Pictured above: Collingswood Mayor Jim Maley has spearheaded much of the town’s renaissance. In 2003, he stopped traffic for our photo shoot. Photo: David Michael Howarth
South Jersey has been on a serious glow-up over the past 25 years. Just look around – you’ll see plenty of proof of what a little vision and a lot of heart can do.
We took a look at three communities – Collingswood, Rancocas and Camden – and found each has its own story, full of challenges, history and triumphs. Together, though, they show how communities can come together and transform themselves.
Collingswood’s Revival: From Empty Storefronts to a Vibrant Main Street
Today, Collingswood is known for its Gilmore-Girls-eque main street along Haddon Ave, filled with restaurants, boutiques and a full calendar of seasonal events. But 25 years ago, Collingswood wasn’t the cute downtown area we know it as today, says Mayor Jim Maley.
“In the early 2000s, we were still feeling the effects of the Cherry Hill Mall, which opened in the late 60s and was the ‘cool’ place to be all the way through the ’90s,” he says. “That really hurt small towns, where we had mom-and-pop shops that couldn’t compete. This left us with a lot of empty space where small shops were going out of business.”
So town leaders made the decision to start pushing for restaurants to open in Collingswood, which kicked off a years-long effort to put the town on the map as a dining destination.
“We held economic development conferences, offered incentives, and I even visited restaurant owners personally to convince them to open locations here,” says Maley.
That persistence has paid off. Collingswood grew into what is now often called “restaurant row,” with a collection of eateries that thrived by clustering together.
The revitalization didn’t stop at food. The downtown area saw major upgrades, including The Lumberyard, which became a cornerstone of Collingswood’s redevelopment. Built in the late 2000s, it turned an abandoned, contaminated lumberyard into a mix of apartments, condos and retail spaces.
“When you add a couple hundred residential units to your downtown, you create hundreds of customers for local businesses every day,” Maley says.
Another big focus was restoring homeownership in the neighborhoods.
“Back in the ’70s and ’80s, a lot of the big Victorian houses were turned into apartments, often owned by absentee landlords,” Maley says. “It created problems like overcrowding and parking issues.”
Starting in the late ’90s, the town worked to convert those properties back into single-family homes. Today, Collings-wood has become a place people are eager to call home.
“It’s a great place to visit, with lots of good food and experiences,” Maley says, “but it’s an even better place to live.”
Looking ahead, he hopes the town continues to evolve while staying true to its roots.
“We will always be working to adapt our businesses and our neighborhoods to constantly changing issues and events,” he says. “But our main focus is that Collingswood stays a great place to raise your family.”
Rancocas Reawakens: A Historic Community Finds New Life
Rancocas has experienced a remarkable transformation over the last 25 years, shifting from a quiet, historic area to a lively hub for community events and small businesses.
“We’re in a time of reawakening,” says Mariel Giletto, chair of the Rancocas Woods Business Association. “It’s driven by a commitment to reconnect the community and honor its history.”
To understand the changes, it’s important to reflect on the area’s roots, she says. “Rancocas started as a recreational destination in Revolutionary War times. People vacationed in log cabins along the creek.”
Later, the area gained fame for its craft markets.
“In the ’60s and ’70s, my grandparents ran craft shows that drew large crowds,” she says. “These events, supported by local business owners, were integral to the community. But then as shop owners aged and retired, the area fell into a slumber waiting for a new generation to step in.”
In recent years, that new generation has emerged. They created a nonprofit to organize free events like craft fairs, antique shows, a farmers market, block parties and wellness events to revitalize the area. They teamed up with Mt. Laurel Township to host events like the annual tree lighting. The hard work has not gone unnoticed: In 2020, Money Magazine named Mt. Laurel 16th best place to live in the U.S.
Not only has the new generation stepped in, but it’s largely women-led, Giletto says.
“Most of the shops are women-owned or women-managed businesses,” she says. “Janeen Hovnanian has been instrumental in running the craft shows, which have grown to include nearly 80 vendors. Our board is majority women-led, and community leaders like Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Kristi Howell and Assemblywoman Carol Murphy have been tremendous assets to the organization.”
The revitalization reflects broader changes in Mt. Laurel.
“Our population has exploded, and there’s a growing desire to shop local and support small businesses,” Giletto adds. “Rancocas is providing that opportunity. Families want places to go and things to do, and this area is giving them that.”
Looking ahead, Giletto envisions Rancocas as a destination for the South Jersey community.
“We want it to feel like Smithville or Peddler’s Village,” she says. “We’re in growth mode. We want to sustain this and make Rancocas a vibrant part of South Jersey life again.”
In 2023, we took a look at the decade that had passed since Camden moved to a community policing model
Camden’s Comeback: From Struggle to Strength
You can’t talk about change in South Jersey without diving into the rapid redevelopment of the City of Camden. Over the last 25 years, Camden has been shedding any former negative reputation and emerging as a hub of innovation and community development.
“We’ve gone into overdrive through investments in housing, infrastructure, education and employment – not because we saw a lot of problems to fix, but because we saw all of the potential we had,” says Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen.
Camden has redefined itself, creating opportunities for residents and fostering a sense of pride and belonging.
“Camden has a long, rich history that we see in the generations of people who grew up in the city, stayed here and raised their kids here, or in companies that have created their legacy here, like Campbell’s Soup,” he says. “Over the years, the city has seen some difficult times. But we’re a strong city, and when that bad comes, we’re not just going to fight it – we’re going to make sure we come out better on the other side.”
The city is absolutely better on the other side of the last 25 years, he says.
Investments in transportation and public spaces have made the city more accessible and inviting. Programs spearheaded by organizations like Camden Community Partnership have focused on creating affordable, sustainable housing options for residents, bringing new life to neighborhoods that were once marked by vacant lots and abandoned buildings. The Camden Loop program began in June 2023 as a new, affordable transportation option to connect residents to employment, healthcare, food access and entertainment. Parks Alive 2025, a multi-year initiative, aims to create safe and vibrant green spaces throughout the city.
“We’re proud of our waterfront, but we want to be more than that – we want every corner of the city to have spaces where people can gather, spaces people are proud of,” says Carstarphen. “It’s about fostering a sense of community and improving quality of life across the entire city – not just a few pockets.”
And the efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, he says. In 2019, Hilton broke ground on their Camden hotel, the first hotel in the city in more than 50 years.
“We’re changing the way people view Camden,” says Carstarphen.
Education has been another cornerstone of Camden’s resurgence. A notable example is the redevelopment of East Side High School, where state-of-the-art facilities and innovative programs reflect a broader focus on ensuring Camden’s youth have access to quality education and opportunities for personal growth.
Perhaps the most critical turning point in Camden’s evolution was its 2013 police reform. Facing soaring crime rates and widespread mistrust, the city dissolved its police department and replaced it with a county-run force. This bold move emphasized community policing, with officers engaging directly with residents to build relationships and address concerns. Training focused on de-escalation techniques and cultural competency.
“We were once known as the most dangerous city in the country, and now we’re a place where the police force is on the streets, working with people every day,” says Carstarphen. “The results have been dramatic. Violent crime dropped by nearly half, and homicides reached their lowest levels in decades. Residents feel safer and more connected to law enforcement.”
“Camden’s transformation over the past 25 years is a testament to the power of collaboration and resilience,” he adds. “More importantly, it shows what happens when a city refuses to be sidelined.”
