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I love comparing stats for towns within my own area (Monmouth County), and for other areas as well. The trouble is that so many towns--both large and small--seem to be missing from this site! I was hoping to get a sense of what the ones YOU wish were on here are like (perhaps with a referral to a comparable city that is listed?)
The other reason for my request, besides the incomplete data on this otherwise awesome site: Best/Worst City threads have highlighted the inevitable truth that what is an unacceptable living environment for one person is a "decent area with good schools" to another, and the out-of-staters receiving this info are none the wiser.
Although I am familiar with most of the nice areas surrounding Freehold Township, I'd like to hear from North and South Jerseyans to find out what cities are missing from this site, and ones that are listed with stats that are likely to be comparable.
OK, from what I have noticed missing so far on City-Data:
Colts Neck - very well-to-do area; beautiful farmland with colonial houses, home to Queen Latifah ...ideas for a comparable town anyone?
Brick - ranked as the safest town in America, it still has no page on here to boast about it!
Warren Township - no idea. was looking it up to find out more...
Cinnaminson - crappy area? has affordable homes; must be for a reason, hmmm...
Howell - just south of Freehold Township, more heavily wooded, seems populous enough to make the site, but...
Middletown - gets a lot of mentions in threads. again, wish it was listed.
Cream Ridge - small area I think, have never seen it, just wondering about it
Marlboro - upper class, mainly Jewish; wealthier than Manalapan and East Freehold, nowhere near Colts Neck money though
Manalapan - very nice, family-oriented area...reminds me a lot of Freehold Township in terms of income levels and good attitudes (although I'll bet the property values and crime statistics are a tad better than here)
Upper Freehold Twp. - doesn't border Freehold Township (AKA East and West Freehold), and I don't know anything about it
Jackson - woodsy area west of Freehold; home to Great Adventure; probably would be considered "above average" by most people, but it's hickish in some parts and has a lot of drug problems (particularly of the Oxycontin variety). With all the great open land and the unfortunate problem of mowing it down to put up cookie-cutter homes, it's probably going to become an up-and-coming wealthy transplant area
Cherry Hill - nice S. Jersey city outside of Philadelphia; borders upper-middle class neighborhoods like Haddonfield. wish I could get stats for it! surprising...
Monroe - knew a guy who lived on a farm there with his huge Irish-Catholic family. I'm wondering if it's a very farmy or Irish area in general?
There are so many more I came across on real estate sites that I'm forgetting now, so I'd love everyone else's help!
Cream Ridge is our new home We are very happy here
Lots of horse farms, a golf course and a winery just down the road from our lovely home. Just a few miles away you'll find Historic Allentown (300 yrs old) which is very quaint. Yesterday they had horse & buggy rides down Main St.
After a quick lunch at the Black Forest (German) Inn, we strolled Main St. Allentown with our children and people actually smiled & greeted us We stopped for homemade ice cream and visited the Hoffman bakery too.
It was a perfect day
Moving to Cream Ridge was a very wise decision. Cream Ridge is located in Upper Freehold Township so we reap the benefits of the incredible School System as well.
Oh yeah? I'll have to check it out, as I love the Garden State towns that are still gardeny! My friend told me about the wineries in Cream Ridge when we had a delicious bottle of blueberry wine she picked up there. It was nice--something different. I'll have to see Cream Ridge for myself sometime.
I thought of more towns missing from City-Data: Harding, Loveladies out by Manahawkin and Surf City, Bedminster, Kingwood, Skillman, Montgomery, South Brunswick, Mahwah, Holmdel, Wantage, Wall, Bernards Township (is it by Bernardsville?), Peapack Gladstone Borough, Green Township, Weehawken, Sparta, Montville, Mount Olive Twp., and Frankford Twp.
A question about Madison: sometimes I see home listings for "Madison Bor.". Is Madison Borough a distinct entity from the Madison listed on here? Does the Madison on this site generally go by "Madison Township" or something? Consistency is lacking for some municipalities' names on here (e.g., leaving out "Township" or "Borough" when there is a distinction). No big deal, but confusing if one is not familiar with the area.
Another fan of Cream Ridge! My uncle just bought a house over there, so I was curious about the area.
NJ is so economically stratified and the towns so self-contained that I've actually never heard of Allentown! Thanks for the tip.
