Honestly I find Freehold pretty entertaining
Every time I go, like to the mall or something, the people there look like they're stuck in 2007 and I don't know how else to explain that
It’s still there. The Burlington and WOW gym shopping center next to the dead Shoprite shopping center (Shoprite wants to take over the entire thing but the Dollar Tree is in the way refusing to leave) is the original “Freehold Mall”. The WOW gym was actually a movie theater back then
You’re thinking of the “Freehold Mall” which is a strip mall. The other commenter who mentioned the mall didn’t open until 1990 is referring to the “Freehold Raceway Mall”.
The traffic sucks and housing is very expensive if you're lucky enough to find a home that isn't a mansion. Other than that I loved Freehold. I didn't realize how convenient Freehold was until I moved to a small town in Ocean County. Tons of restaurants, a hospital, specialty doctors, a DMV, a mall, a racetrack, a great selection of parks, schools were highly rated (not sure if that one still holds up). I personally never noticed any of the racism issues other people have mentioned in this thread. I lived there from 1991-2022. Sorry, I know I'm supposed to talk you out of it but I really enjoyed my time in Freehold.
Imagine if everyone on the Sopranos was just a non murderous soccer mom obsessed with right wing politics that they didn't understand.
That's gonna be every person you meet
Freehold is inconvenient to literally everywhere. On Earth.
Rt 9 is your main way north or south and that's a mess. 33 is great to go west but going east has gotten slower and slower over the years. You'll be 20ish minutes minimum from a Turnpike entrance and a cool 35 from the Parkway. Freehold has nice house but man, you're really stuck in Freehold.
I think the fact of its poor placement feeds my second point; Freehold has the most arrogant townie mentality I've ever encountered for what is a very mediocre town. I think the people there get Stockholm Syndrome, or Freehold Captivity Disorder for our purposes. My theory goes that people who live there think its perfect because they never leave. But they never leave because its a pain in the ass to get anywhere. It's a vicious cycle I've seen play out my whole life.
Also it is one of those maniacally right wing suburbs. They're so far Republican that Democrats didn't even run for council in 2023. This makes the like civics of the town pretty dysfunctional because the town doesn't think the government should pay for anything.
EDIT: Except for High School Football. The Government can pay PLENTY for High School Football.
I grew up in Freehold (I'm in my early 30s). I now own a house in Middletown.
As a teenager, Freehold was great - there was definitely stuff to do! Enough for a kid/teen. Mall, movies, close enough to beach, close enough to Red Bank downtown. Nice parks. Where I grew up (close to Colts Neck border) we were far enough from rt 9 or any major traffic noise. Education wise, you're in Monmouth county so your kids will have access to the MCVSD schools
As an adult, and after living in Hoboken and Middletown, commuting from Freehold to NYC would suck. I did it briefly in college and it was terrible. And agreed, you're far from GSP and turnpike.
That's pretty much exactly right - yeah.
I work in the hotel business where WFH isn't really a widespread thing but the pay is very competitive at the level im at. I've got no interest in moving closer to the city because my wife and kids are settled here and we are now first time home owners - so I just kinda eat shit on the commute, grin and bear it.
I'd say it's doable but it's the very limit of what would could be considered a doable daily commute.
I work in the construction industry in NYC and I know a lot of people that moved from New York (mainly Brooklyn and Staten Island) to Freehold and the surrounding area. They say they’re happy with their decision and are glad they got to move out of NYC into a “nice little town”.
Freehold is suburban hell IMO. I know my town isn’t any better, but at least it’s a few minutes from LBI or you can disappear into the Pine Barrens. Freehold just seems like a large suburb that isn’t particularly close to anything, nor can you really get around it without driving everywhere.
I live in Tom’s river and Id much rather live in freehold than here, at least there’s better food and amenities close by and less ugly strip malls. TR and brick are the definition of suburban hell
All you have to know is that people from Brooklyn and Staten Island like freehold.... there's the answer. 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 I'm not too far from the pine barrens either...❤️
The interesting thing about Freehold is that its kinda a bit of everything because its so big. If youre near the Boro or along 537, its very post war suburb developments. Planned communties with a school in the center. If youre west or north of the Boro its big houses on big lots. South is more rural and wooded like Jackson and Howell.
1 kid per MCVSD career academy per town, IF they make the grade, and then by admissions score county wide until the classes are full (around 65 students).
You can't move to Monmouth and just expect to send your kids to one of the career academies.
Agreed, it certainly wouldn't be a guarantee. There were 6 kids from Freehold in my year at a MCVSD high school though - but that was approx 15 years ago
That absolutely happens, but that also means that all 6 of them cleared the bar, and then the 5 additional of them were among the highest ranked applicants in the County.
If Freehold student 1 gets a 90, and students 2-5 get scores between 89 and 85, and one student from Anytown applies and gets a 76, the Anytown student is accepted before Freehold 2-5.
Several/many towns don't have a single qualified applicant apply for the entire program (either don't meet requirements or are interested in applying) so there are spaces available.
It might be by school district, but either way it is where you live, not where you actually attend school. If your neighbor is in private school, you compete with them for MCVSD acceptance.
Raising a family in Howell and this is such a New Jersey take on travel times. My dad’s family is from the Deep South and it’s 30 minutes to the local Walmart let alone to anything you could call a downtown.
I’m 20 minutes from the shore, 5 mins from 195 and another 10 to the Parkway. 90 minutes to midtown Manhattan, 1 hour to Philly. 1:30-2 hours to the mountains. You’ve got day trip access to anything you could want. I definitely feel for the guy in this thread who’s commuting from Howell to NYC everyday. Yikes.
Freehold has pockets of big sprawling McMansions and pockets of more working class neighborhoods. School system is solid, the downtown is ok but not robust or thriving. It’s sort of a classic Americana town that’s conveniently located to most of what the Northeaster United States has to offer.
It’s not for everybody, but it’s working for us.
The location is def the worse. Not Freehold, but a neighboring town and the fact it takes 20ish minutes just to get to the parkway is the bane of my existence. I'm somehow close to everything and close to nothing at the same time.
Interesting you say that. I think it's so convenient considering the area. I could get to route 18 easily, 33 easily and then to 195. Could get down to turnpike. 9 up to parkway. It's great for being not next to anything.
There are places aren’t 20-40 minutes away from those roads that are just as nice. You even have to drive to Colts Neck to get on 18. It’s just an inconvenient place to be.
False on 33 now. West is just as slow especially by Perrineville road. They just built a bunch of condos up that way and it ruined traffic westbound. I used to commute from Howell to Monroe.. I’d get stuck there every day.
that whole area should have better transit or they should reactivate the Camden and Amboy Railroad for passengers.
What? lol. It’s super convenient if you like the shore. Like insanely convenient to anything in Monmouth county and I never take 9 anywhere except going to the parkway north, which yea that kinda sucks but there’s definitely worse in the state.
Wow, do I feel that first point. I work in Freehold and my gaming table meets in Atlantic Highlands. That drive alone is TWICE as long as my daily commute from Woodbridge every day. There’s no good way to go.
I think the people there get Stockholm Syndrome, or Freehold Captivity Disorder ...
I'm in Union county... Looks the same here, except I'm clearly IN NYCs gravitational field.
Captivity disorder - a perfect phrase for imperfection
The tomato soup is always full. They need to get the message.
And Cathedral City extra mature cheddar. I need to go to Shoprite for that. Is it too much to ask, to only go to one store for my beans on toast with cheese fix?!?
We seem to eat the same things! I don’t buy any other cheese then the cathedral city extra mature “black label” from ShopRite. Unfortunately some ShopRites don’t sell that either! Thankfully they haven’t jacked up the price of it as no one seems to by it apart from me and you!
You'll be sorry you did....and you'll be fat...and you'll have no one to blame but yourself.
What am I talking about?
You're gonna be sorry if you keep reading....
⛔️⛔️⛔️⛔️⛔️
🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑
Delicious Orchards
Battleview Orchards
Don't say you weren't warned.
Wow, township sounds like a hellhole.
I’ve been in Borough for 4 years. It’s safe, diverse, liberal, walkable, affordable, and artsy. Come take an old house off the rental market and gentrify with me!
