[kahala]

I am planning to move to Panama City in mid Sept. I am coming with some savings but no job or housing lined up yet. I am a licensed Realtor with a Masters degree and teaching eligibility in the state of Florida therefore I don't think finding a job will be an issue. I have done about as much research as I can on the Internet and hopping someone here can tell me more about the city. I love the beach, surfing, snorkeling, biking most anything outside. I so not want to live in a big city but at only 35,000 I think Panama city may be too small. I don't require a lot a few good restaurants, a good library and at least one good gourmet grocery store. Any information would be helpful.

Thanks

[BlueWillowPlate]

When I lived in Port St Joe, Panama City was where we went for "civilization."
Having said that, I did find a few good restaurants (try Ernie's) but never found anything resembling a gourmet grocery store.
PSJ's library was surprisingly good, so maybe Panama City's is as well.
Try the Search button, Panama City has been discussed here before.
Good luck.

[ScrappyNana]

I live in Bay County,(born here) Panama is the county seat. I don't go to town much but I've heard alot of talk of new eateries opening down there. I think there are better choices then there were a few years ago. As for a gourmet grocer...I can't think of one in Panama. I believe you'd have to drive to Tallahassee or P'cola to find one. I'm not certain of that, though.

Panama City is having some growing pains. It is splitting out of its small town roots with all the new growth. Personally, I feel like there are small town people trying to run a growing city.
I would think being a realtor, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a job and making a decent living here.
I am looking for a place outside of Bay County myself
Good Luck

[deckardc]

Originally Posted by ScrappyNana

Personally, I feel like there are small town people trying to run a growing city.

This is absolutely the truth.

I am gathering that you have never been to Panama City? If not, perhaps you really should visit before you move. You can't gage a city by looking on the internet. What you see on the net is probably put up by the tourism bureau and the chamber of commerce so of course it is going to look terrific.

I lived in Panama City Beach for several years and when we first moved there it was a huge culture shock. I think my wife would probably have threatened to leave me if we hadn't moved after a few years. Panama City and Panama City Beach are two different municipalities. The beach is essentially on an island and the city is over on the mainland. From the beach, it is about 10-15 miles to the main shopping area in the city.

PCB is experiencing growth but the mainland isn't improving much. The area is really stuck about 20 years in the past. It is still very small town and sort of redneck in many respects. It is known as the Redneck Riviera. It is slightly more upscale on the beach but not by much. There are some decent neighborhoods in the city but there are more that are rundown. There is a cardboard plant near the city that is run by Smurfitt-Stone. They mostly operate at night so from the late evening until early morning, a horrible stench blankets the area. We never got used to the smell. The plant is visible from some of the beach areas so it's smokestacks can ruin an otherwise lovely view. The beaches are beautiful and St. Andrews State Park is the best.

The area is very conservative except during spring break. The beach is very popular with college kids on spring break. Spring break last for about 6-8 weeks and it is complete chaos. It can literally take you 30 minutes to travel 3 miles on the beach and it is not at all unusual to see girls lifting their tops at passing cars. There is also a bike week that occurs in the spring and the fall so the beach is covered with motorcyclists.

Panama City is pretty remote. It takes an hour just to get to I-10 and the next closest city is 50 miles away. There are no good store for shopping. The local mall is tiney and it's anchor stores are Dillard's, JC Penney, and Sears. There are a few Targets, Wal-Marts, and K-Marts. There is nothing even close to a gourmet grocery store. The Florida Publix grocery chain is about as upscale as it gets. Other than that, it is Albertsons or Winn-Dixie. If you want anything more upscale you will have to travel to Destin about 50 miles away. They are in the process of building a new large airport but that will be years away.

I personally was less than impressed with their library but I was used to big city libraries. It was very small and they do not have books that they consider offensive. As I said, it is small town conservative and they think their beliefs should apply to everyone. Also, there aren't really any great restaurants unless you like bar-b-que or the chains like Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday, TGI Fridays, etc.

As far as jobs, I'm not sure how much luck you would have with either teaching or real estate. There are not too many schools in the area. We had an acquaintance with a Masters in education and it took her 2 years to get a teaching job there. Also, real estate is in a slump in the area. Most agencies are letting agents go. You would probably have better luck working in one of the leasing offices of the resort condos. I still live on the panhandle and was in PCB a few weeks ago. Not much has changed except there are more condo towers going up. It still smelled awful.

