Spring Lake, NJ

With gorgeous beaches and three dazzling lakes, Spring Lake has long been the go-to place for vacationers. In the 1800s, New York's wealthiest residents built summer palaces along the shore -- many of these still stand and have been converted into charming bed-and-breakfasts. Spring Lake retains its elegance from a by-gone era, which is evident in its Victorian architecture and charming downtown shopping district.

While its extremely walkable downtown, its gorgeous namesake lake (Spring Lake is named for the natural springs that feed it), and some of the prettiest beaches along the Jersey Shore, Spring Lake is still a popular destination with tourists -- but it is also a terrific place to live. If you want to live in a Spring Lake apartment, you'll get the best of both worlds -- the beaches, a terrific boardwalk, great restaurants, amazing shopping, and a beautiful lake that draws the visitors, but also an ideal location with top-ranking Blue Ribbon schools, easy access to NJ Transit, and quick commutes to nearby Trenton, just 40 miles west on I-195. Take the New Jersey Coast Line into Manhattan in less than two hours or hop on the Garden State Parkway to drive the 60 miles to the city yourself.