Downtown Newark still has remnants of the beauty it once had - I think of all those Philip Roth characters who worked there. As someone who has lived in bad neighborhoods and helped to “gentrify” by merely living there (Ocean Grove & Asbury Park), only to see property taxes go through the roof, I wouldn’t do anything to help a NJ town or city again.
Newark has no hope; it can’t compete with other cities with more to offer and less to fear. Jersey City in particular is doing well by comparison.
Outside of the airport and rail hub, there is no reason for most people to ever visit Newark.