Opinions on Gloucester City, NJ... please? (Newark, Camden: rent, house, buy)

[ngwira]

Lindenwold is fine to rent in, but I'm not sure I would buy a home here. Also as long as you stick to the Laurel Rd side-you'll be ok. Avoid Gibbsboro Rd side like the plague!


My husband and I live here and have saved a ton of money on rent while we look for our first home. We would've paid from $500 to $900 more to live in Cherry Hill or Voorhees. Like I said stick to the Laurel Rd side and you'll be fine.

[buywarren]

I guess the one good thing I know is very low gas price ...

[steamboat]

Okay, Gloucester has a downtown area that gives it a bad reputation. Therefore in that area houses are cheap, there are a lot of renters, etc. As far as crime, etc. it's not bad at all. Most of Camden's other surrounding towns (Cherry Hill, Pennsauken, Collingswood, etc.) are completely fine as well. Thus it's really not a factor.

"Some" of the people who live along the Delaware River side are racist deadbeats, but most of them keep to themselves. However, that's only a small portion of the town. For those of you suggesting Collingswood, it's a great town but isn't nearly as affordable of what the original poster may have been looking at in Gloucester. If you're gay or a minority I definitely don't suggest downtown Gloucester but don't rule out the city in general. Same goes with Philly. The only reasons you would go downtown is the park on the river or the marina if you own a boat. Supermarket, CVS, etc. are all in the center of Gloucester which isn't bad at all. There's plenty of nice neighborhoods there, it all depends on where you're looking. I grew up in Gloucester, graduated college and currently work as a software engineer and my 2 of my best friends I grew up with are lawyers so don't let some of these posters make you believe it's a "white trash" town.

[TNLivin]

When did Gloucester get a supermarket? I lived there two years ago and the closest one was in Brooklawn, next to KMart!


Supermarket, CVS, etc. are all in the center of Gloucester which isn't bad at all.

[Sassygirl18]

I agree with most of the posters and give a thumbs down to Gloucester. I went to a Catholic high school there and I can tell you first-hand that it's a rough area and mostly lower class. It's divided in half, separated by train tracks. The side closer to the river is rougher. We actually used to be spit at by the neigbhorhood kids and had rocks thrown at us. While waiting for the bus every day on the main road running through town, we saw lots of drunks. In fact, I remember one day a drunk came up to us and handed us a wad of money to count for him. Being the nice Catholic school girls we were, we handed it back to him and sent him on his way. There are bars on just about every corner.

The other side of the track is working class/middle class, very Irish and the entire town is white - I used to hear that black people couldn't even move into the town or they would drive them out.

In addition to all this, it's just not a pretty area.

I second the opinions about Collingswood, Haddon Heights or Westmont being better options for what you are looking for. VERY nice areas with great access to Philly via the PATCO high speedline which has stations in Collingswood and Westmont (and Haddonfield - an expensive area) that zip you into Philly in about 15 minutes. I ride PATCO every day and it's a DREAM.

[Lucario]

I lived in Camden County for almost 15 years. As a person of color I have been in some of the worst neighborhoods in the US (Liberty City, South Central LA, Compton, the South Bronx during its worst days, the Bottom in Philly, and some bad parts of Camden). The only two places I have ever been on this earth where I was actually fearful for my life were Gloucester City and South Boston. They are very similar places.

[dhanu86]

Originally Posted by JerzBoy

Gloucester City is a very "blue-collar" white-irish community. It is not nearly as bad as Camden, however one should still use common sense. It is not diverse at all and the majority seem to be closed-minded.

I would strongly suggest Collingswood, NJ for you to relocate to. Its downtown is very nice with a direct train line to downtown Philly.

not everyone is a millionaire!

[dhanu86]

Originally Posted by JerzBoy

Lindenwold is pretty dangerous. LOTS of drug activity and overall crime. I guess there are certain areas that are OK though. I just know I would never live there.

man I don't want to start with u, but I lived right in lindenwold and there are some nice homes. I can't believe how people trash middle-class towns just because they have a few bad residents. These days the only cities worth their price-tag are ones with a crime-rate above 0!