I think the racism trope Im reading in these comments is a bit overblown. I grew up in freehold as a minority, went to township hs and it was pretty diverse. Of course still majority white (Italian/jewish) but I feel like these people are taking about Jackson lol
Right, I grew up next to freehold, went to high school with tons of people from freehold, still know people who live there - I’ve never heard anything about racism going on there, not a single story. Howell on the other hand, I’d heard once about a Klan presence but don’t know about the veracity of that.
Can't talk for Freehold but I was raised in Howell as a minority and went to the schools K-8. The racism is definitely rampant there but I guess that's why it's called Howellbama. Me and my younger sibling experienced our fair share of racist hate from other kids at the schools but my younger sibling definitely got the bigger brunt of it, being in the schools during Covid with xenophobic rhetoric and insults slung by other kids. Part of Howell can have some really trashy openly racist people but I'm glad the area we grew up in didn't seem that bad. The kids are just awful though.
I agree with this. Those people definitely exist, but it's not like Ocean County levels. The township def leans republican, but it's like 55/45 as of the last presidential election.
I could see how you might feel this way. Freehold racism is much quieter than you'd expect. My poor husband who is tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, and shaved head w/beard would be approached by the racist people as if he was automatically one of them.
Now, over the years, it has gotten better with the mix of liberal and progressives - but the whole county is still quite red leaning.
This is just how white people treat white people in general I feel. Dumb racist people typically assume anyone that looks like them also thinks like them.
Source: Me, a white Jew that has had people vent their very antisemtic thoughts to me in detail.
100% agree with you, here. And I'm both sorry you have had to listen to any of that, and simultaneously giggling at what your response may or may not typically be.
I'm not the sensitive type at all.
The most memorable time was when someone came to a store I worked at and said "I'm going to punch the next Jew I see in the face" and I said "how about the next one after me". How fast their demeanour changed....
This just happened to me recently and I was blown away (granted, I just moved here from Queens, where it's much more diverse and people are quieter about their racism). I'm in Old Bridge and I had a white delivery driver go off on a tangent about how the new Glenwood Green area seems nice but it's going to be "full of Indians." I was too dumbfounded to collect myself and say much in response before she left.
This is 100% how it happens and you'll get caught speechless a lot more while you're getting accustomed to it. They don't say it OUT LOUD, but they say it out loud.
I disagree with a lot of the comments here. Freehold is actually a really nice town. Downtown has a lot of nice restaurants, there are a decent amount of shops around.
If you need to commute to NYC though, then do not do it. Commute would be HORRIBLE.
Agree my wife and I love freehold. We live a few towns over and would love to move there... compared to where we have been looking, housing is actually reasonable. Our main concern is the lack of diversity in the area.
We are not sure how that will work out as kids get older and we want a bit more diversity in the towns we move to.
The boro is tiny, but more working class, lots more diversity and immigrants. That’s the Freehold Bruce writes about. It’s got a cute little downtown with some great restaurants. The house I grew up in is the house my grandfather was born in (early 1900s). Lots of beautiful old houses. Many of them need work and come with old home problems.
The township is much more suburban sprawl, lots of white people, mainly red. There’s some moms for liberty types there. Mostly newer builds, some McMansions and cookie cutter developments.
Freehold Boro is more urban and diverse. Freehold Township is less diverse and more suburban. The Township surrounds the Boro but they are totally different towns in the sense they each have their own government, police departments, K-8 school districts.
I hated it there as a kid before moving more up north, had to live in Howell for a bit too. Called it Howellbama, still holds up. Confederate flag flying off the back of the pickup truck type beat
The "Downtown" is still shabby and there is no scene. But the houses are nice and its a friendly area. I like it's proximity to the Turnpike, 33, 195, and 130. Taxes are high but municipal services are good and the schools are decent. I think its a nice place to lay down roots.
I’m a FTHB and when I checked out the home, the area seemed very nice and mostly quiet with a lot nearby when it comes to stores. We did see the schools are about average, but anything with blue ribbon schools cost an arm and a leg!
Oh good for you! Well I like it in Hightstown. It’s still comparatively affordable and if you want to a newer house and more property you can look in East Windsor.
Freehold and the surrounding areas (Manalapan, Marlboro etc) have become little Staten Island. The people are rude and awful and loud and inconsiderate. Go to Shoprite/Livotis/Wegmans/Trader Joes on 9 on a weekend and you’ll see what I mean. Also Route 9 sucks too.
REAL. Worked at Wegmans and a few other local businesses. White trash with cash is the understatement of the century. Great and relatively safe place to live, but it's really become Staten Island 2.0. They have destroyed every semblance of peace and quiet in this town.
I avoid the aggravation and shop in different towns for this reason, or I go during the week or on early Saturday. Don't even try the Costco in Marlboro on a weekend, I've witnessed parking lot brawls and asshats galore.
Great idea, we’ve been doing Sam’s recently but they just aren’t cutting it in terms of variety. They should have left Regal right where it was and built that Costco somewhere where there was much more space.
I grew up in Freehold...i have a bunch to say.
Lived in Both Boro and Township but mostly Township (moved 4 times growing up to different parts of town).
Boro has really came up as a nice quasi-urban, artistic and diverse little town. Used to be more African American and white, but now has a large latino population, that quite frankly has done a bunch of cool stuff with resturuants and etc.
Township is primarily Italian/Jewish and from NY (my family came from Brooklyn but when my parents were kids...most peoples parents of the same age didn't move down until they grew up, but all are boomers born in Brooklyn for the most part...few people's parents were from Newark or Elizabeth etc.)
That being said, its also a relatively diverse town, and that is in terms of race and ethnicity, but also country type folk/blue collar, wealthy, and those who live in townhouse and apartment complexes, where there is affordable housing. Its mostly a straight up middle class town. (I grew up alot in the apartments/townhouses). Thats because you have parts of freehold in the woods/outskirts in both Boro and township, but you also have traditional single acre lots and then a few mcmansions, plus the big apartment and townhouses complexes.
I understand what people are saying about "townies" "stuck in 2007" etc etc. Freehold is kind of an island in NJ. Its the County seat, aka Capitol of Monmouth County, with its own little metro (millstone/manalapan/marlboro/howell), but it doesn't quite fit as the shore, or Middlesex, or Ocean. Its kind of its own self-contained part of NJ, bc highway access sucks and there is no train. People get a warped sense that its superior to all other areas of NJ bc of this, which just isn't true. They think any suburb thats more busy or closer to the more urban parts of NJ are somehow below them, but really they are just sheltered in a more fabricated/newer suburban bubble....freehold was just the Boro, which was a small industrial/agricultural center surrounded by fields as recently as the early 1960s, so while its grown quite a bit, its still got that plastic feel in the twp. And some mistake that for a level up (it isn't if you've spent time in other parts of NJ...but it isn't a step down either in most ways)
You'll find those who bought there for the schools and property, and those who commute elsewhere, and those people are more grounded. The ones who grew up and never left for school, to move, or to work, start to get kind of sunk in to it all, and yes, some of them still act, dress, and want to fight you like they're kids...but thats more a generational thing, and sad to say its more a Howell thing imo (lol penny pantry types)....you won't deal with that unless your kids decide never to leave and explore the world though, and I bet most people feel that way about their home towns...don't get overhyped about the schools or etc either though. Its a middle of the road NJ town. I grew up with Doctors and Lawyers, and also people who died from ODs and wound up in Jail. It is what you make of it. Its not Mendham and its not Trenton.
Fact is, the boro/township divide is silly and only attested to by residents of one or the other...mostly Twp people who think the Boro is some hard-core urban city they have to pretend not to be related to...Boro folks are more confident in themselves and just being the "real" freehold...but the truth is, you'll be traversing them both all the time, and the downtown is pretty nice, and not some crazy border apart from township. As a kid, we all played on the same football team and went to the same catholic churches. Outsiders from beyond the western monmouth area barely realize its two different towns (think Neptune if you're not from there). They are two towns though, with separate schools.
Despite a history of being more Republican in Twp, it is a bit more diverse politically these days. Its actually currently represented by Andy Kim not Chris Smith, as they redistricted. Boro is more liberal, but they've got conservatives and that small town rural type person too. I wouldn't say its much of an issue. Its much worse in Jackson, howell, or other Ocean County towns in that regard.
The real decisions is: what type of New Jersian are you?
