Im not comparing it one to one to Manhattan, Im just pointing out that the neighborhood in Newark that provides a traditional "center city" experience is the Ironbound. Extremely densely populated, a shit ton of restaurants and bars, a very active nightlife, the highest rents in the city, etc.

I only used Midtown Manhattan because Downtown Manhattan isnt the center of economic activity in the city, and no other city in the country (outside of maybe Boston or Philly) concentrates so much of its fine dining/nightlife/ etc into one geographic area the way that Manhattan does with Midtown.

So, I do think you are misreading what I was trying to say here.