Relocating: From Atlanta To Pensacola (Tallahassee, Destin: best cities, 2013, to rent)

[blm12]

My daughter is graduating high school in May 2013 and I'm looking to relocate after she goes off to college. The Pensacola area is one of the cities on my list. Currently we live in the suburbs of Atlanta (because the schools are better) but I'm open to living in the downtown town area. I would be working from home so commute is not a consideration. I would like to live somewhere safe. An area where there are other "mature" adults (30-40 something crowd).

I'd like to be close to the beach but that's not a deal breaker.

I would like to rent the first year that I'm there and I will consider purchasing a home after I become more familiar with the city.

I need three bedrooms or a two bedroom with an office.

I don't go to clubs, so night life isn't important.

What are some areas to check out? What are the areas to stay away from?

I appreciate your feedback.

[southernnaturelover]

Personally, I recommend looking a little farther west at Spanish Fort or Fairhope, Alabama. The neighborhoods are newer, and the shopping is newer and nicer. I've lived in this area my whole life, but I'll admit Pensacola just isn't a very nice looking city, many parts are kinda run down and ghetto looking.

[AustinTraveler]

I would recommend east of Destin. You won't find a "downtown" area but the communities there are nice and you'll find people in your age group. I agree, forget Pensacola. Crime is ridiculous.

[beachmouse]

Though east of Destin can be quite expensive if you want something better than a poorly-built tract house.

[blm12]

Thanks everyone. That's really good to know!

[AT9]

I'll put in a quick plug for Pensacola since it seems to be getting some bad press here. It's certainly not the nicest city in the world - I'll be the first to admit that. But it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. Personally, I think it's one of the best cities on the Gulf Coast (nicer than Mobile, Ft. Walton, etc.).

It has a lot of character and potential, potential that's finally being realized by the leadership in this city. If you end up in Pensacola, I'd just stay away from the west side of town, unless you end up further out by Perdido/Blue Angel. Based on your preferences, I'd check out some areas in East Hill. It's close to downtown (which is re-developing very nicely), close to Pensacola Beach, and pretty safe.

If you want safer and more suburban style neighborhoods, Pensacola has those, too (look at areas north of 9-Mile Rd, Cantonment, Perdido, Gulf Breeze, and the Cordova area).

[ComingtoFlorida]

I too plan on relocating to the Pensacola area after my oldest daughter leaves high school. I want to give props to AT9 for his/her honest opinion of Pensacola. I have lived in Chicago for 30 yrs. and then moved to Little Rock, Arkansas ( which also gets a bad rap ) and the differance in schools was drastic. In Chicago - 25% of graduates can't read properly or write and the school bldgs. are in terrible shape. Little Rock had nicer school buildings and the community supported the sports teams. People here talk about crime in LR the same way I see here in the forums about P-cola. I looked at crime stats and P-cola has about 3 to 4 murders a year compared to an average of 30+ a year in Little Rock.

LR has a population of 200k and P-cola about 50k - so multiply that by 4 and you have about 12 murders a year? Seems a lot better to me in P-cola crimewise.

[TD*]

Do yourself a favor and move to a nicer city. Tallahassee.

Pensacola isn't terrible, but has a heavy influence of military, and tourism.

If thats your cup of tea, then fine, but don't say we didn't warn you.

[coastallife]

I moved to Pensacola about 2 years ago and I really like it here. I moved from Nashville so there was some adjustment in terms of entertainment and resources, but overall, the trade has been worth it.

This town is great for people looking for a slower pace of life, with great access to a variety of things to do outside. There are wonderful food and art festivals, athletic groups, and our downtown continues to grow. Comparing Pensacola to a bigger town and what they offer just isn't fair.

The crime is better here than it was in Nashville. Just don't go to the west side and you will be fine. Most everything east of I-110 is very nice.

[Trevena]

What is the northern limit for the 'west side'? I'm just not sure what areas the 'west side' includes.Thanks