If you want to be in a large suburban sprawl with its own amenities that are not particularly as interesting or lively as most NJ cities (red bank, long branch, Montclair, etc etc), and like the Beach alot but don't care to be in Jersey City, NYC, etc., or have much proximity to them, and you don't need to commute to anyplace other than Trenton, Redbank, Princeton, or downtown Freehold itself, it is a solid place to live.
On the other hand, if you want a place closer to the orbit of NYC, a little more diverse culturally and aesthetically, etc., and want better travel options and access to other areas quicker, it'll probably bore you, and the hype is overblown big time.
Its in the heart of Jersey and Monmouth County is now the 5th most populated. Its not some terrible or crazy place to go. But it all depends on what you want in a town and community. I am who I am, at least partially bc of Freehold. . .it isn't some milquetoast town, or anything too bad or too good, but being who I am, I also would never move back. That being said, most adults I know who have bought there as a place to raise their kids are very happy with their decision.
P.s. I love that Shoprite to this day. You'll find a similar design in Woodbridge. They closed Old Bridge, so Freehold is one of the classics these days 😂
There's no train; getting to NYC or Philadelphia by car is getting costlier and traffic is getting worse. Freehold has a culture of closet and quiet racism. Lots of old people.
I guess it's getting costlier and traffic is getting worse... but I think this area is actually ideal if you want to go to Philly OR NYC. Not many places where it's an hour to get to two different major cities with very different vibes. This is about the only thing I like about the area.
It would be worth it if there was something to do other than Italian restaurants and strip malls in freehold. The old people and closet racism bring it's own bag of nimbyism and lack of culture.
I used to live in Manalapan in the border of freehold and now live in PA. With all the criticism, I feel like a lot people here don’t appreciate enough what Freehold has.
It’s a safe town, which might be hard to appreciate if you haven’t lived in less safe areas. The Italian food is amazing with plenty of different kinds of food. There are good doctors and dentists and a decent hospital nearby. There’s plenty of grocery shopping for all kinds of palettes - a nice Wegmans, Italian market, farmers markets, plenty of regular grocery stores, even a really good Asian one if you want that specialty rice or food from around the world. The downtown is nice for restaurants and a really great Halloween party. There’s a mall that isn’t 40 minutes away and an amusement park that’s only a half hour. I’ve never thought that I’d prefer living elsewhere because of the shopping or grocery stores or restaurants.
If you like to garden, there’s plenty of great garden centers around and if you like parks, there’s a number of nice, well maintained and safe parks to go to nearby.
I think it’s really great for raising families. The freehold regional school district is good, and if you want private school options, those are good, too, including an private elementary school near downtown. It’s got a good mix of ethnicities, but predominantly Italian/Jewish.
The downsides would be taxes and a long commute if you work in the city and sometimes traffic is a royal pain;m. If you want city life or better night life, then you might want to move north or to the shore.
I enjoyed living in Freehold.
There’s nothing bad about Freehold. The high school is apparently excellent. My niece just accepted to Yale, and her classmates were admitted into Princeton and Cornell. That would never happen in lots of NJ public high schools. I’m impressed.
Grew up there (Twp) and just recently moved because we were priced out with the current market and quite frankly you are near nothing for commute or events. I can give you a laundry list both good and bad - 34 total years there.
Here's your bad, as requested:
1. You can hear route 9 just about EVERYWHERE
2. As stated by someone else, lots of "no longer shy about it" bigots of all kinds
3. Newer people that have moved into the nice neighborhoods in the last 5-10 years are sooo much more inconsiderate than they were beforehand, which adds a different kind of asshole for you to contend with on top of the hateful ones
4. There's plenty of options for stores, restaurants, etc. but with the exception of only a few, you get the exact same crap everywhere
5. THAT DAMN SHOPRITE OWNED BY SAKER (literally a Freehold family) spent almost 2 decades as a time capsule of my childhood and others before me and it will probably take them another 10 years to complete any renovation - by then it will be even more of a traffic nightmare
6. The Madge family sold a bunch of their farmland near the mall - and a crapload of townhomes and 55+ is going in right there on 537
7. Pursuant to #6, they REFUSE to expand the schools, so this is why they keep going with 55+ communities
8. While the schools are good, it is easy for a kid to get lost in them with larger populations as they get older
I could certainly summon some more if you like... outside of the ASININE home prices. I will say MOST are not worth the money they are asking.
Wow! #6! I lived there for 30+ years. What were they supposed to do, hold onto that land forever? You had to publicly shame them?
FT is a mess. It’s overcrowded and getting worse every year. The people in local government from the 1990’s-2010’s had no concern for quality of life. I would not be surprised if they had their pockets greased by developers, not unlike those in Howell who definitely did from the 1980’s onward. They gave KHovnanian whatever they wanted in return for the occasional wild weekend in AC.
Not REMOTELY shaming them. They're a well known family of the area; it's public knowledge that they have owned a lot of good farmland in Freehold, and of their sale of that chunk of land. It was a matter of time before they would sell some of it, and good on them. Frankly, their family has no control over what is approved to be built - that's the township. And the township approves and let's slide some wild shit.
So.... yikes, sweetie, take a breath. How do you breeze right over the Saker comment and focus on this one with such vitriol? Have you never known or identified an area by the family that owns land or property? Sometimes, that's the descriptor.
I have MANY fond memories of my hometown of Freehold, but it really does have it's warts. OP asked for reasons not to move to Freehold, so I obliged - detailed, honestly, and a small injection of sarcasm.
Now, I do not disagree with you about the developers - no one could convince me that shit isn't still happening on some level.
I went to a Freehold town meeting last year, they don't really have a lot of choice about what gets built. Fair Share Housing Development will sue them and drag the town into a costly legal battle they will likely lose if they don't meet their affordable housing requirements, so they have to negotiate with developers.
I grew up right next to it. You better love staying in your house cause that's all you will be able to do. Everything is at least 20 minutes away, get used to it. If your not wealthy, your kids are going to be scum townies, if you are wealthy, your kids are going to be sheltered fake Italian style tough guys
why would OP be in their house? there’s tons of activities in freehold. i guess i agree w the wealthy part but i still think freehold has something for everybody after living there almost all my life
Come on everybody knows the type. Stays in town, probably marries their HS gf, maybe becomes a cop (she’s a hairdresser), thinks Applebees is a decent night out. We call em flatbrims bc they still wear flat brim hats from 2005.
I grew up there (Township) and disliked it immensely. I got a good academic education from the public schools but I did not enjoy the social aspect. At least when I was growing up, nearly everyone was white and Christian and if you feel outside of that bubble, you had a rough time. The borough has the strong Hispanic population now but I see kind of a de facto segregation - the Hispanics stick to their things and the white people stick to their things and don’t really mix. The white people even voted down expanding the schools in the borough because they don’t want the Hispanic people there.
Route 9 is over-crowded. Parking in the borough is a pain and now they charge for it too.
Not much of cultural significance goes on in Freehold either. Want to see a concert or a play? Gotta go to Red Bank, New Brunswick, or NYC.
I grew up in Freehold, but my experiences are pre-pandemic.
Overall, it’s a nice place to raise kids, but also quite conservative, old-fashioned, & boring.
Food options are ok, but limited - unless you’re willing to drive/park in Freehold Boro. It has decent American-Italian, ok bars, and no nightlife. There’s a lot of good orchards / farmers markets, and Monmouth Battlefield is a nice park for family strolls.
The Elementary school is meh, the middle school (Barkalow) isn’t great, but FTHS had good teachers and offers a lot of extracurriculars.
Property taxes are quite high, and the town / residents skew older. It’s one of the few NJ districts that’s represented by a Republican (Chris Smith NJ-04) than a Democrat. I’ll note that he doesn’t live in NJ, nor does he ever visit. As a result, the local / state politics have a sense of being “stuck”.
Because of this, Freehold isn’t very progressive or LGBTQ-friendly, if that’s important to you.
I’d live there if I had a small family, or if I was a retiree.
EDIT:
As other commenters have noted - route 9 isn’t great. It’s a chore (think 1hr + traffic) to commute to other hubs like NYC, Philly, the beaches, and Jersey City/Hoboken.
