[jzizza]

Is Destin a nice area to live despite the hurricane danger? It looks beautiful, but is it too dangerous with the threat of hurricanes?

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by jzizza

Is Destin a nice area to live despite the hurricane danger? It looks beautiful, but is it too dangerous with the threat of hurricanes?

you've taken a wrong turn, try the florida or orlando forums

[toops]

In my own opinion, Destin is too touristy, boring, traffic-y and expensive to live in. They are constantly building condos and new developments on the beach, which I don't understand, because all it does is add to erosion. It makes absolutely no sense to me to build anything of worth on the water, but people do it anyway. The last time a hurricane came through (probably Ivan, however many years ago that was), the siding and roofing were ripped completely off of three houses that had been built on the sound in Fort Walton Beach. Not the ocean, the sound.

Also to mention the fact that insurance is ridiculous; many insurance companies either won't insure in Florida and/or dropping current customers because they won't insure any more, because it is costing them too much from the people who make the ridiculous "oh no my $600,000 house lost all its windows, flooded and I need new siding and roofing" claims. Other people (personal experience here) who make small "I need a new roof because it was old before and now it's been torn up by a hurricane" claims once every few years get maybe a fourth to a third of the cost of their claim and end up having to pay most of it out of pocket.

I suppose it depends on your age, personality, and income level, but I find the area to be incredibly boring for teenagers and young adults, unless you like to booze and party at really unimpressive clubs. The whole FWB/Destin area is a good area for raising kids, shopping, and visiting, but living there is a different story.

I hope this helped!

[ucfjtm]

Originally Posted by toops

I suppose it depends on your age, personality, and income level, but I find the area to be incredibly boring for teenagers and young adults, unless you like to booze and party at really unimpressive clubs. The whole FWB/Destin area is a good area for raising kids, shopping, and visiting, but living there is a different story.

I hope this helped!

I grew up in this area, and this is true. For most adults and kids, other than the beach there's not much else to do. If you're under 21, entertainment is very hard to come by since beachside bars & restaurants are the main attraction, so drugs are fairly popular throughout the area (but they seem to be in every town now). Any large city is 5 hours away (New Orleans and Atlanta). There aren't many of my high school friends who either stayed there or moved back after college, although many visit their parents who still live there, like mine.

As for Destin itself, traffic is a nightmare. There is one road (98) that is two lanes each way, and it's bumper to bumper traffic for about an 8 mile stretch - that can take 45 minutes to travel at times.

As for hurricanes, anyone who lived there during Opal in '95 remembers what happened to Destin. Okaloosa Island was literally cut in half and a significant chunk of highway 98 was washed away. That means anyone who lived in Destin had to drive the mid-bay bridge to Niceville and around the bay to get to Ft. Walton Beach. I'm sure the high school students from Destin remember their 1 hour minimum commute each way to get to FWB High.

I personally wouldn't live in Destin unless I'm right on the beach, don't care about possibly losing everything in a hurricane, and don't plan on driving much at all on 98. If I were forced to move back, Niceville or Shalimar would be the only places I'd consider. They've got very good schools, low crime, and are 20 minutes from the beach, but are protected enough by the bay to be saved from significant hurricane damage.

[daytripper]

I'd have to agree.... Niceville is just over the bridge from Destin and it certainly makes a big difference as far a cost of housing ( buying or renting).
It is a very beautiful area. Destin is not what I would call a family friendly area to raise your kids. They don't even have their own High School. Most kids are bussed either to Niceville or Ft Walton Beach. But you can still have it all by living in one of the neighboring towns. They are all more like bedroom communities.

[Go4It!]

I dont always understand the rationality of why people think one part of Florida may be considered any more or less vulnerable to hurricanes. In 2005 we did sustain 2 hurricanes in the panhandle but so did many other parts of this state. These were the first direct hits in 10 years with any amount of damage. Hurricanes are unpredictable and are not specific to just one part of this state. A tornado in Texas isnt anymore predictable than a hurricane but at least I can get word a hurricane is coming in advance to get the hell out of the way if need be.
Destin is a vacation resort town. Great for visiting and partying but bad for getting around in traffic. Surrounding towns offer the same amenities for less dollars. I would save savor what you read here and visit the area yourself to come to a conclusion. There is traffic, crime, high property values and cost statewide. I work primarily in Destin but live across the bay in Niceville. Everyone has opinions some good, some bad based upon there speciifc experience. Its an amazingly beautiful area with white sand beaches that are like no where else in Florida. Good luck with your decision and choice.

[toops]

Originally Posted by ucfjtm

As for hurricanes, anyone who lived there during Opal in '95 remembers what happened to Destin. Okaloosa Island was literally cut in half and a significant chunk of highway 98 was washed away. That means anyone who lived in Destin had to drive the mid-bay bridge to Niceville and around the bay to get to Ft. Walton Beach. I'm sure the high school students from Destin remember their 1 hour minimum commute each way to get to FWB High.

This happened during Ivan as well, not to mention that the I-10 bridge that connects Gulf Breeze (all traffic going westbound from FWB/Destin, etc) collapsed as well. True, there are other ways to get to Pensacola, but...that's not very safe. In any case, after Ivan, they attempted to fix the road by putting chicken wire in or under the concrete. How that's supposed to fix it, I'm unsure.

[ucfjtm]

Originally Posted by toops

This happened during Ivan as well, not to mention that the I-10 bridge that connects Gulf Breeze (all traffic going westbound from FWB/Destin, etc) collapsed as well. True, there are other ways to get to Pensacola, but...that's not very safe. In any case, after Ivan, they attempted to fix the road by putting chicken wire in or under the concrete. How that's supposed to fix it, I'm unsure.

Ah yes, I heard about that weeks later - I was still without power from Ivan's path through Orlando when it tore through Pensacola! Honestly, Florida isn't much more magnet prone than any of the other states from Texas to North Carolina, with the exception of Georgia in that nook from Jacksonville to Savannah.

[jhsrichards]

Destin's beaches are some of the prettiest I've ever seen, the shopping, dining, and nightlife are exceptional, and recreation opportunites are almost unlimited. It is also a very clean area with little crime, although things look a little bit nastier over towards FWB. Here are the downsides:

Yes, you can get hit by hurricanes
The traffic, as you've already been told, is unpredictable and usually backs up through several red lights during rush hour.
Not sure what kind of job market there is outside the tourist/shopping industries.

If these things are not a problem for you, moving to Destin will be like a permanent vacation.

[Ming Lee]

Hi:I'm considering purchasing a condo in Destin. I don't know anything about the area. Could someone mention by street or area or condo name where it is run down or undesireable?Thanks so much!