▁des irable . ▁The ▁process ▁continued ▁as ▁many ▁sub urban ites , ▁trans pl anted ▁Americans , ▁international s , ▁and ▁imm igr ants ▁( most ▁focused ▁on ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁NY / N J ▁region ▁and ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁Manh attan ) ▁began ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁" J er sey " ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ▁their ▁home , ▁and ▁the ▁" real - est ate ▁bo om " ▁of ▁the ▁era ▁encourag ed ▁many ▁to ▁seek ▁invest ment ▁opportun ities . ▁Em pty ▁lots ▁were ▁built ▁on , ▁ten ements ▁became ▁cond omin iums . ▁Hob oken ▁felt ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁Trade ▁Center ▁intens ely , ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁newer ▁residents ▁having ▁worked ▁there . ▁Re - zon ing ▁encourag ed ▁new ▁construction ▁on ▁former ▁industrial ▁sites ▁on ▁the ▁water front ▁and ▁the ▁tradition ally ▁more ▁imp over ished ▁low - lying ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁where , ▁in ▁concert ▁with ▁Hudson - Ber gen ▁Light ▁Rail ▁and ▁New ▁Jersey ▁State ▁land - use ▁policy , ▁trans it ▁villages ▁are ▁now ▁being ▁promoted . ▁Once ▁a ▁blue ▁col lar ▁town ▁character ized ▁by ▁live ▁p oul try ▁sh ops ▁and ▁d rab ▁ta ver ns , ▁it ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁transformed ▁into ▁a ▁town ▁filled ▁with ▁g our met ▁sh ops ▁and ▁lux ury ▁cond omin iums . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁H urr icane ▁Sand y ▁caused ▁w ides p read ▁flo oding ▁in ▁Hob oken , ▁leaving ▁ 1