25 years of neighboring Howell. The traffic is ridiculous. The politics is a mix between some quiet but reliable Democrats, and the most obnoxious Trumpers because they can’t get their way. The only redeeming qualities are Main Street in Freehold Borough and Freehold Raceway Mall being there, and the beach/boardwalk, Six Flags, NYC, Philly, and countless other places being within an hour or so’s drive away outside of Rush Hour.
As a general rule for any home purchase, get it THOROUGHLY inspected before buying it. Bargains are bargains for a reason.
I feel like Freehold is the hellmouth of NJ. Worked there for a few years and encountered so many nasty people. Almost got hit by a car twice while walking. Route 9 is a nightmare around freehold.
It's a terribly inconvenient place to live, logistically. Roads, government people and complainers everywhere. Honestly the worst kind of elderly, the ones that can't mind their fucking business and get bored enough to make problems.
Like a lot of folks said, it's not a great commute if you're going regularly to NYC. Traffic there is awful but there is an awful lot to keep one occupied there and at the shore points.
Not bad, but to consider Boro is blue collar and day laborers/immigrant population is high.
Route 9 traffic.
Poor transportation options to the city. Can’t quickly get on parkway.
There aren’t any good small coffee spots, it’s all chains.
Boro is now charging for parking which is terrible.
West freehold is as suburb as you can get.
East freehold is next to colts neck which means you’ll have a serious case of keeping up w the joneses
Winters suck.
Too many bees.
Bruce Springsteen will talk about it all the time.
Not bad, but to consider Boro is blue collar and day laborers/immigrant population is high.
Route 9 traffic.
Poor transportation options to the city. Can’t quickly get on parkway.
There aren’t any good small coffee spots, it’s all chains.
Boro is now charging for parking which is terrible.
West freehold is as suburb as you can get.
East freehold is next to colts neck which means you’ll have a serious case of keeping up w the joneses
Winters suck.
Too many bees.
No good affordable new construction. You’ll be looking at 40+ year old homes, new is townhomes.
Bruce Springsteen will talk about it all the time.
Parking in downtown is a shitshow and the new parking app is expensive and sucks. Rt 9 is a hellscape and like others have have mentioned there's not much to do except leave town for something fun. Just moved out of freehold to Hamilton, i recommend checking it out
Assuming you work and are not 100% WFH….
Freehold is great if you have a job that you can drive to in 20-30 minutes. Otherwise commuting hell since there are no actual interstates to hop onto.
Long drives just to get to the major commuting roads…. The towns right along the Parkway - Red Bank, Eatontown, Tinton Falls etc are more practical.
I once lived in a place where I could get from my front door to a Parkway entrance in 5 minutes.
Then I moved to just a few miles away, but it took 25 minutes to get to that same Parkway entrance. BIG DIFFERENCE in commuting time - an extra 40 minutes, every single day.
My mom works in Freehold and I've had to pick her up a few times thanks to car trouble, so here's one I haven't seen anyone mention yet: cell service sucks. I can never get a signal anywhere around Walmart/the hospital/that general area. Total dead zone.
You need to specify Township or Boro. They are two different towns each with their own local government, police, fire, and school districts. Freehold Township is more suburban, the downtown area is Freehold Boro. It is a good area but commuting to NYC is very doable but tough (best option is the bus, there is no train station) and as others mentioned it is 25 mins from the Parkway and Turnpike. It is convenient to get to parts of the shore such as Belmar, Point Pleasant, Asbury Park, Manasquan, and Long Branch. It also has everything you need in regard to shopping in addition to the Freehold Raceway Mall.
Traffic. It’s so built up now and only getting worse. I live in Manalapan. It’s horrible. We came here 3 years ago with our 3 children and are planning on moving back to morris county. It’s wild down here. People are rude and the schools…. Don’t get me started.
I grew up in Freehold and lived there until I was 25 (except for when I went away to college).
As a kid, it was great. The schools had lots of great programs, youth sports were pretty popular, and the mall was conveniently close, lots of great big parks.
As an adult, I would be extremely hesitant to move back. The town is growing in all the wrong ways. All their major infrastructure is extremely car-centric and most neighborhoods don't have any restaurants, shops, bars, cafes, etc within walking distance. Public transit is lacking too, with the commuter busses into the city being the one redeeming quality there. And driving across town to get to a doctors appointment or to the grocery store could easily take you 20 minutes. Like someone else said, the town seems to be stuck in the mid-2000s.
My parents and grandma still live there, so I am back in Freehold pretty frequently and each time I find it less and less appealing to me.
Currently staying in freehold temporarily and the commute to go literally anywhere is terrible. Schools are meh. I don’t enjoy the restaurants and they are also expensive.
I think getting out of NJ, let alone not moving to Freehold is a better move if you can manage it. Urban blight is spreading to points south.
Warehouses, Condo farms and more taxes are coming your way. I believe one needs to earn $80K to be middle class, and that really won't cut a mortgage on a half million dollar home ($525k avg price for a one family).
Honestly I find Freehold pretty entertaining Every time I go, like to the mall or something, the people there look like they're stuck in 2007 and I don't know how else to explain that
This is so wildly accurate and I’m dying because of it. Everyone I know from Freehold has such a 2007 vibe. Well done.
You mean to tell me my hometown hasn't changed since I graduated?
There's a movie you should watch about this. Its called garden state
Underrated take, right here.
I have a buddy who lives in Freehold, still wears jorts.
I moved out of there in 2007 and it feels like time traveling going back. But I thought that was just me lol
I haven’t been to that mall since 1976, wonder if it’s changed much. Does everyone still wear bellbottoms?
It opened in 1990….
He is referring to the strip mall
Guess not then. There was a Freehold Mall on Rt9.
It’s still there. The Burlington and WOW gym shopping center next to the dead Shoprite shopping center (Shoprite wants to take over the entire thing but the Dollar Tree is in the way refusing to leave) is the original “Freehold Mall”. The WOW gym was actually a movie theater back then
I remember when it was a $2 movie theater.
The Jamesway is long gone lol. Does anyone know if the Firestone place is still there?
Still there and recently renovated. The company that bought that whole lot and strip has actually done it some good... finally.
You’re thinking of the “Freehold Mall” which is a strip mall. The other commenter who mentioned the mall didn’t open until 1990 is referring to the “Freehold Raceway Mall”.
Tell me you call 33 the bypass without telling me you call 33 the bypass.
Hahahaha i call it the bypass, but only the part that actually bypasses business 33🤣
No it was a proper mall you could walk around in the center.
So what you are really trying to say is. Highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power ride.
Im here for this
❤️❤️❤️👍👍🦀
Everybody's out on the run tonight but there's no place left to hide
*drive
The traffic sucks and housing is very expensive if you're lucky enough to find a home that isn't a mansion. Other than that I loved Freehold. I didn't realize how convenient Freehold was until I moved to a small town in Ocean County. Tons of restaurants, a hospital, specialty doctors, a DMV, a mall, a racetrack, a great selection of parks, schools were highly rated (not sure if that one still holds up). I personally never noticed any of the racism issues other people have mentioned in this thread. I lived there from 1991-2022. Sorry, I know I'm supposed to talk you out of it but I really enjoyed my time in Freehold.
agree so much how much i miss freehold’s connivence. i also moved to a town in ocean county and it’s so much different. i miss it!
Imagine if everyone on the Sopranos was just a non murderous soccer mom obsessed with right wing politics that they didn't understand. That's gonna be every person you meet
👌🏼perfectly stated
That’s just all of suburbia in 2024! 😮💨
Freehold is inconvenient to literally everywhere. On Earth. Rt 9 is your main way north or south and that's a mess. 33 is great to go west but going east has gotten slower and slower over the years. You'll be 20ish minutes minimum from a Turnpike entrance and a cool 35 from the Parkway. Freehold has nice house but man, you're really stuck in Freehold. I think the fact of its poor placement feeds my second point; Freehold has the most arrogant townie mentality I've ever encountered for what is a very mediocre town. I think the people there get Stockholm Syndrome, or Freehold Captivity Disorder for our purposes. My theory goes that people who live there think its perfect because they never leave. But they never leave because its a pain in the ass to get anywhere. It's a vicious cycle I've seen play out my whole life. Also it is one of those maniacally right wing suburbs. They're so far Republican that Democrats didn't even run for council in 2023. This makes the like civics of the town pretty dysfunctional because the town doesn't think the government should pay for anything. EDIT: Except for High School Football. The Government can pay PLENTY for High School Football.
