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If you choose Wilmington, I'd check out the Trolley Square neighborhood. The bonus of Haddon/Collingswood is that you get access to Philly on weekends. Wilmington has more going on that Haddon/Collingswood; however, Philly has way more going on than Wilmington. A close commute brings with it a lot of benefits. Time to do boring things like laundry, food shopping, run errands, etc. during the week. You'll need to make a value judgment to see how big of a deal city access will be for you.
Okay, drove around yesterday. LOVED Haddonfield but it's too far a drive; meandered down to the Deptford are which we also liked although it is very different from Haddonfield, but it also appears to be quite a drive; continued southward to Swedesboro which is likely where we will end up. Did not do the 322 drive from Swedesboro to Glassboro, may do that before deciding.
To those that tried to tell me there is nothing in south jersey, you are wrong; we drove through a lot of small, charming towns; yes, it is different from north and central jersey, but we liked it.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Originally Posted by dkitty21
Okay, drove around yesterday. LOVED Haddonfield but it's too far a drive; meandered down to the Deptford are which we also liked although it is very different from Haddonfield, but it also appears to be quite a drive; continued southward to Swedesboro which is likely where we will end up. Did not do the 322 drive from Swedesboro to Glassboro, may do that before deciding.
To those that tried to tell me there is nothing in south jersey, you are wrong; we drove through a lot of small, charming towns; yes, it is different from north and central jersey, but we liked it.
We told you that you would not find what you asked for, not that there is nothing in South Jersey. Deptford was not a recommendation to live in, nor was Glassboro. Deptford was mentioned for mall & big box shopping & Glassboro was mentioned by me because we don't know anything about you & if you are 20-somethings, it's a college town & adjacent to Pitman, which I did recommend, because it has a nice enough little downtown
Woodstown is the closest town with a downtown to the nuke plant that you got recommendations for. It also has a nice enough little downtown. It's also the home of the Cowtown flea market & the Cowtown rodeo, so on Friday nights, in the summer, it can be a busy little place, when the rodeo is running.
Okay, drove around yesterday. LOVED Haddonfield but it's too far a drive; meandered down to the Deptford are which we also liked although it is very different from Haddonfield, but it also appears to be quite a drive; continued southward to Swedesboro which is likely where we will end up. Did not do the 322 drive from Swedesboro to Glassboro, may do that before deciding.
To those that tried to tell me there is nothing in south jersey, you are wrong; we drove through a lot of small, charming towns; yes, it is different from north and central jersey, but we liked it.
I live in the Swedesboro area, so I'm definitely not one to say there is "nothing" there. I think people were more or less going off of what you said in your OP. If you are looking for "vibrant" downtowns like Red Bank, you aren't going to find them. Are you going to find nice towns with a couple of decent restaurants and bars? Yes and that's pretty much what everyone said. For the most part those "small, charming towns" are pretty much bedroom family communities and not exactly a "hot spot" for 20-something nightlife like you seemed to be looking for.
Something "like Princeton or Red Bank" is only going to be found along the Haddon Ave. corridor of Collingswood/Westmont/Haddonfield. That's pretty much it in terms of "vibrant". There are options further south like Pitman, Mullica Hill and Swedesboro that have downtowns, but I wouldn't really describe them as "vibrant" or "Princeton/Red Bank-esque".
What are you trying to accomplish?
Agree with this. Haddon Township is kind of nondescript, but the towns flanking do good. Swedesboro is getting there - go down the main drag on a Saturday night and it is packed.
My husband recently got a job at the Salem nuclear plan, we too relocated to this area just this past summer. We decided on Woolwich Township (right outside of Swedesboro) after doing a lot of research. We absolutely love it here. Its safe, quaint, and has a great community feel. There are wineries, activities downtown, and everything is within a 30 minute drive. You can drive over to DE and do great shopping, King of Prussia isn't too far, there are a lot of places to hike, camp, enjoy nature, etc. I work in Philadelphia and my commute is about 35 minutes most days. My husband can get to the plant in about 20 minutes. Our children go to fantastic schools (that we don't have to pay for like we would if we had chosen DE), and all in all, although our taxes are around 14k, we're saving quite a bit a year now that we don't have to pay school tuition, and local income tax (like we did in PA).
Just for future notice... check out Glassboro. Rowan Boulevard is being built right next to campus and if all goes according to plan it will be the best SJ town down there. website here The Rowan Boulevard Project
I lived in Lawrenceville and Lambertville prior to moving to Pitman - I heard it had a great downtown...I too was looking for that Princeton-feel. Living here...it doesn't. There is the Broadway Theatre which is great, brings a lot into the town. I am surprised at some of the restaurants - Sweet Lula's is my favorite (get the duck). Pitman is a dry town so it's surrounded by local pubs...which are often crowded. Rowan has taken over Glassboro with little regard for the town itself. It is purchasing properties and building on its own (leasing the space). Local businesses aren't doing so well. Since we moved here 3 years ago almost 15% of the stores on main street (broadway) have closed. It's mostly a family town; we've gotten to know our neighbors very well. To note: the Lipari Landfill is at the edge of town, once a superfund site. Wish we would've known that when we were buying. With kids you don't get out much, so when we do we head over to Philadelphia or Atlantic City. Pitman is convenient to most places - on the beach in an hour, in Philly without traffic in 20 minutes.
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