[TNLivin]

Gloucester City N.J is not the same as it was 10 years ago. When you could walk down the street at night or leave the kids bikes outside and nobody thought to touch them.
I lived there and moved to TN almost two years ago.
We had several black families in our neighborhood, a few racial mixed families, and Lots of Hispanics. Never had a problem with any of them. I had more of a problem with the white teenagers in the city. Most of them drank and did drugs and would rob you in bright daylight. They walked the streets at all hours of the night causing problems and one out of every five teenage girls was pregnant.
I lived as some say "on the wrong side of the tracks" The river side. I don't consider myself "white trash". Just because you can't afford to pay a higher rent or buy a big house doesn't make you a bad person. My husband and I both worked full time jobs. We never went on welfare. Our kids were never into the kinds of trouble you see kids getting into today because we chose to be responsible parents. Most of the parents in Gloucester let there kids do whatever/whenever and YES that includes the "rich" kids from the other side of the tracks.
I have heard most of the bars in the city have closed down. To where there use to be one on every corner isn't true now, but there are still a good number of bars for the size of the city.
Now I wouldn't recommend living in Gloucester NOW, but it wasn't ALWAYS such a bad place.

[NFLNationale]

I would just like to say.. that there is crime everywhere.. I have lived in Mt. Laurel, Medford, even Brooklawn, and on the Main Line in Philadelphia throughout my life.. and all I have to say is read each town's police blogs, even gloucester's. Every town has it's good and it's bad areas. I find it very funny how people "feel above" or trash one's neighborhood on here. There is a lot of good in each of these towns as well. Brooklawn is probably one of the nicest towns I had the pleasure of living in. The people are friendly and if you are ever in a time for need they join forces to help you out in anyway shape or form. Brooklawn isn't bad in any sense.. the only thing i would say that is so bad about brooklawn.. is the "adult" place. Although.. the shopping centers aren't bad.. it's the people that do not live in brooklawn that are ruining it for the residents.. and I urge you to actually see for yourself by going to the brooklawn website police blogs. However.. the other areas I mentioned above like Mount Laurel.. or the Mainline have their own down faults as well. To be honest with you.. when I was growing up in Mount Laurel.. I found it extremely funny that people could afford their home... but if you walked into these places.. they maybe had the family room and kitchen furnished and a bedroom or two.. and were house poor. They couldn't afford any furniture. That of course doesn't account for everyone. All I am saying is until you have actually lived there yourself and have seen for yourself.. then it's okay to maybe judge.. if not.. I say "get lost" because you don't know what you are talking about. All I know about Gloucester is actually not much. So, I can not judge them based on where they are on a map. For anyone to say stay away from Brooklawn... I find it extremely wrong. I have met so many great and educated people from the town too, that have grown up there and have gone on to be very successful in their lives all over the country.. doctor's, lawyers, businessmen, nurses, it professionals, police officers, etc etc. Most of these residents have a pride about who they are and what they feel about their town and they really care and are not racist at all..there are many people of all races that actually live in the little quiet town.. Trust me they have fought the adult store.. but of course can't win because of constitutional rights. As again.. I'll also state that I'm sure in your lifetime.. you have either looked at porn on the net.. or have purchased it or was given it to you by your pals.. or have looked at a playboy once or twice.. so I say to each his own. Don't knock someone based on where they live.. only for who each individual is.

Also, I must say that the K-8 grade school is probably one of the best in South Jersey.. the teacher to student ratio is very very minimal.. They allow children to go to school from all over camden county.. The teachers, principals, and personnel that work at the school really care about your children. If your child is having "issues" in terms of an impairment or learning disability..they will do whatever it takes to help them in need. Mount Laurel schools are fantastic as well.. although the teacher to student ratio is on the high side.. all I'm saying is to not judge. I have had a great positive experience living in Brooklawn.