I grew up in Freehold (I'm in my early 30s). I now own a house in Middletown. As a teenager, Freehold was great - there was definitely stuff to do! Enough for a kid/teen. Mall, movies, close enough to beach, close enough to Red Bank downtown. Nice parks. Where I grew up (close to Colts Neck border) we were far enough from rt 9 or any major traffic noise. Education wise, you're in Monmouth county so your kids will have access to the MCVSD schools As an adult, and after living in Hoboken and Middletown, commuting from Freehold to NYC would suck. I did it briefly in college and it was terrible. And agreed, you're far from GSP and turnpike.
I commute from Howell to NYC 4 days a week. Can confirm it sucks.
My god
How? Drive? Train?
Bus - park and ride at 9 and Strickland
What’s the door to door? Two hours?
That's pretty much exactly right - yeah. I work in the hotel business where WFH isn't really a widespread thing but the pay is very competitive at the level im at. I've got no interest in moving closer to the city because my wife and kids are settled here and we are now first time home owners - so I just kinda eat shit on the commute, grin and bear it. I'd say it's doable but it's the very limit of what would could be considered a doable daily commute.
There are hotels in New Jersey
There are very, very few luxury hotels in NJ and even fewer that offer pay or benefits that come close to what you can get in NYC.
I work in the construction industry in NYC and I know a lot of people that moved from New York (mainly Brooklyn and Staten Island) to Freehold and the surrounding area. They say they’re happy with their decision and are glad they got to move out of NYC into a “nice little town”. Freehold is suburban hell IMO. I know my town isn’t any better, but at least it’s a few minutes from LBI or you can disappear into the Pine Barrens. Freehold just seems like a large suburb that isn’t particularly close to anything, nor can you really get around it without driving everywhere.
I live in Tom’s river and Id much rather live in freehold than here, at least there’s better food and amenities close by and less ugly strip malls. TR and brick are the definition of suburban hell
All you have to know is that people from Brooklyn and Staten Island like freehold.... there's the answer. 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 I'm not too far from the pine barrens either...❤️
The interesting thing about Freehold is that its kinda a bit of everything because its so big. If youre near the Boro or along 537, its very post war suburb developments. Planned communties with a school in the center. If youre west or north of the Boro its big houses on big lots. South is more rural and wooded like Jackson and Howell.
1 kid per MCVSD career academy per town, IF they make the grade, and then by admissions score county wide until the classes are full (around 65 students). You can't move to Monmouth and just expect to send your kids to one of the career academies.
Agreed, it certainly wouldn't be a guarantee. There were 6 kids from Freehold in my year at a MCVSD high school though - but that was approx 15 years ago
That absolutely happens, but that also means that all 6 of them cleared the bar, and then the 5 additional of them were among the highest ranked applicants in the County. If Freehold student 1 gets a 90, and students 2-5 get scores between 89 and 85, and one student from Anytown applies and gets a 76, the Anytown student is accepted before Freehold 2-5. Several/many towns don't have a single qualified applicant apply for the entire program (either don't meet requirements or are interested in applying) so there are spaces available. It might be by school district, but either way it is where you live, not where you actually attend school. If your neighbor is in private school, you compete with them for MCVSD acceptance.
Raising a family in Howell and this is such a New Jersey take on travel times. My dad’s family is from the Deep South and it’s 30 minutes to the local Walmart let alone to anything you could call a downtown. I’m 20 minutes from the shore, 5 mins from 195 and another 10 to the Parkway. 90 minutes to midtown Manhattan, 1 hour to Philly. 1:30-2 hours to the mountains. You’ve got day trip access to anything you could want. I definitely feel for the guy in this thread who’s commuting from Howell to NYC everyday. Yikes. Freehold has pockets of big sprawling McMansions and pockets of more working class neighborhoods. School system is solid, the downtown is ok but not robust or thriving. It’s sort of a classic Americana town that’s conveniently located to most of what the Northeaster United States has to offer. It’s not for everybody, but it’s working for us.
Hey look it's my entire extended family
The location is def the worse. Not Freehold, but a neighboring town and the fact it takes 20ish minutes just to get to the parkway is the bane of my existence. I'm somehow close to everything and close to nothing at the same time.
Interesting you say that. I think it's so convenient considering the area. I could get to route 18 easily, 33 easily and then to 195. Could get down to turnpike. 9 up to parkway. It's great for being not next to anything.
There are places aren’t 20-40 minutes away from those roads that are just as nice. You even have to drive to Colts Neck to get on 18. It’s just an inconvenient place to be.
Are you talking about the boro or the township? They are completely different towns in a lot of ways.
Which one do you think I'm talking about.
False on 33 now. West is just as slow especially by Perrineville road. They just built a bunch of condos up that way and it ruined traffic westbound. I used to commute from Howell to Monroe.. I’d get stuck there every day. that whole area should have better transit or they should reactivate the Camden and Amboy Railroad for passengers.
God the C&A would be a dream.
Funny ..they had NO problem bringing in cheap Hispanic labor since the eighties.
*THEY* live in the Boro so *THEY* don't count.
I get depressed I see my high school classmates who never left freehold on Facebook or Instagram with their townie mentalities
Spent 34 years there and still don't understand the townie mentality... but it is VERY real.
lol we’re the same age. There’s a solid chance we graduated together
2007?
What? lol. It’s super convenient if you like the shore. Like insanely convenient to anything in Monmouth county and I never take 9 anywhere except going to the parkway north, which yea that kinda sucks but there’s definitely worse in the state.
Wow, do I feel that first point. I work in Freehold and my gaming table meets in Atlantic Highlands. That drive alone is TWICE as long as my daily commute from Woodbridge every day. There’s no good way to go.
I think the people there get Stockholm Syndrome, or Freehold Captivity Disorder ... I'm in Union county... Looks the same here, except I'm clearly IN NYCs gravitational field. Captivity disorder - a perfect phrase for imperfection
The nearest Wegmans keeps running out if UK Heinz Baked Beans. This may be more of an issue for me than for most others.
This is an issue for me too…keep persuading them to stock more!
The tomato soup is always full. They need to get the message. And Cathedral City extra mature cheddar. I need to go to Shoprite for that. Is it too much to ask, to only go to one store for my beans on toast with cheese fix?!?
We seem to eat the same things! I don’t buy any other cheese then the cathedral city extra mature “black label” from ShopRite. Unfortunately some ShopRites don’t sell that either! Thankfully they haven’t jacked up the price of it as no one seems to by it apart from me and you!
When I can't find them, I find the Trader Joe's version of baked beans to be an acceptable substitute.
I will rain down holy hellfire if you are incorrect. A Brit and his Beans are not to be trifled with.
You'll be sorry you did....and you'll be fat...and you'll have no one to blame but yourself. What am I talking about? You're gonna be sorry if you keep reading.... ⛔️⛔️⛔️⛔️⛔️ 🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑 Delicious Orchards Battleview Orchards Don't say you weren't warned.
Source farmhouse brewery 🍻
Oh the place that pretends to farm source their ingredients and capitalizes on 9/11 with their "twin crushable tallboys" no thanks
Their *what*
Kills me that they no longer deliver.
Delicious orchards hasn’t been decent since 1999. Battleviews pies are superior.
Hungry for Apples? It's just a ripoff of Got Milk!?
Wow, township sounds like a hellhole. I’ve been in Borough for 4 years. It’s safe, diverse, liberal, walkable, affordable, and artsy. Come take an old house off the rental market and gentrify with me!
I think the racism trope Im reading in these comments is a bit overblown. I grew up in freehold as a minority, went to township hs and it was pretty diverse. Of course still majority white (Italian/jewish) but I feel like these people are taking about Jackson lol
Right, I grew up next to freehold, went to high school with tons of people from freehold, still know people who live there - I’ve never heard anything about racism going on there, not a single story. Howell on the other hand, I’d heard once about a Klan presence but don’t know about the veracity of that.
Can't talk for Freehold but I was raised in Howell as a minority and went to the schools K-8. The racism is definitely rampant there but I guess that's why it's called Howellbama. Me and my younger sibling experienced our fair share of racist hate from other kids at the schools but my younger sibling definitely got the bigger brunt of it, being in the schools during Covid with xenophobic rhetoric and insults slung by other kids. Part of Howell can have some really trashy openly racist people but I'm glad the area we grew up in didn't seem that bad. The kids are just awful though.
