Are there any safe and nice areas of NJ? (Toms River: houses, neighborhoods)

[pbergen]

looks like someone believes all of the negative stereotypes about the garden state. either that, or the OP is a troll looking to whip up a 20 page long thread of people arguing back and forth while he/she laughs in the background.

there are so many things i want to say in response to this post, but since it's the new year i'll assume it's a genuine request for info. here are some thoughts:

1) new jersey is overwhelmingly suburban, with pockets of urban areas as well as rural areas on the fringes (some of which are suburbanizing more and more every year). so it will be extremely easy to find communities in the state that are "safe and nice". the question, though, is whether you can afford the type of place you're looking for. and if you can, will it be in the area of the state that you'd prefer?

2) nj is an extremely expensive place to live in terms of real estate, taxes, tolls, insurance, and everyday goods and services. in fact, this is arguably the #1 reason why longtime residents move out. but remember, there are many in the garden state who feel that the high cost of living is worth it because there's so much more to do than most other parts of the country - nyc is directly across the river from one side of the state while philly is directly across the river from the other side. there are mountains and lakes in the northwest and the shore in the southeast. so there's never a shortage of nightlife, cultural, or recreational opportunities. as far as i'm concerned, you get what you pay for.

3) your question was extremely open-ended and, at at least to me, quite patronizing (even if you didn't mean it that way). in order for the posters here to help you narrow down your search, you'd need to answer a few basic questions:

-where will your son work or go to school? it's highly recommended that he minimize his commute as much as possible.
-will he have a car, or is he looking for good mass transit? some towns have excellent highway and rail/ferry/bus access, while others lack such amenities.
-what is his budget? rent or buy?
-is he single, or is he married with children? if it's the latter, is he looking for a good public school district? nj has some of the best public school districts in the country, but if he doesn't need to worry about that, then he might want to look at some areas that are popular with young urban professionals seeking a great diining and nightlife scene, such as hoboken (which itself is directly across the river from manhattan, where there are even more options for eating out, partying, and culture).

4) exactly what does "somewhat near the shore" mean? do you want to be within a 20 minute drive of the beaches, or is it ok if you're more than an hour away and only stop by on summer weekends? nj is a small state, which means that even with weekend shore traffic, you're never too far from the beaches.

try answering these questions to get some initial feedback about areas of the state that will be suitable for your son. once you've decided on a specific region of the state, you can narrow down your search to specific towns and communities that meet your criteria.

or you can avoid these questions altogether if the point of this thread was to be a troll. either way, please don't make such ridiculous assumptions about the state - it's quite insulting and tells us that you're an ignorant person who hasn't travelled much. i'm not really sure how or why new jersey became the butt of jokes for the rest of the nation, but just because the state's residents may be resigned to that fact doesn't mean that outsiders like you can get away with it, regardless of your intentions.

[clevedark]

Red Dove, your post is so unusual, I'm imagining you as an elderly woman who has lived her entire life in a remote valley picking roots and herbs for a living and listening to the wireless for entertainment on Saturday nights.

[clevedark]

Oh Red Dove, you've posted twice and this thread is so much better than the other one... I posted in the other one that I imagined you as a toothless old hag who never left her remote valley. I am sorry!!!

I think Tuckerton and May's Landing are both nice coastal towns, kind of near Atlantic City, right?

If you're interested in finding out about those towns, why don't you start a new thread asking about those towns in the heading? You'll get more helpful responses. The way you framed your original question is insulting to people in NJ and won't get you very far.

[tandcookies]

Originally Posted by clevedark

Oh Red Dove, you've posted twice and this thread is so much better than the other one... I posted in the other one that I imagined you as a toothless old hag who never left her remote valley. I am sorry!!!

I think Tuckerton and May's Landing are both nice coastal towns, kind of near Atlantic City, right?

If you're interested in finding out about those towns, why don't you start a new thread asking about those towns in the heading? You'll get more helpful responses. The way you framed your original question is insulting to people in NJ and won't get you very far.

I agree. At first I thought it was a troll thread b/c how could a person label the whole state....

OP, while I'm sure your op wasn't meant to be insulting, it doesn't make one feel much like being helpful. People in NJ tell it like it is but the state is not a cesspool so please think and use a little good judgement and diplomacy.

[openheads]

"Are there any safe and nice areas of NJ?"

No.......... It's one humongous slum from top to bottom. That's why 8 1/2 million people choose to pay outlandish taxes & bear a high cost of living, you know, because we appreciate the nuances of the ghetto & love to "keep it real".

[frankgn87]

we are moving to South Jersey next month. Burlington county. Plenty of houses to pick from, cheap taxes, lots of farmland and lots of culture too. Heck of a lot cheaper then North Jersey too.

But I guess it depends on what he expects and whee he works (or is going to work)

[tallguylehigh]

Originally Posted by openheads

"are there any safe and nice areas of nj?"

no.......... It's one humongous slum from top to bottom. That's why 8 1/2 million people choose to pay outlandish taxes & bear a high cost of living, you know, because we appreciate the nuances of the ghetto & love to "keep it real".

lol!!

[Red Dove]

Originally Posted by clevedark

Red Dove, your post is so unusual, I'm imagining you as an elderly woman who has lived her entire life in a remote valley picking roots and herbs for a living and listening to the wireless for entertainment on Saturday nights.

I had no idea that my genuine request for understanding about the "Garden State" would elicit such strong responses. I've lived in the South, like Alabama, Tennessee (Appalachia) and usually no one takes offense when issues of safety, etc. are discussed. That said, I do apologize if I sounded blunt. I am home bound, and rarely go out so and also don't spend a whole lot of time on forums, so please excuse my bluntness. Roots and herbs? Ha ha! That would be bliss. But I am a college graduate, unfortunately not in Botony. Life would not exist on earth, if it wasn't for "Roots n' Herbs"!

No, this is not a "Troll." Its a real search.

[Red Dove]

My son's girlfriend lives in Hamilton, NJ.

[clevedark]

Yeah, we can get a little tightly wound. But that's mainly in north jersey, not south jersey....

And I'm with you about the roots n' herbs--I actually wouldn't mind spending a few years foraging in a remote mountain valley. If I had a nice place to live and some extra cash in case I couldn't find anything....