Port St. Lucie/ Fort Pierce Questions

[TriMT7]

I moved to Port St. Lucie with my family when I was 7 back in 1989.... I'm not exactly sure what horrible "crime" exists in Port St. Lucie. Petty property crime like you find everywhere? As a matter of fact, wasn't it ranked safest city of its size a couple years ago? There's less than one murder a year, and I remember laughing with friends in high school reading the "police beat" feature of the newspaper where cops were called because *gasp and horror!* a woman reported "broken glass on the end of her street."

I would NOT suggest a move to Fort Pierce though. Unless you live out in the rural part... though the RIver area is also nice.

[port st lucie lady]

I think it is a very safe area. There is tons of shopping along 1 and teasure coast mall, plus lots of strip malls. The negative is traffic. Schools in this area of florida are some of the best. You should investigate the areas of Stuart, Jensen Beach , Palm City and Port St. Lucie. It is a great place to raise a family or retire. The beaches are close by and wonderful. Parks are everywhere. Recreational opportunities are all over. Fishing and boatng is great. right now there are lots of vacant homes that builders built thinking they could turn a fast buck. They are sitting empty. Find a person you like to help in your search or go online. When you meet people ask who they bought their house from and what kind of experience they had. Realtor.com show all homes by all brokers. Look at websites to learn about our area and the type of homes available. Chambers of commerce have all kinds of free stuff they mail. Snoop around various areas and see what feels good. When you find a house you like spend some time in the area. See how people keep their homes around them, see how active the neighborhood is, see if you feel good there. And even if that house seems perfect always have it inspected by a home inspector. Vero to me is like a city that is to far north, to busy and has a nice outlet mall but port st lucie has it beat. I love me home, it is safe, it is easy to care for, it is much easier living here than where I used to live, people I know here have been kind and friendly.

[c.t.]

If I had to do it all over again, I'd most definitely not settle in St. Lucie County. I'd go to Martin County. Crime is better. Taxes are better. Education is far superior.

Don't go to PSL. Save yourselves the heartache.

[dougie_fresh]

There are plenty of nice, safe, family-oriented places in PSL and Fort Pierce. I don't understand why people are claiming crime is bad in St. Lucie. Only in the northern sections of Fort Pierce and some small parts of PSL (west of the turnpike and south of PSL Blvd. comes to mind).

My gripe with PSL/Fort Pierce the fact that it has no nightlife or young professional scene. However, it is a great place to raise a family (I've never seen so many kids in my life). The schools are bad in St. Lucie but that is because most residents work in the construction industry or other blue-collar professions. The only residents with money are retirees or entrepreneurs. PSL/Fort Pierce is a very middle class place and there's really nothing wrong with that.

Back to the original question... I think living in Fort Pierce along the river would be a great (and safe) place to live. Just stay away from the alphabet streets...

[fairie0025]

I have lived in Port Saint Lucie since 1991. I really wouldn't want to raise a child here, only because I don't think the education is good at all and there isn't much to do. By all means, I think that Port Saint Lucie is safe, I've been here 17 years, from 12 years old to 29 years old and the only problems I ever had were in Ft. Pierce because I went to school there and basically hung out there growing up. I would not move to Ft. Pierce if I was you. I would like to suggest Martin County,(Stuart), their school systems are soooo much better than St. Lucie County and the cops are more leanyent on giving tickets..haha...Good luck...

[Wendyb0077]

I have lived in Port Saint Lucie since 1989. We moved here from South NJ. My oldest Son graduated from Central HS in 1990 and my daughter went through the entire school system and graduated from Centennial HS in 2002. Wonderful teachers and great programs. My Grandaughter attends Lincoln Park Academy. (Public School) one of the highest rated schools in the state. She attended The School of the Arts (another public school) prior the getting into Lincoln. Both schools she attended are in Fort Pierce. (Saint Lucie County) My 6 yr old grandson is in the K-8 school in Saint Lucie West and loves it... This County has come leaps and bounds over the last 19 yrs I have lived here. There are waiting lists to get into the special schools. Educate yourself on the area. The School Zones. etc...

[nkodream]

I agree with VB Mom....definitely do yourself a favor and stay far away from St. Lucie County in general for the following reasons:

If you move in a nice area with an A rated school two blocks away, chances are very slim that your child will actually be able to attend that school. Chances are moreso that your child will bussed to Fort Pierce 45 minutes from home to the middle of the ghetto. That is a fact! The school system in St. Lucie County is so backwards and I feel really bad for people who moved there and didn't do there homework and are now stuck and miserable.

If you move to St. Lucie West (west part of Port St. Lucie) the traffic is so bad because of the city poor city planning and infrastructure that exists there...awful! It took me 15 minutes to make a U turn to Wendy's the other day at 6:00pm.

Although there are SOME pretty parts of Ft. Pierce it is not a desireable place to live mostly because of schools and the high levels of crime with a very bad ghetto/drug type area within miles of where you would live....no thanks! And that's where your kids ending up going to school.

I cannot advise you strongly enough that if you are looking for quality schools in a safe family type of environment and want to be near water you are much better off as other posters are suggesting to look in Martin County and especially Palm City if it's in your price range...A+ schools with no bussing issues...low crime, quiet safe neighborhoods. Stuart or Hobe Sound may be of interest as well, however, Hobe Sound is VERY quiet with one or two street lights running along the main artery US Hwy 1

Good luck....and RUN from St. Lucie County!!!

[PATRAIN]

Move to Vero Beach if you can afford it........nuf said