[blueridgerider]

Blue-I agree w/TJM about Grand Haven just depends on if you wanted gated community. If not, rent for awhile and see what area you do like. There is also the community center for a pool and Palm Coast has it's own tennis center. There are plenty of nice communities to go around and of course prices have come down and very reasonable.

Prod- We have great schools here and plenty of organized activities for kids along with nature walking and biking trails. The parks here are wonderful and nature abounds everywhere. Beach in Flagler County you can go from crowded near the pier to isolated. No concrete jungle here and thankfully we now have good shopping and a great movie theatre.

[season10]

Due to the demographics of the area (unemployed construction workers who moved here during the building boom), this area has long term structural unemployment. It has depressed housing values. If you do not have a guaranteed income, do not come here. Regrading shopping, unless you consider Target and Walmart, fine shopping here is none. Jax is about 60 miles up the road and those are the closest malls. Fine dining or even good reliable dining out is available in St Augustine just north of here. Palm Coast has 2, maybe 3 ok places to eat and one fine dining opportunity; the Atlantic Grille. The area is pretty much a cultural wasteland. The social event of the season is bike week in the spring and biketoberfest in the fall. We're suffering thru Biketoberfest now. Sorry to be negative, but that is the truth. I'm no local businessman, I'm not a real estate agent who is desperate to make a sale, I'm just a citizen who moved here and bought a home. While I have a guaranteed income, many don't and are unemployed and it is dragging the area down fast.

[jsimms3]

I wonder which area is doing worse right now: PC or PSL? They both seem to be very similar retirement oriented quiet communities that exploded so fast and saw such huge gluts of new construction. PSL is a little bit larger because it got an earlier start, but it doesn't seem to be doing any better.

[blueridgerider]

Unfortunately season10 you forget about Macy's and Dillards in Daytona which certainly is higher class shopping. We do have a Belk's in town. If you need a multi story mall, then yes you should travel to Jacksonville.

In regards to jobs, I fully agree. Don't come here unless you have a guaranteed job or your own income. While there are some jobs, majority of people do travel to Ormond or Daytona. It is a shame that they can't get a good manufacturing plant to move here with all the land around.

If you need a large city with all the glitz and glamour that goes with it and within a short drive to everything, this is not for you. Fancy cultural events such as Broadway plays are usually in Jax or Orlando. We do have the Flagler Auditorium which does sponsor shows but they are of the smaller variety. Daytona has the Ocean Center & Peabody Auditorium which has higher class shows/concerts.

If you need "fine dining" I agree it is limited and St. Augustine does have great restaurants. Daytona/Ormond also has some fine dining. If you like the normal style restaurants we have plenty with some very good mom and pop owned restaurants. Olive Garden/Red Lobster will be completed soon and for those that like Panera's heard they will be opening here but not sure when.

Sorry you are not happy here and that's why it's good for people to do their research and visit before moving to an area. This is definitely a quieter area, still growing in some ways, great real estate deals and very much into nature and the preservation of it.

[season10]

No, the Daytona Mall does not count. It's a joke. Mostly empty and the safety of the area is debatable. The restaurants are awful and limited; I mean how many times can you eat at Strathmores, Houligan's, Ai or Kokoro? Not even Pasta Pasta could make it here. When I bought my house, it was valued at $240,000, I got it for much, much less. However, its now valued at $154,000. If I could sell, I would in a heartbeat. I don't want others to fall into the trap here. I'm lucky, more accurately, I planned well, I don't need to work anymore, so I can take the hit on the property value. Also, I have a tax deduction with this house and that was my plan. This area if very, very limited and people should be aware of that prior to moving here. The realtor that sold me this house is going into a foreclosure of her own home. It is that bad here and people need to know. Oh, if you decide to eat out here, use the Urban Spoon reviews, not Flagler On Line. Urban Spoon is much more objective.

[moondog2525]

please delete

[season10]

I guess you don't like the truth. By the way, the Daytona Mall is over 40 miles from PC. Just be truthful. Don't bulid PC up to what it is not. If someone is interested in the area, come and stay a few weeks minimum and don't jump into a decision to move here (as I did) without staying a while. Be very careful and be observant when you visit.

[blueridgerider]

Actually season10 I was just ignoring your post. I was down at the mall this wknd and had no problems, didn't feel threatened or scared. The mall for me is about 34 miles as it depends on where you live in PC, north or south end.

You are obviously used to the finer things in life. Plenty of people enjoy it here and it's not just all about the upper crust and their desires!!

[Blue717]

Thats a shame season10. We recently moved to Palm Coast and I dont ever plan on going anywhere else! I'm enjoying the Town Center, and the casual eaterys. I dont mind making a day of it and heading up to the Town Center in Jacksonville or the malls up there. Gives me a good excuse to see something different. St Augustine is full of local color, history and customs, it takes me about 20 minutes to get there. No these areas dont have the glitz and glamour of the big cities, but isnt that why we moved here? There are beaches aplenty. Granted my children live in St Augustine, which makes it alot nicer, but I cant see why anyone would want to live anywhere but Palm Coast. Its a great place and you have some of the best entertainment in Florida within 2 hours of you! Jacksonville, Orlando, Port Canaveral for cruising. What else can you ask for!?

[ssg II]

As I have posted before, Palm Coast is heaven for some, hell for others.

1) DO NOT move here unless you are financially secure. There are no jobs.
2) DO NOT move here if you are not mobile. There is VERY limited public transporation and taxis who work when they want to.
3) DO NOT move here if you are elderly and have no family close-by.

More times than I can count, people have moved to Palm Coast thinking it's their retirement dream or their start-over dream. The older ones become ill with no one to take care of them. The younger ones can't find work and end up on welfare.

Real estate prices are at an all-time low, so now's the time to buy. Just do dilligent research and make sure it's the right place for you.