I need to find an affordable beach town! (for sale, real estate) - City-Data Forum

redheadsrthebest · 03-05-2008, 07:08 PM

I'm a 26 year old single female. I was born and raised in the Midwest, and I need to get outta here! Don't get me wrong, Kansas City is a great place to settle down and raise a family. But I'm not at that stage in my life. Here's what I'm looking for...

I want to be able to walk/ride my bike to the beach, and I want the weather/water to be warm for most of the year. (I'm okay with hot, too.)
I want a community that offers a lot of outdoor activities (surfing, rock climbing, camping, sports, etc.)
I'd like there to be lots of local spots...not all Wal-Marts and McDonalds'. Local festivals and fairs would be good, too.
I'd also like a town that has a somewhat "laid-back" bar scene...live music and a chill atmosphere.
I want it to be affordable - less than $800 for a one bedroom or large studio.
I want there to be a population of active, single 20 and 30 somethings.
I want it to be dog-friendly.
I don't care either way about tourists.
I work in real estate and property management, so I'm not all that concerned about the job market...I will be able to find work pretty much anywhere.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks so much for helping me choose my new home!

STLCardsBlues1989 · 03-05-2008, 08:01 PM

That's a tight squeeze.

You could probably find something that cheap, but I can't guarantee it would be in a good area.

Try Craiglist:
craigslist: san francisco bay area classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events You can pick other cities as well.

I'd also open Google Maps and find out how close to the beach the place you eventually pick actually is. Google Maps

You pickings may be slim as far as all of those requirements. Good luck!

tsiddons · 03-05-2008, 08:40 PM

I'm not nearly as well-travelled as many people on this board, but what you're looking for sounds a lot like the Charleston, SC area. I went to college there, and it fits many of your criteria. Downtown is where most of the action is, tons of bars, restaurants, shops, etc...many with outside seating and porches. Live music is all over the place, and is easily found on any given night. Very laid back vibe, large college population, but lots of young professionals as well. There are numerous beaches within 10-15 minutes driving distance of downtown(Folly Beach, Sullivans Island...Isle of Palms is a bit further) so I'm not sure how important it is to be able to bike to the beach. Another idea would be to live on Folly Beach. From my experience, it is definitely the younger beach(Sullivan's Island always seemed to be more family oriented...Folly is more of a party beach) and there is a tiny little "downtown" area if you want to call it that along Center st. Couple of bars/restaurants in that area. Living anywhere on Folly you could throw a rock from your house and hit the ocean.

I seriously can't recommend Charleston enough. I love everything about the place, and could give you tons of more advice on other areas in the vicinity you might think about. I would move back tomorrow if there was a job for me there!

redheadsrthebest · 03-05-2008, 08:48 PM

Charleston is one place that I had not yet considered. Thanks for the tip. I've been reading a lot about Galveston, too. Does anyone have any thoughts on that area?

Trabbz · 03-05-2008, 08:57 PM

I would very HIGHLY recommend Dunedin, Florida for every single requirement you have. Dunedin is in the Tampa/St. Pete,FL metro area. It is a very safe town and most of it is very near the Gulf. You should be able to find a place for right around your price rance. The night life in the city limits are pretty decent in downtown Dunedin with lots of younger singles. If that isn't enough for you Dunedin is close to Ybor City in Tampa, the SOHO district, South Tampa and Downtown St. Pete for other nightlife options. The Pinellas trail runs right through the city and runs along or near the Gulf. I see lots of bikers when driving through this city. As far is dogs go there is even a dog beach along the Dunedin Causeway which runs from Dunedin to Honeymoon Island.

radraja · 03-06-2008, 01:09 AM

I'll second Charleston, SC. Myrtle Beach could be good as well.

Costs of living in Florida may be too expensive.

coronadeluxe · 03-06-2008, 07:21 AM

as others have mentioned, charleston (sc) is a great little town. i would also check out carolina beach, just south of wilmington (nc), very laid back.

anonymous · 03-06-2008, 07:26 AM

Charleston, Wilmington, and Savannah all fit the bill for what you're describing. Maybe not the downtowns themselves, but the beaches nearby.

I live in Wilmington and it has all the qualities you're describing. Now, all these cities have other problems.. but that's another story.

angelagardner · 05-11-2010, 05:10 PM

I realize this post is pretty old but in case you haven't made a decision I am in the similar situation and looked into all the town mentioned:
1. Carolina Beach-Wilmington was really great, had an old town feel but also had stuff for the younger crowd. Beaches were great, clean sand, etc....the only thing was in the winter it was chilly (low 60's).
2. Charleston: Nice downtown area, decent homes and lots to do but personally I wasn't too fond of how large it was and how far away the beaches were from the actual city. Needless to say we didn't choose it because of the distance to the actual sandy beaches you can just chill out on.
3. Sarasota-Tampa region in Florida: love it there, beaches all up and down the area that are gorgeous, great weather--warm, cost of living really wasn't that bad down there right now (2010) since the market and economy has hit a stumper although I hear that the job market isn't too great...but that is the case everywhere.