Rural Folsom life near Black Horse Pike and the Great Egg Harbor River
The Great Egg Harbor River and Black Horse Pike run parallel through scrub pines in the sleepy borough of Folsom. Life in this pocket of western Atlantic County revolves around these two rural resources, combining a fast-paced stream of South Shore traffic that feeds locally owned businesses with the slower flow found in recreation areas that span South Jersey. “The Pinelands National Reserve is all around Folsom, so there’s a lot of trees and nature,” says Susanna Philippoussis, a broker associate with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox and Roach Vineland who’s served South Jersey for 21 years. “I like the farmland, rural aspect of this whole area. There are farmstands everywhere, wineries, and nature preserves; it’s all within a 20-minute drive. ...You’re close to the shore and Philadelphia, so within an hour, you can be anywhere you need to be. I tell people, ‘Take your kayak and come on down.’”
Single-family homes and private lakes in the pine barrens
Pine forests and farmland frame quiet country roads throughout Folsom, as do a century-spanning mix of single-family homes and the occasional neighborhood development. Midcentury ranch-style homes are especially common, but buyers can also find prewar farmhouses and Colonial Revivals built in the 1990s. Houses might be surrounded by a quarter-acre or several acres of cleared land between coves of trees. Collings Lakes is a private community in the borough’s western corner. There, simple Minimal Traditional and ranch-style homes set on winding suburban streets and along wooded lakefronts. Single-family homes sell for around $170,000 to $540,000.
Recreation runs from the Great Egg Harbor River to the South Shore
Kayakers paddle under low-hanging tree limbs at Penny Pot Park, winding along the Great Egg Harbor River. To get deeper in the New Jersey National Pinelands Reserve, residents might drive several miles from home to hunt and fish in the Winslow Wildlife Management Area or play an 18-hole game at Pinelands Golf Club. The borough maintains a few classic community parks, including the playgrounds and Folsom Athletic Association baseball diamonds at Falcons Nest Park. Collings Lakes homeowners pay around $50 per month to access private recreation facilities, including a playground, athletic courts and a handful of swimming, fishing and boating lakes that were once cranberry bogs. Atlantic City’s free beaches and bikeable boardwalk are about 30 miles from home.
Attending Folsom and Hammonton public schools
The Folsom School District offers prekindergarten through eighth grade at the Folsom School, which earns a B-minus from Niche. Older students can attend B-plus-rated Hammonton High School through a sending relationship with Hammonton Public Schools. Hammonton High is known for its Technology Pathways to Success program, a tech-specific curriculum framework that draws out-of-district students through the New Jersey Department of Education Choice Program.
Small businesses on Black Horse Pike and Mays Landing Road
Locally owned businesses are hidden in the pine barrens throughout Folsom, set along Black Horse Pike and Mays Landing Road. The smell of smoked meat and soul food draws regulars to Henri’s Hotts Barbeque from Friday through Sunday. Harley Dawn Diner serves elevated homestyle cuisine in a modern, solar- and geothermal-powered building. “There are blueberry farms and some wineries nearby. I buy all my blueberries from down Piney Hollow Road,” Philippoussis says. Within a few miles of home, residents can attend a tasting at DiMatteo Winery and Vineyard or pick their own berries at Piney Hollow Farm. Dollar General stocks some groceries in Folsom, but locals typically drive about 5 miles to Hammonton for specialty shopping or trips to big box stores like Walmart and ShopRite.
Taking South Jersey highways and NJ Transit between AC and Philly
Taking the Black Horse Pike or Atlantic City Expressway, Atlantic City is about 30 miles from Folsom. Philadelphia is roughly 35 miles in the opposite direction. The NJ Transit Atlantic City Line commuter train stops in Hammonton, less than 5 miles away, running from AC to Philly. AtlantiCare Health Park, Hammonton is also less than 5 miles away. Atlantic City International Airport is around 20 miles from home.
Events with the borough and St. James Lutheran Church
Neighbors meet outside the Folsom Borough Municipal Building to observe Veterans Day each November. Several houses of worship hold religious services throughout the borough, including St. James Lutheran Church. St. James also hosts many community events throughout the year, from classic Trunk or Treats to the charitable Pulling for Vets Pulled Pork Dinner fundraiser.
Flood risk on the Great Egg Harbor River
Low-lying homes and roadways near the Great Egg Harbor River and its narrow tributaries may flood after unusually heavy rain. Buyers can check maps to understand their potential risk and need for flood insurance.
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Written By
Julia Szymanski