You could also consider looking somewhere else on the panhandle. Somewhere like Destin and some of it's suburbs like Miramar Beach or Santa Rosa Beach may suit you better. They are more upscale, better shopping including designer stores, more people but it is still a relatively small town, and more restaurants. There is a brand spanking new Whole Foods Market and the beaches are just a nice as in Bay Co. It is much less redneck there. You are also closer to other cities like Fort Walton Beach and Niceville which may give you more options for restaurants and outdoor activities. Eglin AFB is the largest air force base in the world and they own a huge reservation that covers several hundred acres of natural forests and rivers. It is available to the public with a $7 permit. You can hike, bike, canoe, etc. on the reservation and you can be at beautiful beaches in minutes.

[sgnorris]

I don't know where you are moving from, but wherever it is don't. I left southern California is June 2005 and moved to Panama City Beach. Before I committed to the move, I visited - in April - it was as gorgeous as So Cal. I thought I was on a different planet when I got there in June. Bugs, humidity, no good food, alligators, one hurricane after another, corrupt government, no shopping centers, one Starbucks, and all the rentals gone or sky high because of the "season" - I was absolutely miserable. The only people who think Florida is paradise, haven't been to California.

Good luck.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by sgnorris

The only people who think Florida is paradise, haven't been to California.

heh
I've been to both, and I'll take Florida any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Especially the beaches.
Having said that, so far '06 and '07 have been *much* better years for storms, but 2005 was indeed a bad season.
IMHO there are nicer towns than PC in the Panhandle, but if shopping centers and Starbucks are what you are looking for, there is Pier Park.
Scrappynana and Deckard offer insightful comments.

[candmforever]

wow, from reading most of this thread, it seems that I spent most of my life in some OTHER town......and I lived in PC LOL. It is a smaller town/city. I am SURE it is more than 35,000. Not sure where that # came from, but I'm sure it ONLY represents the immediate Panama City area and not the suburbs of Parker, Springfield, ETC. All of those people live in PC too. If I had to guess, I'd guess closer to 80,000 and that was when I left in 2005.

It is not a cultured place, was not designed for the growth it is seeing, there are plenty of backwards thinking hillbillies, and many many many forward thinking people as well. I think that w/ your skills you will be able to land a job w/ little to no delay. According to your dates, you must already be there and deciding for yourself. And believe me, Real Estate is making a slow climb. I have 2 very close family friends that are realitors and they aren't doing too bad...at ALL. Plus, the property we left behind and will be returning to just went up , this last year, by 120,000 in value. We had to call and get it reassessed b/c we thought it was a mistake. Nope..it was correct. So, there is growth and the market may be nearing a real upswing.

The school systems......can't speak for teaching jobs, but I will agree that when we left 2 yrs ago, it wasn't too promising. When I was finishing my education years back, they were BEGGING for teachers. Now, the job market seems to be flooded..not enough positions available I guess. I had just started having kids then and I would have home schooled them.

If you like seafood, you'll LOVE it. I miss the seafood. And the oysters especially. I know of several great restuarants of the top of my head...and PC has it share of chain restuarants as well. You will not be able to beat the beaches anywhere, except in Destin. Just west of PCBeach is a wonderful beach where you can build bonfires right on the beach.

Yes, it is hot and humid enough most summers to take your breath away. Mostly in Aug and Sept. If you don't like that, I suggest you don't move there....there is no escaping it. Yes, there are bugs. I never saw a stray gator, although there are scattered sightings mentioned on the news. The mall leaves a lot to be desired, but it seemed to be all I needed *most* times. If you buy a boat, you will have a blast 7 or so months of the year.

I don't know...I've always thought of myself as a simple person who enjoys select things and considers everything else gravy. I also lived there the majority of my life so maybe I knew the ins/outs, the best places to go, the places to skip, therefore I enjoyed it most times just based on my extended knowledge. We are moving back when DH gets out of the Air Force and I can't wait. I tell you what..you come to where I live (Wyoming) and live through one of these winters (8 months long..if we're lucky) and you will find PLENTTTY to appreciate about PC. lol. Seriously, it has a lot to offer...you just have to find it.

[rmlarson647]

Originally Posted by deckardc

This is absolutely the truth.

I am gathering that you have never been to Panama City? If not, perhaps you really should visit before you move. You can't gage a city by looking on the internet. What you see on the net is probably put up by the tourism bureau and the chamber of commerce so of course it is going to look terrific.

I lived in Panama City Beach for several years and when we first moved there it was a huge culture shock. I think my wife would probably have threatened to leave me if we hadn't moved after a few years. Panama City and Panama City Beach are two different municipalities. The beach is essentially on an island and the city is over on the mainland. From the beach, it is about 10-15 miles to the main shopping area in the city.

