It’s as though Hoboken and Jersey City are locked in a gentrification proliferation race to see who can become most like Montclair…

On the heels of Hoboken’s big Trader Joe’s reveal, Jersey City refuses to be outdone, announcing the planned development of a Whole Foods near the Grove Street PATH station.

“Really excited to share positive news that Whole Foods formally announce today they will be opening a Jersey City store,” says Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. “Lots of conversations to get this completed and I think it will be a huge positive for residents and visitors.”

As Hoboken celebrates its specialty foods retailer, the tone of regional one-upmanship was palpable in the Mayor’s statement.

“I said it from the beginning…” says Fulop, via facebook, “We aren’t playing around and we all share the goal of wanting to push forward a stronger city.”

