of them would move to Newark. And it’s not because they aren’t aware of the changes there. Some complain that there are too few retail options. However, I think the same can be said for Jersey City, which ever-so-thoughtfully took one of the most beautiful views of Manhattan and turned it into a sea of office space and high-rise apartments, but almost no storefronts (aside from an indoor strip mall and several scattered corporate chain restaurants. But other friends see the distance between New York City and Newark as the main problem. I often hear, "As long as Jersey City or Hoboken are reasonably priced options, we'd rather live there." As a side note: I have lived in Jersey City for the past eight years and loved (almost) every second.