Young couple - best place to live? (Trenton, Camden: sale, apartments)
New Jersey Suburbs of PhiladelphiaBurlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, Salem County in South Jersey
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I'm in the process of relocating back to NJ and I've accepted a job in Princeton off of rt. 1 with a pharma company. I'll be starting on 11.30 but staying with my dad in Woodbridge until we decide on a place. Although I'm originally from Bridgewater, we're considering moving to South Jersey this time around for a few reasons, including proximity to Ft. Dix (he's now reserves but we'd like to be within 40 minutes of a base and he was stationed there before). Also, hes from NC and really prefers the area over north jersey. We're 26 and 25 years old and child free, so schools aren't a big deal to us at the moment. What towns would you recommend? We were considering Mt. Holly and Cinnaminson (they both had apartments we were interested in checking out - Mi Place and Camelot) but would like to get more insight on other towns as well, including Cherry Hill if it isnt too far with traffic. The most important thing to us is staying within 45 - 50 minutes of my job since my husband will be a full time student.
Own or rent: rent
Budget: would like to keep it at $1200, less is preferable but willing to pay for a decent place
Important factors:
-would like to be within 15 - 20 minutes of shops and restaurants (down in NC it takes us 40 min to get to the mall and we don't want to be that far again)
-we would still like night life/access to Philly. We don't have to live in said town but would like to get there fairly easily, within 40 minutes or so.
One more question. In addition to your husband needing to be close to Fort Dix, you said he is also a full-time student. Where is he going to be a student at?
One more question. In addition to your husband needing to be close to Fort Dix, you said he is also a full-time student. Where is he going to be a student at?
For now he'll be going to community college. After that were looking at Rutgers New Brunswick or Camden. The drive isn't a factor to him as it won't be long term. Thank you
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bubblyx
Hi everyone,
I'm in the process of relocating back to NJ and I've accepted a job in Princeton off of rt. 1 with a pharma company. I'll be starting on 11.30 but staying with my dad in Woodbridge until we decide on a place. Although I'm originally from Bridgewater, we're considering moving to South Jersey this time around for a few reasons, including proximity to Ft. Dix (he's now reserves but we'd like to be within 40 minutes of a base and he was stationed there before). Also, hes from NC and really prefers the area over north jersey. We're 26 and 25 years old and child free, so schools aren't a big deal to us at the moment. What towns would you recommend? We were considering Mt. Holly and Cinnaminson (they both had apartments we were interested in checking out - Mi Place and Camelot) but would like to get more insight on other towns as well, including Cherry Hill if it isnt too far with traffic. The most important thing to us is staying within 45 - 50 minutes of my job since my husband will be a full time student.
Own or rent: rent
Budget: would like to keep it at $1200, less is preferable but willing to pay for a decent place
Important factors:
-would like to be within 15 - 20 minutes of shops and restaurants (down in NC it takes us 40 min to get to the mall and we don't want to be that far again)
-we would still like night life/access to Philly. We don't have to live in said town but would like to get there fairly easily, within 40 minutes or so.
Thank you for any insight you can provide!
Look in Cherry Hill if he wants to go to Camden County Community College. It would put him in proximity of the PATCO line if he goes to Rutgers Camden. I looked at your other posts & see that he wants to be an engineer. He might want to look at Rowan in Glassboro.
I think Bordentown City might be the answer. It's located centrally between Princeton and Fort Dix, has a nice downtown of its own for fun, but is also not too far from Philly, whether you drive or take the RiverLine down to Camden and transfer on the PATCO to get into Philly. I don't know what rent goes for there, so you would have to research that. $1200 sounds like it could be doable though.
Mount Holly is also a good choice. It's closer to Philly and Fort Dix but further than Bordentown from Princeton. It does not have train access and tends to run more blue collar with some parts being a little rundown. Overall, it's safe though. You don't really hear any stories of bad stuff going on there. There are a few craft breweries in town, along with a couple of other bars, a handful of restaurants, and some shops. $1200 should get you something for sure.
Burlington City would be another choice. It's a little further south than Bordentown and also on the RiverLine, so it's the closest to Philadelphia and would be the shortest trip there of the three, whether you drive or take the train. It's a little closer to Princeton than Mount Holly. However, it can be somewhat dangerous. The city is getting a lot of investment though and trying to build itself up. There is a lot of beautiful old architecture from colonial days. There is a good number of restaurants, bars, and shops now in the historic district, and what the city needs at this point are some brave souls to move in. $1200 will do just fine here.
A little comparison:
Closest to Princeton- Bordentown City
Closest to Fort Dix- Mount Holly
Closest to Philadelphia- Burlington City
Cinnaminson is pushing you right to the edge of that 45-50 minute commute to Princeton. Cherry Hill would be outside of that range and will also have the most traffic. Both towns are nice enough, but they are kind of bland suburban communities. Although they have rental apartments, they are definitely geared more towards single family home buyers.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leps12
I think Bordentown City might be the answer. It's located centrally between Princeton and Fort Dix, has a nice downtown of its own for fun, but is also not too far from Philly, whether you drive or take the RiverLine down to Camden and transfer on the PATCO to get into Philly. I don't know what rent goes for there, so you would have to research that. $1200 sounds like it could be doable though.
