SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY

Welcome to Southern New Jersey’s rolling hills, woodlands, rural communities, attractive suburbs, shoreline resorts, and urban centers. Ideally located in the heart of the Northeast Corridor, the multi-county region known as Southern New Jersey encompasses Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties. Whether “home” is an affordable condominium or a multi-million-dollar waterfront mansion, both shoreline and mountain beauty will be accessible within a reasonable commute. Within a brief commute, the city of Philadelphia offers world-class historic and cultural attractions.

The beauty of four distinct seasons adds color and vitality to the Southern New Jersey landscape, and weather extremes in temperature or precipitation are rare occurrences. Typical of a moderate northeastern climate, summer days seldom rise above the 80s, although winter lows can dip below freezing. Both spring and autumn seasons are comfortable and colorful, enlivening the scene with vibrant flowers or brilliant fall leaves. A pleasing blend of towering trees and lofty pines dot the rolling hills and countryside, lining residential neighborhoods and picturesque country roads.

Southern New Jersey is ideally located within a two-hour drive from 60 percent of the U.S. population and enjoys immediate access to an unequaled transportation network in the very heart of the nation’s fourth largest market. Once preserving vast acreage of rolling farmland and untamed wilderness, this region now boasts one of the most diverse mix of environments found anywhere in the nation. Agricultural, rural, suburban, historic, and contemporary settings include areas where commerce and industry not only thrive but dominate the scene.

The sheer variety of lifestyle possibilities is further enhanced by a dynamic business climate where corporations, entrepreneurs, and government officials all work together to reach common goals. Within recent decades, more and more businesses have awakened to the favorable combination of ingredients that Southern New Jersey offers both business and the labor market. The result of this increasing awareness has been a proliferation of sprawling new office complexes and burgeoning commercial and light industrial growth.

Revitalization and renewal are evident on every front, from the $52 million New Jersey State Aquarium to historic downtown districts and beautiful new residential developments. Offering serene and livable residential areas, Southern New Jersey has long enjoyed a reputation as a retreat for active professionals after a long day in the bustling employment centers of "the city." Several of the Southern New Jersey counties are located in close proximity to Philadelphia's leading employment centers, providing handsome homes on wooded lots in handsome suburban enclaves.

Services

Southern New Jersey is second to none in transportation efficiency, offering easy access to markets from New England to Virginia and as far west as Ohio. A complete network of highway, rail, air, and sea transportation facilities connects this region to Philadelphia, the entire Northeast Corridor, and points beyond. In fact, Southern New Jersey is only an eight-hour drive or less from 15 states and a cumulative population of more than 80 million people. The New Jersey Turnpike is just one of twelve major highways passing through the region that provide direct connections to the Pennsylvania Turnpike or Interstate 76 as well as key thoroughfares like Interstates 80, 295, and 95. A total of six bridges link Southern New Jersey to Pennsylvania across the Delaware River: Commodore Barry, Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, Tacony-Palmyra, and Burlington-Bristol.

Commuters in the Southern New Jersey region can look to reasonably priced, first-rate transportation through an integrated network of commuter rail lines and buses. Southern New Jersey and Central Philadelphia are connected via the Port Authority Transit Corporation or PATCO High-Speed Line and the New Jersey Transit Bus Service. PATCO has been long established as a premier commuting service for over thousands of daily commuters. Amtrak, Conrail, and other lines meet at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station.

New Jersey transit offers a wide variety of bus routes in Camden County alone, traversing main roads and highways throughout the region and offering shore-bound buses. Only 15 minutes from the Delaware River bridges is the bustling complex of Philadelphia International Airport, efficiently managing a myriad of domestic and international flights each day to more than 110 cities.

Few things are as important as education when planning a move to a new area or choosing the right community to call home. Proud of its mark in the field of education, Southern New Jersey provides superior educational facilities that offer a variety of quality learning opportunities in modern public and private school settings. Bringing together a wealth of teachers and administrators who are well-paid and exceptionally competent, these schools are known for state-of-the-art classroom technology, interactive student projects, active parent-teacher organizations, community involvement, and a curriculum that spells excellence in every category.

Accommodations for challenged or gifted students are first rate, creating an environment that maximizes human potential and enriches the learning experience. In addition to academics, the schools offer a wide spectrum of opportunities in drama, music, fine arts, and competitive sports programs. Vocational-technical programs and adult education opportunities are scattered throughout the area, providing ongoing opportunities for high school graduates of all ages to learn, grow, and develop new skills.

