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Good Shopping- Mostly defined by major chain stores, big box, supermarkets, etc. Some of the vibrant downtowns listed below have a good local store/boutique shopping element, but not all, as some are just more dining focused. That said, there also a lot of vacant storefronts to be found as well, but the towns below still have plenty enough to satisfy your everyday needs.
Camden County- Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Berlin, Haddonfield
Burlington County- Marlton, Mount Laurel, Moorestown, Cinnaminson, Delran
Vibrant Downtown- There are a good number of towns in South Jersey with downtowns; however, most are not that vibrant, and some are really quite sad and deserted. I am only listing the good ones here. This is my opinion, and I am viewing this from a North Jersey lens since that is where I have been living for the past 11 years, so my standards of what is "good" are higher, i.e. sorry, I don't consider the Moorestown downtown to be very happening.
Camden County- Haddonfield, Collingswood
Burlington County- Bordentown
Good Schools- There can be some debate over variances within some towns, like Cherry Hill East being considered better than Cherry Hill West for high school or how some elementary schools are considered better than others in a given town. No surprise here, it generally coordinates with income level. But some wealthier towns can end up sharing a high school with less wealthy towns, so you could have a great elementary school and middle school but an average high school. You have to do your research on this very carefully.
Camden County- Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Haddon Heights
Date Night- Generally going to define this as good dining options. You can easily Google other things like where the movie theaters are, etc. There are tons of chain restaurants and fast food around, but you can still easily sift through the muck and avoid them in lieu of better options. You can find 1 or 2 high quality restaurants in most towns even if they are not dining destinations per se like the ones listed below (ex: The Chop House in Gibbsboro), so feel free to explore around.
Good Shopping- Mostly defined by major chain stores, big box, supermarkets, etc. Some of the vibrant downtowns listed below have a good local store/boutique shopping element, but not all, as some are just more dining focused. That said, there also a lot of vacant storefronts to be found as well, but the towns below still have plenty enough to satisfy your everyday needs.
Camden County- Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Berlin, Haddonfield
Burlington County- Marlton, Mount Laurel, Moorestown, Cinnaminson, Delran
Vibrant Downtown- There are a good number of towns in South Jersey with downtowns; however, most are not that vibrant, and some are really quite sad and deserted. I am only listing the good ones here. This is my opinion, and I am viewing this from a North Jersey lens since that is where I have been living for the past 11 years, so my standards of what is "good" are higher, i.e. sorry, I don't consider the Moorestown downtown to be very happening.
Camden County- Haddonfield, Collingswood
Burlington County- Bordentown
Good Schools- There can be some debate over variances within some towns, like Cherry Hill East being considered better than Cherry Hill West for high school or how some elementary schools are considered better than others in a given town. No surprise here, it generally coordinates with income level. But some wealthier towns can end up sharing a high school with less wealthy towns, so you could have a great elementary school and middle school but an average high school. You have to do your research on this very carefully.
Camden County- Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Haddon Heights
Date Night- Generally going to define this as good dining options. You can easily Google other things like where the movie theaters are, etc. There are tons of chain restaurants and fast food around, but you can still easily sift through the muck and avoid them in lieu of better options. You can find 1 or 2 high quality restaurants in most towns even if they are not dining destinations per se like the ones listed below (ex: The Chop House in Gibbsboro), so feel free to explore around.
You're welcome. Not that you mentioned it, but in my opinion, where Camden County and Burlington County really shine in terms of "amenities" is on the parks and recreation front. So, it is great for families and kids because of lots of playgrounds, nature areas, access to the Pine Barrens especially around Shamong (Burlington County) and Hammonton (Atlantic County) where you can hike, canoe, kayak, fish, etc. Check out the scenic Blue Holes (but do not swim in them as it is illegal and a drowning risk). Freedom Park in Medford and Timber Creek Park in Blackwood are great, especially if you have a dog who likes to swim. Other great parks are Cooper River Park, Challenge Grove Park, Wallworth Park, Evans Pond, and Pennypacker Park. And there are great summer camp options in the area as well, and amusement parks like Digger Land and Big Kahuna's (water park) in Berlin and Clementon Park. There are other family fun centers/mini golf places, things like that; check out Funplex in Mount Laurel. If you are into wineries, there are quite a few around and in neighboring Atlantic County as well.
Long story short, lots of fun to be had May through September more or less when the weather is warmer; of course, they are also then competing with the Jersey Shore as well. But if you want to skip the trip, there are lake beaches to be found, like Atsion Lake in Shamong as one example. In the winter, it can feel kind of dreary and boring (outside of something like the Christmas marketplace thing they do in Haddonfield), but then again, most places are.
Also, a recommendation on a bit of an odd and unique attraction to check out in the area: Columbus Farmers Market; chief attraction among them there is the Amish section.
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