Need opinions on Moorestown/Mount Laurel, NJ area

[Personal Chef]

We are considering moving to the Moorestown, NJ/Mount Laurel, NJ area. A real estate agent took us around over the weekend and I really liked it.

What I would like are real life opinions on the area? What's rush hour traffic like? Is the area good for families? We have a 3 year old son and a baby on the way.

Anything good or bad about these areas would be appreciated very much. Thank you :)

[GingerPow]

Moorestown is a beautiful area.
It is expensive however, so you need to run the numbers comparing where you are now to what it will cost you to live there. That is the only downside that I am aware of.
There is much to recommend the area; it is lovely, about 10 miles from Philadelphia - which is a terrific city, plus just a couple+ hours from New York City, and even closer to the beautiful Jersey Shore. :D
The school system is excellent, the town center is quaint, it is family friendly. Lots of executives and 'retired' professional athletes in the area.

If you have not already read this, you may find it interesting:

http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/

Here is another site I find helpful:
http://www.bestplaces.net/

Best of luck!

[newtricks]

There was also a thread about the Money Magazine list and I think there were some "real-world" comments about Moorestown on that thread. I'm further north so don't know much about it. Love Philadelphia though.

More Jersey girls on the BB! :)

[Personal Chef]

Thanks for the direction!!!! I appreciate it :)

[SaraInWisc]

I grew up there! I won't say how long ago but mother stil lives in town. I would say it's a great place for families and the locations to the shore and "big cities" is great. Good luck with your decision!

[southjerseymom]

I grew up in Mt Laurel. It has grown tremendously over the last 20 years, like everywhere else, but it is a nice place to raise a family. Actually, Moorestown, Mt Laurel, Medford, Southampton, Voorhees, Marlton ALL have excellent schools and communities. The location is ideal to the Jersey Shore, Philly, NY, DC, Baltimore, and all major highways, including the turnpike. My parents still live in Mt Laurel. To me, it's become a little too congested. Same with Moorestown. I live in the Medford/Southampton area. I find it more peaceful, less chaotic AND you get more house and acreage for your money. I LOVE my neighborhood and schools. There's alot to do in NJ and the surrounding area. It's rich in history AND you have your pick in restaurants(nice variety of different cuisines). Good luck in finding a town!

[Personal Chef]

Yea!!! Two more votes for the area :) Thanks for sharing your experiences with me.

[Sookie]

I love Moorestown and Mt. Laurel. Mt. Laurel is spread out much more than Moorestown and has less of the "homey" feel to it IMHO. I live nearby to Moorestown and have friends who live there. It is really a beautiful little town. The homes there are expensive, but there are areas of Moorestown that are less expensive than those near the town center - such as the homes on Strawbridge Lake. They are still very, very nice homes.

I spend a lot of time in Philadelphia and absolutely love living near to Philadelphia. In fact, I think it is easier for me to go into the city than it is for some of my family who live in northeast Philadelphia. The restaurants are, as some others have said, outstanding.

I think New Jersey gets a bum rap in some cases. The area you might be going to is really lovely with lots of old estates, waterfront properties, and horse ranches - not to mention the gorgeous old trees.

[lindaofthelakes]

I was a corporate relo to this area about 15 years ago and think it is great. We ended up in Medford also (Hi SouthJerseyMom) and like a bit better than Mooretown/Mount Laurel since it has more trees/lakes/ open space. Downside if one is commuting to center city Philly or Camden area is that commute is 10-15 minutes longer than Moorestown.

i notice that you are moving from out of state. I was a bit shocked at first when I relocated at how much more expensive EVERYTHING (property tax, insurance, etc.) was in Jersey (and we're in South Jersey, North Jersey is much worse on many fronts).

Traffic is also a challenge especially if one is trying to commute into the city at normal rush hour times but is doable. From medford center city is a 45 minute to 1hour rush hour commute.

People are nice and friendly and there are LOTs of shopping malls :D and the shore is only 45 minutes to 1 hour away. Pm me for more specifics.

[Personal Chef]

Yeah!!! Two more votes! I'll have my husband read this thread. As time goes on I am sure more questions will come to mind. Thank you for taking the time to share with me your thoughts Mount Laurel/Moorestown. I sure hope we end up living in the area. It sounds too good to be true.

[southjerseymom]

Lindaofthelakes added very good info, Personal Chef. IMO the Medford/Southampton/Tabernacle area is ideal, if you don't mind the extra 15 minutes of driving. Yes, it can be taxing to drive to the City depending on the time of day, but it's so much more peaceful here. I have basically lived in South Jersey my whole life (except when I lived in Philly for 4yrs) and I'm very happy. Shopping along Rt 73 and 70 is great. We have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, LL Bean, JJill, Target HomeGoods, and oodles of other shopping. Yes Mt Laurel, Moorestown, and Marlton are in the hub of all the action, but like I said, it's just a bit too congested for me. Wherever you decide, know that NJ schools are excellent, we have some of the best hospitals in the country near us, and plenty of good colleges. Oh and great pizza, cheesesteaks, and hoagies!!!! My area seems to be more friendly (IMO and I think Linda will agree). I know people from all across the US who have relocated to this area, and they are very satisfied. I hope this all helps. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. Jersey gets a bum rap ( if you can look past the taxes, and cost of housing which believe it or not is more affordable than North Jersey), but it really is a great place to live!!

[Personal Chef]

Having a Trader Joe's nearby is worth the move alone. Thanks again South Jersey Mom :D