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I am thinking of relocating to Florida and will be visiting Brevard County for the first time. I'm a middle aged widow with no children. What is the best city in the area for medical care, professionals like lawyers, doctors, accountants, and also other things like restaurants, tennis, social life, etc.? Not crazy about doing a lot of driving, so would like to investigate a nice area with good proximity to these things. Thanks for any opinions.
I am thinking of relocating to Florida and will be visiting Brevard County for the first time. I'm a middle aged widow with no children. What is the best city in the area for medical care, professionals like lawyers, doctors, accountants, and also other things like restaurants, tennis, social life, etc.? Not crazy about doing a lot of driving, so would like to investigate a nice area with good proximity to these things. Thanks for any opinions.
Check out Viera, or the beachside (Indiatlantic, Cocoa Beach etc.)
I am thinking of relocating to Florida and will be visiting Brevard County for the first time. I'm a middle aged widow with no children. What is the best city in the area for medical care, professionals like lawyers, doctors, accountants, and also other things like restaurants, tennis, social life, etc.? Not crazy about doing a lot of driving, so would like to investigate a nice area with good proximity to these things. Thanks for any opinions.
Since you mentioned not wanting to drive, I think I would say stick to beachside. Viera has the 2 shopping centers, a few restaurants, but the roads can be pretty busy on the East side of 1-95 anyway. There are some nice apartments out that way though and if you like baseball there is the stadium.
Beachside, I would think a condo on A1A would be a good choice for a single woman. That's where I would be living if my husband would have considered a condo a couple years ago, but he wanted a house and yard. Now he agrees we would have been better off if we could walk out our door and be on the beach like I wanted. A1A Is kind of a slower pace and less congested than some of the roads. Melbourne Beach, has a great park and probably has a tennis club etc. It is a walkable little town between the river and ocean.
Fee ave. park in Melbourne has tennis courts and the mornings are usually women's tennis clubs playing so might want to look into clubs that use those courts, too. The park there is near doctors offices, the hospital, the library, a shopping center that contains a Publix etc. I am not sure about the area as far as safety at night, but there is a big complex behind the old shopping center. Might be assisted living or just senior apartments that looks really nice. It would be easy to bike ride or walk the area.
Another idea would be the Towers near Old Downtown Melbourne. One of my friends lives and works the desk in the lobby in addition to her showing houses in her real job. . She loves it because she can walk everywhere for fun. . It is a senior citizen highrise with assisted living if needed. They do thorough checks on everyone to make sure it is safe place to live and there are waiting lists sometimes. Just saw that you mentioned middle-age, but not sure what age that is anymore. I consider myself middle aged, but will reach legal retirement age in a few years.
This whole area is a friendly area and you will meet people to do things with in no time at all. Things are spread out down here though, so you might find yourself driving from town to town to do different things. I live in one town, work in another, go to the doctor in another, eat out mostly over on the beach or in other towns within 50 or so miles, shop in another town, and our lawyer is over i in Winterpark. We also tend to go over to Disney and Sea world for a lot of our fun things to do etc.
Thanks for both your input! It sounds like there are a lot of good things in the area. I actually don't mind driving from town to town; what I am trying to avoid is an area so remote that I have to drive an hour to find the things I am used to having close by up north.
What is the largest and busiest city in Brevard County?
Thanks for both your input! It sounds like there are a lot of good things in the area. I actually don't mind driving from town to town; what I am trying to avoid is an area so remote that I have to drive an hour to find the things I am used to having close by up north.
What is the largest and busiest city in Brevard County?
Melbourne, although technically, Palm Bay has a larger population. They are pretty contiguous though
Be very choosy........... do mega research on your move. All aspects of life for you and children......and think about it.
That's very wise advice. I have visited many parts of Florida, and have found they're all different in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. And moving means starting over, with everything; new friends, new doctors, accountants, tennis partners, etc. with maybe not as many options available. It's not surprising that a lot of people move and then wonder if they did the right thing.
That's very wise advice. I have visited many parts of Florida, and have found they're all different in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. And moving means starting over, with everything; new friends, new doctors, accountants, tennis partners, etc. with maybe not as many options available. It's not surprising that a lot of people move and then wonder if they did the right thing.
I moved too Brevard County in 1975 and went too BCC & UCF... and spent 23+ of 36 years at the Space Center till I got laid off... I basically gave my house away because of the economy and got the he__ out of there. Moved too beautiful Tennessee.
At one time Brevard was Margarita Ville... some were in the late 1980's it went too he__ in a hand bag. In your face attitude....bling-bling.And just about 85% of the population was me - myself -and I. Then he__ with every one else..throw your trash in the street..an while at the malls push and shove your way too the sales I am important and I will show you my attitude scream on your cell phone because I am important !! I have watched in horror over the years at little league - soccer - golf..outdoor events people with attitude slamming people & equipment... I have seen people in fast food restaurants & chain restaurants like Red Lobster - Outback.Denney's throw food because it was not 100% perfect !! This seems too be the trend.. it's like Armageddon... Orlando gotten that way also.. It's like some TV show...act like a freaking a hole..and you will be a star !! I have no idea what has happened....
