How is St.Augustine? (Jacksonville, St. Augustine: living, outlet malls, bars)

[doom1001]

Basically tell me the pros/cons of this this city.

[Eastern Roamer]

It's a great place to visit... but it's a tourist town, are you looking to work and live there? It's very quaint and walkable. It's very historic, the oldest city in America. And of course it's on the water. Nearby beaches are okay, not the best. There are plenty of places to golf, if you're into that. There's a marina and good restauants near the fort.

They have a very expensive, handmade Panama hat store there, I'd like to pass through some day and splurge on one, they're nice.

I don't think it's even close enough to Jacksonville (the nearest major city) to make commuting feasable. Unless you're in the tourism business, there are not many opportunities.

[LM1]

I disagree with the above on one point (the rest was pretty accurate) - St. Augustine is not a "walkable city" - like, not even close.

Yes, the historic district is "walkable" inasmuch as the distance between Post Card Shop X and T Shirt Shop Y isn't too far, but when aren't a tourist and you actually live here, your patronage of those places will substantially decline and you will most certainly need a vehicle to accomplish lifes most basic tasks.

[Robbied]

not sure about living and working there unless you work the the resort or own a little shop.

[LewLew]

Saying St Augustine is very broad, like some of the other responses eluded to. Downtown Old St Aug is walkable, which is it's charm. The rest of St Aug is very country, and not walkable at all. If you go down to exit 207 and 206, you'd think you were in fact, in the country. That area is about 35 miles from the border of Jax. St. Augustine also incorporates 210 area. That is more suburban, but again...you'll be commuting a decent distance to work. St. Aug is a conglomeration of rest areas (you actually have to pass a truck stop/rest area on 95 to get to 210) fireworks factories, pecan stands, farms, housing developments, old trucker bars, the outlet malls, the beach on one side, etc. Truly, only the OLD St. Aug area is quaint. The rest is what I call suburbarural. You'll feel like you are in suburbia when you are in your housing development, but when you leave, you'll know you are rural. St. Aug also pretty much requires you to travel on the interstate to get to Jacksonville. You can take San Jose/Fruitcove Rd, or US 1...but unless you want it to take you forever, the highway is the only way.