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Hello all and thank you in advance for reading and responding!
My husband, son (2 years) and I (my husband and I are early 30's) are looking to move somewhere warmer and friendlier. We currently live in NW NJ and it does not possess those qualities. We are going broke paying for heating fuel, have completely had it with these winters and live in a very very red part of a very blue state which does not personally appeal to us . In addition, both my son and I and my husband to a lesser degree are water-loving creatures.
We are still in the heavy research phase of our journey and may be taking a trip soon anyway (relative in Vero Beach to stop and visit first) to do some reconnaissance, but here is some background information:
*Schools are important. Doesn't matter what kind, just that they offer quality education.
*Safety. We understand that nowhere is completely safe but would like a mostly safe place to raise our son.
*We would like to rent. We would love to have a pool or nice backyard but it's not a deal breaker.
Would like to be close to beaches (within 30 min drive or less) and our budget is $17/1800 a month or less (preferably more like $14/1500)
*My husband is an ASE certified master auto technician with 10 years experience. I am an environmental report writer for an inspection company (septic/mold/asbestos/well/etc) with several years experience and a B.A. in English Literature, possibly looking into teaching ESL. I am also a freelance editor.
*We would like an open-minded area with all different kinds of opinions. We lean more liberal than conservative but would love for our son to be exposed to all different modes of thought and lifestyles/cultures/religions, etc.
*We would love good restaurants, good arts and culture, don't care about nightlife- see: 2 year old
In my research, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, Sarasota and St. Pete have all been mentioned on these forums and researched by me personally in books and on the internet, but I would love to get a natives perspective and advice on which neighborhoods are best and which to avoid based on the above criteria. On a side note, St. Augustine in the north, Punta Gorda, and other places have been recommended to me as well- if you have any ideas for places not listed, I'm open to them, too!
Also, if you could please provide some feedback on a realistic picture of how bad the bugs/snakes/flooding or sinkholes (oh my!) really are I would appreciate it.
We want to start a better, more sunshine-y and calmer life. It's been a difficult past few years for many reasons.
Thank you thank you thank you for any and all help you can provide to us! Bless you!
I recently moved to Palm Coast, most of the schools here are rated A, please look on GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community
We also moved from the northeast and we love it here. There are some palm coast bashers here on citydata. I havent found any truth in what was said except that certain areas of the P and R section are best to avoid. You could get a 3 bedroom newer home with a pool in a nice neighborhood for about $1200-1300.
My family and I love it here!!!! It is nice and quiet here, so many parks/trails/beach to explore. This is a city of 75,000 people but so spread out ! It is so quiet and peaceful.
Yet we are 30 minutes from St Augustine and 30 min from Daytona. 1 hour to Jacksonville or Orlando .
Check palm coast out!!
Demographically, Florida differs from NJ in the fact that there are at least 6-7 highly diverse metro areas here, that are comparable to 6-7 large, diverse cities elsewhere. Each has their own family-friendly communities, employment markets ... and beaches in the sunshine.
You will be able to find what you are seeking in almost anyone of these areas, plus it sounds like you have a realistic housing budget and good, transferable/employable skills ... which you most likely need to 'employ' to survive in either Florida or New Jersey.
Therefore, doesn't it make more sense to first seek-out employment in 4-5 of these large markets ... and then find the right schools and neighborhoods near to your jobs; -- than to seek-out schools and neighborhoods in 4-5 markets ... and then limit your job searches to that one market/neighborhood?
The snakes, alligators and hurricanes media hype is simply the 'talking-heads filling air-space with something they can sensationalize'. Yes, those things are here, but, are no more a realistic and consistent representation of Florida ... than Tropical Storm Sandy is a typical and accurate representation of 'life in New Jersey.'
I'm from Philly and NJ and believe me, Florida is not that "friendly". We stick out like sore thumbs here, too, except for parts of south Florida.
That being said, job first. Then why not Vero? Or are you committed to the West coast?
