[DessertRat]

Originally Posted by redsynner

I have been reading all of the posts from Palm Beach County on up to Jacksonville-east coast to west coast and everyone seems to be saying that all of the towns we've been looking at-Palm Beach, Palm Coast, Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, St. Augustine... the gamut.... are all not safe to live in, raise a child, walk on the street, etc.

I've been participating on the forums for a few months now--not just for Florida but for many different states (I was raised in West Palm Beach, I'm currently living in the metro New York City area, and I'm interested in many different western states with the goal of living there at least part time), and I'm beginning to get the impression that there isn't any forum here where there's not at least a vocal minority saying, "Don't do it! Don't move here! There are no jobs here, the schools are bad, it's dangerous, you don't want to raise a kid here, you won't be able to afford it here," and on and on. I'm beginning to think that the City-Data.com forums should be renamed the ChickenLittle.com forums. You'd think that no one could manage living anywhere if you based your opinion just on these forums.

So, how about it? Can anyone name a location where the forum doesn't have at least a vocal minority trying to warn hopefuls away?

The forums are seeming more like an interesting sociological phenomenon to me than a source of even remotely reliable data, because they seem to be attracting pessimistic worry-worts.

[DessertRat]

Originally Posted by VBmom

I agree with Ponytail. I have lived in Vero most of my life and have always felt safe. I depends on where you live in town of course and I don't sleep with my doors unlocked but I do leave my doors unlocked during the day.

I think that locked doors tend to be like security/bag checks at places like Disney World--that is, it would be extremely rare that they'd make anyone any safer; they're conventions more for psychological reasons. It makes many folks feel safer, and that's enough.

Think about this: how many people routinely go around checking doors, and commit crimes just in case they find unlocked ones, but remain kosher if they encounter locked ones? Criminals who want things that are behind doors that could be locked know how to open them or get around them. It's a very small minority of not only amateur but moronic criminals who would be foiled by a locked door. It's no more of a barrier than copy protection is on DVDs and CDs.

Lock your doors if it makes you feel safer . . . but it really doesn't make you any safer, and having unlocked doors doesn't really make you any more vulnerable.

[sunrico90]

The only place in Florida that we realized that we were unsecured was the Homestead area back in 1992, before Hurricane Andrew. Was something about they way the community was. Every off-base house had security bars and many mentioned that the bars only slow down the individual. We had a house on base, but the area just gave us the uncertainty and after the hurricane we relocated to a base in Texas.

Now for over 10 year we lived in Navarre and is a complete different area, more secured and way less crime than central and south Florida.

[dlibby]

They didn't mention half the country.

Originally Posted by tattoohank

This is a list of the safest cities according to this website. I don't see any city in the State of Florida on this List.

