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I grew up in South Jersey. Let me tell you, it is the definition of desolate. Pine trees, blueberry farms and nothing else. All that's local is a Wal-Mart and a Shop Rite. No shopping, no corner stores, bare bones restaurants. You need to drive to Philadelphia to really get anything. We had nothing to do as kids so we would ride ATV's through the woods. Nowhere else you can go to before you have a driver's license, which in NJ is 17 years old for a provisional license. It made for a very boring childhood.
I just got back from Fayetteville and Wilmington the other day. Let's just say they have 100 times the options I ever had growing up. If you grew up in those towns and moved to South Jersey, you'd have quite the culture shock. You'd be paying twice as much money to have nothing...unless you like really expensive pine trees.
which part of South Jersey did you live? You must have been very south, like Cumberland County? Because Burlington and Camden Counties, as well as Gloucester Counties, are one large parking lot of cars.... Although we have fabulous shopping and restaurants in Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill.
which part of South Jersey did you live? You must have been very south, like Cumberland County? Because Burlington and Camden Counties, as well as Gloucester Counties, are one large parking lot of cars.... Although we have fabulous shopping and restaurants in Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill.
I lived in Atlantic County. My hometown was Egg Harbor City-Hammonton area. The actual town itself is called Elwood, NJ. You can Google Map it if you want...there's nothing there!
I too am looking at New Bern, What Do you mean culture shock? Slower pace? I am coming from top of state Sussex County. Do you All know New Jersey?. I am looking for a Change in life Style and lower Taxes. I don't want to Work to pay Taxes. I want to enjoy living. New Jersey has been great but the taxes are crazy. I Didn't Realize I might need insurance for hail and wind. I guess Hurricane insurance. Knew about Flood insurance, parts of NJ you need that too. My kids are looking at Colleges in NC, So following this thread. We visited Wilmington NC over the Summer, I visited years ago, but it is a little to City for us. Looking for a More home town feel. Visited New Bern years ago as well. Thanks in advance for any info............. following
We retired here from Sussex County, NJ too-specifically Vernon. We bought a lot in Brunswick County but decided to build right across the border in SC. I wouldn't discount SC as an option. Taxes are even cheaper in SC.
I grew up in Bergen Couny NJ but left in 1988 and lived in New England until moving to New Bern 6 months ago. Downtown New Bern reminds me of both a New England village and the NJ town I grew up in. Have met so many welcoming people and there are many transplants from the tri-state area here also. The area I live in is very quiet and safe and there is a great gardening club with a few master gardeners.
The cost of living is much less here, even with paying wind and hail and flood insurance. We are very happy with our decision to leave the cold north.
The only issue may be how well your child can adjust to the area and school. I know a family who moved back to their former area because their high school kids had such trouble adjusting and were so unhappy and depressed. They will reconsider moving back to NC after their kids are done with school.
I lived in Atlantic County. My hometown was Egg Harbor City-Hammonton area. The actual town itself is called Elwood, NJ. You can Google Map it if you want...there's nothing there!
Yes, I know of the area. That is pretty rural down there....but you have to realize unless you are in Myrtle Beach, SC or Wilmington, NC or its suburb, Leland, Brunswick County is still pretty rural, too. Even with the growth of the retirement plantations that have been cropping up.
I too am looking at New Bern, What Do you mean culture shock? Slower pace? I am coming from top of state Sussex County. Do you All know New Jersey?. I am looking for a Change in life Style and lower Taxes. I don't want to Work to pay Taxes. I want to enjoy living. New Jersey has been great but the taxes are crazy. I Didn't Realize I might need insurance for hail and wind. I guess Hurricane insurance. Knew about Flood insurance, parts of NJ you need that too. My kids are looking at Colleges in NC, So following this thread. We visited Wilmington NC over the Summer, I visited years ago, but it is a little to City for us. Looking for a More home town feel. Visited New Bern years ago as well. Thanks in advance for any info............. following
Anything in the South is going to be a Culture shock from Northern NJ, eh? Different foods, origins, hardly any Catholics, MUCH slower pace and more polite populace (in general) and you may at first be very impatient with the slowed-down pace in the grocery stores, etc.
If Wilmington is too "city" for you, the New Bern could be an option. It's very close to the beach, but not in danger of storm surges, etc, and the river there is wide enough that (I think) flooding is not as bad as just north of there in Kinston, except in rare cases. But New Bern is not exactly a hopping place, either.
