West Palm Beach worth a look? (Miami, Boca Raton: 2010, rent, condominium)

[Liberty911]

I moved to WPB four months ago from So Cal. I plan on moving to another area (more north) when the lease is up. WPB is ok, and nothing special. The area between I-95 and the Turnpike is a real getto. The nice part is obviously controlled by the ultra rich on Palm Beach Island and they do a great job of keeping people from WPB out of their neighborhood (no parking and no beach acess for miles and miles). As mentioned above, Wellington is a nice area, so is Delray and Boca Raton. The home prices are still unrealistic IMHO, especially when you factor in the property tax and cane insurance.

[paintballer1708]

Originally Posted by iamcrzymom
Bimini Twist is AWESOME!!! That is my absolute favorite restaurant here!!!!

I know that restaurant is great. Great seafood. Pretty much is perfect. There is another place i like too lol but it is a bar. Its got great food there also. Its not one of those out of control bars. Its very laid back actually. But its around Riviera Beach. Its called the Brass Ring. Its actually on the West Palm/Riviera city limits. West Palm has some great restaurants.

[RAINBOWWAVES]

It has a very high crime rate...looks too much like Jersey and is hard to navigate.

[paintballer1708]

^True the crime is bad in spots, but thats depending on what part of the city you live in. And how does West Palm Beach look like NJ? WPB has very nice beaches with blue water and palm trees and great looking houses. NJ has brown water with not so great looking beaches. Not to mention the underground fires there where they burn their trash.

[RAINBOWWAVES]

I mean that it is too congested, too much traffic and the rents and prices of houses are very high. WPB used to be the place to be but everday on TV there are crime stories and there are gangs there.

[rkumar3]

Palm Beah is great.... before making a general statement about crimes one should disclose the source of data. I live in Sourthern Palm Beach and it is very nice.

[RAINBOWWAVES]

My source is my best friend who is a cop...and my Aunt who lives there...and ch 25 news...

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by Liberty911

I moved to WPB four months ago from So Cal. I plan on moving to another area (more north) when the lease is up. WPB is ok, and nothing special. The area between I-95 and the Turnpike is a real getto. The nice part is obviously controlled by the ultra rich on Palm Beach Island and they do a great job of keeping people from WPB out of their neighborhood (no parking and no beach acess for miles and miles). As mentioned above, Wellington is a nice area, so is Delray and Boca Raton. The home prices are still unrealistic IMHO, especially when you factor in the property tax and cane insurance.

Agreed-
West Palm and Palm Beach are like comparing Bay Harbor Islands to Opa-Locka. If you live in Boca or Wellington the suburbs are great. I would stay out of West Palm.

[Retiredcoach]

I will be retiring soon from my school district in western Pennsylvania. I had planned to move to Florida permanently within 5 years. My goal was to buy a Florida home in 2006, rent it until I retired, live as a snowbird for a few years, then become a permanent resident. I wanted to be close to the ocean to have a home where my kids and grandkids would have the Florida vacation experience anytime they visited. WPB was one area where I have family residing now and have lived for many years. This past summer's vacation changed every thought I had about relocating there. What I found is that: (1) My retirement savings would erode much faster in Florida than in any other area of the country I've visited except NY; (2) Traffic was a nightmare virtually any time of the day in WPB; (3) There were three classes of people whom I encountered on my stays: The Very Rich, the Tourists, the financially strapped (including retired seniors, the working poor, the always working, & impoverished)... few middle class.

What I suspected not only from my own observations, were confirmed also by some of the more knowledgeable posters on this forum: you had better have significant savings and wealth to relocate here. Not only are housing prices out of reach, property taxes (you pay according to what you paid for the house... you pay true value & your neighbors pay the significantly discounted value), and the astronomical homeowners insurance rates are frightening. Good jobs are scarce and low paying, even with an advanced degree. I wish you the best of luck in your search, that sunshine can come at a steep cost!

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

I will be retiring soon from my school district in western Pennsylvania. I had planned to move to Florida permanently within 5 years. My goal was to buy a Florida home in 2006, rent it until I retired, live as a snowbird for a few years, then become a permanent resident. I wanted to be close to the ocean to have a home where my kids and grandkids would have the Florida vacation experience anytime they visited. WPB was one area where I have family residing now and have lived for many years. This past summer's vacation changed every thought I had about relocating there. What I found is that: (1) My retirement savings would erode much faster in Florida than in any other area of the country I've visited except NY; (2) Traffic was a nightmare virtually any time of the day in WPB; (3) There were three classes of people whom I encountered on my stays: The Very Rich, the Tourists, the financially strapped (including retired seniors, the working poor, the always working, & impoverished)... few middle class.

What I suspected not only from my own observations, were confirmed also by some of the more knowledgeable posters on this forum: you had better have significant savings and wealth to relocate here. Not only are housing prices out of reach, property taxes (you pay according to what you paid for the house... you pay true value & your neighbors pay the significantly discounted value), and the astronomical homeowners insurance rates are frightening. Good jobs are scarce and low paying, even with an advanced degree. I wish you the best of luck in your search, that sunshine can come at a steep cost!

In the 80's it was a pleasant place- (even then people did better if they bought on the Gulf Coast) now it has truly eroded. The panhandle is still nice though, retiredcoach- if you are retired there are beautiful beaches there. Again- no jobs- but that's a non-issue for the retired. It is just amusing to see people who think at age 30-40- they are going to relocate down there- if you are retired, sure. There are NO decent jobs. That is the big secret.