Families thrive in cities that prioritize their wellbeing and needs, such as vibrant communities with outstanding educational offerings, expansive libraries and plentiful extracurricular activities.
Lakewood’s central location near beaches and major urban centers makes it an attractive option for buyers and investors at all price points, which contributes to its robust local economy as evidenced by steady household income levels.
1. A Strong Sense of Community and Family Values
Lakewood New Jersey real estate provides investors with a secure investment option, with consistent market trends and healthy rental demand. Furthermore, Lakewood’s proximity to New York City and other major metro areas only adds value.
Attracted by its strong sense of community and family values, Prospect draws prospective homeowners. Additionally, its affordability relative to other Ocean County neighborhoods makes Prospect a desirable place for raising a family.
Lakewood can present unique challenges. For Orthodox Jewish individuals looking to establish themselves, affordable housing may prove challenging due to stringent local zoning and construction ordinances governing new builds with religious components.
Additionally, the town’s growth has put strain on its outdated infrastructure and compounded an already precarious school funding situation, exacerbating social tensions and endangering children’s safety. Furthermore, courtesy busing will soon no longer exist, forcing Orthodox students to ride separate buses than non-religious peers and further exacerbating this growing divide between public and private school families.
Lakewood residents have turned to state lawmakers in an attempt to alleviate this situation, seeking additional education funding. Unfortunately, Rev. Glenn Wilson of Lakewood Public School Parents says the current formula for allocating aid doesn’t account for the city having both Orthodox children (25,000) and public school kids (6,000), according to Rabbi Aaron Kotler from BMG yeshiva and its longstanding member Rabbi Aaron Kotler’s commitment in aiding public schools through working closely with district staff.
As a way to combat these issues, Lakewood boasts many attractions that showcase its culture and appeal to a broad array of audiences. ShoreTown Ballpark is an iconic baseball attraction while leisure villages such as Leisure Village Lakewood host events for active adult residents all year long. Beaches and parks nearby also provide plenty of recreational activities.
2. High Perceived Safety
Lakewood remains vibrant due to a diverse blend of cultural influences. Events like Latin Fest bring live music from various genres into town while expansion at Beth Medrash Govoha – one of Israel’s largest yeshivas outside its borders – keeps Lakewood vibrant.
Lakewood’s reputation as a safe haven isn’t just founded in perception; crime rates in Lakewood rank among the lowest in New Jersey according to Advisorsmith’s rankings of over 3,000 cities and towns using FBI crime statistics as criteria; Lakewood placed ninth out of nine midsize city categories when assessed on both violent and property crime index scores.
Safety ratings in the town can be largely attributed to its strong police department, which has received positive feedback for using social media and other innovative approaches to engage residents. Furthermore, volunteer group known as the Community Safety Patrol helps keep residents safe on the streets since March 2019. This patrol monitors traffic signals and keeps an eye out for pedestrians.
Safety ratings in the town can also be attributed to its robust education system, with both private religious schools and public schools available for parents to select the learning environment best suited to their family’s needs. Unfortunately, the system faces its own set of challenges; currently under state fiscal monitorship it has proven challenging to keep pace with busing costs for courtesy busing services.
Meanwhile, Lakewood’s Orthodox Jewish community continues to flourish, which has had a dramatic effect on its economy and job market. Their growth has spurred job expansion in Toms River and surrounding suburbs while simultaneously increasing charitable activities in Lakewood – further contributing to make Lakewood an inclusive environment.
3. Exceptional Educational Opportunities
Lakewood boasts not only a vibrant community spirit and cultural vibrancy, but also offers its residents exceptional educational opportunities. Ranging from top public schools to religious private institutions, Lakewood provides something for every type of student. Leisure Village, Lakewood’s senior living community, has chosen Lakewood due to its outstanding educational programs.
Ocean County’s largest public school system, highly esteemed among parents and educators alike, is highly esteemed in Monmouth. Offering courses ranging from elementary fundamentals to advanced studies as well as providing assistance to special needs students.
Although public school systems provide excellent learning environments for their children, some families choose private schools instead for their kids’ education. Orthodox Jewish families may opt to send their kids to Bais Yaakov for example as these prestigious yeshivas provide unique and personalized educational experiences for students.
Although quality education may not always be accessible to families with limited means, community organizations such as Lakewood Head Start Program provide valuable access. Part of a nationwide network, this initiative works towards increasing school readiness among children in its local vicinity.
Lakewood School District has taken steps to combat disparate student achievement through policies and programs designed to ensure access to high-quality early learning experiences, equitable school financing, and creating inclusive learning environments.
Lakewood’s diverse population and educational opportunities present an ideal platform for creating social equity, increasing student success and strengthening community wellbeing. To accomplish these goals, it is vitally important that demographic data analysis in Lakewood be undertaken so that effective interventions may be put in place.
Disaggregating data by demographic factors enables education planners to identify inequities and implement programs to enhance the quality of education for all students. This is particularly crucial in areas with large concentrations of minority or low-income populations. Furthermore, it ensures access to appropriate resources – such as medical facilities, schools or community-based services.
4. A Diverse Community
Lakewood provides residents an opportunity to live in a diverse community while still taking advantage of all its suburban tranquility and proximity to great shopping and entertainment options. Local supermarkets now carry kosher options, while Orthodox Jewish families play alongside others on playgrounds and parks – reflecting Lakewood’s own growth while creating an exciting chapter of traditional and modern communities within one township.
Lakewood’s population diversity can also be seen in its varied religious beliefs. Lakewood boasts a sizable Jewish community and numerous Orthodox religious schools, but also features non-religious houses of worship. Most Jews in Lakewood vote Republican due to the party’s positions on issues like gay rights and abortion; however, other communities include Evangelical Christians, Hindus and Muslims residing here as well.
Lakewood’s unique mix of communities has caused some tensions, such as an ongoing debate over courtesy busing for public school students. Many Orthodox Jewish voters live within its district and feel their needs are being neglected by public school advocates; such disputes have surfaced elsewhere across New Jersey where religious voting blocs dominate local politics.
Though these disputes remain, the community is generally vibrant and flourishing. Local economic activity has experienced rapid expansion over recent years and its affordable housing prices draw in families searching for an improved quality of life. Residents also take advantage of numerous social services provided by volunteer organizations as well as an engaged business community.
Although the township is expanding rapidly, they have taken care to avoid intruding on surrounding areas by following land-use policies that do not interfere with surrounding environments and adhere to land-use policies that promote safe environments for children and offer excellent amenities without raising crime rates or increasing traffic congestion. Rapid population growth has raised concerns regarding traffic congestion and overcrowding at already overcrowded schools; to alleviate this situation they have implemented measures such as zoning for new construction and expanding bus routes while working to increase access to affordable childcare options.
