Okay, I can't argue with what you're saying about home and wanting to come back here. I moved into South Jersey as a teenager and lived here for most of my life. And generally speaking, as you say, I like it here, but...over the years it has become more and more difficult to like it here when I consider what it costs me, that's what you neglect to mention in all your articles about the area. Not only have the costs associated with living in Camden County, and Gloucester Township in particular, eroded my ability to retire by eating up potential retirement savings but I am convinced, as well, that I once I feel that I have sufficient savings to retire I will not be able to afford to live here. All politics aside, it comes down to "dollars and sense"...I don't have the dollars and it doesn't make sense!

Paul you are right .Now I grow up in Bellmawr and everytime I think of that town . I think about friends family and moments that made me the must scary man in GT. Now that I live in G.T. I feel it is my right to learn and try to make this a great town for my 2 boys to grow up in . Now listen I'm a Bellmawr boy , but my 2 boys are G.T. boys . Now I hope they love there Home town and Friends like the way I do ..........Just care , I do

P.S ...Miss Ross you need a Hug xoxoxoxoxoxoxox I love you

OK, let's play nicely, boys and girls.

I asked a question the other day...I didn't see any replies.....I asked of the citizens of Cinnaminson, where do you consider "downtown" Cinnaminson?... Like....where do you consider the center of town where neighbors meet and chat and shop and do business. Unlike Palmyra and Riverton and just about every other town around here...that has a "center city".....

Not everything has to have a negative side. Sometimes a nonchalant article about Jersey life is just that.
The first thing I think of is probably the shore. I like the proximity to the shore, while still being close to the city.

I moved to the southern NJ shore 10 years ago, after living my whole life along the coast in Monmouth County. When I think about my new hometown, I think about how often my family and I run into people we know at the grocery store, at community events, in restaurants, at the post office, everywhere. It's like Mayberry here -- I mean that in a positive way, of course. We just always feels welcome. I'm also amazed, living in the Smithville area, to think about how close to the water we are when we're living in the middle of so many oak and pine forests. Being in the pine barrens but close to the salt marsh is really an amazing thing (and I really love it, minus the mosquitoes and ticks).

I agree with Christina about our 'downtown' area.. . The library/township building makes it the center..

I find Extension Park to be the center of our Cinnaminson. After living in the town for 20 years, finding out this park existed totally changed my outlook on the town. The name "Extension Park" just exudes thoughtfulness and it is truly one of Cinnaminson's treaures.

Paul - I am with you here. Dollars and Sense makes sense. I belong to an " I grew up in ...." group on facebook. Hardly any of them live in NJ anymore. And Darren, I am with you too - I can't find spell check here.

Where I live is beautiful. I am minutes from the ocean but far enough to not be annoyed by the tourists. I think when you say south Jersey you can only be talking about Cherry Hill down to Cape May. By the way Jersey Shore is about the people mostly not from New Jersey and I have never met anyone who dresses or acts like they do.

'Instead, let’s focus on trashy Jersey-centric television.' I remember the buzz surrounding the shore show when it was first broadcast. I even saw a preview. It was horrifying. Why would you waste a single moment of your life watching this dreck?

Kathy,

Any town or state has it's advantages and "opportunities for improvement". It can sometimes seem that people like me spend too much time focusing on what is wrong but the reality is that we are trying to improve our town / state because we want to live here. Hopefully you'll enjoy the more "positive" blogs I have drafted and have yet to submit :o). People wouldn't complain or be so enotional if they didn't like the "core" of what makes South Jersey.

I was born and raised in Bucks County, PA so I view the Philly / SJ region as my home. I live in Gloucester Township for a simple reason: in 1999 when my Ex and I were house shopping we plotted where all of our family lives on a map across SE PA and NJ. The center of this was Deptford / GT area. We did not know anything about the local towns or local breakdown but found an affordable house in GT. For me personally it is about the ties to Philly and the Philly 'tude.

We had thought about moving to Cherry Hill to be closer to our synogague but we stayed here. We liked a lot of things about GT, but what impressed us was how so many of the other parents and families we met through our kids at sports were "down to Earth". There was a great mix of peoples and backgrounds. We are very close to Center City and have beaches one hour away and mountains two.

I like the lifestyle here. I like having four distinct seasons. Maybe others don't but that my personal choice.

Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, I moved to NJ when I was 16. I had my fair share of relocations throughout Jersey - from Clifton to Middletown and than to the good ol' Borough of Glassboro. Now, I live in Runnemede. Out of all the places I lived, South Jersey has a distinction unlike any other.

I know how people feel in this current economy and it seems as if we want to make things sound worse than they actual are. In my opinion, if you have something great to say about a New Jersey hometown, then you belong in N.J. Just as if you have something great to say about where you live in PA or even in Georgia. Remember that where you live, needs to have a certain aspect of beauty or you will become bitter about the fact that you lived there.

Everything needs fixing, but why fix certain things that aren't broken. South Jersey is not the perfect place. Nothing is perfect. It is still home.

great post Kristina... We love it here too..

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.courierpostonline.com%2Farticle%2F20120209%2FNEWS01%2F302090020%2FWinslow-police-nab-fugitive-from-North-Carolina&h=3AQE-SWWyAQEA1Fqsw2wwtmMUelJOcblJtj472-ztrcLpZQ

http://youtu.be/iJgxJ6JrPkc

I love it because of kitschy reasons like Nitro Girl http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/unigal.html and not so kitschy reasons like we were incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. The farmer's market in the fall and we all know how much I love our library system. I have lived in NJ my entire life, but came to this township as a product of a divorce. After spending many years wanting to return to the town I came from I finally stopped wanting to go back and started calling Gloucester Township my home and started seeing it for the great place it is.

Darren,

If you don't like it, stop complaining. There is nothing you can do to change the way the economy fluxuates. Detroit was once a great motorcity and Pittsburg WAS known for its steel industry. Just because New Jersey homes Camden doesn't mean New Jersey is the only state "down grading." Yes, reality is life isn't perfect. But, that doesn't mean you should have a negative outlook about everything that is under your nose. Like many people in this nation, you are the type to nag about every problem, yet don't do anything to try to change it. You say "we" need to do this and "we" need to do that, but REALITY is the things you stated as problems will never change until people like you realize things could be worse then what they are now.

My next adventure is finding a new Farmers Market. Any suggestions?

Columbus Mart?

Reading Terminal Market in Philly is a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon...right across the street from the Convention Center, Parking all over the place...The food there is incredible....Try a fresh roasted turkey sandwich with cranberry and stuffing!...awesome!

Thanks Kathleen - I agree...SJ IS worth it! Your positive attitude is very refreshing and I really wish there was more people out there like yourself who are willing to write in this way. I have lived in SJ for about 8 years, previously we lived in SE PA where I grew up and I can tell you I LOVE it here and have no intentions of moving! Friends and family were doubting our decision and some even still like to bash Jersey. Off the top of my head, here a list of things I like better than where we lived before: parks, farmers markets, restaurants, schools, municipal services, close proximity to the shore, sense of community. Sometimes I feel that people who've lived here all their lives don't know how good they have it. My opinion is to each his own...if you think you can find it better somewhere else, go for it....and if you don't want to live here, thats fine with me too...more for me to enjoy! :)

I think that your article is what most of us have been trying to scream to the world ever since that travesty came onto MTV. Can you believe that they actually tried to pass a law named after Snookie?
There is so much about our area that I love, because i guess I've lived here my entire life. I guess if there is one spot I could think of, it would be the riverfront in Riverton. On any nice day, you will see so many residents taking advantage of a quiet road and beautiful houses. I cant tell you how many first dates I took there after we would hit up the Starbucks in Moorestown. Even when its freezing out, its just perfect.

I've been hanging around the Riverton Yacht Club area for 60 years!...Watched many fireworks shows at the River in the 50's and 60's...it was wonderful...then they moved the fireworks to Riverton Park because of the crowd problem near the river..Then they just went away because of the cost and liability.sad...But the Riverton Park on the 4th of July is still a great traditional place that keeps people coming back year after year.

yes. Rivertons 4th of July celebrations is an all day event and is second to none... We enjoy it every year.

I love that southern NJ is full of small towns; there's something quite charming about that. I'm also happy that my small town, Collingswood, has a train station. I can be in Philadelphia in 11 minutes whenever I want a big city experience. Then I return to the quiet of my small town. It's not perfect here - no place is - but it IS a good place to be.

great post Shirley!! so true!