Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I seek your advice in my family potential relocation decision. I currently work in the US Auto industry and things in the detroit metro area have been bad for some time as you probably know. I have an opportunity in Cherry Hill New Jersey that I'm considering to pursue. Pay / benefits / job security are significantly better than what I have at my currently employer. So, on the professional front, it's a great opportunity. Some of the data i'm lacking are - cost of living, schools (my daugher is 2.5, so almost school age), and just general attitude of the east coast. I can tell you that almost anything will be an upgrade from the detroit metro area... Auto industry, Unions, Detroit Mayor, housing, etc - has been dragging the area down for the last 8 years. I've lived here all my life, so it's quite the difficult decision as I'll be moving away from family and live long friends. On the plus side, my wife and I get to start over in a sence, and we still have family in the western Pennsylvania and NJ area. So, it's not like we're moving into the middle of nowhere....
Any advice, no matter how harsh is greatly appreciated!
I seek your advice in my family potential relocation decision. I currently work in the US Auto industry and things in the detroit metro area have been bad for some time as you probably know. I have an opportunity in Cherry Hill New Jersey that I'm considering to pursue. Pay / benefits / job security are significantly better than what I have at my currently employer. So, on the professional front, it's a great opportunity. Some of the data i'm lacking are - cost of living, schools (my daugher is 2.5, so almost school age), and just general attitude of the east coast. I can tell you that almost anything will be an upgrade from the detroit metro area... Auto industry, Unions, Detroit Mayor, housing, etc - has been dragging the area down for the last 8 years. I've lived here all my life, so it's quite the difficult decision as I'll be moving away from family and live long friends. On the plus side, my wife and I get to start over in a sence, and we still have family in the western Pennsylvania and NJ area. So, it's not like we're moving into the middle of nowhere....
Any advice, no matter how harsh is greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
martinman
It would be a very good move for you. Cherry Hill East (as opposed to CH West) schools are great and among the best in South Jersey. I don't know what you are looking for in a house but the good news is CH has a wide variety of housing available - from bungalows to mansions. But the bad news is property taxes are extremely high (be prepared) and housing is relatively expensive. But Cherry Hill is a desirable, affluent area very close to Philly with easy access to the NJ shore, Princeton, northern NJ and NYC.
Last edited by MoorestownResident; 09-08-2008 at 09:04 AM..
I've never been to Detroit but if it's anything like Cleveland or Toledo you'll love it here.
Compared to there the winters here are nothing. There's always a lot going on. You're an hour or less to A LOT of jobs.
Taxes can be high compared to some parts of the country but from what I hear they're no picnic in the Detroit area either.
You should be able to find what you are looking for around here. There are a wide array of housing and living options in the Cherry Hill area. Do you have a specific housing budget you are looking at?
Thanks for the comments. The new job would be in Cherry Hill, so living about a 15-20min drive outside this location would be ideal. Housing budget could be as high as $400k, but more realistically around $350k. We'd be looking for something on the more rural side...
Also, I do quite a bit of road / mountain biking. Hows the biking culture around this area?
Cherry Hill doesn't get too rural. If you want to bike on the flat country roads, you should be looking into Burlington County which is north but still a very easy commute to Cherry Hill. There's a ton of bikers in BC. Taxes will be less than CH, plenty of development but not as congested as Camden County (CH). Towns with good schools and housing stock to consider in your price range - Mount Laurel, Medford (high taxes), Marlton (high taxes, more congested), Lumberton (good value, decent schools), Hainesport (lowest taxes).
You won't find mountains in Southern NJ. It is considered the 'delaware valley' to the mountain ranges that are north and west.
I figured outside of the city would be best. Burlington County seems to be about the right distance - offering decent road biking & a good commute (as seen on Google maps).
I get you on the mountains - not many in Michigan here either. Although, people look at you strange when you call it "hill biking". Anyway, if I can get to a trail within a 40min drive, i'd be happy.
BTW, on the topic of high taxes. I've heard this before about the NJ area. On my 1500sq. ft. house in Dearborn, MI, I'm paying over $5k between summer / winter takes. My area is considered one of the higher areas of property taxes... The lot is very small too. Anyway, how would this compare in NJ? More or less?
Your house in Cherry Hill is probably around $7K-$8K on taxes. I think you'll be pretty close to $5K in Burlington County depending on the town for a house that size. If you're looking for trails and open space you'll probably want to concentrate on Burlington County and some of the towns I recommended. The major road arteries are 295, 70, 73 and 38, they all intersect and will take you anywhere you want to go. Expect lots of traffic, but Burlington County is a very desirable place to live and a great investment. You can't really go wrong. From BC, the NJ shore is about an hour and there is train access to Philly off 295 south and NYC off 205 north about 30 minutes up the road from 295/38 intersection.
Good luck.
Last edited by MoorestownResident; 09-08-2008 at 04:00 PM..
I don't recommend it if you are working in Cherry Hill. You'd have traffic issues, bridge tolls, and getting around the general area would not be as easy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
