[nytoflorida]

My family and I are interested in a house that's for sale in Holly Hill, which is just outside of Daytona Beach. The thing is, we're from NY and don't know much about the area. The house is new construction and is beautiful, but I'm not sure about the surrounding area. It looks like it might be a little run down. Can anyone give me advice on this town? The town's website says great things about it (of course), and we don't mind being away from the hustle and bustle of the main part of Daytona, but we don't want to be in a crappy suburb of it either. Thanks for any info.

[ssg II]

Don't know the exact area you're looking at, but most of Holly Hill is pretty seedy, especially anything close to US 1. There are a lot of mom & pop motels on US 1, which cater to hookers and west of US 1 it's a light industrial area. The north end of Holly Hill borders the south end (and worst part) of Ormond Beach. The south end of Holly Hill borders the north end (and worst part) of Daytona.

You really need to check it out in person. (The only property I'd even consider in "Holy Hell," it's local nickname, would be close to the river and I don't know of any new construction there.) Good Luck!

[nytoflorida]

Thanks for your reply. I had no idea the area could be that bad. I knew it had a lot of affordable housing, but I just figured it was because they were small houses near the beach, which would be fine with me. However it sounds like it could be worse than that. Thanks again.

[daytonababy1222]

I have lived in the daytona beach area since I was four and personally im dying to get back there after my husbands tour in the navy is over but I can honestly tell you that I believe that south daytona and Port Orange are the best areas of the daytona beach area. I know the entire daytona beach and surrounding cities incredibly well and most of my family and friends prefer the quiet neighborhoods between south daytona and Port Orange. You're best bets are to find a home between beville rd and Rose Bay.

[daytonababy1222]

are you looking for new subdivisions,mobie home parks, or just homes in general. If you're looking for something away from downtown daytona but would like to be close to water you can check out daytona beach shores but again I must express that the best part of the whole Daytona area has been said to be South Daytona and Port Orange. You may find really nice homes in a few subdivions such as Brandy Hills and Willow Run. The Port Orange district schools are the best as well. I'm not sure if you have children in the school age range but here are a few schools with remarkable reputations. Spruce Creek Elementary school,Silver sands Middle School and either Atlantic High school(the best) or Spruce Creek High school. Well I hope that helps a bit in deciding. If you'd like anymore info please just ask.

[RedWingsFan]

I live in Port Orange right now and did live in Ormond Beach. Both Port Orange and Ormond Beach are very nice. I would not even consider moving to Holly Hill. It's not a nice place. I would also never consider buying in Daytona. It's okay to shop there, but don't live there. Holly Hill is run down, has some bad areas and is just not a place I'd live. If you want to move to the Daytona area I'd suggest sticking to Port Orange or Ormond. All things considered Port Orange is the best area around - very nice. It's a family-friendly town that's got great schools, low crime, close to the beaches, etc. And there is a lot of shopping being built all around.

[nytoflorida]

Thanks for the replies. The more research I've done, the more I've read that Port Orange and Ormond Beach are the nice areas of Daytona. I really loved this house in Holly Hill though, really perfect for our needs. But I really don't want to be in a bad area. I'm now researching the Vero Beach - Port St. Lucie areas and Palm Coast. It's so hard finding the right town with the right type of property and advantages. Thanks again for the help.

[RedWingsFan]

I don't know anything about Vero Beach or Port St. Lucie... but I know Palm Coast. It's not nice. Yes, the houses are cheaper, but you get what you pay for area-wise. It's not nice there. And there's nothing to do. You'd be driving all the way down to Daytona to do things, or up to St. Augustine. If you have kids stear clear of there. The schools aren't as good (you can research them all on GreatSchools.net), the crime is higher and there's not much there for kids to do. The ONLY thing you get there is cheaper housing. And most of the neighborhoods aren't that nice from what I have seen. Before we bought in Port Orange we went there several times to check it out because it's cheaper. There's no way I'd live in Palm Coast.

[danateddy1]

There is a very drug-infested area just off of the South side of Beville Road. I'm speaking of the area around Golfview, like between the railroad tracks and Nova Road. So watch out for that area. But if you get south of Big Tree, or even Reed Canal Road, you should be fine. There are some really nice subdivisions off Reed Canal Road (I've taken my kid trick-or-treating around there on Halloween since I knew the area was safe). I know that sounds corny, but when you are looking for a decent place to walk around with your kid... well, you get the jist.

[citrushills]

The only nice section of Daytona Beach that I am aware of is called Pelican Bay. It is on the SW side of Beville Rd. It is gated and security 24 hours. The homes are pricey but affordable.