Vineland/Millville - Vineland, NJ

Vineland's history dates back to 1861, when Charles Landis built a quiet community centered on families and farming. Millville dates back to 1776, when the Union Estates Company built the town's eponymous mill on the Maurice River. Both cities have seen a cultural shift from active agriculture and milling-focused civic infrastructure to today's residential-focused makeup.

Both Millville and Vineland are home to a rich arts scene. The Glasstown Arts District, located on High Street in Millville, contains a wide assortment of shops and activities, with glass unsurprisingly taking a spotlight. WheatonArts, for example, houses the Museum of American Glass, an exhibit that includes over 12,000 pieces of glass from all eras of our country. Vineland has lots to offer in its own right, including such cultural attractions as the Puerto Rican Festival and the Greek Festival.

Millville and Vineland vie for diners' palates with a wide variety of restaurants genres to choose from. Whether your mood leans towards classic American fare or something more suited to the Far East, these twin cities are ready to serve it up with style. Kawa Thai & Sushi, located on 2nd Street in Millville, delights hungry patrons with a unique blend of Thai foods and a sushi bar. Start your meal with the Pad Thai, a bowl of rice noodles mixed with carrots, peppers and crushed peanuts. Round out your meal with the Bangkok Spicy Chicken, a tempting mix of stir-fried chicken made with onions, basil, and scallops. If meat isn't on your menu, you'll definitely want to stop by Wildflower Earthly Vegan Fare. This cafe and bakery, located on High Street, serves up a robust collection of dishes that are made without meat or dairy products. Try the chocolate cupcakes with banana frosting, freshly made from their bakery, or sit down to a bowl of tasty butternut-squash soup and roasted vegetable salad with ranch dressing. Lovers of Greek food will find their heart's desires at the Olympia Restaurant, located on Delsea Drive in Vineland. House favorites, like the Attiki Chicken - a boneless-chicken breast stuffed with crab meat and wrapped with bacon - stand ready to please even the most discerning of palates. Nightlife in both Millville and Vineland revolves around bars and lounges. Larry's Bar, located on 2nd Street in Millville, is a can't-miss dive bar with drinks and entertainment aplenty. If you want a bit of music or theater, check out the Levoy Theater on High Street, where you'll find live music and an off-Broadway theater troupe performing the classics. If you are looking for a traditional dance club, your best bet is to take the short drive to Atlantic City, approximately 35 miles east, or hit Philadelphia.

New Jersey Transit stands ready with buses and trains available for travel and from nearly any area in the state. This intricately built network gives residents a viable option outside of personal vehicles. Bus routes available include the 313, which connects the area to Philadelphia, and the 553, connecting Millville and Vineland to Atlantic City.

Cab options do exist in Vineland and Millville, provided primarily by AC Taxi. Serving Egg Harbor Township and the surrounding area, AC's cabs can be summoned by telephone, with arrival times under a half hour. If you're in the market for something a little more extravagant, First Class Limousine is just a phone call away with limos and airport shuttles.

Public parking options are restricted primarily to parking meters on public roads. Major road arteries in the area exist in numbers, including the Route 47 and the New Jersey Turnpike.

Biking and walking both play a strong role in casual travel activities in Vineland and Millville. Sidewalks in excellent repair adorn virtually all residential and public roads, providing a safe walking environment for you and your children. Bike lanes appear clearly marked on the majority of the roadways in both cities.

Vineland and Millville both enjoy a great outdoor recreation network, full of dozens of parks, trails and event spaces. Corson Park, located on 14th street in Millville, provides a wide range of activities friendly to adults, children and canine companions. Enjoy a fee-free adventure walking the nature trails, playing on the playground or lobbing a few serves down one of their tennis courts.

If your outdoor activities skew more towards exercise, many different sports and exercise activities can be found at Howard Pagliughi Park. Located on Magnolia Road in Vineland, the park provides access to tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts and even horseshoe pits.

Life in the twin cities of Millville and Vineland brings with it an extremely reasonable cost of living, approximately 15 percent below the state average. One bedroom apartments abound in both cities and carry an average rental price of $824, a favorable cost more than 20 percent lower than the rest of New Jersey.

The public transportation options provided by New Jersey Transit start at a cost of $1.50 for a one-way local bus trip to a nearby town to about $22 one way for a trip to Philadelphia. Gas prices hold steady at around 9 percent below the national average, while a pint of your favorite beer runs around $5 at a local pub.

Residents do the bulk of their shopping in the downtown areas of their respective cities. Landis Avenue in downtown Vineland has particularly benefitted from revitalization efforts that brought new businesses and boutiques to town. While no high end stores make their home in Vineland or Millville proper, nearby Atlantic City or Philadelphia has plenty of outlets to satiate a shopaholic or brand loyalist.

If you're in the mood for a good book, Bogart's Books on High Street is a great alternative to chain stores, and they're packed with thousands of titles to choose from. Browse through their century-old building packed high with novels of all genres, or enjoy a favorite beverage in the cafe as you leaf through a new treasure.

Short of traveling to a big city like Atlantic City or Philadelphia, you would be hard-pressed to find a better example of boutique jewelry shopping than Liz Ryan Gemstones. From engagement rings to heirloom jewelry and watches, this independent jewelry store has a little something sparkly for everyone.

While chain grocery stores do make up most of the grocery shopping in Millville and Vineland, smaller, locally-owned stores do exist. Penalvert’s Food Market, located on West Boulevard, provides a wide mix of staple and ethnic grocery items. Muzzarelli’s Farm Market on Oak Road stands ready with friendly service and fresh produce harvested from local farms.