Anyone from West Palm Beach? (Wellington, Riviera Beach: appointed, real estate, insurance)

[karoline8]

Pls if someone lives in West Palm Beach,send some links concerning public schools,entertainment etc. Is it A nice place to raise a kid? Thanx

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by karoline8

Pls if someone lives in West Palm Beach,send some links concerning public schools,entertainment etc. Is it A nice place to raise a kid? Thanx

I don't have children, but I live in West Palm Beach, know people that grew up in West Palm Beach, know people who are raising kids in West Palm Beach, and know people who plan on raising kids in West Palm Beach.


Parts of West Palm Beach I would not raise a kid in. Parts of the city clustered in the Northern part running into Riviera Beach I would never live in with or without kids, because they are dangerous and run down. Others, however, particularly in the southern part of the city (South of downtown) are very family oriented places. Olive Elementary and Belvedere Elementary are typically well reviewed by parents.


The actual city of West Palm Beach (not the unincorporated area that people call West Palm Beach but actually isn't) is very much like a city you would find up North, with corner stores, neighborhoods with sidewalks, family owned businesses, etc. If you want more specifics, let me know.

[karoline8]

Thanks a lot for your post, have heard that Wellington is a really nice place to raise a family ? ! Do u have an idea concerning real estate prices? Maybe u could send me some links? Any information concerning wellington would be great. Thanks again

[TriMT7]

Wellington is a family suburb of West Palm Beach. Most everyone I know from Wellington likes it out there. Unfortunately, my area of "expertise" so to speak does not go that far West, but I believe there are bargains to be found in Wellington, but still expect to spend over 250k for anything.

I know we have some Wellington people on the board who may be able to help out.

[StarlaJane]

It really depends on where you are coming from--everything's relative.
But, yes, generally speaking, it has a good reputation and people enjoy living here. However, it is really just a suburb of West Palm Beach. In fact, technically, it is called "The Village of Wellington."
In the winter, it is dominated by the horse industry, who come for the tournaments, etc. That is usually from Nov-April.
With regard to the schools, the area schools are A-rated, as far as I know. The best way to research is to go to the Palm Beach County School District website, which gives you ratings, test scores, etc. for each school. Again, this is all relative. For example, if you are coming from the NorthEast, you are going to be disappointed with the school systems here; they just aren't on the same level. This doesn't mean they are terrible, however. I know alot of parents who are pleased with the education that their children are receving at public schools in Wellington.
As far as houses go, you will be paying at least 250K+. There is one street/neighborhood to avoid (I can't remember what it is called) where an intruder was recently shot and killed by a homeowner, and the landlord has said that the area has been in decline for some time. A good realtor will advise you well--just be aware that there are no "deals"--if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
But more importantly, make sure that you research property taxes and even more importantly, insurance. Due to the high level of hurricane activity, Florida homeowner's insurance has skyrocketed and forced many people out. And property taxes tend to be very disproportionate to the cost of a home (i.e. you can buy a townhome for 150K but the property taxes will be $2500/yr.)

[m5*]

My friend just bought a nice 3/2/2 in Wellington for $195,000 taxes are $2200 and insurance is just below $2000. The house was on the market fir a while at a higher price and as soon as it dropped she scooped it up. There are deals to be found in Wellington it's just a waiting game.

[m5*]

The shooting was in South Shore on White Pine Drive