Manahawkin is a fast growing town and popular retirement community on New Jersey’s southern coast. It is directly across Barnegat Bay from Long Beach Island, barrier island and summer resort on the Atlantic Ocean. Fishing, boating, and beaches are excellent.

Although the official town population was just over 2000 in the year 2000, Manahawkin is part of Stafford Township, which has more than 22,500 people. The township includes Manahawkin, Ocean Acres, Beachview, Cedar Run, Beach Haven West, and Mayetta. Active adults have been flocking to this area of New Jersey in order to find plentiful and inexpensive housing, proximity to Long Beach Island, a mild climate, and a more relaxed lifestyle.

Manahawkin is excellently situated at the crossroads of the Garden State Parkway, U.S. Route 9, and Rt 72. A series of 55+ and active seniors developments radiate along Rt 72, along with big box shopping closer to town. The medical community has taken note of the number of retirees; in fact it seems every office building contains some type of medical facility.

Atlantic City and its casinos lie 33 miles to the south. Many other very nice beach towns, like Toms River and Brick, are in the area. Cape May, N.J. and its charming Victorian houses is within easy driving distance.

Lakewood and Lakewood Township is a growing community near the New Jersey shore town of Brick, just off the Garden State Parkway. It is the home of one catholic college, Georgian Court, as well as one of the largest (Jewish) yeshivas in the world.

Lakewood was a popular winter resort for New Yorkers in the early 1900's. Lake Carasaljo and surrounding pine forests were part of the attraction. The Rockefeller family and Jay Gould both had estates here. The former Gould estate is the home of Georgian Court College. The Rockefeller estate is now Ocean County Park.

According to City-Data early 2008 home prices are in the low to mid $300's. Several active adult communities are in the area.

Ocean City, New Jersey (population 16,000 in the winter) is a popular retirement community for active adults who enjoy the beach, fishing, boating and a family oriented setting. This beach community just south of Atlantic City) has long been a popular family resort. It all started in 1879 when four Methodist ministers chose the island as a suitable spot to establish a Christian retreat and camp meeting. The founders incorporated as the “Ocean City Association” and laid out street and lots for cottages, hotel and businesses. Ocean City is located in Cape May County

The town offers 7 miles of flat, sandy beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. A 3 mile boardwalk is lined with commercial establishments. The Ocean City Music Pier is at its core. There is a small commercial downtown. The rest of the town is homes, condos, and cottages. Since Ocean City is an island many homes on the bay side have docks.

One of the attractions for active adults 55+ is the ability to live in a casual setting near world famous New Jersey beaches. Children and grandchildren will love to visit – they can walk to the beach down gracious sidewalks. On the outskirts of town there are some newer developments and active adult communities that cater to the newly retired.

According to Yahoo Real Estate the MLS median asking price of 1,351 Ocean City homes offered for sale in early 2007 was $699,000. There were 424 homes in the classified listings with a median price of $749,900. These prices can be somewhat misleading because here are many condos on the market for far less.

Cape May, New Jersey is a popular retirement community for people who enjoy the beach, fishing, and a Victorian setting. This beach community (4,000 year round residents, 100,000 seasonal population) at the bottom of New Jersey has long been famous for its stock of Victorian homes. The town has capitalized on this fame with an intelligent redevelopment plan that has given it an attractive pedestrian shopping center that attracts tourists all year long. Its nickname is "The Nation's Oldest Seashore Resort".

One of the attractions for active adults 55+ is the ability to live in and/or restore an elegant Victorian home that is within a few steps of the world famous New Jersey beaches. Cape May became was considered one of the finest resorts in America by the 19th century. It is noted for its large number of well-maintained Victorian houses — the second largest collection of Victorian-era homes in the nation after San Francisco. In 1976, it was officially designated a National Historic Landmark city Since the downtown is so nice it is possible to avoid having to drive one’s car for days on end. On the outskirts of town there are some newer developments and active adult communities that cater to the newly retired.

The retirement community housing choices are somewhat limited in town, mostly in the form of private homes or mobile homes. According to Yahoo Real Estate the MLS median asking price of 15 Cape May homes offered for sale in late 2006 was $299,000. There were 9 homes in the classified listings with a median price of $215,000.