I was raised in a southern New Jersey town, Cherry Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia (about 40 miles from Atlantic City). New Jersey has some of the best beaches. The sand is soft (unlike the west coast beaches), the waves are great and the water is an inviting temperature. There are miles of boardwalk with soft water taffy and a few good arcades as well. Cultural events are easily accessible, with Philly only 10 miles away and NYC only 90 miles away.

For 4 years, I lived in the Boston area for college and I resided in Atlanta for 3 years thereafter for graduate school. I liked southern New Jersey enough to return to begin my career and raise my family.

Pinsider, CCotenj, and I live in nearby towns. He's in Collingswood and I'm in Voorhees. I agree with CCotenj that many New Jersey towns are quite nice, especially for families.

Yes, property taxes are high. Yes, our governor uses our tax money to defend his bridgegate shenanigans and travel to Europe to enhance his political aspirations. But, gas prices are among the lowest in the nation. Yes, it's among the few states where the attendant must pump the gas. Access to health care specialists is nothing short of spectacular, with some of the best medical research institutions in our backyard.

On the downside, New Jersey has adopted the Common Core PARCC standardized testing debacle. If you have kids in the public schools, be sure to opt out of the PARCC tests, which is your right! Feel free to send me a private message for more information. Another downer here in the southern part of the Garden State is our Philly Eagles, which self-destruct every football season, like clockwork. At least in Secaucus, you'll be around mostly Giants fans who have some recent Superbowl wins to the their credit.

Historic Haddonfield, which is just a few miles from Camden, NJ, is consistently ranked among the very best suburban towns in the USA. The independent organizations which evaluate quality of life, give Haddonfield some of its highest grades, based on a variety of criteria (e.g. schools, proximity to cultural attractions, transportation, real estate value). The town has an underground railroad slave escape route. It also has dinosaur bone fossils. Its public schools are better than most private schools nationwide. Most of the streets are lined with mature oak trees and many of the town's Victorian and Colonial houses are architectural marvels. Even pop culture has found its way to the quaint town. The house in the horror film "Halloween" is in Haddonfield.