**Stuart anyone***? (Port St. Lucie, Boca Raton, Jupiter: middle-class, insurance, low crime)

[ncbound]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can tell me about Stuart schools ans nice neighborhoods for a young family? Husband very into fishing so not too far west. Thanks in advance! Any info appreciated.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

Your gonna love it here, but only if you want:

"A" rated schools for your kids (all but 3 and they were B)
schools motto: "where character counts"
finest Snook fishing in Florida
Know as the "Sailfish" capital of the world
natural inlet with world class fishing
uncrowed beaches with ample parking and access
strong enviromental stewardship
strictest comprehensive development plan... in the state
no urban sprawl
no constuction over 4 stories on barrier island (no High Rises)
slow growth policy (developers hate this)
low taxes (for Florida)
lower insurance rates for auto's
high re-sale values for homes
beautiful downtown area with a "river walk"
low crime
high community involvement
conservative values in Govt.
good, high paying jobs
YMCA that is the new model for the country



need I go on? of course I live here and have raised(ing) my kids here, so I have a rosey view. However it is not an inocuous view.

Down side is, homes are expensive compared to surrounding area.

[JimKing]

Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn

Your gonna love it here, but only if you want:

"A" rated schools for your kids (all but 3 and they were B)
schools motto: "where character counts"
finest Snook fishing in Florida
Know as the "Sailfish" capital of the world
natural inlet with world class fishing
uncrowed beaches with ample parking and access
strong enviromental stewardship
strictest comprehensive development plan... in the state
no urban sprawl
no constuction over 4 stories on barrier island (no High Rises)
slow growth policy (developers hate this)
low taxes (for Florida)
lower insurance rates for auto's
high re-sale values for homes
beautiful downtown area with a "river walk"
low crime
high community involvement
conservative values in Govt.
good, high paying jobs
YMCA that is the new model for the country



need I go on? of course I live here and have raised(ing) my kids here, so I have a rosey view. However it is not an inocuous view.

Down side is, homes are expensive compared to surrounding area.

Low crime is questionable....the city data index is over 400. By comparison Jupiter is half that and Boca Raton is 250.

Conservative values in government....haven't we had enough of these values the last 7 years?? Can we knock off the wedge issue nonsense?

And YMCA's have been outed for what they are. Supposed non profits that pay huge salaries to a network of good old boys....pay no taxes and spread the burden of their tax loads on area businesses.

[momix5]

I just read newsweek's top 1200 schools and Stuart's high school made the list as well as Sebastians.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn

Your gonna love it here, but only if you want:

"A" rated schools for your kids (all but 3 and they were B)
schools motto: "where character counts"
finest Snook fishing in Florida
Know as the "Sailfish" capital of the world
natural inlet with world class fishing
uncrowed beaches with ample parking and access
strong enviromental stewardship
strictest comprehensive development plan... in the state
no urban sprawl
no constuction over 4 stories on barrier island (no High Rises)
slow growth policy (developers hate this)
low taxes (for Florida)
lower insurance rates for auto's
high re-sale values for homes
beautiful downtown area with a "river walk"
low crime
high community involvement
conservative values in Govt.
good, high paying jobs
YMCA that is the new model for the country



need I go on? of course I live here and have raised(ing) my kids here, so I have a rosey view. However it is not an inocuous view.

Down side is, homes are expensive compared to surrounding area.

I agree to all you are saying, except the "low taxes" thing, because we paid LESS in Port Saint Lucie.
Other then that....I agree with you 100%, and THAT'S why we came BACK to FL, this time Stuart. My husband and I love it here, and there is still the "quality of life" here.
Stuart has/ had the right ideas, to tell the boom and all developers to take a hike, go up to PSL, and ruin it there.....Which, unfortunately, they did!
They "plowed" over PSL faster, then the longtime residence were able to say "no".

[jensen beach gal]

ncbound-

Stuart is awesome! I've lived in that area since 1980, until last year when we moved to NC & we like Movingbacktopa are trying to go back. The schools are awesome,the area is pretty,close to the beach etc etc. Jensen, Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound, they are all nice areas. We may have to consider Pt.St.Lucie, because it would be a bit more affordable. Although there is a lot available right now and the prices have really come down.

[Cyberhia]

My in-laws moved there and we loved it so much when we visited that we're trying to make the move too. Stuart is classy. And sadly that's not a word I would typically associate with FL (no offense, all!)

[Dave_n_Tenn]

Everyones taxes are based on the milage rate... and Martin county is lower compared to St. Lucie Co.

(per 1K of accessed value)

Florida avergae is: 21.88
Martin Co. is: 17.1158 (extra for Stuart)
St. Lucie Co. is: 19.2848 ( extra for PSL)

[Agnes]

I'd like to hear about Palm City, too - the millage rate is actually lower there than Stuart, and it is very close to downtown Stuart.

[pslOldTimer]

A couple of random responses, can't remember to whom. Martin County's tax rate is less than St. Lucie County's. Probably because their valuations are higher and they collect more per household. So, while the rates are lower, you'll probably pay more, which makes sense, because you'll pay a lot more for a house.

The "conservative" nature is only partly political (it does vote GOP more than Democratic St. Lucie County), but tends to be those who are against development. This does not seem to have stopped an overwhelming number of small developments rather than one big one like PSL, nor has it stopped extraordinary commercial growth, probably because the per capita income is so high (at one point a few years ago, it was the highest in Florida). On tghe other hand, it has aggravated problems like traffic, because a few hide-bound conservatives have done things like blocking a desperately needed second bridge over the South Fork from Palm City. Sometimes these conservatives succeed mainly in shooting themselves in the foot.

St., Lucie County has a high school higher in the list of schools than any on Martin County. They also have more IB degreed graduates. I don't have the current number on tap, but a few years ago, when one of my friends' daughter graduated from South Fork HS (Martin County) with an IB degree, there were fewer than 10 in Martin County that year, and more than 40 in St. Lucie County. All schools, anywhere, are as good as what the students put into them.

Port St. Lucie was never "plowed over" by developers. The city did not exist until General Development laid it out and built it. Every single lot, over 60,000 of them, was sold to an individual somewhere in the world before the roads were even built. The entire city was divided into 10,000 square foot lots, and it was planned from the very beginning that every single lot would ahve a house on it. Nothing has happened that wasn't anticipated. People remember vast empty areas from 15 or 20 years ago; what they fail to understand was that all those areas were already owned by someone who had a dream to either build onthe lot or make a little money from their investment. There never were any "open" areas.

Bottom line, if you have a good, solid middle-class background, you'll fit best in Port St. Lucie. If you are wealthy, or pretend to be so, or desire to rub shoulders with people who are so, you'll be happy in Martin County.