Mount Holly is also a good choice. It's closer to Philly and Fort Dix but further than Bordentown from Princeton. It does not have train access and tends to run more blue collar with some parts being a little rundown. Overall, it's safe though. You don't really hear any stories of bad stuff going on there. There are a few craft breweries in town, along with a couple of other bars, a handful of restaurants, and some shops. $1200 should get you something for sure.
Burlington City would be another choice. It's a little further south than Bordentown and also on the RiverLine, so it's the closest to Philadelphia and would be the shortest trip there of the three, whether you drive or take the train. It's a little closer to Princeton than Mount Holly. However, it can be somewhat dangerous. The city is getting a lot of investment though and trying to build itself up. There is a lot of beautiful old architecture from colonial days. There is a good number of restaurants, bars, and shops now in the historic district, and what the city needs at this point are some brave souls to move in. $1200 will do just fine here.
A little comparison:
Closest to Princeton- Bordentown City
Closest to Fort Dix- Mount Holly
Closest to Philadelphia- Burlington City
Cinnaminson is pushing you right to the edge of that 45-50 minute commute to Princeton. Cherry Hill would be outside of that range and will also have the most traffic. Both towns are nice enough, but they are kind of bland suburban communities. Although they have rental apartments, they are definitely geared more towards single family home buyers.
I used to drive from Cherry Hill to Princeton twice a year to go to a semiannual sale on Nassau St. There's a county road that skirts east of Trenton. I took that before 295 went up there. It never took me more than 40 minutes, off rush hour & that was during falling, accumulating snow. I took 295 up the last time I went before the store closed. It was faster.
I used to drive from Cherry Hill to Princeton twice a year to go to a semiannual sale on Nassau St. There's a county road that skirts east of Trenton. I took that before 295 went up there. It never took me more than 40 minutes, off rush hour & that was during falling, accumulating snow. I took 295 up the last time I went before the store closed. It was faster.
I guess, but as Cherry Hill is a big town, it might depend on where they come from. Also, is this during rush hour that you do that drive? Because if not, I think it would be safe to say the traffic may push it beyond 50 minutes. Maybe not by a whole lot, but still. I'm a little unclear on what you mean by "off rush hour." I interpret that as being "not rush hour", but in the context of your sentence, it seems like you were trying to say "during."
$1200 for an apartment in Cherry Hill will also go less far. It's definitely doable, but they could get more bang for their buck elsewhere, including the places I mentioned.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,666,340 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leps12
I guess, but as Cherry Hill is a big town, it might depend on where they come from. Also, is this during rush hour that you do that drive? Because if not, I think it would be safe to say the traffic may push it beyond 50 minutes. Maybe not by a whole lot, but still. I'm a little unclear on what you mean by "off rush hour." I interpret that as being "not rush hour", but in the context of your sentence, it seems like you were trying to say "during."
$1200 for an apartment in Cherry Hill will also go less far. It's definitely doable, but they could get more bang for their buck elsewhere, including the places I mentioned.
I realize that's you've nominated yourself as the authority on the area. Where are you really from & how long have you lived in South Jersey that you have to ask what off rush hour means?
Some people like the places that you suggested & some don't. Particularly one of those places. Cherry Hill has a wide variety of rental units. There are 2 exits for 295. That enlarges the footprint of rental units very close to 295. There are also good rental units on Church Rd that aren't all that far from the Mt Laurel exit that's next to exit 4 of the Turnpike. All the shopping, restaurants, etc. that the OP wants is right there in & near Cherry Hill.
I lived in Cherry Hill over 40 years. Believe me there are cut throughs to get just about anyplace that you want to get to. You can avoid most of the traffic most of the time.
Do you really think that I don't know that travel time is longer during rush hour? I specified that that longest it ever took me to get to the shop on Nassau Street in Princeton was about 40 minutes off rush hour in falling snow. That was before 295 went all the way up & I traveled a funky county road that avoided going through Trenton. You still drove past Morven & Drumthwacket on the way into Princeton.
I realize that's you've nominated yourself as the authority on the area. Where are you really from & how long have you lived in South Jersey that you have to ask what off rush hour means?
Some people like the places that you suggested & some don't. Particularly one of those places. Cherry Hill has a wide variety of rental units. There are 2 exits for 295. That enlarges the footprint of rental units very close to 295. There are also good rental units on Church Rd that aren't all that far from the Mt Laurel exit that's next to exit 4 of the Turnpike. All the shopping, restaurants, etc. that the OP wants is right there in & near Cherry Hill.