It's gorgeous, safe, calm, gentle, not pretentious but could be, and the live theater actually has children's theater, too! There's every type of housing from ocean, to bay to horse farms, to surburbia gated comms. Also regular streets without HOAs in every price range and taste. Some aren't even paved but sand. The barrier island is just perfect in every way! If you're ok with the hurricane risks. Sebastian is nearby with excellent fishing village atmosphere and the famous Pelican Island deal. There's a private airport, a strong per capita income, and 1.5 hrs from Palm Beach or Orlando. Jobs are iffy. You can fly back north pretty easily from here even from Melbourne.
!!
The mall is modest - Macy's is only one level, for example. But Palm Beach Mall is not all that spectacular anyway.
I would say where Miami is like Wildwood, Vero Beach is like Avalon
Don't go up to St Augustine unless you don't mind 20 degree weather. I lived in Jax three years and it gets COLD.
There's alot of automotive in Vero but I don't really know what that is your husb does. If it translates to planes (haha) or if he's interested in a career change, Piper Aircraft is here at the airport and has alot of manufacturing jobs not just engineering etc.
You can rent a beautiful 3 bedroom single brand new house that was built for 400K a couple years ago here for starting at $1100 per month from 1500 to 3500 square ft...in a gated community with a pool or sometimes it's own pool, etc. NOT $1900!! You can rent an older house for even less that's still nice. I know a 4BR townhouse for 1000 per month and the community is also nice and new. There is something at every price point and taste here. One of the mobile home parks has the best view on the Intracoastal haha.
I'll DM you the site of the realtor I used. You can see her listings as an example. Several are 55+ it's just an example.
Last edited by runswithscissors; 06-06-2013 at 08:57 PM..
*Schools are important. Doesn't matter what kind, just that they offer quality education.
*Safety. We understand that nowhere is completely safe but would like a mostly safe place to raise our son.
*We would like to rent. We would love to have a pool or nice backyard but it's not a deal breaker.
Would like to be close to beaches (within 30 min drive or less) and our budget is $17/1800 a month or less (preferably more like $14/1500)
*My husband is an ASE certified master auto technician with 10 years experience. I am an environmental report writer for an inspection company (septic/mold/asbestos/well/etc) with several years experience and a B.A. in English Literature, possibly looking into teaching ESL. I am also a freelance editor.
*We would like an open-minded area with all different kinds of opinions. We lean more liberal than conservative but would love for our son to be exposed to all different modes of thought and lifestyles/cultures/religions, etc.
*We would love good restaurants, good arts and culture, don't care about nightlife- see: 2 year old
In my research, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, Sarasota and St. Pete have all been mentioned on these forums and researched by me personally in books and on the internet, but I would love to get a natives perspective and advice on which neighborhoods are best and which to avoid based on the above criteria. On a side note, St. Augustine in the north, Punta Gorda, and other places have been recommended to me as well- if you have any ideas for places not listed, I'm open to them, too!
Also, if you could please provide some feedback on a realistic picture of how bad the bugs/snakes/flooding or sinkholes (oh my!) really are I would appreciate it.
We want to start a better, more sunshine-y and calmer life. It's been a difficult past few years for many reasons.
Thank you thank you thank you for any and all help you can provide to us! Bless you!
I would recommend East Lake(East Lake Woodlands/Boot Ranch, etc), the SE side of Tarpon Springs or Palm Harbor given all of your criteria. Sarasota, Punta Gorda and St Augustine are very nice but not known for being liberal/progressive. There are pockets of liberal/progressive folks but overall not so much as both both sit in heavily majority "Red" counties. St Pete offers a liberal environment however the schools aren't up to par like they are in the north end of Pinellas County (Palm Harbor/East Lake districts) where they are very highly ranked. Bugs/Spiders aren't a big deal if one keeps things clean in the kitchen and use a pest control company (outside around the perimeter including walls and eaves of house is key). Roaches love mulch so consider river rocks/pebbles instead. Snakes are a rarity for most and again they like the warm, wet mulch if they are going to around so once again rocks/pebbles are a great option. Flooding is a concern and you can be in a flood zone without being near the coast thanks to canals and wetlands. Consult the county flood zone maps through their website to insure you're not in a flood zone or mandatory evacuation zone. Bear in mind this can fluctuate back and forth over a few miles so don't assume all properties are the same if relatively close by. Lastly sinkholes are a concern of course but highly played out in the media and the odds of it happening are quite low, similar to earthquakes or being hit by a tornado. Do be certain if/when you buy a home to look at a map of sinkhole prone areas which you should probably choose to avoid, especially given the insurance ramifications.