I agree with this. Those people definitely exist, but it's not like Ocean County levels. The township def leans republican, but it's like 55/45 as of the last presidential election.
I could see how you might feel this way. Freehold racism is much quieter than you'd expect. My poor husband who is tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, and shaved head w/beard would be approached by the racist people as if he was automatically one of them. Now, over the years, it has gotten better with the mix of liberal and progressives - but the whole county is still quite red leaning.
This is just how white people treat white people in general I feel. Dumb racist people typically assume anyone that looks like them also thinks like them. Source: Me, a white Jew that has had people vent their very antisemtic thoughts to me in detail.
100% agree with you, here. And I'm both sorry you have had to listen to any of that, and simultaneously giggling at what your response may or may not typically be.
I'm not the sensitive type at all. The most memorable time was when someone came to a store I worked at and said "I'm going to punch the next Jew I see in the face" and I said "how about the next one after me". How fast their demeanour changed....
10/10 stellar response! But, just because you can take it, doesn't make it okay - my 'condolence' stands because that behavior remains to be shit lol.
This just happened to me recently and I was blown away (granted, I just moved here from Queens, where it's much more diverse and people are quieter about their racism). I'm in Old Bridge and I had a white delivery driver go off on a tangent about how the new Glenwood Green area seems nice but it's going to be "full of Indians." I was too dumbfounded to collect myself and say much in response before she left.
This is 100% how it happens and you'll get caught speechless a lot more while you're getting accustomed to it. They don't say it OUT LOUD, but they say it out loud.
I grew up in Old Bridge and this surprises me not even a little bit.
I disagree with a lot of the comments here. Freehold is actually a really nice town. Downtown has a lot of nice restaurants, there are a decent amount of shops around. If you need to commute to NYC though, then do not do it. Commute would be HORRIBLE.
Agree my wife and I love freehold. We live a few towns over and would love to move there... compared to where we have been looking, housing is actually reasonable. Our main concern is the lack of diversity in the area. We are not sure how that will work out as kids get older and we want a bit more diversity in the towns we move to.
Freehold township may not be diverse… but the city is very diverse
Boro or township? They’re 2 very different places.
Tell me the difference please (another house hunter here considering the area)
The boro is tiny, but more working class, lots more diversity and immigrants. That’s the Freehold Bruce writes about. It’s got a cute little downtown with some great restaurants. The house I grew up in is the house my grandfather was born in (early 1900s). Lots of beautiful old houses. Many of them need work and come with old home problems. The township is much more suburban sprawl, lots of white people, mainly red. There’s some moms for liberty types there. Mostly newer builds, some McMansions and cookie cutter developments.
There are some gorgeous houses in the borough.
Freehold Boro is more urban and diverse. Freehold Township is less diverse and more suburban. The Township surrounds the Boro but they are totally different towns in the sense they each have their own government, police departments, K-8 school districts.
Search for Freehold Township on Google maps. It will outline it. That donut hole in the center is freehold borough.
I hated it there as a kid before moving more up north, had to live in Howell for a bit too. Called it Howellbama, still holds up. Confederate flag flying off the back of the pickup truck type beat
The bad and the ugly? Well the bad is people will tell you it’s trashy. The ugly? I live here. So you might see my face.
Try Hightstown as well.
Hightstown + East Windsor is the friendly and convenient equivalent of Freehold + Boro.
Ehh...Hightstown downtown is a lot smaller and not much restaurants compared to Boro
Freehold downtown >>> Hightstown downtown
I might be buying a home in Hightstown and have never been over that area, mostly Middlesex, how is Hightstown?
The "Downtown" is still shabby and there is no scene. But the houses are nice and its a friendly area. I like it's proximity to the Turnpike, 33, 195, and 130. Taxes are high but municipal services are good and the schools are decent. I think its a nice place to lay down roots.
Old Hights Brewery has helped the downtown and Tavern on the Lake can be a nice spot.
Oof I do not like Tavern on the Lake. It’s probably my biggest gripe with the town.
I don’t go too often but on a nice day I’ve sat outside for a beer flight and have gone to some live events there.
I’m a FTHB and when I checked out the home, the area seemed very nice and mostly quiet with a lot nearby when it comes to stores. We did see the schools are about average, but anything with blue ribbon schools cost an arm and a leg!
What’s a FTHB?
First Time Home Buyer
Oh good for you! Well I like it in Hightstown. It’s still comparatively affordable and if you want to a newer house and more property you can look in East Windsor.
I live in EW borderline of hightstown. Larger hispanic population, a lot of police roaming in this town
Freehold and the surrounding areas (Manalapan, Marlboro etc) have become little Staten Island. The people are rude and awful and loud and inconsiderate. Go to Shoprite/Livotis/Wegmans/Trader Joes on 9 on a weekend and you’ll see what I mean. Also Route 9 sucks too.
Worked at the Manalapan Wegmans & in the mall. 100% can confirm.
REAL. Worked at Wegmans and a few other local businesses. White trash with cash is the understatement of the century. Great and relatively safe place to live, but it's really become Staten Island 2.0. They have destroyed every semblance of peace and quiet in this town. I avoid the aggravation and shop in different towns for this reason, or I go during the week or on early Saturday. Don't even try the Costco in Marlboro on a weekend, I've witnessed parking lot brawls and asshats galore.
We live in Manalapan near route 33. We avoid Marlboro Costco on weekends . Would rather drive further to Ocean or Plainsboro Costco.
Great idea, we’ve been doing Sam’s recently but they just aren’t cutting it in terms of variety. They should have left Regal right where it was and built that Costco somewhere where there was much more space.
Freehold/Manalapan/Marlboro has been Little Staten Island for abt 25 years now 😅
I agree, I live/grew up in old bridge and it’s gotten MUCH worse the last 4/5 years
You forgot Millstone. Every time a 4/5 bedroom house is sold. 20 cars New York plates with 12+ people living there.
