I have not explored every town in Warren County, NJ, so
there may be some more not listed here that would appeal to house hunters.
However, if you want to make a new start in a new place, there are definitely
some areas here which would be more welcoming to new people than others. In
these towns, you're more likely to find a higher percentage of people who settled here after
living elsewhere.
Why does this matter? Well, it just does. In the smallest,
tightest knit communities of Warren County, NJ, you get a certain self
preoccupation, or egocentricity, from the residents. "Our town, our roads, our grocery store, our mayor, our
kids..." It's not that they think new people are "bad" per se.
Rather, it's like they are a large family in their own right, and display
certain territorial behaviors.
(Note: I DO think that Warren County people are extra nice. I am NOT saying they're unkind. I AM kind of saying that the locals stick together.)
(Note: I DO think that Warren County people are extra nice. I am NOT saying they're unkind. I AM kind of saying that the locals stick together.)
Remember when the world was smaller, when people traveled
less, extended families stayed in one area rather than moving out state or even
out of the country? And of course there was no internet or cell phone
communication which inevitably broadens one's understanding of different
customs, cultures and ways of life. Well... living in a small, remote town is,
in a way, like the world the way it used to be. Local people talking about
local things, having little awareness of what goes on outside of that
protective little bubble – their microcosm of the bigger world.
It's still a little bit like that in Warren County, NJ. And
if you aren't from here but want to move here, then it makes sense to pick an
area where people would be more welcoming of an outsider. So let me give you
the best towns for that:
Pohatcong
Lopatcong
Greenwich/Stewartsville
Blairstown
As far as I know, the towns of Warren County
where *most* people were born there and are continuing the family tradition of
staying local include...
Belvidere
Oxford
Washington (?)
Harmony
White
Township
(There may be more - I am not sure.)
As far as other towns not mentioned here, I have not done
enough exploration to make any sort of assessment. Before you become a resident
of Warren County, find out more about what small
town life is like. You will either love it, or it will make you feel excluded.
Or maybe, a little of both.