An impressive number of private educational facilities are available in this region, including privately owned schools and respected college-prep academies as well as schools with religious affiliations. Outstanding colleges and universities can be found locally and regionally. Two of the most famous and highly respected of these institutions represent both categories: Princeton University and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Newcomers can look forward to quick and easy access to state-of-the-art healthcare facilities and services. The entire state of New Jersey is known for its powerful research centers and teaching hospitals that ensure the pinnacle of innovative programs and leading-edge diagnostics and treatment. Several of these institutions have not only solidified a reputation for excellence in New Jersey, they have achieved national recognition in a growing number of centers of excellence. Healthcare institutions devote a significant percentage of their resources to developing community health education and wellness programs. The larger hospitals offer behavior health clinics, rehabilitation programs, sleep disorder centers, family birthing centers, neonatal care, various therapies, pain management centers, and a host of other specialized therapies. From individual professionals and neighborhood clinics to regional acute-care hospitals, Southern New Jersey can meet every need from routine to the most advanced.

Lifestyle

Southern New Jersey, the nearby Delaware Valley, and the surrounding Northeast Corridor provide more entertainment, natural beauty, and culture than most of its residents are able to explore or absorb in a lifetime. The winding Delaware River and various lakes around the immediate region provide an abundance of water-oriented recreation, while vast forests beckon outdoor enthusiasts and nature students. The New Jersey shoreline offers a wide selection of weekend excursions and nationally famous vacation destinations, from the family-oriented Ocean City and Victorian charm of Cape May to the posh resort hotels and gaming thrills of Atlantic City.

Playgrounds, athletic fields, tennis courts, picnic shelters, golf courses, swimming pools, and skating rinks are available in local parks. Professional intercollegiate and amateur sporting events take place in and near the region throughout the year, including golf and tennis tournaments, football, ice hockey, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, and roller hockey teams. Regional parks and forests encourage every imaginable outdoor adventure, from hiking and biking to extreme sports.

Center City Philadelphia and the entire surrounding countryside is a veritable hub of historic sites, fine museums, cultural attractions, and fine-art venues. Brandywine Valley to the southeast offers the nationally recognized Longwood Gardens, Brandywine River Museum, the Hagley Museum, and Winterthur. To the northeast are such unique diversions as Sesame Place expressly for the children and the shopper's delight of New Hope and Peddler’s Village. Even further north, the glistening ski slopes and celebrated resorts of the Pocono Mountains offer four-season recreation.

In addition to surrounding attractions, Southern New Jersey offers residents a number of outstanding amusements and important museums right in their own backyard. The Southern Jersey Expo Center in Pennsauken has become one of the area's most popular showplaces, while the incredible New Jersey State Aquarium was quickly recognized as an international attraction from its inception. From professional to community performances, the calendar is filled each and every day of the year with some glittering production or special event. Even the intimate boroughs and small towns are known for colorful festivals and celebrations that feature live music, home-baked food, and unique crafts.

In addition to its own impressive regional shopping malls, Southern New Jersey provides easy access to the shops and stores available in America’s fourth largest city. Throughout the Philadelphia area, historically significant department stores and shopping districts blend timeless classics with the latest trends and modern merchandise. Around every corner is another ethnic marketplace, exclusive boutique, antique treasure house, vintage clothing store, or exotic grocer. Farmers markets can be found in the heart of the city or in the countryside, where u-pick orchards and roadside stands add rural charm while they offer farm-fresh produce.

Few areas in the country can match Southern New Jersey for sheer diversity. Whether you prefer a stately farmhouse in a sprawling rural section of Salem County or the ultramodern architecture and upscale amenities of a residential haven like Vorhees Township, your dream home is waiting somewhere in this vast region. Suburban living can take the form of magnificent estates with meticulously groomed landscape, generous parcels of land ideally suited for owning and breeding horses, charming older homes nestled along tree-lined streets, or new construction in upscale enclaves.

Life in Southern New Jersey truly excels in every major aspect, from the luxuries of recreation, culture, and art to the necessities of commerce, business, government, and housing. From bustling urban centers to the tranquil countryside, you are sure to discover a quality of life that grows richer with each passing year.