The work situation for a non-degree -non professional person is minimal.. The Space Center may not be up and running till 2016 if then. What opportunities ? Fast Food -Retail Sales - Tourism - what else ? sit 8 hours a day soldering electronic components waiting for the day you get laid off do too end of contract.
Last edited by TN Tin Man; 11-30-2012 at 09:08 PM..
... moving means starting over, with everything; new friends, new doctors, accountants, tennis partners, etc. with maybe not as many options available. It's not surprising that a lot of people move and then wonder if they did the right thing.
Florida has not only the usual 'rent an apartment, rent a house, buy a house or buy an apartment' options but also has (new to me) a large number of HOA's/Residential communities.
You might find an HOA/residential community which has a number of people with whom you might empathise. (It could be a community of people who enjoy sailing, a community of avid golfers, a retirement community or a community with something else in common.)
If you do consider moving into an HOA; you would be well-advised to read all the small print very carefully. Although there are plenty of good HOA's, there is no shortage of horror stories.
We moved in in Sep 2011 and I think we made the right decision - though I do have a couple of reservations. We moved into a 'retirement community'. I don't have to cut the grass or do house maintenance. That's not a huge problem now, but in 10 years time I probably won't want to do that - and should my wife end up living alone then she certainly won't want to be bothered by those chores. The downside of 'not having to cut the grass' is that I am a (fairly) keen gardener and I can't grow much around here. (I did try to grow tomatoes in tubs, but the area is irrigated using 'reclaimed water' (a substance which, in other places, would be known as 'toxic waste') and the plants suffered some impressive mutations from being splashed with that stuff!)
The community in which I live is an 'over 55' community - but some people are only just over 55 (and may have spouses who are younger) many still work - though there are also some whose children are well over 55.
You mentioned 'not wanting to drive'. I don't know whether you live in a place where nearly everything is within walking distance or whether perhaps you live in a place where there is a subway system and frequent reliable public transport. There's no subway here, no trams and although there are buses, there aren't many where I live.
For the last 5 years we've got by with one car (I also have a motorcycle) but we've found since we live here, that we really do need a car each. Nothing is very far away. The nearest supermarket is 3 miles, Viera Town Center shops: 4 miles, dentist: 5 miles, doctor: 5 miles, Patrick AFB 10 miles.
Nothing is far away - but nothing is within easy walking distance, either. We drive about 1000 miles a month going nowhere in particular. You can't get by easily without a car here, but then again, most journeys are fairly short.
Travelling North or South is fairly easy - US1 and I95 seem to move fairly steadily - but travelling East and West isn't so easy. Between Cocoa and Melbourne (20 miles) there are 4 places where you can cross to Satellite beach. If you head West, then you've got to cross I-95 - and there aren't many places where you can do that.
Near Viera, you can cross I-95 at North Wickham (where you can join the Interstate) or at Viera Blvd. The Interstate Junction at N Wickham is a problem in its own right. - Traffic coming from Viera wishing to join the Interstate heading North has difficulty in doing so, because that traffic has to cross the traffic heading Westbound (either to Viera or that intending to head South on I-95) and there is considerable congestion. Much of that traffic continues East, does a U-turn on N Wickham at Murrell and compounds the problem!
The N Wickham Interchange needs re-designing or, alternatively another North-bound On-Ramp might be provided where I95 crosses Viera Blvd ... which would, no doubt cause a lot of complaints about extra traffic near the High school and extra traffic on Viera Blvd.
If - or rather as - Viera expands, something will have to be done.
(I don't suppose there's enough money lying around to extend Judge Fran Jameson Blvd under I 95 and make another Interstate Interchange there? - That would ease the congestion caused by people trying to get to and from work at the Federal Center and in the VA Hospital.)
In the meantime, I avoid N Wickham in the morning and evening rush hours - where possible.
Outside the rush hour periods, traffic isn't too bad, IMO.
Thank you for your feedback. I do like gated communities with HOA's, but agree they are a mixed bag; some are definitely run better than others.
I agree there is nowhere in Florida where you don't need a car, or you will be isolated and bored to death. It's actually the same where I live up north, as I am in a shoreline town here about 15 minutes from a city. But because Florida is such a huge state compared to where I live now (CT), I note things in Florida are much more spread out.
For example, last year I stayed in north Bradenton on the west coast for a month, but when I wanted to go to Sarasota, that was 20 miles, and when I wanted to go to St. Pete, that was about 25 miles. The nearest restaurant was 8 miles from where I stayed. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc. were all going to be about 35 - 40 minutes away. So it got to be a bit much with all the driving to do anything, and that gave me reservations about choosing that particular area. I will have to visit Melbourne and Palm Bay and other towns in the area to see how it is in comparison.
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