XLtoneAU

Hey everyone, I'll be moving to the McGuire AFB area in a few months. Where are some nice areas to buy or rent? Or maybe the better question would be what areas should I stay away from? I'm looking for a suburban area that's not too far from the base or Philly. Thanks.

Pancake

I have family in both Camden and Burlington Counties, and was a lowly A1C at McGuire in the mid-90s. While Camden County has some nice areas (Cherry Hill, Haddonfield), the taxes are ridiculous. My uncle lives in Mount Laurel (Burlington County)... Houses are expensive, but good schools, shopping, easy access to Philly/McGoo. Trenton/Robbinsville, as well as Levittown, PA may be worth looking into. All are close to the PA/NJ turnpike, making PHL, EWR, LGA, and JFK commuting manageable.

NJ gets a bad rap, but it's an awesome place to live. Not only lots to do between Philly, New York, and the shore, but there's a lot of farmland and "country livin'." Can't get better corn, tomatoes, and blueberries anywhere else in the world.

rickair7777

Boulder, CO?

Hrkdrivr

Taxes are heinous anywhere in 'Jersey. No matter where you live in south 'Jersey it's two-lane country roads pretty much wherever you want to go. That said, I'd recommend Medford Lakes. Nice little town with a series of ponds/lakes (go figure) one of which has a beach with lifeguards, community center, etc. 15 years ago rentals were really hard to find for less than what a mortgage would've cost, so we bought. Might be different now with the economy in the toilet. Best schools in the area at the time. 30 minutes to McGuire, around 45 minutes to Philly, depending on traffic.

KC10 FATboy

Those are competing interests.

I can't stress enough what others have said. NJ has very high taxes. But it also has very high auto insurance rates (if not the highest). Watch your budget if you plan to buy.

Areas to avoid; Camden and Trenton. Although eastern Cherry Hill is nice, the part that borders Camden should be avoided because of spill over. Same thing goes to the areas surrounding Trenton. Many areas of NJ surrounding NYC are dumps ... but I don't think you're going to drive that far.

You need to decide if you want to live close to the base or do you want to live in Philadelphia? Philly has a lot to offer but the crime rate is one of the highest in the nation. Make sure you select a good neighborhood and do the research on it. If you live in PA, you will have to pay bridge tolls. All of the turnpikes and some interstates in NJ are toll. I-295 is not tolled and provides a north south major artery to the base. Even on good weather and traffic days, around 4pm, I-295 and the NJ Turnpike get congested going towards Philadelphia and the same goes for the other large highways (Rt 38, 70, 73).

The immediate area around McGuire is not good. Unless you need the support of living near the base (AAFES, library, etc.etc.), don't plan on living near McGuire. There are several nice areas within a reasonable drive to McGuire (30 mins) -- you just need to decide if you want to live towards NYC, western NJ and the mountains, the shore, or Philadelphia.

If you live near Hamilton, Bordentown, Princeton, they have train service to both Philly and NYC.

I lived in Hainesport, NJ for 4 years, Mount Holly for 4 years, and then drove from farmland PA for 2 years (long commute). Mount Holly has a ghetto area. But I know they were in the process of cleaning it up. The historical district of Mount Holly is nice. Hainesport is nice. Larchmont area (between Hainesport and I-295 along Rt38) has lots of Condos and suburbia homes. They have everything you need, some what close to the base, not expensive, and everything you'd need (shopping, restaurant, safety).

Cherry Hill and Medford / Medford Lakes areas very nice communities. Medford has a nice little quaint downtown. They are more upscale than Mount Holly and Hainesport but you're going to pay for it.

Get here early if you can and spend a couple of days driving around and looking at which areas you like.

XLtoneAU

Ha... That's just outside where I'm willing to commute from

XLtoneAU

Thanks for all the great info everyone! The Rt 38/Mt Laurel area seems to be the general concensus from most people I've talked to.

I think I'm willing to put up with the ridiculous NJ taxes because the PA commute seems really out of the way. I definitely don't want to live in Philly, but I'll be happy with an area that's about 30-45min from both. Commuting to EWR or NYC might be a future concern so I would like to be close to I-295 or the NJ turnpike. And a popular area will help with resale value if I choose to buy.

I'll put a strong emphasis in the Burlington County areas during my search. I'll look into the Medford Lakes area too since I haven't heard much about it. Thanks again for the help everyone.

jonesmt

Dont discount parts of PA-- great schools, lower taxes, etc. Where I live in Lower Bucks County, near Newtown, PA, I drive to WRI in 40-45min, EWR in 1+10, and LGA and JFK in about 2hrs. Love it.

BIN80

Along with Mount Laurel, Moorestown NJ is nice and pretty poplular with military families who are based in McGuire....I mean JBMDL.

130drvr

I as going to say Denver...LOL