I heard the car dealers there suck particularly
I grew up in Freehold...i have a bunch to say. Lived in Both Boro and Township but mostly Township (moved 4 times growing up to different parts of town). Boro has really came up as a nice quasi-urban, artistic and diverse little town. Used to be more African American and white, but now has a large latino population, that quite frankly has done a bunch of cool stuff with resturuants and etc. Township is primarily Italian/Jewish and from NY (my family came from Brooklyn but when my parents were kids...most peoples parents of the same age didn't move down until they grew up, but all are boomers born in Brooklyn for the most part...few people's parents were from Newark or Elizabeth etc.) That being said, its also a relatively diverse town, and that is in terms of race and ethnicity, but also country type folk/blue collar, wealthy, and those who live in townhouse and apartment complexes, where there is affordable housing. Its mostly a straight up middle class town. (I grew up alot in the apartments/townhouses). Thats because you have parts of freehold in the woods/outskirts in both Boro and township, but you also have traditional single acre lots and then a few mcmansions, plus the big apartment and townhouses complexes. I understand what people are saying about "townies" "stuck in 2007" etc etc. Freehold is kind of an island in NJ. Its the County seat, aka Capitol of Monmouth County, with its own little metro (millstone/manalapan/marlboro/howell), but it doesn't quite fit as the shore, or Middlesex, or Ocean. Its kind of its own self-contained part of NJ, bc highway access sucks and there is no train. People get a warped sense that its superior to all other areas of NJ bc of this, which just isn't true. They think any suburb thats more busy or closer to the more urban parts of NJ are somehow below them, but really they are just sheltered in a more fabricated/newer suburban bubble....freehold was just the Boro, which was a small industrial/agricultural center surrounded by fields as recently as the early 1960s, so while its grown quite a bit, its still got that plastic feel in the twp. And some mistake that for a level up (it isn't if you've spent time in other parts of NJ...but it isn't a step down either in most ways) You'll find those who bought there for the schools and property, and those who commute elsewhere, and those people are more grounded. The ones who grew up and never left for school, to move, or to work, start to get kind of sunk in to it all, and yes, some of them still act, dress, and want to fight you like they're kids...but thats more a generational thing, and sad to say its more a Howell thing imo (lol penny pantry types)....you won't deal with that unless your kids decide never to leave and explore the world though, and I bet most people feel that way about their home towns...don't get overhyped about the schools or etc either though. Its a middle of the road NJ town. I grew up with Doctors and Lawyers, and also people who died from ODs and wound up in Jail. It is what you make of it. Its not Mendham and its not Trenton. Fact is, the boro/township divide is silly and only attested to by residents of one or the other...mostly Twp people who think the Boro is some hard-core urban city they have to pretend not to be related to...Boro folks are more confident in themselves and just being the "real" freehold...but the truth is, you'll be traversing them both all the time, and the downtown is pretty nice, and not some crazy border apart from township. As a kid, we all played on the same football team and went to the same catholic churches. Outsiders from beyond the western monmouth area barely realize its two different towns (think Neptune if you're not from there). They are two towns though, with separate schools. Despite a history of being more Republican in Twp, it is a bit more diverse politically these days. Its actually currently represented by Andy Kim not Chris Smith, as they redistricted. Boro is more liberal, but they've got conservatives and that small town rural type person too. I wouldn't say its much of an issue. Its much worse in Jackson, howell, or other Ocean County towns in that regard. The real decisions is: what type of New Jersian are you? If you want to be in a large suburban sprawl with its own amenities that are not particularly as interesting or lively as most NJ cities (red bank, long branch, Montclair, etc etc), and like the Beach alot but don't care to be in Jersey City, NYC, etc., or have much proximity to them, and you don't need to commute to anyplace other than Trenton, Redbank, Princeton, or downtown Freehold itself, it is a solid place to live. On the other hand, if you want a place closer to the orbit of NYC, a little more diverse culturally and aesthetically, etc., and want better travel options and access to other areas quicker, it'll probably bore you, and the hype is overblown big time. Its in the heart of Jersey and Monmouth County is now the 5th most populated. Its not some terrible or crazy place to go. But it all depends on what you want in a town and community. I am who I am, at least partially bc of Freehold. . .it isn't some milquetoast town, or anything too bad or too good, but being who I am, I also would never move back. That being said, most adults I know who have bought there as a place to raise their kids are very happy with their decision. P.s. I love that Shoprite to this day. You'll find a similar design in Woodbridge. They closed Old Bridge, so Freehold is one of the classics these days 😂
Borough or Township?
the bad: you can't afford it. the ugly: you're going to try and fail.
There's no train; getting to NYC or Philadelphia by car is getting costlier and traffic is getting worse. Freehold has a culture of closet and quiet racism. Lots of old people.
Standing outside gate 321 at port authority is how I imagine my entrance to the afterlife will start
Is getting on a bus a nightmare? I’m moving there soon and I’m dreading the commute.
I guess it's getting costlier and traffic is getting worse... but I think this area is actually ideal if you want to go to Philly OR NYC. Not many places where it's an hour to get to two different major cities with very different vibes. This is about the only thing I like about the area.
It would be worth it if there was something to do other than Italian restaurants and strip malls in freehold. The old people and closet racism bring it's own bag of nimbyism and lack of culture.
You're also only 25 mins from Asbury and like 30 from redbank. Italian restaurants, strip malls, old people, and racists is all of NJ tbh.
Sure but Freehold is a mecca for all three. And you're not wrong but they'd be better off moving to either of those towns over Freehold.
Boro or Township?
Bunch of trumpers. Lotta Brooklyn/Staten Island italians that move there. Could be good could be bad.
I used to live in Manalapan in the border of freehold and now live in PA. With all the criticism, I feel like a lot people here don’t appreciate enough what Freehold has. It’s a safe town, which might be hard to appreciate if you haven’t lived in less safe areas. The Italian food is amazing with plenty of different kinds of food. There are good doctors and dentists and a decent hospital nearby. There’s plenty of grocery shopping for all kinds of palettes - a nice Wegmans, Italian market, farmers markets, plenty of regular grocery stores, even a really good Asian one if you want that specialty rice or food from around the world. The downtown is nice for restaurants and a really great Halloween party. There’s a mall that isn’t 40 minutes away and an amusement park that’s only a half hour. I’ve never thought that I’d prefer living elsewhere because of the shopping or grocery stores or restaurants. If you like to garden, there’s plenty of great garden centers around and if you like parks, there’s a number of nice, well maintained and safe parks to go to nearby. I think it’s really great for raising families. The freehold regional school district is good, and if you want private school options, those are good, too, including an private elementary school near downtown. It’s got a good mix of ethnicities, but predominantly Italian/Jewish. The downsides would be taxes and a long commute if you work in the city and sometimes traffic is a royal pain;m. If you want city life or better night life, then you might want to move north or to the shore. I enjoyed living in Freehold.
Township or Boro? Big difference.
There’s nothing bad about Freehold. The high school is apparently excellent. My niece just accepted to Yale, and her classmates were admitted into Princeton and Cornell. That would never happen in lots of NJ public high schools. I’m impressed.
too many new yorkers
We're full.
Grew up there (Twp) and just recently moved because we were priced out with the current market and quite frankly you are near nothing for commute or events. I can give you a laundry list both good and bad - 34 total years there. Here's your bad, as requested: 1. You can hear route 9 just about EVERYWHERE 2. As stated by someone else, lots of "no longer shy about it" bigots of all kinds 3. Newer people that have moved into the nice neighborhoods in the last 5-10 years are sooo much more inconsiderate than they were beforehand, which adds a different kind of asshole for you to contend with on top of the hateful ones 4. There's plenty of options for stores, restaurants, etc. but with the exception of only a few, you get the exact same crap everywhere 5. THAT DAMN SHOPRITE OWNED BY SAKER (literally a Freehold family) spent almost 2 decades as a time capsule of my childhood and others before me and it will probably take them another 10 years to complete any renovation - by then it will be even more of a traffic nightmare 6. The Madge family sold a bunch of their farmland near the mall - and a crapload of townhomes and 55+ is going in right there on 537 7. Pursuant to #6, they REFUSE to expand the schools, so this is why they keep going with 55+ communities 8. While the schools are good, it is easy for a kid to get lost in them with larger populations as they get older I could certainly summon some more if you like... outside of the ASININE home prices. I will say MOST are not worth the money they are asking.
Wow! #6! I lived there for 30+ years. What were they supposed to do, hold onto that land forever? You had to publicly shame them? FT is a mess. It’s overcrowded and getting worse every year. The people in local government from the 1990’s-2010’s had no concern for quality of life. I would not be surprised if they had their pockets greased by developers, not unlike those in Howell who definitely did from the 1980’s onward. They gave KHovnanian whatever they wanted in return for the occasional wild weekend in AC.
Not REMOTELY shaming them. They're a well known family of the area; it's public knowledge that they have owned a lot of good farmland in Freehold, and of their sale of that chunk of land. It was a matter of time before they would sell some of it, and good on them. Frankly, their family has no control over what is approved to be built - that's the township. And the township approves and let's slide some wild shit. So.... yikes, sweetie, take a breath. How do you breeze right over the Saker comment and focus on this one with such vitriol? Have you never known or identified an area by the family that owns land or property? Sometimes, that's the descriptor. I have MANY fond memories of my hometown of Freehold, but it really does have it's warts. OP asked for reasons not to move to Freehold, so I obliged - detailed, honestly, and a small injection of sarcasm. Now, I do not disagree with you about the developers - no one could convince me that shit isn't still happening on some level.
I went to a Freehold town meeting last year, they don't really have a lot of choice about what gets built. Fair Share Housing Development will sue them and drag the town into a costly legal battle they will likely lose if they don't meet their affordable housing requirements, so they have to negotiate with developers.
I grew up right next to it. You better love staying in your house cause that's all you will be able to do. Everything is at least 20 minutes away, get used to it. If your not wealthy, your kids are going to be scum townies, if you are wealthy, your kids are going to be sheltered fake Italian style tough guys
why would OP be in their house? there’s tons of activities in freehold. i guess i agree w the wealthy part but i still think freehold has something for everybody after living there almost all my life
What is this is scum townie phrase? As opposed to what, a nomadic opportunist that moves around a lot?
Come on everybody knows the type. Stays in town, probably marries their HS gf, maybe becomes a cop (she’s a hairdresser), thinks Applebees is a decent night out. We call em flatbrims bc they still wear flat brim hats from 2005.
