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My partner and I are going to be relocating to NJ from MI in a few weeks. I was hoping to get some opinions from some of you.
We own a home in the Metro Detroit area, and due to the housing market we have been unable to sell it. We plan to rent in NJ for a year or so and then buy later on once our house sells. Keeping in mind that we are renting, we are not concerned with overall investment return, property taxes, or things of that nature.
We have been looking in Camden and Burlington Counties. Gloucester City wasn't our first pick, but it seems to give us all the tings we were looking for:
Close proximity to CC Philly.
City w/ a walkable/ bike friendly downtown close by.
Small yard w/ little to no maintenance.
My only real concern is how close it is to Camden. I don't know if that is something I should be concerned with or not. The city we currently live in actually borders a pretty rough area of Detroit, but our little city is bright, friendly, safe, fun, and in general a great place to live. I am hoping Gloucester City is similar. Please tell me that's the case.
The only thing I have heard really is that Gloucester City has a large Irish population and that is won some sort of white trash award from a radio station?
Gloucester City is a very "blue-collar" white-irish community. It is not nearly as bad as Camden, however one should still use common sense. It is not diverse at all and the majority seem to be closed-minded.
I would strongly suggest Collingswood, NJ for you to relocate to. Its downtown is very nice with a direct train line to downtown Philly.
I belive it has more bars per capita than any other city in NJ. I second the recommendation for Collingswood or Merchantville.
GC is teh type of city where adults were cursing at my son (7 years old) when he went to the snack bar at a sporting event he was participating in in their city. He was scared.
Gloucester City....Not a good choce, I second the Collingswood.
Collingwood has a strong gay population. The downtown is adorable. The schools are good, the access to Philly and shopping is much better. Also look at Westmont and Haddon Heights.
Gloucester City..if I was gay, I'd be afraid I would get beat up. There are certain towns in NJ that if you can afford not to be there you don't go there. Gloucester City is one of those towns. There are some nice people there I am sure, but the thugs ruin it for everyone.
Collingwood sounds perfect for you. The speedline stops there, it is a super safe train that takes you into center city. Just look for Places East of Rt 130.
I agree with almost all of the above comments. Avoid Gloucester City like the plague. I try to not even drive through there unless absolutely necessary (which it rarely is since you can easily drive around it). Additionally, avoid Brooklawn, Woodlyn, and Lindenwold. These are the towns of run down shopping centers, dollar stores, cheap motels, and the occasional porno bookstore/ strip bar. (think Route 130) You might as well avoid Stratford, Runnemede and Hi-Nella which, while not as lousy as the other towns, also suck only a little less so. If you are looking for a "bright, friendly, safe, fun, and in general a great place to live" then focus on the Collingswood, Haddon Heights, Westmont area.
Camden is an absolute disaster - the classic example of what went wrong with small American cities. The state has dumped tons of money into Camden with little effect on the city's residents. Rutgers-Camden, the light rail system, Cooper (teaching hospital), the aquarium, the state offices, etc. all primarily serve (and employ) non-residents in a small section of the city during business hours. There is a state prison, though, that undoubtedly houses some Camden residents. It is just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge built right on the Delaware River with views of the river and the city of Philadelphia!!! It really tells you all you need to know about Camden when the state determined (and the city concurred) that the best use of a large parcel of riverfront property was to build a maximum security prison.
No to Gloucester City!!!!!!!! Yes to Collingswood!!!!
I agree with everyone's posts regarding Gloucester. It is a rough town, not very attractive, fairly trashy, very close-minded, rough, and downtown is a mish-mash of bars and junky stores. My boyfriend and I actually spent an afternoon in Gloucester once because I had never been there although I live only a few miles away. It was March then, and to this day I have never seen so many shamrocks in my life. Second to shamrocks was Nascar lawn flags, including a feminine one of a field of flowers with a Nascar in the center. That was hilarious. Anyway, the people there stare at you. It was surreal. Anyway, the only thing the city has going for it is that it is cheap.
I live in Collingswood and have for years. While I am not gay, we have a thriving and active gay population. In fact, one of my best friends is gay and he moved here for that reason and he loves it. The town is cute. There are innumerable shops and fabulous restaurants downtown, including a nice coffeeshop called Grooveground that is owned by two gay men. There are three attractive parks with various amenities. We have several festivals downtown throughout the year (Mayfair, Book Fair, Art Fair, Cruise Night (classic cars), various holiday stuff, plus others). We also have Second Saturday year-round, which occurs the second Saturday of each month (obviously). There are various music and art performances along the main street (Haddon Ave.) and in many shops. We have a vibrant farmer's market every Saturday morning from 8-12 that includes all manner of fruits/veg, plants, flowers, baked goods, bread, local honey, soap, free range meat and eggs, cheese, etc., plus music and crepes! There is a theatre in Collingswood called the Scottish Rite Auditorium which is a beautiful art deco building that draws some fairly decent national and international talent from musicians to dancers to comedians. The schools are decent as well. And coming from Michigan you will absolutely LOVE the weather here (but summers are brutal and humid... oh, well). I have another gay friend who was raised in Lansing, MI. He goes back to visit family and says every time he gets there he goes into a deep depression because he says Lansing is just not the "City of Lights".
Besides hanging out in town, there are places to go. By car you would be 5 minutes from Philadelphia, by train in about 20 minutes (this includes time waiting for the train on the platform). You can be in NYC, Baltimore, Amish country in Lancaster, PA, the mountains of the Poconos, all in two hours. You can go "down the shore" in less time than that. DC is about three hours away.
All in all, I would say Collingswood is a sure bet for you. Housing prices are fair and there are numerous rentals. Please feel free to ask me for help if you decide to visit the area. If you do send an email just mention it in a reply post as I rarely check my mail from the email address linked to this site.
I have included some internet sites that may interest you:
Lindenwold is pretty dangerous. LOTS of drug activity and overall crime. I guess there are certain areas that are OK though. I just know I would never live there.
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Gkoucester City, NJ
No to Gloucester City!!!!!!!! Yes to Collingswood!!!!
