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Hi I am researching towns in Camden County. Can someone tell me the difference in Berlin Borough and West Berlin, NJ in terms of safety, quality of life, etc. Thank you!
They are all pretty much the same as far as quality and safety. Most people really don't know where one starts and the other begins. I will say that Berlin Borough Schools are slightly better than Berlin Township (West Berlin). They are both better than Winslow Township Schools next door. I'm not sure about taxes.
They both have small downtowns that are not a huge draw. The area is like a big suburb but a bit more rural. You go to Stella's and Stellato's for produce, Bringhurst for meats and ShopRite for everything else. Personally I don't go to ShopRite unless I need something fast. Otherwise I drive up 73 to Trader Joe's.
Crime? Don't ever really hear about anything super bad. I never feel unsafe anywhere day or night. It's a typical suburban life out here with a sprinkling of farms, a few people who act like rednecks (which I still don't understand). I like that we are only 30-40min from AC. The Atco train station is right off of 73 less than 5 minutes from Berlin if you want to go into the city.
Thank you for your helpful reply. That's great that the train station is so close. I will be communting into Philly. As far as rednecks, we have a few here in Bucks County, PA unfortunately - but they keep to themselves.
There is a BIG difference between schools in the Borough vs. in the Township. Overall Borough has better schools and this difference is generally reflected in the price of houses when looking at similar units. The biggest overall difference is that Township goes to Overbrook in Pine Hill for high school which has a very poor reputation whereas Borough goes to Eastern Regional in Voorhees which while not the best is certainly a good school. If you look at the school ratings sites (1 worst, 5 average, 10 best) for elementary/middle; Township rates 3/4 and Borough rates 7. Overbrook High scores a 3 versus Eastern Regionals 8. Those are big differences, basically below average versus above average.
If you don't care about schools, then either one will be pretty similar. I know a few people who love living in Borough, but would never dream of living in Township because they have kids in public school.
Thanks for your reply. We do not have any children and don't plan on having any. Our main issues are crime/safety, nearby shopping, and the people (rednecks were mentioned, but I imagine they aren't a real problem?). Also considering Gibbsboro . . .
Haha Voorhees people like to call people in Gibby and the Berlins rednecks, and there definitely is a certain element to it, but overall people are normal. Since you're not having kids, it doesn't really matter which one you pick (although like goat said borough families would never live in the township). Since you're commuting to Philly, out of the three I would look at Gibbsboro since it's closer by 5-10 minutes depending on the exact neighborhood.
lol, South Jersey rednecks are more of a pale pink until you start getting deep into some sections of Cumberland and Salem. Even then I wouldn't call them "rednecks" by the real meaning of the word.
Like soug said since schools don't matter, it's really just about finding a house you like with a reasonable commute to the train.
If you need to commute to the city Berlin may or may not work for you. If you are working around 30th st station it will be perfect as Atco is the NJ Transit Train. If you need to be more around 8th and market then you either have to drive to Lindenwold or Take the NJ transit train from Atco to Lindenwold, then switch to the PATCO line. It really depends on what you think is easier. I like Gibbsboro. I got a speeding ticket there once but the cop was very nice about it. I worked in Voorhees near the Eagle Plaza and Gibbsboro is right down the road.
Since you have to work every day. Take a day or two off. Take the trains in the areas you like and see if it's to your liking.
Hi I am researching towns in Camden County. Can someone tell me the difference in Berlin Borough and West Berlin, NJ in terms of safety, quality of life, etc. Thank you!
Hi,
I grew up in West Berlin. You have shopping nearby and you're close to Philly, Mount Laurel, Haddonfield and Cherry Hill shopping. My entire family worked in Philly and did the commute to 30th Street, 8th and Market, etc. etc for decades. The posters here are correct, if you're concerned about housing values then the reputation of the Overbrook High School will not help. I graduated from this school and I can't believe how far it's dropped in quality. The one plus about Berlin Borough is the students that attend those schools tend to perform stronger collectively on exams. Just keep those facts in mind if you're concerned about housing values.
Overall, West Berlin is very safe and I never had any problems there. I lived there for 25 years.
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