The City-Data page for New Bern has a lot of info. (I presume you know it's pronounced "NEW-b'rn", not "New BERN" ). I think of it as a Historic town because it has many such buildings, but it's a good mix of town and country for that part of the state.
Yes, I know of the area. That is pretty rural down there....but you have to realize unless you are in Myrtle Beach, SC or Wilmington, NC or its suburb, Leland, Brunswick County is still pretty rural, too. Even with the growth of the retirement plantations that have been cropping up.
I just drove from Fayetteville to Wilmington four weeks ago - four separate times - took 87 the whole way. Yes, there is nothing in between. It wasn't any different than rural areas of NJ in its aesthetics. There is just a lot more undeveloped land in NC. There are plenty of undeveloped areas in South Jersey, but they aren't nearly as vast. The Northeast is just super developed, and that's a big reason why cost of living has skyrocketed. Well, that and we have been transforming into a welfare state for many decades and can no longer afford to function. Hence you see this mass migration of people fleeing the Northeast heading south for shelter from the high cost of living.
Hopefully we don't do to the South what we did to the North Except Trader Joe's. Bring more Trader Joe's. We can't buy wine and beer in ours. You can't sell alcohol in grocery stores. The TJ's in Wilmington is a sight to behold.
Anything in the South is going to be a Culture shock from Northern NJ, eh? Different foods, origins, hardly any Catholics, MUCH slower pace and more polite populace (in general) and you may at first be very impatient with the slowed-down pace in the grocery stores, etc.
If Wilmington is too "city" for you, the New Bern could be an option. It's very close to the beach, but not in danger of storm surges, etc, and the river there is wide enough that (I think) flooding is not as bad as just north of there in Kinston, except in rare cases. But New Bern is not exactly a hopping place, either.
The City-Data page for New Bern has a lot of info. (I presume you know it's pronounced "NEW-b'rn", not "New BERN" ). I think of it as a Historic town because it has many such buildings, but it's a good mix of town and country for that part of the state.
It is a serious culture shock vising Wilmington from Philadelphia.
First off, I'd like to say NC has the worst drivers I've ever seen. Wilmington, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Durham - it's shocking. Downright scary. I was just there the day after Matthew hit. Lots of traffic signals out and I don't think a single person in the state knows when a traffic signal is out the intersection becomes a 4-way stop. You don't blow through at 60 mph.
If you can get past the driving and adapt to it somehow, things change.
The people are overwhelmingly friendlier in every way. Maybe it's because I only tend to visit the larger cities, but everyone there seems like they want to be there. Coming from the Northeast, people are truly miserable. I don't know what it is - the cold, the high taxes, the terrible road conditions, the traffic or a combination of it all - but we're a miserable breed. People don't make eye contact where I live unless they're angry. I am not used to people casually saying "hi," holding doors for you, making conversation at checkout lines...people are just better behaved.
That's really the big culture shock coming from the NE - the attitudes of people. It almost seems fake - how can strangers be friendly?
I can't speak to the mentality of the folks in much smaller, more rural towns, but when it comes to the larger, more integrated downs like Wilmington/Fayetteville/Raleigh/Durham/Charlotte, I truly believe if you move to the area and you're not well-received, you're probably the problem. I know how "progressives" think. They want everyone to change for them, and the NE is full of "progressives." If you move into someone else's house, you follow their rules. You're moving because you believe life is better down there, so you should be trying to become more like them, not force them to become more like you. That's the advice I can give - if it's so great where you're from, stay there. Assimilate or don't bother moving.
The lack of Catholics is weird, but not as much as the huge population of Baptists. We have nothing Baptist here - but I'm not very religious so it's a non-issue to me.
Outside of the metro areas of NC the people vote very conservative as you can tell by the governor and legislature. If you are not looking for a large supply of jacked up pick-up trucks, Confederate Flags, NASCAR caps, chewing tobacco/snuff users, Mt. Dew drinkers and Honey Boo Boo look-alikes, pick a place with a lot of NE retirees or a metro area otherwise you will regret your decision.
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Although we have fabulous shopping and restaurants in Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill.
Except Trader Joe's. Bring more Trader Joe's. We can't buy wine and beer in ours. You can't sell alcohol in grocery stores. The TJ's in Wilmington is a sight to behold.
