Top-tier markets like New York City and Washington, DC aren’t the only cities bouncing back post-recession. Across the nation, select secondary and tertiary areas are emerging as formidable competitors on both a local and global scale—and investors are taking note. From high-tech jobs to downtown redevelopment, several factors have real estate professionals looking off the beaten path to less traditional locations they may not have considered previously.

Some of the best opportunities for commercial real estate can be found in the tertiary cities. However they do it, these mid-tier cities are leading the recovery.

The editors of REAL ESTATE FORUM tapped into the minds of leasing and investment professionals, as well as public-private partnerships and elected officials, throughout the country to come up with a list of the top 10 up-and-coming markets throughout the US. Our list: Albany; Baltimore; El Paso; Minneapolis; Newark; Pittsburgh; Raleigh, NC; San Jose; and Seattle.