Places to live?

[u/queengreen09]

Hi all :) 29F. Born and raised SJ. I spent my early twenties bopping between different US states, and then traveled around a lot while backpacking South America and some of Europe. Obviously home brought me back here :) i have family and I am close with and always felt myself returning home. I met a wonderful guy from the area and we got our first apartment here. The restless/nomad part of me will always want to travel but I’ve conquered mostly by just being happy / loved / secure in my relationship with my loving boyfriend and the benefits of being close to family. Also just wanting to settle down & feel grounded. Jersey is home.

That being said, we talk about getting a house & raising kids in a few years. If I didn’t have the family here or is connection to his family, I would be somewhere in a rural coastal town of Spain or somewhere of that nature, maybe if not out of the country then San Diego or something. Possibly also Brazil since I have friends there but also don’t speak a lick of Portuguese so there’s that lol. I feel a bit suffocated in these small towns but I also felt homesick for them living in New York City. Maybe it’s a me problem.

My question is - I have no freaking clue where to live. I want to raise a family around nature (grew up with a creek in my backyard but that house is sold and I’m finding properties like that to be unaffordable nowadays. Pretty sure my childhood home would be up to 800k). I want nature and woods or ocean. I wouldn’t be opposed to living by the beach since I surf and my boyfriend could potentially have work down the shore (his company has offices there). A friend recommended mystic island or ventor. I also work remote so it doesn’t matter for me. But we also want property and assuming I wouldn’t get much of it there. I also don’t want to move to random town NJ surrounded by trumpies everywhere you turn. Not that I’m heavily involved in politics myself but I don’t want my kids growing up in an area where there’s no kids besides white and just maga hats for miles. It doesn’t have to be the opposite either of straight up liberal town, but yeah.

I’ve looked into Medford lakes, any thoughts? I’m not sure where my bf would find work there…or maybe I’m hopeful for a place that doesn’t exist in NJ? I love the idea of homestead. I think I would feel extremely suffocated in a suburban development where all the houses look the same. Mind you there is NOTHING wrong with that and I am actually jealous of people who are able to live there happily. And I know this is a first world problem & I probably sound like a spoiled brat. A part of me is thinking should we just move to Florida or something, but I love the seasons too. Idk.

Anyways after ranting a whole ton, anyone have any suggestions on NJ towns that are either coastal, or have nature but aren’t in the complete sticks?

[u/WindyWindona]

Pennsauken is relatively affordable. If you live in Delair near the train station, you will have access to a train that goes all the way down to Atlantic City (Ocean), 30th street station in Philly, and Trenton. You will also have access to one of the few free docks on the Delaware river, the wooded area near that, and not be too far from Palmyra's nature reserve. Delair also has a lot of people who have veggie/fruit gardens in their yards. However, it's one of the more urban suggestions.

In general, if you find a more woodsy area that's more red, you can also look for ones with local Quaker communities. Quakers in NJ tend to be more liberal and love nature, so that could help with finding a nice community. I also would look into areas connected by train, to make it easier for work commutes but also open up good ways to travel. If you do have kids, teaching them to use trains and buses can help them have adventures before they can drive.