Glassboro is a college town with glassblowing roots
Established and named for its roots as a glass manufacturing town in 1779, Glassboro has evolved into a lively college town that locals embrace today. In addition to the well-known bronze glassblower statue in the town square, Rowan University is located at the heart of Glassboro. “Rowan is a city within itself,” says Danielle Mazza-DiVenti, Broker with eXp Realty. “It used to be Glassboro State College, but as soon as Rowan took over, they revamped the entire town.” Mazza-DiVenti, who has lived in Glassboro for more than 25 years, explains how the Gloucester County borough has changed over time. “It used to be a quiet area, but now you’ll see people walking all around, with lots of bars and restaurants. They have big events and festivals, so there’s always something going on.”
Located about 25 miles south of Philadelphia, residents find that they can have the best of both worlds: proximity to big city amenities and a more local suburban lifestyle with park spaces and affordable homes. The population of Glassboro is growing, as Rowan University continues to grow. Over the last decade, this city went from a bedroom community to a sought-after place to live with a 25% increase in residents. Because of this transformation, the city has plans to support downtown development and collaborate with the university for future investments.
Visit the Arts Garden in the middle of Glassboro, NJ.
Sit outside with a friend in the courtyards of the Rowan Campus in Glassboro, NJ.
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Glassboro Public Schools and Rowan University, a research institution
Students in Glassboro are served by the Glassboro School District, which receives a B-minus from Niche. Despite the borough’s growing size, students grow together through the same public-school pipeline, ending at Glassboro High School, which has a B-plus rating.
Centrally located in Glassboro, Rowan University is a public Carnegie-classified Research II University and one of the best for eco-friendly research initiatives. With an acceptance rate of just 18%, there are nearly 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled. Rowan is one of only two universities that award both M.D. and D.O. medical degrees, and the campus will open the first veterinary school in the state in 2025. There are also plans for the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, which will be an immersive experience for students and Glassboro residents alike to learn more about the study of paleontology.
Students can attend the public school of Glassboro High School located in Glassboro.
Multiple unique and historical academic buildings throughout the Rowan Campus in Glassboro.
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Colonial-style homes and newer subdivisions away from downtown
Surrounding the busy town center of Glassboro are more peaceful residential areas with a diverse selection of architectural designs, from ranch-styles and more spacious Colonial-inspired houses to HOA-designated subdivisions and townhome communities. The median price for a home in Glassboro is around $390,000. While this is a 10% increase since the start of 2024, it is much lower than the median price in New Jersey, which was around $525,000 at the end of 2024. Properties typically stay on the market for about a month before they’re sold.
Glassboro has many brick colonial-style homes with porches.
Ranch homes with garages in Glassboro.
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Downtown Glassboro dining and nightlife; retail on Delsea Drive
Glassboro’s vibrant downtown area features a few popular restaurants and go-to bars, like Landmark Americana. Other local favorites include LaScala’s Fire and Bonesaw Brewing Company. Delsea Drive, the main drag that takes residents in and out of the town square, is home to a few shopping plazas with retailers, salons, fitness studios and locally-adored restaurants. Doubletree Shopping Center is one such plaza, featuring both Aldi and ShopRite grocers, as well as Italian Affair, a white tablecloth eatery. Just north of the city, Duffield’s Farm Market is a family-run market, bakery and deli that serves fresh seasonal produce year-round.
Italian Affair Restaurant is located at Doubletree Shopping Center in Glassboro.
A variety of curated items are available at Crossroad Comics and Collectibles in Glassboro.
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Local wildlife trails and a lineup of Glassboro community festivals
On the south side of the city, Glassboro Wildlife Management Area is a 2,337-acre protected wilderness with miles of dirt trails ideal for hiking, running and biking. To the north, Washington Lake Park has 330 acres of athletic fields and courts, with an outdoor amphitheater that hosts a summer concert series.
In addition to the summer concerts, Glassboro offers a full schedule of community events and annual festivals. Residents can look forward to the Light Up Glassboro holiday decorating contest, the MayFest Street Fair, Restaurant Week, a Memorial Day Parade that’s been a borough tradition since the early 1900s, Art Walk & Night Market, car shows, food truck festivals and St. Anthony’s Italian Festival, which is a longstanding South Jersey tradition.
Residents explore the wooded trails in Glassboro Park, NJ.
Some bike trails can be found in Glassboro.
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Proximity to Philadelphia via State Route 55
State Routes 55 and 47 and U.S. Route 322 are the main arteries through Glassboro, allowing for about a 25-mile commute to both Center City and the Philadelphia International Airport. The NJ Transit bus system services the downtown and Rowan University sections of Glassboro. While there is no passenger train service in or around the borough, there are options to help commuters get to New York City. “Some people drive to Hamilton Station on Interstate 295 and take the NJ Transit Express train to New York City,” says John Wuertz, a Broker Associate with Berkshire Hathway HomeStyles, referring to a train station about 50 miles north of Glassboro. “It’s pretty common to drive halfway, but it’s not a bad commute to the city.”
Residents can choose between two area hospitals. Jefferson Washington Township Hospital is just east of Glassboro, and Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill is just west of the city.
Looking toward the future with the Glassboro Growth Management Plan
The Glassboro Growth Management Plan (GGMP) has a few ideas to further the development of Glassboro. Because Rowan University has grown to what it is today, many students are choosing to live in what used to be residential and family-friendly neighborhoods throughout the borough, encouraging residents to move to the outskirts. While surveys have shown that residents are proud of Rowan’s large presence, the GGMP aims to collaborate with the university to develop more off-campus housing for students. Another issue from the growing college is increased traffic congestion, so there are plans to increase parking areas and to expand the multi-modal Gloucester-Camden Transit station. The GGMP also plans to establish a Business Improvement District, which will help to develop and incentivize downtown businesses, beginning with establishing a downtown brand.
Typical weather patterns and crime rates in Glassboro
Glassboro experiences all four seasons, with average daily high temperatures above 75 degrees during the warmer months and average daily low temperatures below 45 degrees during the cooler months. Typically, August sees the most rain with an average rainfall of about 3.5 inches, and February sees the most snow with an average snowfall of about 6 inches.
According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer’s 2023 data, violent crime rates in Glassboro fluctuate, at some times hitting marks lower and at other times higher than both the state and national rates. Generally, Glassboro’s violent crime rates are lower than the national average and slightly higher than the state average. Similarly, Glassboro’s 2023 property crime rates fluctuated. However, rates were steadily lower than the national average and often lower than the state average.
Amy graduated from Kingsway Regional High School in Swedesboro, New Jersey and then earned her Bachelor's Degree in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Amy went on to work as an Account Manager for a pharmaceutical advertising representative in Berlin, New Jersey, where she spent over 16 years selling digital and print advertising space to pharmaceutical companies and medical manufacturing companies. Along with her husband, she dove into real estate investing and quickly knew that she wanted to work full time in this exciting and rewarding career. Amy joined Berkshire Hathaway in 2014, and began earning sales awards from her first year in the industry. Within a few years, she had furthered her education and training to become a licensed real estate Broker. Amy has earned the Berkshire Hathaway Chairman's Circle award and is currently in the top 2% in the entire company in sales. Her areas of focus are luxury property listings in Gloucester, Camden, Burlington and Cape May Counties, as well luxury homes, estate sales and sales in age restricted 55+ communities, relocating homeowners and assisting in transitions for downsizing homeowners. Serving clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
