Trying to get a sense of Canyon Springs, Equus (vs. Jupiter?) for families (West Palm Beach: short sales)

[acomom]

Hi -- My family will be relocating to the Palm Beach County area in a few months, and I'm starting to look at the Canyon Springs and Equus communities in Boynton as a potential area for us. We're looking for a rather large home and there are a couple of models still available in those communities that look like they'll fit our needs, plus they seem to have lots of nice amenities. I have high school age girls and one elementary-age boy. I'll be working in West Palm Beach, and the commute looks very do-able from these neighborhoods (especially since I'm used to awful traffic around the MD/ DC suburbs, where we're moving from). I've been told the schools for Canyon Springs and Equus are Sunset Palms Elementary, Odyssey Middle School, and Olympic Heights High School. Can anyone share any impressions of these communities? ... the general mix of people, % of kids, vibe, amenities, schools? The other area we're considering is Jupiter, but it seems to be a little harder to find the type of home we're looking for in our price range. Plus, I'm a little turned off by what I perceive as over-crowding and an "overwhelmed" feeling I get about Jupiter HS, where my older kids would go ... I was told flat out there are no school tours, and the guidance counselor still hasn't returned my call after two weeks. Your insight about any of these areas/ questions would be appreciated!

[skylinet]

I've lived and worked in both areas (Boynton/Jupiter) and felt that West Boynton has a little more of an isolated feel than Jupiter. It is a very nice, newer area but since it is newer there aren't as many restaurants, shopping, activities as you'll find in Jupiter.
That being said you will get more home for your money and have more to choose from in Boynton. If you don't have to have a brand new house I would highly recommend checking out the resales as a house only a couple years old will sell for considerably less than a new home. I've sold the same model in Canyon Lakes for 100k less than what it was listed for Canyon Springs...
I don't have children so I can't really comment on schools. I would say they would probably have more to do in Jupiter though.

[roadtrip75]

Someone had the audacity to put the word "Canyon" in the name of a SoFla development?

[laurlacy]

Originally Posted by roadtrip75

Someone had the audacity to put the word "Canyon" in the name of a SoFla development?

lmao!!!! My favorite is when they put the word "farms" in a development name and its a zero lot line community. Doh!

[MikeDwood]

I am originally from Baltimore and love the DC/ MD corridor. To sum up things for you, I give you the following analogy:

West Boynton is to Glen Burnie/ Bowie as Jupiter/ Palm Beach Gardens is to Bethesda/ Rockville.

You may get less house for your money in Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens but you will get less thugs and homes with 4 families renting under one roof as they do in Canyon. The Canyon communities were ground zero for the housing boom and crash. They were selling new for 600k a few years ago and have more short sales and foreclosures than anywhere else. You are no where near the beach and the schools are not good.

[acomom]

Thanks Mike -- that's an analogy I can definitely understand! We visited the area this past weekend -- Canyons area in West Boynton, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens-- and ended up picking a house in Palm Beach Gardens. I definitely didn't get the right vibe for us in Canyon Springs or Equus, although the new homes looked nice enough.