How would you rank these places to live? (Melbourne, Merritt Island: rental, low crime)
Brevard CountySpace Coast: Palm Bay, Melbourne, Titusville area
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I have been reading this forum for a few weeks now and am heading out to interview in Rockledge for a job in a couple of weeks. I have come up with a list of places to consider looking to live and was curious how others would rank them and why. What would be important to me is low crime, short commute, strong schools, and close to amenities (stores, restaurants, beach, etc...). I should also mention that, in general, we are not excited about "cookie-cutter" houses or neighborhoods, where everything looks the same. Thanks for the input!
Here are the places I am considering: Rockledge, Merritt Island, Satellite Beach, Viera, Suntree, and West Melbourne.
From what I have gathered so far, here is my ranking:
1 - Merritt Island (pro - good schools; con - more expensive)
2 - Satellite Beach (pro - low crime, good schools; con - farther from work, more expensive)
3 - Suntree (pro - low crime, good schools, con - looks like a bunch of golf courses)
4 - Viera (pro - low crime, close to work; con - "cookie cutter" area)
5 - Rockledge (pro - close to work; con - higher crime and not as good schools?)
6 - West Melbourne (pro - close to stuff to do; con - far from work)
I have been reading this forum for a few weeks now and am heading out to interview in Rockledge for a job in a couple of weeks. I have come up with a list of places to consider looking to live and was curious how others would rank them and why. What would be important to me is low crime, short commute, strong schools, and close to amenities (stores, restaurants, beach, etc...). I should also mention that, in general, we are not excited about "cookie-cutter" houses or neighborhoods, where everything looks the same. Thanks for the input!
Here are the places I am considering: Rockledge, Merritt Island, Satellite Beach, Viera, Suntree, and West Melbourne.
From what I have gathered so far, here is my ranking:
1 - Merritt Island (pro - good schools; con - more expensive)
2 - Satellite Beach (pro - low crime, good schools; con - farther from work, more expensive)
3 - Suntree (pro - low crime, good schools, con - looks like a bunch of golf courses)
4 - Viera (pro - low crime, close to work; con - "cookie cutter" area)
5 - Rockledge (pro - close to work; con - higher crime and not as good schools?)
6 - West Melbourne (pro - close to stuff to do; con - far from work)
Wow! In my opinion, you nailed it. You are exactly right. I would only add that Suntree is a tad less 'cookie cutter' than Viera but you are right, it does look like a bunch of golf courses. It is my favorite area of Melbourne though
I don't love cookie cutter style either, but the issue we ran into when looking for a home here is that many if not almost all of the homes with any character were older and not updated AT all and the remodeling and updating costs were adding up, so we started looking at newer homes which translated into a little more 'cookie cutter' but didn't require so much work, time and money to update. It all depends on what you are willing to compromise on. I'm not saying you can't find a nice home that isn't cookie cutter, but you are going to have to look at mostly older homes and many will need to be significantly updated.
We've looked at all of the areas mentioned and I have to say that Melbourne Village isn't comparable to any of them. We liked Suntree best for our family at this time. There are different styles of homes within Suntree so it didn't feel cookie cutter at all to me like Viera did. Also, the lots are slightly larger in Suntree depending on which subdivision you are in. The schools are good and there are plenty of kids for the children to play with. I also don't feel like the neighborhood might change much in the future like I feel Viera could. Suntree seems more established while I can see Viera becomming a lot of rental property and not be as nice. Just my opinion.
But to live in Melbourne Village, don't you still have to be "allowed" to purchase and move into a home there? Mostly older homes there, too.
I don't know. I saw a listing when I was looking last year. The agent told me it was one of the safest areas in Florida, but that none of the homes would meet my requirement of being built after 2004.
From what I have gathered so far, here is my ranking:
1 - Merritt Island (pro - good schools; con - more expensive)
2 - Satellite Beach (pro - low crime, good schools; con - farther from work, more expensive)
3 - Suntree (pro - low crime, good schools, con - looks like a bunch of golf courses)
4 - Viera (pro - low crime, close to work; con - "cookie cutter" area)
5 - Rockledge (pro - close to work; con - higher crime and not as good schools?)
6 - West Melbourne (pro - close to stuff to do; con - far from work)
I think you have the general idea of the areas and have them ranked pretty well based on your criteria.
I might swap W Melbourne with Suntree though, since the areas closer to 192 are almost dead on with what you are looking for beyond a little longer commute. Plus Suntree is a lot of golf courses & retirees. Not all (before somebody starts yelling) but its not where I'd choose to raise a family (safe, certainly...just less likely to have any kids their age).
I think you have the general idea of the areas and have them ranked pretty well based on your criteria.
I might swap W Melbourne with Suntree though, since the areas closer to 192 are almost dead on with what you are looking for beyond a little longer commute. Plus Suntree is a lot of golf courses & retirees. Not all (before somebody starts yelling) but its not where I'd choose to raise a family (safe, certainly...just less likely to have any kids their age).
Seems like 192 has one of everything (Target, Publix, Mall with Dillards, JCP etc, BBBY, Best Buy etc.), plus it will take you direct to the beach. Only issue I've seen with it so far is that it seems to be pretty run down/sketchy along parts of it (Bare assets, anyone?)
Seems like 192 has one of everything (Target, Publix, Mall with Dillards, JCP etc, BBBY, Best Buy etc.), plus it will take you direct to the beach. Only issue I've seen with it so far is that it seems to be pretty run down/sketchy along parts of it (Bare assets, anyone?)
Yeah, you want to stay south of 192. or go a mile or more further north of it.
I like the areas west of Minton Rd (which becomes Wickham north of 192) and south of 192. Slightly older homes (by FL standards anyway) but nice lots & well established trees/neighborhoods. Also not a cookie cutter area.
BA's is definitely the part thats an eyesore but it is the north side of 192 & west of Wickham. Most shopping & the like is east of Wickham anyway so not the part of 192 most people would stop at (well, unless they actually wanted to go to BA ). Though you would pass it on the way to I-95.
From what I have gathered so far, here is my ranking:
1 - Merritt Island (pro - good schools; con - more expensive)
2 - Satellite Beach (pro - low crime, good schools; con - farther from work, more expensive)
3 - Suntree (pro - low crime, good schools, con - looks like a bunch of golf courses)
4 - Viera (pro - low crime, close to work; con - "cookie cutter" area)
5 - Rockledge (pro - close to work; con - higher crime and not as good schools?)
6 - West Melbourne (pro - close to stuff to do; con - far from work)
I see you mention Sat Beach farther from work with West Melbourne, but not Merritt Island. Having moved here last year I can assure you that Merritt Island is as far from getting to work as those two, or actually more, no matter what a map shows. Merritt has a lot of other things but time wise is one of hardest places to live and commute to/from. Merritt island was not meant as a place to commute, it is slow go.
If I was going to work in Rockledge generally I think you are doing a good job on your list looks like. It is a big job finding the place to buy. We looked at all the same places last year and went West Melbourne. We felt it was the best deal of all those price wise but we also do not go to Rockledge to work. There is a huge variation in houses in all areas, even Suntree, Viera, and so on. Most would say Viera is not cookie cutter but our family did not go for it when we looked, as before coming it was on top of our list, but after looking we bumped it down quite far. I dunno... we did not go for Viera, kids felt high school too large and rapidly growing plus houses way way higher. Viera is part in Rockledge and the rest Melbourne by the way. But the Viera part of Rockledge can be quite pricey.
Just come and have a look, spend some time timing things. Compare prices on similar. Beach and Merritt are just not ideal for work type usual commutes but have other things.
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