So just where is Waretown, NJ? The city sits on Jersey’s shoreline and is 102 minutes from New York City.
The quaint town is a tourist hot spot in the summer and has a population of less than 2,000 people.
FOX Business reporter Jeff Flock heads back to his hometown to prove American prosperity is alive and well.
Waretown By the Numbers
Median property taxes sat around 2.5% in 2000
It's a small city with only 1,582 residents
44,135 books are in circulation in the town's library
Residents of Waretown made an estimated median household income of $49,800 in 2005
Residents have an average median age of 40.1
The median house value is $190,400with a median average of 5.6 rooms
A Tribute to Bluegrass
Often referred to as the "Nashiville of the North," the Albert Music Hall is a cultural hot spot in the small town. The hall pays homage to bluegrass superstar brothers Joe and George Albert. With Joe on washtub bass and George on the fiddle, the pair played an assortment of music including played bluegrass, country, and pinelands.
Musicians and music lovers gather in the 51-acre plot every week to play music and dance in the spirit of the gatherings the brothers held at their cabin long ago. On Saturday nights in the summer there is standing room only with different people staying till the wee hours as the performing groups rotate every 30 minutes.
A Glance in the Rearview Mirror
1.) What has changed about your hometown the most since you left? It got “discovered.” Too many people have moved to what was once a sleepy little Jersey shore town. My house was once surrounded by woods. Now the houses are cheek to jowl.
2.) What one characteristic in your life now do you credit your hometown for planting in you? Self-reliance. My hometown had lots of humble people, many literally living off the land, bay and ocean. They didn’t ask for help in tough times, they figured a way to make things work. They made do with what they had or what they could find.
3.) What do you miss the most? I miss the ocean, the rivers and the woods…all right there outside my door or not far away.
4) Given the chance, would you move back? Why? It’s tough to have a high-powered career in Waretown, but if I were to retire or opt for a simpler life I would think about it. There are still some unspoiled spots in the pines. Living right on the beach would be a dream. And perhaps if my investments pan out, I’ll be able to afford a sliver.
5.) What economic opportunity has your hometown lost? Commercial fishing. When I was a kid many people made their living fishing, crabbing and clamming. While not totally gone, there isn’t as much sea food to harvest these days and state regulations aimed at preserving what’s left led one of my fisherman friends to supplement his income by buying an ice cream shop.
6.) What does your hometown not get enough credit for? People don’t think of small, rural towns when they think of New Jersey, but that’s what Waretown was and to some degree still is.
New Jersey in general does not get enough credit for being a beautiful place to live. The Jersey Pines are a little bit of paradise. The Jersey shore has some of the greatest beaches in the country. The ocean is a treasure. You can get all of that in the same day if you live in Waretown, New Jersey.
Median property taxes sat around