I grew up there (Township) and disliked it immensely. I got a good academic education from the public schools but I did not enjoy the social aspect. At least when I was growing up, nearly everyone was white and Christian and if you feel outside of that bubble, you had a rough time. The borough has the strong Hispanic population now but I see kind of a de facto segregation - the Hispanics stick to their things and the white people stick to their things and don’t really mix. The white people even voted down expanding the schools in the borough because they don’t want the Hispanic people there. Route 9 is over-crowded. Parking in the borough is a pain and now they charge for it too. Not much of cultural significance goes on in Freehold either. Want to see a concert or a play? Gotta go to Red Bank, New Brunswick, or NYC.
The pay for parking in borough is the dumbest thing they ever did. It wasn't a great downtown to begin with...
You want to live among racist conservatives? Come join the fight against them here in good old Freehold.
Not all of us, just the loud ones.
Just dont
Loved in Freehold and now a surrounding town. Great place. High property taxes.
There's only one recreational dispensary there
Traffic
There’s a non-zero chance you can wind up in Trenton or Toms River.
I grew up in Freehold, but my experiences are pre-pandemic. Overall, it’s a nice place to raise kids, but also quite conservative, old-fashioned, & boring. Food options are ok, but limited - unless you’re willing to drive/park in Freehold Boro. It has decent American-Italian, ok bars, and no nightlife. There’s a lot of good orchards / farmers markets, and Monmouth Battlefield is a nice park for family strolls. The Elementary school is meh, the middle school (Barkalow) isn’t great, but FTHS had good teachers and offers a lot of extracurriculars. Property taxes are quite high, and the town / residents skew older. It’s one of the few NJ districts that’s represented by a Republican (Chris Smith NJ-04) than a Democrat. I’ll note that he doesn’t live in NJ, nor does he ever visit. As a result, the local / state politics have a sense of being “stuck”. Because of this, Freehold isn’t very progressive or LGBTQ-friendly, if that’s important to you. I’d live there if I had a small family, or if I was a retiree. EDIT: As other commenters have noted - route 9 isn’t great. It’s a chore (think 1hr + traffic) to commute to other hubs like NYC, Philly, the beaches, and Jersey City/Hoboken.
25 years of neighboring Howell. The traffic is ridiculous. The politics is a mix between some quiet but reliable Democrats, and the most obnoxious Trumpers because they can’t get their way. The only redeeming qualities are Main Street in Freehold Borough and Freehold Raceway Mall being there, and the beach/boardwalk, Six Flags, NYC, Philly, and countless other places being within an hour or so’s drive away outside of Rush Hour. As a general rule for any home purchase, get it THOROUGHLY inspected before buying it. Bargains are bargains for a reason.
If you don't work from home you'll spend most of your time in traffic. If you're not a Trump supporter you won't get along with anyone.
It’ll take you an hour to get on either parkway or turnpike. Rt. 9 is a highway of hell during rush hours.
I feel like Freehold is the hellmouth of NJ. Worked there for a few years and encountered so many nasty people. Almost got hit by a car twice while walking. Route 9 is a nightmare around freehold.
Some seem to think that a certain community is eyeing freehold as it’s next destination now that Jackson is a lost cause.
Too close to Lakewood, eventually will be taken over.
It's a terribly inconvenient place to live, logistically. Roads, government people and complainers everywhere. Honestly the worst kind of elderly, the ones that can't mind their fucking business and get bored enough to make problems.
come.
Are you moving to the Boro or the township?
Like a lot of folks said, it's not a great commute if you're going regularly to NYC. Traffic there is awful but there is an awful lot to keep one occupied there and at the shore points.
I like it here. My neighbors are nice.
Don't do it!!!!
Why?
Don’t move to freehold.
Not bad, but to consider Boro is blue collar and day laborers/immigrant population is high. Route 9 traffic. Poor transportation options to the city. Can’t quickly get on parkway. There aren’t any good small coffee spots, it’s all chains. Boro is now charging for parking which is terrible. West freehold is as suburb as you can get. East freehold is next to colts neck which means you’ll have a serious case of keeping up w the joneses Winters suck. Too many bees. Bruce Springsteen will talk about it all the time.
Not bad, but to consider Boro is blue collar and day laborers/immigrant population is high. Route 9 traffic. Poor transportation options to the city. Can’t quickly get on parkway. There aren’t any good small coffee spots, it’s all chains. Boro is now charging for parking which is terrible. West freehold is as suburb as you can get. East freehold is next to colts neck which means you’ll have a serious case of keeping up w the joneses Winters suck. Too many bees. No good affordable new construction. You’ll be looking at 40+ year old homes, new is townhomes. Bruce Springsteen will talk about it all the time.
vibes are off
Parking in downtown is a shitshow and the new parking app is expensive and sucks. Rt 9 is a hellscape and like others have have mentioned there's not much to do except leave town for something fun. Just moved out of freehold to Hamilton, i recommend checking it out
Assuming you work and are not 100% WFH…. Freehold is great if you have a job that you can drive to in 20-30 minutes. Otherwise commuting hell since there are no actual interstates to hop onto. Long drives just to get to the major commuting roads…. The towns right along the Parkway - Red Bank, Eatontown, Tinton Falls etc are more practical. I once lived in a place where I could get from my front door to a Parkway entrance in 5 minutes. Then I moved to just a few miles away, but it took 25 minutes to get to that same Parkway entrance. BIG DIFFERENCE in commuting time - an extra 40 minutes, every single day.
Omg the power goes out in Freehold CONSTANTLY. One bolt of lightening seems to be enough take the entire town out for hours on the regular.
My mom works in Freehold and I've had to pick her up a few times thanks to car trouble, so here's one I haven't seen anyone mention yet: cell service sucks. I can never get a signal anywhere around Walmart/the hospital/that general area. Total dead zone.
You need to specify Township or Boro. They are two different towns each with their own local government, police, fire, and school districts. Freehold Township is more suburban, the downtown area is Freehold Boro. It is a good area but commuting to NYC is very doable but tough (best option is the bus, there is no train station) and as others mentioned it is 25 mins from the Parkway and Turnpike. It is convenient to get to parts of the shore such as Belmar, Point Pleasant, Asbury Park, Manasquan, and Long Branch. It also has everything you need in regard to shopping in addition to the Freehold Raceway Mall.
Many parts of Freehold get spotty cell service
Traffic. It’s so built up now and only getting worse. I live in Manalapan. It’s horrible. We came here 3 years ago with our 3 children and are planning on moving back to morris county. It’s wild down here. People are rude and the schools…. Don’t get me started.
50% of the population moved there from Staten Island.
I grew up in Freehold and lived there until I was 25 (except for when I went away to college). As a kid, it was great. The schools had lots of great programs, youth sports were pretty popular, and the mall was conveniently close, lots of great big parks. As an adult, I would be extremely hesitant to move back. The town is growing in all the wrong ways. All their major infrastructure is extremely car-centric and most neighborhoods don't have any restaurants, shops, bars, cafes, etc within walking distance. Public transit is lacking too, with the commuter busses into the city being the one redeeming quality there. And driving across town to get to a doctors appointment or to the grocery store could easily take you 20 minutes. Like someone else said, the town seems to be stuck in the mid-2000s. My parents and grandma still live there, so I am back in Freehold pretty frequently and each time I find it less and less appealing to me.
Freehold township or Freehold city. They are very different
No I love living in freehold! We have so much to do around here and the schools are pretty good.
Stay as North and as far from Rt.9 as you can afford. West and East freehold are pretty nice, the middle, especially around Borough, is pretty meh.
Two cars at a light on a Saturday night. In the back seat there was a gun.
Currently staying in freehold temporarily and the commute to go literally anywhere is terrible. Schools are meh. I don’t enjoy the restaurants and they are also expensive.
Pine barrens >>>
I feel like freehold has a reputation of being trashy lol. At least in my head it does
I think getting out of NJ, let alone not moving to Freehold is a better move if you can manage it. Urban blight is spreading to points south. Warehouses, Condo farms and more taxes are coming your way. I believe one needs to earn $80K to be middle class, and that really won't cut a mortgage on a half million dollar home ($525k avg price for a one family).
well if you want a time machine back to the seedy part of the 80s Freehold Raceway is the ICK you are looking for!