[thebes]

I have been searching the forums and am trying to find additional information. Jobs aren't an issue.

We are a young family looking for town with the following:

-Walkable to shops, restaurants, cafes, from condo/house.
-Safe, higher income area.
-Good school district or great private schools close.
-Near the beach (15 minutes)
-Within 1 hour to large airport
-Younger families, not overrun by retirees
-Low tourism

We have looked at St. Pete; however, it seems a little seedy. Sarasota has a lot to offer but seems to have a very large retiree population. St. Augustine is too touristy.

Any suggestions?

[HarryWho?]

Originally Posted by thebes

I have been searching the forums and am trying to find additional information. Jobs aren't an issue.

We are a young family looking for town with the following:

-Walkable to shops, restaurants, cafes, from condo/house.
-Safe, higher income area.
-Good school district or great private schools close.
-Near the beach (15 minutes)
-Reasonably priced (2 bed - $1000)
-Within 1 hour to large airport
-Younger families, not overrun by retirees
-Low tourism

We have looked at St. Pete; however, it seems a little seedy. Sarasota has a lot to offer but seems to have a very large retiree population. St. Augustine is too touristy.

Any suggestions?

Follow the yellow brick rd..... Follow the yellow brick rd.....Follow, Follow, Follow....... Just kidding..... Pretty specific list. I can't think of anyplace. Hope somebody comes up with ideas.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by thebes

I have been searching the forums and am trying to find additional information. Jobs aren't an issue.

We are a young family looking for town with the following:

-Walkable to shops, restaurants, cafes, from condo/house.
-Safe, higher income area.
-Good school district or great private schools close.
-Near the beach (15 minutes)
-Within 1 hour to large airport
-Younger families, not overrun by retirees
-Low tourism

We have looked at St. Pete; however, it seems a little seedy. Sarasota has a lot to offer but seems to have a very large retiree population. St. Augustine is too touristy.

Any suggestions?

Sorry, but I think you are going to find EVERYTHING "too-too". Going to have to get a little more practical. Yours is a fantasy list. But Sarasota probably comes closest if you can stand all us "old folks" (and tourists!)

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by thebes

I have been searching the forums and am trying to find additional information. Jobs aren't an issue.

We are a young family looking for town with the following:

-Walkable to shops, restaurants, cafes, from condo/house.
-Safe, higher income area.
-Good school district or great private schools close.
-Near the beach (15 minutes)
-Within 1 hour to large airport
-Younger families, not overrun by retirees
-Low tourism

We have looked at St. Pete; however, it seems a little seedy. Sarasota has a lot to offer but seems to have a very large retiree population. St. Augustine is too touristy.

Any suggestions?

What you are looking for dont exist.

And almost universally, schools dont exist in beach communities, because (wait for it...)






















People with school age kids cant afford to live on the beach.

Also, in case you have not noticed, Florida is full of retirees.

[RMD3819]

The OP has posted this same criteria in multiple forums including Canada, Europe and World. That is a pretty wide net.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by thebes

I have been searching the forums and am trying to find additional information. Jobs aren't an issue.

We are a young family looking for town with the following:

-Walkable to shops, restaurants, cafes, from condo/house.
-Safe, higher income area.
-Good school district or great private schools close.
-Near the beach (15 minutes)
-Within 1 hour to large airport
-Younger families, not overrun by retirees
-Low tourism

We have looked at St. Pete; however, it seems a little seedy. Sarasota has a lot to offer but seems to have a very large retiree population. St. Augustine is too touristy.

Any suggestions?

There are a few places in Florida that fit the criteria.

Ponte Vedra Beach has the top rated school district in the state (St Johns County), a higher income population, low crime, easy access to the beach and a somewhat walkable area of shops/restaurants. Jacksonville International Airport is within an hour's drive.

Fernandina Beach is a great "old-Florida style" town with a thriving downtown area full of shops/restaurants, low crime, a higher income population, good schools and easy access to Jacksonville International Airport. It is a bit touristy (not overtly), but more as a quiet weekend-escape destination versus the amusement-park destination place you probably have in mind.

