Locals Pick 8 New Jersey Cities on the Brink of Major Economic and Social Growth

As we've documented recently, New Jersey seems not to be having any problems bucking the trend of people wanting to leave the state as fast as they can.

While some are dreaming of moving to states with lower taxes, a better cost of living, and even better weather, thousands of people are doing just the opposite, moving here and calling New Jersey home.

The Garden State does have a lot to offer, especially with huge corporations headquartered here, its proximity to huge cities like New York and Philly, and a terrific vibe (with a little bit of an attitude thrown in).

But let's be honest — not every part of the state is worthy of being on the cover of a real estate magazine.

At least not yet.

• READ MORE: Why Thousands are Leaving Florida and the Carolinas for New Jersey

The Challenges Some NJ Cities Face

Some of our big cities have been suffering from high crime rates for as long as you and I can remember. Just tell anyone you're thinking of moving to Camden and you'll likely get some funny looks.

But a lot of that is changing. And rather quickly.

Developers are seeing massive potential in some of the big cities here and they are taking advantage of flipping empty lots and low-priced older buildings into new residential and commercial spaces, which is leading to a resurgence in spots that you probably wouldn't have thought of moving to just a couple of years ago.

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What Locals Are Saying About NJ's Comeback

We recently stumbled upon a Reddit thread that talked about which New Jersey cities are most likely to have a huge social and economic resurgence soon, and the responses were pretty eye-opening.

And to make this all more real, these were people in and around these areas, seeing what's happening before their eyes, and noticing some very positive trends.

Suddenly, the now-bizarre thought of living in Camden might not be so bad in the next several years.

Some positive news for New Jersey as these are the next real estate hot spots in New Jersey, the next trendy New Jersey cities, where young people will want to live in New Jersey, which NJ cities are becoming gentrified, and which big NJ cities are ready for major turn-arounds. Those cities include Bayonne NJ, Glassboro NJ, Fort Monmouth NJ, Paterson NJ, Camden NJ, Hackensack NJ, New Brunswick NJ, and Newark NJ.