And I just realized how uneducated I am about the terminology for cities, towns, and boroughs. I just realized that "township" can denote distinct areas that are governed as one municipality (because Cream Ridge is WITHIN Upper Freehold, you say?) It never dawned on me, in spite of growing up in Freehold Township, because no one EVER called it East or West Freehold...only Freehold Twp.! Duh! So much for these great school systems! And I rescind my Madison question...only out of utter confusion.
Having lived in Cream Ridge I can tell you that it is beautiful, and a great place to raise a family. There's been a lot of development there in the past few years, but it's still nice. It's right next to Allentown (also a part of Upper Freehold) which as charming as small towns get.
You also mentioned Monroe-it too is a very nice town. Probably only one of 3 I'd consider if I was moving to Middlesex County. Not so much farmland, though. There's been a tremendous amount of development there, as well. What else is new?
Colts Neck is gorgeous. Many old horse farms and a couple of Christmas tree farms left. Great in the fall for apple picking and pumpkin picking. Home to the amazing Delicious Orchards.
The stores are quaint and charming. The area is really being built up, though, and like everywhere else, will be getting more and more crowded.
Also, Colts Neck finally got it's own high school.
Middletown: I grew up and live in a neighboring town. Middletown is huge! It has many sections such as Lincroft, Port Monmouth, Belford, N Middletown. The town is large enough that it has two high schools: Middletown North and Middletown South.
Middletown is so spread out, too. With some of it on Rt. 36, some from Rt.35 bordering Hazlet all the way to Red Bank. Then it goes out and borders Holmdel. The town has a hugely wide range of economic statuses with some extremely wealthy people.
(I'm guessing we are supplying info on towns that are listed? If not, my apologies!)
...OK, from what I have noticed missing so far on City-Data:
Colts Neck - (...)
Brick - (...)
Warren Township - (...)
Cinnaminson - (...)
Howell - (...)
Middletown - (...)
Cream Ridge - (...)
Marlboro - (...)
Manalapan - (...)
Upper Freehold Twp. - (...)
Jackson - (...)
Cherry Hill - (...)
Monroe - (...)
...
I have partially answered my own question now that I know more about the census system. So for anyone who was also wondering where half these missing towns' data were:
Apparently many of these towns are not listed on City Data because one or more "unincorporated areas" of each township go by different names, which are also used as the census designated places reported on this website. So you can't find Jackson township, because the "unincorporated area" that is used for census data is called Vista Center. So you have to research that name to extrapolate about the greater township of Jackson.
As another example, I was wondering why I had never heard of Ramtown, which is supposedly a township right next door to mine, according to City Data. But that's the unincorporated area of Howell Township used for census purposes. Missing town mystery solved!
Here is a list of Monmouth County townships' regular names that may not appear on the site, with their equivalent names that can be found on the site listed afterward:
Aberdeen: Cliffwood Beach, Strathmore
Atlantic Highlands borough: Navesink
Howell: Ramtown
Manalapan: Yorketown
Marlboro: Morganville
Ocean: Oakhurst, Wanamassa
Old Bridge: Brownville, Madison Park, Laurence Harbor, and Old Bridge
Middletown: Belford, Fairview, Leonardo, Lincroft, North Middletown, Port Monmouth
Neptune: Ocean Grove, Shark River Hills
Wall: Allenwood, West Belmar
There are still towns I can't find at all, like Colts Neck. I'm sure the statistics would have made me weep anyway.
As for the rest of NJ's counties, I'm going to post the names of all unincorporated areas that statistically represent their greater townships in a new thread. I hope this helps some fellow confused people.
Cinnaminson isn't listed, probably because it shares a zip code with Riverton. (08077)
It's a nice town with decent schools and a fairly stable tax situation because there really isn't any developable areas left, and the areas they are developing are over 55 communities, therefore there's no additional schools/teachers needed.
Yes, Ramtown is a section of Howell closer to Brick. Ocean Township - Monmouth County - Is made up of 3 smaller municipalities Wayside, Oakhurst, and Wanamassa.
Since Colts Neck really has only "branched out" in the last 10 years or so from Freehold area maybe thats why there's not a lot of info on it yet....it is gorgeous tho!
So Is Cream Ridge. I live very close to it. And Allentown. Very nice areas....Winerys and gardens - as you have already heard are beautiful.
I am suprised to see that there isn't a lot of information on Jackson - while it used be more country and woodsy and for a while lacked in the area of stores, good schools, etc ...it really has built up in recent years. Schools have gotten so much better because of all the new people that have moved. There are new shopping centers or centers that have been updated - The whole area just got better - but it was never "bad"
good luck!
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