Worst towns in NJ (Camden, West Orange: home security, school districts, salaries)

[pirate girl]

Too many pages to read but having grown up in South Jersey I do have an opinion to share.

Yes, the cities mentioned repeatedly (Newark, Camden, Trenton, JC, AC) are all awful, that's pretty much to be expected and I can't imagine many people would be interested in relocating to any of them.

Opinions of smaller towns are probably more helpful and relevant to many readers here. And I have to say that the small town of Hammonton (about 30 mins west of AC) is my least favorite town. It's a backward, strange little town with a strong italian/mafioso feel. Weird, weird, weird.

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by pirate girl

Too many pages to read but having grown up in South Jersey I do have an opinion to share.

Yes, the cities mentioned repeatedly (Newark, Camden, Trenton, JC, AC) are all awful, that's pretty much to be expected and I can't imagine many people would be interested in relocating to any of them.

Opinions of smaller towns are probably more helpful and relevant to many readers here. And I have to say that the small town of Hammonton (about 30 mins west of AC) is my least favorite town. It's a backward, strange little town with a strong italian/mafioso feel. Weird, weird, weird.

A lot of Mexican and Haitian migrant workers that arrive seasonally to pick blueberries have turned into year-round residents as well.

I never was enamored of Hammonton, but I wouldn't classify it in the same realm as Bridgeton or Pleasantville, either.

[pirate girl]

I've been gone for a long time- about 15 years. I haven't been to Bridgeton in at least that long- but I have to say that Vineland/Millville/Bridgeton were always kind of backward as well. And yes, the migrant workers had a major affect on my opinions of the area.

Pleasantville was simply a place I passed through on my way to the shore- and when I was a teenager I always loved stopping at Bradlees there.... but I can't speak for that town now.

I have relatives who have lived in Hammonton all my life and I visited recently- it seems to be stuck in a time warp and has not changed since I was about 8...............

[JennyOnTheMove]

Wow. Well, Paramus, for one. Imagine trying to drive 3 miles, and it takes you 25 minutes. Yeah. Try to go to work, and come home afterwards. Leave Mahwah at 5 PM and arrive in Paramus at 5:45. All of Bergen County. It just SUCKS so bad. I drive from Glen Rock to Elmwood Park at 5 PM and it takes me 50 minutes.

I have had it with the freaking furniture stores on Route 17. Let's see. We have about 30 of them by now. Giant Ikea, Crate and Barrell, Raymour & Flanigan, Bob's, Maurice Villency, Jennifer Convertibles, Bruce the Bed King, Signature Leather- not to mention the Tile Stores, the Kitchen Stores like Kuche Kuchina and Poggen Pohl, The Home Improvement Stores like Home Depot, Tool Town, Behnke Lumber, Paramus Lighting- I just can't take any more. And all they do is just keep on putting up these stores. Why? Because people in Paramus need them? No. Because it attracts business from all the other towns, and then that makes the highways UNDRIVABLE.

I hate Paramus. Hate it. Hate.

But Bergen County in general is just awful. I keep hearing how bad Newark is, and Jersey City, but to me, Bergen is the worst, because it is pretentious and irritating, and sickens me on a daily basis.

Many residents of Bergen County are 3rd and 4th generation. Many have "moved up" from Passaic, Hudson or Essex counties, with their deep Jersey accents and their attitudes as if they have finally received the key to heaven. It's PARAMUS, for pete's sake, its not the holy land.

They build these ridiculous houses that are just, plain RIDICULOUS, ubiquitous McMansions, and their travertine, and marble and lame landscaping atrocities.

Every minute we have a new mall popping up, with new, and more ridiculously consumptive stores like Hermes and Louis Vuitton everywhere you look.

Kids in the schools wear $120 jeans in the 6th grade. They all have cell phones, laptops, and expensive clothing and ipods. Their parents spoil them, and buy them cars which they don't have to work for. It's funny because in neighboring Ridgewood, which is really a wealthier town than Paramus, the kids are NOT as spoiled as they are in Paramus. Why? Because the parents in Paramus are low class, not from money, not educated, just blue collar, making money like animals, to buy things for their kids.

Take a look at a local soccer game, and you'll die laughing at these women. They are atrocious. Not at all classy like the Ridgewood Moms. Anyway, I'm straying from my point, but please - anyone looking to move here- just don't do it.

The house prices and the taxes in Bergen County are sooooooo high, and OVER priced, that it is nearly impossible for anyone to live here that isn't terribly wealthy.

Rents for a 2 bedroom apartment in any DECENT town runs about $1600 - $2000. And that's IF you can find one. Houses start at $350k and the average is well over $600k. Taxes on a 1950's 3 BR Cape in Ridgewood are nearly 10k a year.

Just look at 201 magazine and you will see how snotty, snobby and self absorbed Bergen county residents are.

