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I know that Atlantic City is not a good place to live, but I don't know much about Egg Harbor. On paper, it seems nice: near the beach, nice new construction at quite affordable prices, fairly low crime, enough to do, Atlantic City nearby for the boardwalk and shows, etc.
Any other towns in the area to recommend? I've heard that Galloway/Smithville is nice. Brigantine seems nice, but I don't need to pay up to be right on the water, and it's a little removed from things as well. I'd also like to be able to get up to north Jersey without too much trouble, so Ocean City is a little far from that, as well as Ventnor, Margate, etc.
What are you moving for? Work and permanent residency or just looking for something by the shore? If for work, where are you working? AC?
Galloway is nice, and the Smithville part is definitely a cool place to visit. Absecon isn't bad either. Egg Harbor Township likewise. All are solid middle-class towns and are safe. Egg Harbor City is a smaller area that is not as well off and kind of bleh. I probably wouldn't look there.
Just a little more info on your part for what you are coming down here for, and I could probably help you more.
I work for myself and so I don't commute anywhere. I want to move someplace in NJ where I can get out of the house and play some poker a few times a week, yet also be in a town that is safe with good schools and enough for kids to do (not the total sticks!). The beach and boardwalk aren't necessities, but they are a nice plus. Atlantic City is a ghetto for the most part, but the beaches and boardwalks still offer fun things for kids to do there, and there are concerts and other fun things there too.
Being a little on the north side (Galloway/Smithville) is nice, as I drive up to northern NJ to see everyone I know a few times a month too.
I do like to be near at least one Target or Walmart, and an indoor mall to go to with kids on a rainy day is nice to have as well.
I'll take any more info and help that you have. Thanks!
Well, the places that I mentioned are not exactly particularly exciting places. Typical suburbia. The coolest thing is Smithville, so maybe you should look around that area.
However, if schools are more important to you (as they should be), then the only good options, at least for public schools, in Atlantic County would be Linwood first and Port Republic second. Linwood is on the southern end, so a little further away, while Port Republic borders Galloway on the northern end of the county and thus is closer to Smithville and North Jersey. However, Port Republic is a very small town and does not have much to do either.
Simply said, you are not going to find "the total package" in Atlantic County. Obviously, I would say the kids are the first priorities and go with the good school districts. Honestly, not to sound judgmental here, but if you really just want to move to the area to play poker, you should seriously re-examine your priorities. You only have the beach and boardwalk in AC for 3 months out of the year anyway to boot.
If you really want to play poker so badly but also want to have good schools for your kids and stuff for them to do, I would suggest you look at the more well-off suburbs in Camden and Burlington Counties and play your poker in (shudders) Pennsylvania. Ugh, I said it.
On the websites that I've researched, the schools in Galloway and Smithville rate higher than some of the others that you suggested. Do you know much about these schools firsthand? I've heard that they are excellent.
I don't know first-hand. I'm going based off of the median household incomes in these towns and the District Factor Groupings. If you do a search, at least on the high schools, you see that Linwood's High School (Mainland Regional) is higher ranked than Galloway's (Absegami) by any publication that does these kinds of rankings.
Honestly, the impression that I would get from knowing the general area somewhat is that the Galloway schools would be average/good. I would not go as far as to say excellent.
Egg Harbor City is a smaller area that is not as well off and kind of bleh. I probably wouldn't look there.
That depends, I live in Galloway, but my postal address is Egg harbor City, because that's the closest post office to me. I wouldn't discount Egg Harbor City houses just based on the address. Where I live it's all forest and farms, the houses are hundreds, if not thousands of feet apart. None of the development crap where the houses are 10 feet apart and your view outside your windows is your neighbors house.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyJohn
I want to move someplace in NJ where I can get out of the house and play some poker a few times a week, yet also be in a town that is safe with good schools and enough for kids to do (not the total sticks!).
The mall area is a 15 minute drive from where I live, far enough away, but close enough. They have a Macy's, Walmart, Target, Sears and about a dozen places to eat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leps12
However, Port Republic is a very small town and does not have much to do either.
While you right Port Republic is a small town, it's close enough drive to everything you want, Mall, Beaches, Casinos. It's not like moving to the Midwest were civilization is an hour or more away in every direction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyJohn
On the websites that I've researched, the schools in Galloway and Smithville rate higher than some of the others that you suggested. Do you know much about these schools firsthand? I've heard that they are excellent.
They aren't the worst, not the best either. To get the best education for your children, you might want to consider a private school, like Pilgrim Academy.
Last edited by TechGromit; 07-28-2015 at 01:22 PM..
Absecon goes to Pleasantville for HS- Pleasantville isn't really a very pleasant place and it's a high school to avoid. Mainland Regional, which is Linwood, Somers Point, and Northfield is considered the best HS in Atlantic County. Just make sure you know which municipality and not post office you are looking at a property in. Many of the post offices cover more than one municipality, so an address of say Somers Point may be in Somers Point City or Egg Harbor Twp, for example.
Commenting based on schools I would suggest Mullica Township. It is the town between Hammonton and Egg Harbor City. If you search by zip code it will be part 08215/Egg Harbor City and part 08037/Hammonton. It is rural and has an excellent school system. It also feeds to Cedar Creek High School which is a newer school and part of the Greater Egg Regional District. Egg Harbor City is an old town v. Egg Harbor Township which was once rural but is now very "built up". EHT has plenty of commercial, retail and newer construction housing developments and is closer to Atlantic City. Egg Harbor City feeds to Cedar Creek HS.
Yes, Absecon feeds to less desirable Pleasantville schools. Galloway and Egg Harbor Township and even Mays Landing are all about the same. The best schools in the general area you are considering are those feeding to Mainland Regional High School.
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