Welcome to Lakewood

The old Lakewood was a sleepy, little town, a well-known resort for the wealthy and a retreat for presidents.  Today, the new Lakewood is a vibrant, exciting place --- a natural beauty set amidst parks, lakes and a quaint Victorian downtown.  The town offers old-world charm, a hometown feeling and solid values along with 21st Century amenities. 

Business opportunities abound in Lakewood not only because of its location, but also because of its on-going growth and phenomenal development. Lakewood is situated near several major roads, including the Garden State Parkway.  It is within an hour and a half of New York City, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City, and only a few miles from beaches, boardwalks, and malls.

Lakewood has the second largest industrial park in the state, featuring light manufacturing and clean industry.  It is the choice of many businesses, such as the New Jersey corporate headquarters of Blinds-to-Go; J. Knipper; and Jesel, Inc., among many others. Gaming Labs International recently built its world headquarters in the Park. The Chamber of Commerce, a dynamic force in the town, has grown to more than 500 members.  As a designated UEZ (Urban Enterprise Zone), Lakewood offers a 3½% sales tax in the Zone, providing significant business incentives and shopping advantages.

Not a member of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce? Click here to JOIN NOW! Need more information? Click here or call us at 732-363-0012.

Its central location in the state and access to major roads have continued to spur on major building projects, touching all aspects of life in Lakewood. In April 2001, a $22 million baseball stadium built with UEZ funds opened with the first game of the Lakewood BlueClaws, a “Single A” Minor League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.  By April 2003, the Lakewood BlueClaws became the fastest team in New Jersey and South Atlantic League history to draw one MILLION people to its stadium, FirstEnergy Park.

The renovated historic Strand Theater, designed by world renowned theater architect Thomas Lamb in 1922 and listed on the N.J. and National Register of Historic Places, offers year-round entertainment in plush, air-conditioned surroundings.  The Strand continues to be a perfect venue to showcase its season of comedians, musicals, dinner theater, stars from television and movies, and legendary musical entertainers. A new gallery for dinner theater-in-the-round, smaller shows and receptions includes a catering facility, dance floor, and restrooms.

Plans have been approved for the Lakewood Hilton, a $12 million luxury hotel designed for business and pleasure, which will contain a catering facility, a convention center, meeting rooms, a public restaurant, a business center, and an indoor and outdoor pool.  The Cedarbridge Development Corporation is developing a high-quality, multi-use business campus on a 240-acre property near the FirstEnergy Park. Plans include 1.5 million square feet of high-technology office space in 14 buildings set among parks, restaurants, banking and retail services. 

Kimball Medical Center, originally a 16-bed hospital, is now a 350-bed fully accredited facility, celebrating its 90 th year. The hospital, which has continued to grow with Lakewood, is finishing a $27 million renovation and expansion of its Emergency Department, enabling the hospital to expand its services from 42,000 to more than 60,000 people.  Kimball is one of 200 hospitals in the world and the only hospital in Ocean County to offer the newest, state-of-the-art 16 multi-slice CT scan. Its expanded neonatology services for mothers and their newborns 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year is one of a kind in the county.

Besides business opportunities, Lakewood abounds in leisure and cultural activities. Lakewood has ten free municipal playgrounds, its own park, a lake, three County parks, and two public golf courses, a private golf course, historical sites to visit, and many fun-filled summer events.  And the parking is free!

Parks are popular for relaxation, picnics, and recreation of all kinds from hiking, biking, and fitness trails to volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts, and open playing fields for almost every sport.  Ocean County Park, once the 323-acre estate of John D. Rockefeller, has three lakes, one for swimming and one for fishing. Many recreational activities surround beautiful Lake Carasaljo, including an exercise trail; a 4.5 mile walking, running, and bike path; fishing and picnicking. Rowboats and paddle boats can be rented through Labor Day.  The amphitheater at Lake Carasaljo is the site of many community events and concerts, scheduled throughout the summer. Most sites have rest rooms and are handicapped accessible.

Education in Lakewood mirrors the town's old-world values set along side 21 st Century progress.  The high school offers traditional programs, but students also have the latest in technology. Graduates of the public school system have attended Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia among other prestigious colleges and universities. Lakewood itself has two institutions of higher learning. Beth Medrash Govoha is a world-famous school for rabbinical and Talmudic studies. Georgian Court College , a renowned comprehensive Catholic college with a strong liberal arts core including master's degree programs, is a national historic landmark whose campus was the former estate of George Jay Gould.   

An important educational and cultural link between the town and the schools is the Lakewood Branch of the Ocean County Library, which prides itself on Connecting People -- Building Community – Changing Lives . In 1999, before its merger into the County library system, the Lakewood library had six Internet computers.  Today, there are twenty-seven. Besides a comprehensive collection of more than 110,000 books, videos, magazines, and CDs, the library offers 160 different programs, products and services for the entire family.

With the skilled management of the mayor and the township committee, taxes have been stable without reducing services for residents, a diverse population comprised of senior citizen communities, and multi-ethnic and religious groups.

For business or pleasure, leisure, excitement and fun—it's Lakewood! Lakewood looks like a small, scenic town, but its 25 square miles encompass everything: large corporations, small businesses, a brand new baseball stadium, a historic theater, 1,200 acres of parkland, all kinds of leisure and recreation, and even an easy commute to the hustle and bustle of nearby cities. Come see for yourself.  Call the Chamber of Commerce at 732 363–0012 for more information.