Neighborhood Spotlight: Haddonfield Offers Small-Town Charm, Great Accessibility
“I tell everyone, you’re not just buying a home, you’re buying the town,” says Coldwell Banker Preferred affiliated real estate agent Kathleen McNamara of Haddonfield, New Jersey, which is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia and adjacent to I-295. “It’s so quaint, it’s almost ridiculous.”
Indeed, Haddonfield is a delightful anomaly. On the one hand, its location is ideal, especially for the modern, two-income family that needs to commute to jobs in Philadelphia, New York or with major employers located nearby. But it also offers that small-town comfort to come home to, especially for those raising a family.
“It’s a two-square-mile town where everyone pretty much walks everywhere,” says Lori Cooper, another real estate agent affiliated with Coldwell Banker Preferred. “You soon get to know a lot of people.” In fact, as both Cooper and McNamara point out, the schools are so close-by, that almost all students walk to class. “Haddonfield has the number two-rated school district in New Jersey,” Cooper reminds.
As long time-residents, both Cooper and McNamara love to share their favorite spots for shopping and dining, especially those along The King’s Highway, Haddonfield’s main street. “Apron is a great lunch spot, especially for its soup-and-sandwich combos,” Cooper says. “Tre Famiglia is a fabulous Italian BYOB open for lunch and dinner.” McNamara cautions not to overlook Mark Berenato’s BYOB, Da Soli, tucked away in the Shoppes at 116. Speaking of shopping, McNamara is a big fan of By Hand Fine Craft Gallery, which features the works of local artisans.
The houses match the small-town ambience. “Most homes are 60 to 100 years old,” McNamara says, “and the ones most in demand are those that have been updated or renovated.” There is also a lot of variability in the sizes of houses and the acreage of the lots. “You can find homes with properties anywhere between a quarter-acre in size to an acre,” McNamara says.
In addition to great schools and small-town comfort, there are plenty of other reasons for families to relocate here. Beth Borchers, a Coldwell Banker Preferred affiliated real estate agent who says she was “born and raised” in Haddonfield’s next-door neighbor, Haddon Heights, thinks the area “is a great location for families who are double-commuters.”
There is a PATCO highspeed line station in Haddonfield that can get commuters into Philadelphia in less than a half-hour, and there is also steady bus service. For those commuting by car, I-495 and the New Jersey Turnpike are also close by. And for weekend recreation, the New Jersey beaches are just an hour away.
“A lot of business executives and professionals live here,” says Cooper, who points out many major employers are located throughout South Jersey, including Campbell Soup Company, headquartered nearby in Camden.
Haddonfield and Haddon Heights are just two of the many attractive neighborhoods and towns that Coldwell Banker Preferred has to offer homebuyers in the greater Philadelphia area. To contact agents McNamara, Cooper or Borchers, or to learn more about regional other home-buying options, log on to www.cbpref.com.
And McNamara has one last word to add about Haddonfield: “I’ve never put a client in this town who didn’t love it!”
This is a paid partnership between Coldwell Banker Preferred and Philadelphia Magazine