And let me just say this last thing. Bergen County is one of the RICHEST counties in the WHOLE COUNTRY! And guess what? The Bergen County Animal Shelter is one of the WORST in the Nation. What a shame, and what a telling story. Don't move here. Save yourselves.

[SilkCity0416]

Lol. Nice post That sums NJ up a bit, huh? Thank God, I live in Queens.

[Mab7]

NEWARK, Camden, Paterson, Atlantic City, Asbury Park, Jersey City, Irvington

[bjcarter]

Originally Posted by JennyOnTheMove

Wow. Well, Paramus, for one. Imagine trying to drive 3 miles, and it takes you 25 minutes. Yeah. Try to go to work, and come home afterwards. Leave Mahwah at 5 PM and arrive in Paramus at 5:45. All of Bergen County. It just SUCKS so bad. I drive from Glen Rock to Elmwood Park at 5 PM and it takes me 50 minutes.

I have had it with the freaking furniture stores on Route 17. Let's see. We have about 30 of them by now. Giant Ikea, Crate and Barrell, Raymour & Flanigan, Bob's, Maurice Villency, Jennifer Convertibles, Bruce the Bed King, Signature Leather- not to mention the Tile Stores, the Kitchen Stores like Kuche Kuchina and Poggen Pohl, The Home Improvement Stores like Home Depot, Tool Town, Behnke Lumber, Paramus Lighting- I just can't take any more. And all they do is just keep on putting up these stores. Why? Because people in Paramus need them? No. Because it attracts business from all the other towns, and then that makes the highways UNDRIVABLE.

I hate Paramus. Hate it. Hate.

But Bergen County in general is just awful. I keep hearing how bad Newark is, and Jersey City, but to me, Bergen is the worst, because it is pretentious and irritating, and sickens me on a daily basis.

Many residents of Bergen County are 3rd and 4th generation. Many have "moved up" from Passaic, Hudson or Essex counties, with their deep Jersey accents and their attitudes as if they have finally received the key to heaven. It's PARAMUS, for pete's sake, its not the holy land.

They build these ridiculous houses that are just, plain RIDICULOUS, ubiquitous McMansions, and their travertine, and marble and lame landscaping atrocities.

Every minute we have a new mall popping up, with new, and more ridiculously consumptive stores like Hermes and Louis Vuitton everywhere you look.

Kids in the schools wear $120 jeans in the 6th grade. They all have cell phones, laptops, and expensive clothing and ipods. Their parents spoil them, and buy them cars which they don't have to work for. It's funny because in neighboring Ridgewood, which is really a wealthier town than Paramus, the kids are NOT as spoiled as they are in Paramus. Why? Because the parents in Paramus are low class, not from money, not educated, just blue collar, making money like animals, to buy things for their kids.

Take a look at a local soccer game, and you'll die laughing at these women. They are atrocious. Not at all classy like the Ridgewood Moms. Anyway, I'm straying from my point, but please - anyone looking to move here- just don't do it.

The house prices and the taxes in Bergen County are sooooooo high, and OVER priced, that it is nearly impossible for anyone to live here that isn't terribly wealthy.

Rents for a 2 bedroom apartment in any DECENT town runs about $1600 - $2000. And that's IF you can find one. Houses start at $350k and the average is well over $600k. Taxes on a 1950's 3 BR Cape in Ridgewood are nearly 10k a year.

Just look at 201 magazine and you will see how snotty, snobby and self absorbed Bergen county residents are.

And let me just say this last thing. Bergen County is one of the RICHEST counties in the WHOLE COUNTRY! And guess what? The Bergen County Animal Shelter is one of the WORST in the Nation. What a shame, and what a telling story. Don't move here. Save yourselves.

you are right about the traffic in bergen county i was working in mahwah on darlington road and i could not stand it i would take the parkway to exit 163 onto 17 and continue there was traffic because the county police would have trucks pulled over and people driving felt it was their duty to watch an officer right a ticket. I am sooo sooo happy I no longer have to take that drive especially trying to get into paramus from mahwah. My only issue with you is that Paramus is the worst town i think this forum is speaking about safety issues but if they are speaking about driving if you do not have road rage after driving on 17 and route 4 you will certainly be there.

[supermom47]

the problems in some of these towns are that the people who ran for elections and holds these offices do not know how to hand things and they are afraid of the is going on. if you run for office, than you need to know how to handle the crimes and other problems or do not run for office. the other person that we can balme is the governor of NJ.

[emilo81]

As I've always said and a lot of you are already thinking,

Any place were you have affordable housing, drugs and more than 10% minorities isn't a good place to live.

[CuCullin]

Originally Posted by emilo81

As I've always said and a lot of you are already thinking,

Any place were you have affordable housing, drugs and more than 10% minorities isn't a good place to live.

I think you could keep it to affordable housing and drugs. The last part is not only unnecessary, but blatantly irrelevant.