Indialantic and Melbourne Beach have excellent public schools (Brevard County is one of the top half dozen school districts in the state), nice non-touristy beaches, low crime rates, walkability to shops and restaurants, a lot of families and easy access to Melbourne International Airport (served by Delta and USAir) or is an hour from Orlando International Airport. This area is the least touristy of the places I've mentioned.

Jensen Beach is the most tropical of the choices I'm recommending, being 45 minutes to an hour north of West Palm Beach. The town is fairly small of scale making it easy to get around from many neighborhoods into the downtown area, which is fairly thriving with restaurants/shops, festivals and a farmers market. The beach is minutes away across the Intracoastal Waterway. The beach area is very narrow through this part of Florida allowing for little development oceanside. The schools are very good (Martin County Schools), the area has very low crime and a large upper middle income demographic. West Palm Beach International Airport is an hour away.

Hope this helps!

[HarryWho?]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

There are a few places in Florida that fit the criteria.

Ponte Vedra Beach has the top rated school district in the state (St Johns County), a higher income population, low crime, easy access to the beach and a somewhat walkable area of shops/restaurants. Jacksonville International Airport is within an hour's drive.

Fernandina Beach is a great "old-Florida style" town with a thriving downtown area full of shops/restaurants, low crime, a higher income population, good schools and easy access to Jacksonville International Airport. It is a bit touristy (not overtly), but more as a quiet weekend-escape destination versus the amusement-park destination place you probably have in mind.

Indialantic and Melbourne Beach have excellent public schools (Brevard County is one of the top half dozen school districts in the state), nice non-touristy beaches, low crime rates, walkability to shops and restaurants, a lot of families and easy access to Melbourne International Airport (served by Delta and USAir) or is an hour from Orlando International Airport. This area is the least touristy of the places I've mentioned.

Jensen Beach is the most tropical of the choices I'm recommending, being 45 minutes to an hour north of West Palm Beach. The town is fairly small of scale making it easy to get around from many neighborhoods into the downtown area, which is fairly thriving with restaurants/shops, festivals and a farmers market. The beach is minutes away across the Intracoastal Waterway. The beach area is very narrow through this part of Florida allowing for little development oceanside. The schools are very good (Martin County Schools), the area has very low crime and a large upper middle income demographic. West Palm Beach International Airport is an hour away.

Hope this helps!

Good choices except for the retiree bit and walkability.

[daytonadewd]

Based on your OP, I think you will find the following areas worthwhile in checking out:

• Naples (Old Naples Neighborhood 5th & 3rd/Naples Pier) - RSW
• New Smyrna Beach (Coronado Beach/Flagler Ave Beachside Neighborhood) - DAB/MCO
• Atlantic Beach (Jax) - JAX
• Sanibel Island (Ft Myers) - RSW
• Islamorada (Keys) - MIA

Good Luck!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by thebes

-Younger families, not overrun by retirees

Originally Posted by daytonadewd

Based on your OP, I think you will find the following areas worthwhile in checking out:

• Naples (Old Naples Neighborhood 5th & 3rd/Naples Pier) - RSW
• New Smyrna Beach (Coronado Beach/Flagler Ave Beachside Neighborhood) - DAB/MCO
• Atlantic Beach (Jax) - JAX
• Sanibel Island (Ft Myers) - RSW
• Islamorada (Keys) - MIA

Good Luck!

Nope to Naples. Lots and lots and lots of retirees. Schools aren't that great (surprise, surprise) either.

Not that walkable but I would agree with Sanibel. Very good schools and they managed to stay out of the School Choice that Fort Myers/Lehigh/Cape Coral has. Money can buy you good schools. Riff-raff tourists tend to stay away, too. It's far too classy for them. The only thing about Sanibel is, if he have to ask how much are the homes, well, you can't afford it.

[Hialeah_Rules]

Sanibel if you area millionaire. The $6 toll keeps the riff raff away