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Port St. Lucie - Sebastian - Vero Beach St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River counties (Treasure Coast)
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Old 07-11-2012, 10:34 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,613 times
Reputation: 36

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Hello everyone,

I am currently considering relocating to Stuart Florida for a new job opportunity. I will be moving with my fiance and 7 year old son. We are coming from Los Angeles and are all CA natives for the most part. We typically are not party animals, but rather young professionals who enjoy going to the gym.. the movies and the mall... We love the beach and a pleasant atmosphere.

Here in CA times are tough and the state is very expensive. Good jobs are few and far between... Oddly enough I have been recieving offers out of state. Currently I am weighing two offers, one in Waco Texas and another in Stuart Florida.

I would really appreciate any information or experiences relating to Stuart. What is it like there? Whats around Stuart (I was told Miami during phone interview)? What is life like in Florida?
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Old 07-11-2012, 11:52 AM
 
27,163 posts, read 43,857,618 times
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Stuart is in a very nice/laidback area of Florida, though not close at all to Miami (as it's a bit over 100 miles away). Stuart is what much of the area to the south (South Florida) was like before the massive development of the 70s and 80s. The Stuart area has managed to control growth and remain a small town that's not overbuilt. It has a nice little downtown area, shops/restaurants, a farmers market, low crime and one of the best school systems in Florida (Martin County Public Schools). Given your list of everyday criteria you'll find what you need in Stuart (and more) and would most certainly recommend it over Waco, Texas.

Historic Downtown Stuart | Downtown Business Association of Stuart, Inc.
Martin County School District - District Landing Page
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Old 07-11-2012, 12:04 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,613 times
Reputation: 36
I appreciate the advice! Do you know if they have an airport I can flyinto or do I hav eto fly into Miami and then drive into Stuart?

Is the poplation big or small? I ask because you never can get a good idea from demographic info on the net... what I mean is if I type in "Los Angeles" into the search field on the Compare Cities webpage, I get Los Angeles City specifically.. not the surrounding areas... and LA is HUGE! So I thought perhaps Stuart is small but not really really small...

Is there a Junior college or university (or university extention there)?

Over all is Florida expensive? Taxes? Fee's? Gas? Ect....
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Old 07-11-2012, 03:50 PM
 
27,163 posts, read 43,857,618 times
Reputation: 32199
Quote:
Originally Posted by JorgeZepeda View Post
I appreciate the advice! Do you know if they have an airport I can flyinto or do I hav eto fly into Miami and then drive into Stuart?

Is the poplation big or small? I ask because you never can get a good idea from demographic info on the net... what I mean is if I type in "Los Angeles" into the search field on the Compare Cities webpage, I get Los Angeles City specifically.. not the surrounding areas... and LA is HUGE! So I thought perhaps Stuart is small but not really really small...

Is there a Junior college or university (or university extention there)?

Over all is Florida expensive? Taxes? Fee's? Gas? Ect....
The nearest major airport is West Palm Beach, which is 40 miles south. There aren't any nonstop flights to/from West Palm Beach (PBI) out to LA, but six different airlines fly that route out of West Palm Beach. Nonstop flights are available out of Fort Lauderdale but it's an hour and half (or more with traffic) from Stuart. http://www.pbia.org/guide/airlines.aspx

Stuart has a population of just around 16,000 so it is a small town. The adjoining city of Port St Lucie has around 150,000. The West Palm Beach metro area (30 minutes south) has 1.3 million people.

There are a few college options.

Indian River State College has a campus located in Stuart. The main campus is in Fort Pierce (18 miles). IRSC's Chastain Campus, Stuart FL

Palm Beach State College has a large campus in Palm Beach Gardens which is about 30 miles (all highway for the most part, so not far timewise) Palm Beach State - Palm Beach State at Palm Beach Gardens

Florida Atlantic University has a campus in Port St Lucie which offers upper division coursework (3rd and 4th year of Bachelor's programs) as well as Master's classes. FAU - Academic Programs

Lastly Florida is not expensive, in fact most find it cheap when moving from elsewhere in the country. There is no state income tax and property taxes are on the low side as well. The average price of regular in Martin County (Stuart) right now is $3.23 for Regular. Some complain about the cost of homeowner's insurance here versus elsewhere in the US, but that's probably the only issue I can think of in terms of perceived higher cost. The average cost on a new/newer 300K home in Stuart would be around $3000 per year. CHOICES: $300,000 Value -- New Construction (click on Martin County)
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Old 07-11-2012, 04:11 PM
 
Location: FL
24 posts, read 63,826 times
Reputation: 19
You may want to check out Hobe Sound, Tequesta and Jupiter too. Parts of Tequesta and Hobe Sound are in Martin County which translates to lower property taxes and great schools. Jupiter also has good schools but property taxes can be twice as much for a much smaller lot. The Palm Beach Gardens area is nearby & has great shopping, restaurants, and gym options but a lot more congestion while the Martin County area has a more laid back and quaint feel to it (not to mention a little less attitude too).
Good luck.
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Old 07-11-2012, 04:51 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,613 times
Reputation: 36
Wow, Florida sounds great! I must say that the area and the people sound wonderful. I think I like the sound of West Palm Beach. Perhaps I will move to West Palm beach and drive into Stuart. In LA a 30 minute drive is standard and something I am very much used to. Unless I can find everything I need right there in Stuart. Which is possible because I havent visted yet.

I also wasnt aware that there is no state tax, which is a VERY big plus.

Are there any negatives that I should be aware of besides the property taxes? I was offered a position in Waco Texas and found the property taxes to be the same as Florida (from what I have seen).
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Old 07-11-2012, 04:58 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
78 posts, read 265,613 times
Reputation: 36
Ijust used google maps to guage the distance to West Palm Beach from Stuart and it appears to be 40 miles and about a 51 minute drive. That may be a bit far... But Jupiter looks nice and so does Tequesta. Does anyone have any experience with these locations?
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Old 07-11-2012, 06:09 PM
 
Location: Jupiter
1,108 posts, read 4,216,657 times
Reputation: 647
You should really be more concerned about the schools for your 7 year old than your commute to work...several parts of WPB have schools that are C Rated...and I am sure the cost of private schools will far outway the price of your commute...
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Old 07-11-2012, 06:32 PM
 
27,163 posts, read 43,857,618 times
Reputation: 32199
Quote:
Originally Posted by JorgeZepeda View Post
Ijust used google maps to guage the distance to West Palm Beach from Stuart and it appears to be 40 miles and about a 51 minute drive. That may be a bit far... But Jupiter looks nice and so does Tequesta. Does anyone have any experience with these locations?
Abacoa (a planned community in Jupiter) would be my suggestion as it's right off of I-95 and the Florida Turnpike for your commute to Stuart (about 25 miles), and the schools are the best in Palm Beach County outside of Palm Beach. Tequesta is a beautiful community and would recommend it if you weren't driving so far for work. The commute up US1 would probably make it too long for you.
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Old 07-12-2012, 12:26 PM
 
138 posts, read 232,950 times
Reputation: 305
Quote:
Originally Posted by JorgeZepeda View Post
Are there any negatives that I should be aware of besides the property taxes? I was offered a position in Waco Texas and found the property taxes to be the same as Florida (from what I have seen).
Alligators, pythons, iguanas, mosquitoes, heat, jellyfish, water moccasins, NYers, humidity, crime, traffic on 1-95 from PEOPLE COMMUTING, corrupt politicians, lightning, low wages, real estate developers, bad schools, poison ivy, year-round lawn maintenance. Other than that, it's pretty much paradise.
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