Funny thing is the second-worst city in NJ (Irvington) doesn’t have too many abandoned buildings - it’s just populated with Section 8ers and some stubborn members of the lower middle class who are holding on until they can retire down south.
I think of Illinois, and the state has let the true historic city of Cairo completely die. They could’ve used some jobs, investment and state largesse, and instead it’s turned into a ghost town. ESL can probably turn around in the future because of its proximity to St. Louis, but Cairo’s loss is much worse.