Camden and Gloucester counties (Atlantic City, Collingswood: property taxes, house, suburban)

[GiantRutgersfan]

I dont really hear any talk about these places. I dont really know much about them either.

But they seem very affordable, close to Philadelphia, plus fairly close to the Jersey Shore and Atlantic City which I love.

Whats the deal with these places? Any reccommend areas for a single young professional i should look into?

[MoorestownResident]

Two very different counties. Camden County is more suburban with a urban flair in many towns on a rail line. CC has lots of older, smaller homes with high taxes. I think it was very affordable years ago but now it's a different story. Gloucester is still relatively affordable and developing rapidly but again a 450K house can have $10K in property taxes in some towns which is a lot for down there. Lots of people have moved down that way and traffic is a major concern. Both areas offer high quality of life and great access to Philly, major roads and the shore but the feel of the two are very different. Some towns in GC are getting slammed in the lower quality school districts with long commutes to Philly. Gas prices hurt down there since there is no mass transit to speak of. Despite the growing pains, GC is definitely up and coming. Not that long ago you could buy a decent 4bedroom house for $200K. No longer.

[Sassygirl18]

I grew up in Gloucester County but have lived most of my adult life in Camden County, so I can comment on both.

I prefer Camden County because it's closer to the "action" (i.e. Philly) and culture. Both counties are suburban, but Gloucester County is more so ...more spread out and some areas can be a little "hicky". The good thing about Gloucester County is that generally homes are on larger lots so you get more space. Since Camden County is closer to the city, it's a bit more densely populated...lots are smaller, homes closer together.

For a young, single professional, I would recommend Collingswood, NJ. It's a cute, old-fashioned main street town in Camden County with a pretty happening restaurant scene and shops...pretty hip area for south Jersey. The PATCO High Speedline (train to Philly) has a stop in Collingswood and you can zip over to Center City, Philadelphia in less than 15 minutes.

[MoorestownResident]

Nice to see the revitalization in Collingswood as I grew up in neighboring Haddon Township, another desirable town. I think what's going on in Collingswood has spurred both Cherry Hill and Voorhees to build massive 'town centers' as a destination center with boutique shops and upscale dining. What's going on at the old Garden State racetrack is truly something to see. Voorhees is revitalizing the old Echelon Mall for its town center.

[GiantRutgersfan]

Originally Posted by Sassygirl18

I grew up in Gloucester County but have lived most of my adult life in Camden County, so I can comment on both.

I prefer Camden County because it's closer to the "action" (i.e. Philly) and culture. Both counties are suburban, but Gloucester County is more so ...more spread out and some areas can be a little "hicky". The good thing about Gloucester County is that generally homes are on larger lots so you get more space. Since Camden County is closer to the city, it's a bit more densely populated...lots are smaller, homes closer together.

For a young, single professional, I would recommend Collingswood, NJ. It's a cute, old-fashioned main street town in Camden County with a pretty happening restaurant scene and shops...pretty hip area for south Jersey. The PATCO High Speedline (train to Philly) has a stop in Collingswood and you can zip over to Center City, Philadelphia in less than 15 minutes.

Good advice, thanks.

To be honest with you, people might consider me "hicky". I am more of the outdoor type and would want to own a house with at least a half acre or so.

But at the same time I do like to go out to bars, restaurants, movies, and the city quite a bit. So finding something between the two is a bit difficult