Best and Worst NJ county? (Newark, Trenton: crime rates, living, restaurants)

[wheels1978]

Sussex and Warren County are great places for families to grow up in..

[jersgrl1969]

I noticed all of the other posts mention only North Jersey areas.
As someone who's only lived in South Jersey, (but has traveled thru North Jersey) I can definitely say I would'nt live ANYWHERE in North Jersey. It's a dump compared to anything below Trenton.
I'd have to say Cape May County is best. Cape May County is a tourist-reliant area, so if you need steady year-round work and you're just a laborer or a waitress, I wouldn't recommend moving there because most people are laid off in the winter, unless they have a professional-type job. Also the cost of housing is astronomical. It is getting to the point where only rich senior-citizens can afford to live there. It is not family-friendly, as far as affordable housing goes. But as far as scenery goes, you can't beat it for that-beautiful beaches are its main draw. It's why people from North Jersey (and everywhere else)flock down there in the summertime.
Ironically,Cape May County also receives my vote for Worst. The unemployment rate is very high, the housing is way beyond most people's paychecks, public transportation is sorely lacking, crime is getting more rampant, it is very,very crowded in the summer months, and usually you have to travel if you need specialized health-care. If you are a typical middle-class couple with a couple of kids, you will find it hard to make ends meet living here.

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by jersgrl1969

I noticed all of the other posts mention only North Jersey areas.
As someone who's only lived in South Jersey, (but has traveled thru North Jersey) I can definitely say I would'nt live ANYWHERE in North Jersey. It's a dump compared to anything below Trenton.
I'd have to say Cape May County is best. Cape May County is a tourist-reliant area, so if you need steady year-round work and you're just a laborer or a waitress, I wouldn't recommend moving there because most people are laid off in the winter, unless they have a professional-type job. Also the cost of housing is astronomical. It is getting to the point where only rich senior-citizens can afford to live there. It is not family-friendly, as far as affordable housing goes. But as far as scenery goes, you can't beat it for that-beautiful beaches are its main draw. It's why people from North Jersey (and everywhere else)flock down there in the summertime.
Ironically,Cape May County also receives my vote for Worst. The unemployment rate is very high, the housing is way beyond most people's paychecks, public transportation is sorely lacking, crime is getting more rampant, it is very,very crowded in the summer months, and usually you have to travel if you need specialized health-care. If you are a typical middle-class couple with a couple of kids, you will find it hard to make ends meet living here.

Let me guess, you haven't seen my fall foliage pictures from NORTH Jersey, and you've never been to Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset or Morris Counties.

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by tahiti

Let me guess, you haven't seen my fall foliage pictures from NORTH Jersey, and you've never been to Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset or Morris Counties.

Apparently not

[EB2]

I'll have to agree there with Tahiti/Wiley.

[Newarkbomb]

Best
Bergen and Hudson Counties (NYC vicinities and i love North Jersey)

Worst
Camden and Salem Counties (not a fan of the phili outskirts, and the other is just bland and boring)

[Newarkbomb]

Originally Posted by jersgrl1969

I noticed all of the other posts mention only North Jersey areas.
As someone who's only lived in South Jersey, (but has traveled thru North Jersey) I can definitely say I would'nt live ANYWHERE in North Jersey. It's a dump compared to anything below Trenton.

Ignorance is among us.
Who cares where you wanna live, and it looks you seem "jealous" that most people are choosing northern counties.. which is pretty sad

[JWhiskey]

Since no one has stepped up to Rep for Middlesex, I guess i might as well.

I wouldn't say it's full of white trash, as Etown earlier posted. I grew up there. It was safe, close to a lot of things to do,ethnically diverse, lots of jobs, and public transportation is plentiful. Can't really complain about middlesex. I just happen to be sick of it, since I grew up there and lived there on and off over the years.

Although, along the white trash lines, I DO agree that it is becoming more and more tightly packed over the last 10 years, and all with "new money" rich jackasses who aside from their crappy pre-fab piece o crap homes with no yards, no trees and your neightbors up you butt (i'm talking to YOU east Brunswick) behave just as badly if not worse than lower income trashy people. And yes, they happen to be white.

If you want to avoid white trash neighborhoods in Middlsex, I would suggest avoiding South River, Sayreville, parts of Monroe (although you get the new money jerks here), jamesburg and Old Bridge.

I always enjoyed living in New Brunswick, even though th college kids get to you once you realize you're getting too old for this crap.

Edison, Metuchen, South Amboy, South Brunswick, North Brunswick, are fine if not wonderful places to live.

Jeez! Even the white trash areas are still safe to live. I should know, I grew up in Spotswood!

Oh yeah, and Union county is not smelly. It's smelly by the turnpike. Unless you want to be a transient living under a NJTP overpass, then bad smells are not an issue. Sheesh. People from NJ should know better than to judge a county by one stretch of industrial lined highway. Dir.

Worst counties: Cumberland (just because I deemed it to be dull.)

And don't sweat it south jersey nature enthusiests. I won't be moving there any time soon (or ever). I'm an Urban kinda gal.

[tallguylehigh]

I will throw Morris into the mix as well. To me it's the perfect mix:

+It is inbetween NYC and the Water Gap
+Lots of neat little towns
+Great schools
+Established public transit network
+Lots of parks
+Great public golf courses

[Moe5656]

Bergen County