Not familiar w/ Forked River specifically but Jersey in general isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Yeah there's gonna be your fair share of Jersey shore type guidos but they're just east coast bros and relatively easy to avoid.
You are pretty close to Seaside Heights, which is Guido central. Bunch of tools and brainwashed douchebags. The area sucks. I only enjoyed the cheese whiz cheese steaks.