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But would you really want to live in that part of NJ? I know I wouldn't.
It's where I live. What's so bad about it? No, you aren't getting much "culture" and there isn't really a walkable downtown (more or less a small collection of shopping plazas) and there isn't a train with direct access to the city. You also need to drive a decent distance to get to anything besides a supermarket, farmers market, gas station, Wawa or pharmacy. However, there is a decent selection of local pubs/restaurants including some fast food and for a car commute you can be to most places (including Philly) in a very reasonable amount of time and it's a much better commute to the western PA burbs then the more developed areas of South Jersey.
What you get in exchange are reasonably priced homes, insanely low taxes and no compromise on services. Logan (as well as the other towns that are part of Kingsway Regional) boast good school systems, offer a plethora of youth sports and activities and maintain a small town community feel. You also don't need to deal with constant congestion and traffic, you can actually see the stars at night in your backyard, you can go a mile down the road and buy fresh produce from local farmers.
I get that it all depends on what you want in a town. I grew up in Collingswood and I lived in both Voorhees and Moorestown, so I have experienced a lot of what the more mainstream and affluent suburbs have to offer. However, when it came to choosing a place to raise my kids, Logan represented an amazing value and a great community feel. It's not for everyone, but for people who want a nice, quiet, affordable suburban community (my taxes haven't gone up in four years, how about yours?), you'd be hard pressed to find an area that offered a better value and when it comes to schools and services you are giving up NOTHING.
there's a reason places are priced the way they are. my town sounds like the North Jersey equivalent to NJGOAT's (but slightly more expensive). my town is "affordable" (the most affordable in Morris County) because of its location - hard to commute to NY (1 hour non rush, but can take years off your life during rush), you need to drive almost anywhere. but it's very pretty, has very good schools and it's family friendly. if you have a job in morris/somerset counties or west, and you have a young family, it's pretty ideal. with gas prices the way they are, my town has taken a hit more than most towns, which is a huge reason in my mind as to why it's "affordable" now.
and NJGOAT, my taxes haven't gone up for a few years too (they did go down slightly b/c of a townwide reassessment).
South Jersey sounds good to me for retirement. I have lived in NJ all of my life, and I'm not so sure that in retirement I want to pack up and go to some distant state where I don't know a soul and have no family within an hour to two drive.
I like my home state, and if I can continue to stay in it but live a little less expensively than when I had to be within commuting distance of New York, it's something I want to consider.
It's where I live. What's so bad about it? No, you aren't getting much "culture" and there isn't really a walkable downtown (more or less a small collection of shopping plazas) and there isn't a train with direct access to the city. You also need to drive a decent distance to get to anything besides a supermarket, farmers market, gas station, Wawa or pharmacy. However, there is a decent selection of local pubs/restaurants including some fast food and for a car commute you can be to most places (including Philly) in a very reasonable amount of time and it's a much better commute to the western PA burbs then the more developed areas of South Jersey.
What you get in exchange are reasonably priced homes, insanely low taxes and no compromise on services. Logan (as well as the other towns that are part of Kingsway Regional) boast good school systems, offer a plethora of youth sports and activities and maintain a small town community feel. You also don't need to deal with constant congestion and traffic, you can actually see the stars at night in your backyard, you can go a mile down the road and buy fresh produce from local farmers.
I get that it all depends on what you want in a town. I grew up in Collingswood and I lived in both Voorhees and Moorestown, so I have experienced a lot of what the more mainstream and affluent suburbs have to offer. However, when it came to choosing a place to raise my kids, Logan represented an amazing value and a great community feel. It's not for everyone, but for people who want a nice, quiet, affordable suburban community (my taxes haven't gone up in four years, how about yours?), you'd be hard pressed to find an area that offered a better value and when it comes to schools and services you are giving up NOTHING.
I looked in South Jersey before retiring to NC and without getting into specifics it was not for us.
This is probably the most important thing. Personally, I live in Logan Twp. which is in the southwestern part of Gloucester County. You would be hard pressed to find a more affordable, not so crowded suburban environment. The taxes are amongst the lowest in the state since there is a large ratables base in the industrial park that occupies one section of the town. The school systems are good and aboslutely fantastic when you account for the value for your money. The area has just enough amenities to meet most needs, but major shopping like Target, Home Depot, etc. requires a car drive. There is little congestion and you can be in Wilmington in less then 20 minutes and Philly in around 30 minutes. You can also get to the more developed areas of South Jersey like Cherry Hill and Washington Twp. in around 30 minutes or less.
The area is almost what I would call exurban, but is a little more developed then that, especially when you count in Swedesboro, Woolwich, East Greenwich and South Harrison as all of those areas (plus Logan) are part of the same regional high school district, though taxes do vary greatly with Logan being the cheapest. The actual towns feel pretty typical suburb with their developments, but you can drive a few minutes and be in the middle of working farms. Housing prices are also pretty cheap and you can get anything from a small townhome in the $150k range up to $500k "McMansions" all within Logan and you can extend that out to million dollar plus homes if you add in Woolwich.
Just go to realtor.com and do a search to see what is out there in Logan and I think you would be hard pressed to find a more affordable, yet good/solid suburban community that still has decent access for a work commute and isn't overly congested.
Here's a couple listings. These are all 4BR 2.5BA colonials in the $230k-$245k range, most with taxes around $5k a year:
But would you really want to live in that part of NJ? I know I wouldn't.
If you work somewhere closeby, why not? You still got all the important amenities within driving distance to Philly or go to NYC for world class amenities once in a while, while living peaceful and affordable. NE NJ is only good for the rich.
Marlboro is a very strange place. It is expensive to live there, but the people there are literally white trash in nature (first generation out of Bwookwyn and Staten Iwand) and only live there because they either inheritied a lot of money from a lawsuit they won, or are drug dealers. It is one of the most digusting places I have ever had the displeasure of venturing into. Like a modern day version of a Twilight Zone episode. And neighboring Manalapan is even worse! Just a glorified dump.
If you want to be in Monmouth County, look further east, like toward the shore. Better towns out that way. Some towns to consider: Middletown, Hazlet, Tinton Falls, Ocean Twp, Howell, Wall etc.
Interesting. I heard there's a lot of Russians in Marlboro, maybe they criminals too lol
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I know I wouldn't.