PCB is experiencing growth but the mainland isn't improving much. The area is really stuck about 20 years in the past. It is still very small town and sort of redneck in many respects. It is known as the Redneck Riviera. It is slightly more upscale on the beach but not by much. There are some decent neighborhoods in the city but there are more that are rundown. There is a cardboard plant near the city that is run by Smurfitt-Stone. They mostly operate at night so from the late evening until early morning, a horrible stench blankets the area. We never got used to the smell. The plant is visible from some of the beach areas so it's smokestacks can ruin an otherwise lovely view. The beaches are beautiful and St. Andrews State Park is the best.

The area is very conservative except during spring break. The beach is very popular with college kids on spring break. Spring break last for about 6-8 weeks and it is complete chaos. It can literally take you 30 minutes to travel 3 miles on the beach and it is not at all unusual to see girls lifting their tops at passing cars. There is also a bike week that occurs in the spring and the fall so the beach is covered with motorcyclists.

Panama City is pretty remote. It takes an hour just to get to I-10 and the next closest city is 50 miles away. There are no good store for shopping. The local mall is tiney and it's anchor stores are Dillard's, JC Penney, and Sears. There are a few Targets, Wal-Marts, and K-Marts. There is nothing even close to a gourmet grocery store. The Florida Publix grocery chain is about as upscale as it gets. Other than that, it is Albertsons or Winn-Dixie. If you want anything more upscale you will have to travel to Destin about 50 miles away. They are in the process of building a new large airport but that will be years away.

I personally was less than impressed with their library but I was used to big city libraries. It was very small and they do not have books that they consider offensive. As I said, it is small town conservative and they think their beliefs should apply to everyone. Also, there aren't really any great restaurants unless you like bar-b-que or the chains like Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday, TGI Fridays, etc.

As far as jobs, I'm not sure how much luck you would have with either teaching or real estate. There are not too many schools in the area. We had an acquaintance with a Masters in education and it took her 2 years to get a teaching job there. Also, real estate is in a slump in the area. Most agencies are letting agents go. You would probably have better luck working in one of the leasing offices of the resort condos. I still live on the panhandle and was in PCB a few weeks ago. Not much has changed except there are more condo towers going up. It still smelled awful.

You could also consider looking somewhere else on the panhandle. Somewhere like Destin and some of it's suburbs like Miramar Beach or Santa Rosa Beach may suit you better. They are more upscale, better shopping including designer stores, more people but it is still a relatively small town, and more restaurants. There is a brand spanking new Whole Foods Market and the beaches are just a nice as in Bay Co. It is much less redneck there. You are also closer to other cities like Fort Walton Beach and Niceville which may give you more options for restaurants and outdoor activities. Eglin AFB is the largest air force base in the world and they own a huge reservation that covers several hundred acres of natural forests and rivers. It is available to the public with a $7 permit. You can hike, bike, canoe, etc. on the reservation and you can be at beautiful beaches in minutes.

Hi. My wife and I have spent the last 2 winters in Destin, (yeah, we're snowbirds) and while the beaches are beautiful and there may be upscale shopping, the snobbishness will drive you mad.
The only culture in Destin is consumerism. We prefer the risk of living with real, live people in Pensacola or Panama City compared to the Lexus driving, truffle eating high-brows of Destin.
While house hunting in the Clearwater/Dunedin area (Tampa Bay) this spring we saw more Obama bumper stickers in a week than we saw all winter in Destin, and for us that's good.
To each their own.

[One Country Boy]

I have to admit, I've not read all the responses. I live a few miles from Panama City. I was born there and have relatives all over Bay County. Panama City is a nice area.

We all have our different opinions and view things differently. Having said this, let me say, in my OPINION, the City of Panama City and Panama City Beach are as different as black and white. I personally would never want to live on Panama City Beach. Traffic, Spring Break, etc., those things just don't appeal to me and never have. Panama City, on the other hand is totally different. Now it has it's traffic problems, but that is from failure to be prepared for growth.

You mentioned you were a Realtor. You surely know the competition there is enormous. I'm not in the Realty business but have friends and relatives that are. Some have given up the realty professions to tackle other occupations. The economy is bad and too much competition. Don't let info on the www fool you please. Your Masters in teaching may be of help but you need to know there are all sorts of buget cuts going on in the school system. FSU wants to close down their extention in Panama City. That would be a terrible loss in my humble opinion.

Good luck to you with your move and I hope I have not discouraged you. Oh yes, before closing, the closest thing to a gourmet grocery store is Publix. Ha ha