I would think you could possibly recall that recent Voorhees Town Center thread. I lived in Voorhees for 22 years, but I no longer do. "Off rush hour" is a weird expression, semantically speaking. The way your post read, it sounded like you were saying it was during rush hour since you were talking about how the travel time was not too bad, as if to say "Even IN rush hour, it took me 40 minuts." I think of rush hour as being synonymous with "peak period", so hearing "off rush hour" makes me think "off peak." Why wouldn't you just say "in rush hour" like practically everyone else? If you meant not in rush hour, most people would say "outside of rush hour."
I also get that there is a lot of variety. What I'm suggesting though is that even with the variety in Cherry Hill, there is nowhere in the town that is particularly appealing to a young professional. The vast majority of young professionals living in Cherry Hill are probably still living with their parents. Even if they WORK in Cherry Hill, most would still flock to places like Collingswood or Westmont instead.
I knew someone who got a job with Campbell's in Camden. Obviously, that's not desirable for someone to live in if they aren't forced into it, so a logical choice would be Cherry Hill. But no, she actually chose to live in Philadelphia instead, pay more for rent, and take the city wage tax for the city perks instead of saving money and living in Cherry Hill or a similar area. That's because of the draw of the atmosphere that young professionals are looking for.
As for the OP, Cherry Hill is good for them only so much as it is closest to Philadelphia, and that's it. They need to weigh that against the distance to Princeton and Fort Dix, which all of my suggestions are closer to. Now, in my head if I were the OP, I would rather be closer to work in Princeton than to Philly since I would be traveling to Princeton much more frequently than to Philly, assuming a 5-day workweek. Whether the OP thinks the same way or not, I don't know, but it is a reasonable assumption to make.
Now, with all due respect, take the stick out of your ass and cut the snide remarks.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,666,340 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Leps12
I would think you could possibly recall that recent Voorhees Town Center thread. I lived in Voorhees for 22 years, but I no longer do. "Off rush hour" is a weird expression, semantically speaking. The way your post read, it sounded like you were saying it was during rush hour since you were talking about how the travel time was not too bad, as if to say "Even IN rush hour, it took me 40 minuts." I think of rush hour as being synonymous with "peak period", so hearing "off rush hour" makes me think "off peak." Why wouldn't you just say "in rush hour" like practically everyone else? If you meant not in rush hour, most people would say "outside of rush hour."
I also get that there is a lot of variety. What I'm suggesting though is that even with the variety in Cherry Hill, there is nowhere in the town that is particularly appealing to a young professional. The vast majority of young professionals living in Cherry Hill are probably still living with their parents. Even if they WORK in Cherry Hill, most would still flock to places like Collingswood or Westmont instead.
I knew someone who got a job with Campbell's in Camden. Obviously, that's not desirable for someone to live in if they aren't forced into it, so a logical choice would be Cherry Hill. But no, she actually chose to live in Philadelphia instead, pay more for rent, and take the city wage tax for the city perks instead of saving money and living in Cherry Hill or a similar area. That's because of the draw of the atmosphere that young professionals are looking for.
As for the OP, Cherry Hill is good for them only so much as it is closest to Philadelphia, and that's it. They need to weigh that against the distance to Princeton and Fort Dix, which all of my suggestions are closer to. Now, in my head if I were the OP, I would rather be closer to work in Princeton than to Philly since I would be traveling to Princeton much more frequently than to Philly, assuming a 5-day workweek. Whether the OP thinks the same way or not, I don't know, but it is a reasonable assumption to make.
I went to high school in Cherry Hill during the Vietnam War. I had classmates whose fathers were army & airforce officers who commuted, daily, to Dix & McGuire.
The OP's husband might be going to Rutgers Camden. He might find that Rowan works better for him. If he picks Rutgers New Brunswick they should move to between Princeton & New Brunswick while he's there.
People in the Delaware Valley used to say on rush hour & off rush hour. Most people who I know transitioned to during rush hour but I still know a few older people who say on rush hour at least part of the time. Everyone who I know in South Jersey says off hours or off rush hour. They also say off rush hour where I currently live in NC. It's a pretty common expression.
Making a drive to Princeton off rush hour isn't the same as during it but I gave an approximate travel time with snow falling & sticking. That slows traffic down considerably. I also clearly stated thst I made the drive in the snow using a county road that went east of Trenton & when 295 opened, parallel to that county road the drive was quicker.
The OP is working at a pharmaceutical company. They are probably coming from proximity to Ft Bragg. There are some pharmaceutical companies in proximity to Raleigh. It could make a slight difference in my timeframe. However the university is across Nassau St from the shop that I went to.
If the OP's husband wants to attend the community college in Burlington County they should look for housing in Burlington County. If he wants to attend the community college in Camden County they should live in Camden County.
I made a simple, civil suggestion. Again, you chose to critique me as well as my suggestion.
Last edited by southbound_295; 11-24-2015 at 01:46 PM..
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