Help Please! NW Florida Vs. Everywhere else FL! (Orlando, Winter Springs: for rent, crime rates)

[AFandBeyond]

Hi there CD! Here is my story, maybe your feedback can steer my family and I in the right direction...We recently separated from the Air Force, my husband is a physical therapist assistant and I work from home. We are currently staying with my in-laws in Orange Park, FL, however, we have the freedom to choose anywhere in Florida to live. Here are the deets we are considering when trying to decide on a place:

-we have two children ages 3 and 4, so schools will be important in a year or so...as well as a
family friendly environment.
**DISCLAIMER: We would prefer if children in the area did not have different colored hair and piercings in random places on their body...wholesome kiddos is what we are looking for..does that exist anymore?
-We just spent 8 yrs stationed in rural illinois and would prefer a quiet life, but with restaurants and amenities
within at least 30-40 minutes.
-Beaches are nice so if they could be at least an hr away that would be superb.
-Job opportunities in physical therapy are a must as well as decent medical care esp. for children.
-Relatively affordable , we are looking to rent for a year before buying a home...our budget is about 1200-1400 for rent.


Here's the thing: We have been in and around the orange park and jacksonville area, and we like it BUT does it get better than this anywhere else in FL? We have been basing a lot of our opinions off of crime statistics and school ratings..but now we are torn.

We just got back from visiting the Destin Area..crestview, niceville and all that...and I LOVED it...but then started reading about there being tons of crime in Crestview...is that so?

Lastly, Winter Springs (near Orlando) is on every best of FL list known to man!! BUT how could that be when it is in such close proximity to Orlando? Isn't Orlando thee worst place to raise kids? Or am I mistaken?

SO I am terribly confused...should we be making our choices base solely on neighborhood scouts crime rates? If so, winter springs would win..which I am not crazy about (though I haven't yet seen it) Is there anyehere else we should look or are any of the three mentioned above best? Help please, thanks in advance

[GMonkey]

There are lots of honor students with crazy hair colors and strange piercings. A lot of the so-called clean cut kids really aren't, they just walk the walk so they can get away with more stuff.

Crestview is victim to lots of suburban sprawl right now. You might want to try Niceville. Good schools, but your kids might actually run into an occasional teen with a nose ring and blue hair. I hope they survive the experience!

[AF2Tex]

GMonkey thanks for your feed back. Being born and raised in NYC, I am no stranger to kids with so called "trendy" style choices...it just so happens that they were also the druggies who didn't get hugged as young children. That being said, of course there are exceptions and while my children will most likely survive , those looks cheapen a place in my opinion.

[Jackalope]

The biggest problem with Crestview is that there's no such thing as zoning. A $300,000 home may be sitting next to a chicken coop or a mobile home park. It's just a jumble and it's very difficult to find the type of area you'd like to live in because ALL areas are ALL types.

Since you have young children, I would strongly advise you to look south of I-10. The schools there rate 10 on the Florida "Great Schools" list. The schools north of I-10 rate 6 or less. I'd also advise you to look just a bit even further south, to Niceville, Navarre, or even Valparaiso. Yes, the homes cost a bit more, but the schools are better and your more apt to find the type children you're looking for.

[anjaylah]

Navarre is boring....boring... you know what they say about idol hands. Niceville is probably a great option. Crestview is in the booniees too, but at least in Navarre you have a beach. Still, you are only 30 min away from teh beach in Niceville. They have a college there.
Be warned thought, NW Florida is not called the Redneck Rivera for nothing.

[anjaylah]

Navarre is boring....boring... you know what they say about idol hands. Niceville is probably a great option. Crestview is in the boonies too, but at least in Navarre you have a beach. Still, you are only 30 min away from the beach in Niceville. They have a college there.
Be warned though, NW Florida is not called the Redneck Rivera for nothing.

People here are cookie cutter beachy to me. No one I have found here has their own style or flavor. For at least 8 months I could not tell 6 girls apart unless they stood next to each other.

It is not bad, just not diversified.

[Fl1150]

Seaside Fl is nice