Top 100 Safest Cities (Lowest City-data.com crime index) (pop. 5000+)
Norwood, Pennsylvania (5.7)
Southport, New York (8.9)
Pell City, Alabama (9.4)
Plattekill, New York (10.1)
Rockport, Massachusetts (14.8)
Bedford, Massachusetts (17.6)
Harvard, Massachusetts (18.1)
Eliot, Maine (21.0)
Holliston, Massachusetts (25.3)
Easton, Connecticut (25.4)
Dunmore, Pennsylvania (25.5)
Duxbury, Massachusetts (27.0)
Medway, Massachusetts (27.5)
Old Tappan, New Jersey (28.5)
Ridgefield, Connecticut (29.0)
Southborough, Massachusetts (29.5)
North Reading, Massachusetts (30.2)
Northville, Michigan (30.7)
Franklin, Massachusetts (31.3)
Norfolk, Massachusetts (31.5)
Whitehall, Pennsylvania (31.8)
Cumberland, Maine (31.8)
New Canaan, Connecticut (32.1)
Medfield, Massachusetts (32.3)
Batesville, Indiana (32.3)
Corcoran, Minnesota (32.5)
Lenox, Massachusetts (33.1)
Westford, Massachusetts (34.0)
Lincoln, Massachusetts (34.3)
Hopkinton, New Hampshire (35.4)
Laguna Woods, California (35.4)
Salem, Ohio (35.7)
Rowley, Massachusetts (37.8)
Clay, New York (38.4)
Stow, Massachusetts (38.5)
Wrentham, Massachusetts (38.8)
Glendale, Missouri (39.2)
Bellbrook, Ohio (39.2)
Winfield, Illinois (39.6)
Louisville, Ohio (39.8)
Reading, Massachusetts (40.1)
Reading, Massachusetts (40.1)
Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio (40.2)
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey (40.4)
Topsfield, Massachusetts (40.7)
North Caldwell, New Jersey (40.8)
Holly, Michigan (41.7)
Weston, Connecticut (41.7)
Glen Rock, New Jersey (41.8)
Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey (41.9)
Groton, Massachusetts (42.1)
East Hampton, Connecticut (42.2)
Hillsdale, New Jersey (42.3)
Inverness, Illinois (42.5)
Huntington Woods, Michigan (42.8)
Powell, Ohio (42.9)
Foxborough, Massachusetts (43.3)
Bridgewater, Virginia (43.6)
Allendale, New Jersey (44.2)
Lindenhurst, Illinois (44.3)
Houghton, Michigan (44.4)
Zeeland, Michigan (44.4)
Bethel, Connecticut (44.7)
Monticello, Arkansas (44.7)
Georgetown, Massachusetts (45.0)
Sharon, Massachusetts (45.3)
Ocean Pines, Maryland (45.5)
Boxford, Massachusetts (45.6)
Kinnelon, New Jersey (45.8)
North Andover, Massachusetts (45.9)
Midland Park, New Jersey (45.9)
Glocester, Rhode Island (46.0)
Hawthorn Woods, Illinois (46.2)
Bernardsville, New Jersey (46.2)
Avon, Connecticut (46.2)
Lake Bluff, Illinois (46.9)
Madison, Connecticut (47.3)
Maywood, New Jersey (47.6)
Crestwood, Illinois (47.6)
North Branford, Connecticut (48.5)
Barrington, New Hampshire (48.7)
Syracuse, Utah (48.9)
Franklin Park, Pennsylvania (49.0)
Ringwood, New Jersey (49.5)
East Bridgewater, Massachusetts (49.7)
Salem, Indiana (49.7)
Belmont, Massachusetts (49.8)
Belmont, Massachusetts (49.8)
Mequon, Wisconsin (49.9)
Maynard, Massachusetts (50.0)
Maynard, Massachusetts (50.0)
Brecksville, Ohio (50.7)
Kermit, Texas (50.8)
Signal Mountain, Tennessee (51.2)
Waunakee, Wisconsin (51.7)
Chardon, Ohio (51.8)
Peachtree City, Georgia (51.8)
Elkhorn, Nebraska (52.0)
Wayland, Massachusetts (52.1)
Spotswood, New Jersey (52.4)

[Donna-50]

Originally Posted by DessertRat

I've been participating on the forums for a few months now--not just for Florida but for many different states (I was raised in West Palm Beach, I'm currently living in the metro New York City area, and I'm interested in many different western states with the goal of living there at least part time), and I'm beginning to get the impression that there isn't any forum here where there's not at least a vocal minority saying, "Don't do it! Don't move here! There are no jobs here, the schools are bad, it's dangerous, you don't want to raise a kid here, you won't be able to afford it here," and on and on. I'm beginning to think that the City-Data.com forums should be renamed the ChickenLittle.com forums. You'd think that no one could manage living anywhere if you based your opinion just on these forums.

So, how about it? Can anyone name a location where the forum doesn't have at least a vocal minority trying to warn hopefuls away?

The forums are seeming more like an interesting sociological phenomenon to me than a source of even remotely reliable data, because they seem to be attracting pessimistic worry-worts.

I have been visiting a few other states on here and notice the same thing. Some people can't be happy wherever they go. Every place has pros and cons.

[dlibby]

I agree with you. There are pros and cons no matter where you live.
The larger the population the bigger the risk. Just stay in good areas
with people like yourself.

[novanative75]

Although I do not like living in Florida, I would never describe it as unsafe, at least overall. There are some areas that are. Now, there are areas near me that I would not live in but I live in Naples and feel very safe in my neighborhood. You will not, however, catch me strolling the streets at night in Fort Myers or Lehigh Acres!!

[immigrant]

Safe is relative.
Ofcourse Dade County has a lot of neighborhoods with high crime but it can still be safe.
If you walk around in a notorious community with your head spinning 360 that's your problem and nobody else's fault but yours. You're a sitting duck. Street smart people sense fear and easy targets from miles away, maybe not like animals but well enough to tell if you could be robbed or not.

That said. Nowhere is safe, maybe not even in heaven but why live in fear? It's pretty much a matter of whetever you belive in fate or not. You can't dodge a bullet that has your name on it, not even in the safest town on earth.

[MsRobbyn]

Check out the new city directory that is being built in Palm Beach. It's not fully up yet, but it's going to be great! Welcome to Palm Beach, Florida! - Go2PalmBeach.net

[lmorg3]

i have lived in florida my whole life and have been currently living in the delray beach - boynton beach area for most of it. I have never witnessed any crime or been a victim. Yes, there are bad areas - but i suppose there are bad areas everywhere else too. for the area i live in, staying west of military trail is the way to go.