tropicaldreams:
I too, have tropical dreams Thank you for your post. Schools are really always foremost in our minds and I do visit greatschools very often. I am certainly going to check out Palm Harbor as you and several others have kindly pointed it out to me. Can you by chance tell me which neighborhoods are best? Or recommend a realtor?
Also, being from the northeast, I am sure that you also understand how expensive it is- can you tell me how utilities/insurance, etc compare? Again, thank your for taking the time to respond.
jghorton:
Thank you for your thoughtful response. As you said, we are lucky enough to have very transferable skills. Being an English major, I can (and have been) employed in many different areas. Since people have cars auto mechanics seem to be needed everywhere, though to varying degrees depending on all sorts of factors. Really we are looking for excellent schools and employment opportunities simultaneously, while also doing our research (hence my reason for being here!) and reading up on these different areas, pros and cons, and attempting to find out which area would be the best "fit" for our personalities and lifestyle as well as which area feels right.
I very much appreciate your explanation of the "bugs, storms, sinkholes oh my" impression that is often portrayed. It does put it in perspective- and of course, nowhere is perfect. Honestly, at this point I am so disgusted with getting tons of snow and ice and experiencing freezing temps that I realize life is too short to not live in a place that makes you happy. Again, thank you very much for your response, and if you could offer insight or opinion on any of the specific areas I mentioned, I would greatly appreciate it!
runswithscissors:
Thank you for your wonderful response! Vero Beach sounds fantastic and will be the first place we visit, as that is where the aforementioned relative lives! It helped put things into perspective when you used the comparison to Wildwood and Avalon- thank you for that! Can you mention any neighborhoods that are better than others? Or if there are any to outright avoid?
My husband is an ASE master auto tech which just means that he's certified and very knowledgeable in all areas of car repair= he's earned his certification in every area there is to earn.
One (very) important thing, though- what makes you say that Florida is not friendly and that we may stick out like sore thumbs? Could it be because of our left-leaning tendencies or simply because we hail from the northeast (or both)? If you could expand on this I would really appreciate it.
kyle19125:
Your post was so thorough and helpful- thank you very much for it!
You shed some light on the political climate of these areas- I was under the impression that St. Augustine was a hippie haven and Sarasota was funky and artsy (and therefore both liberal-leaning) but that is why I am on here- to research and get answers such as yours! I am going to look at East Lake, SE side of Tarpon Springs, and Palm Harbor right now. Thank you very much for your recommendations. Do you happen to know a good realtor or good neighborhoods in these areas to focus on?
We will be purchasing renter's insurance in regard to the possibility of being in a flood zone/sinkhole area however we will absolutely do our research. I will also be using rocks/pebbles for our landscaping and will make sure that there is a service contract of some sort with a pest control company when we rent.
Again, thank you for such a thorough post and all of the information you provided- I appreciate it!
runswithscissors:
Thank you for your wonderful response! Vero Beach sounds fantastic and will be the first place we visit, as that is where the aforementioned relative lives! It helped put things into perspective when you used the comparison to Wildwood and Avalon- thank you for that! Can you mention any neighborhoods that are better than others? Or if there are any to outright avoid?
My husband is an ASE master auto tech which just means that he's certified and very knowledgeable in all areas of car repair= he's earned his certification in every area there is to earn.
One (very) important thing, though- what makes you say that Florida is not friendly and that we may stick out like sore thumbs? Could it be because of our left-leaning tendencies or simply because we hail from the northeast (or both)? If you could expand on this I would really appreciate it.
Oh no not politics! I started a pet sitting/dog walking business and have no problem with any person or their politics. Even in my private life it's just not an issue. If they think differently than me, it's unlikely we'll end up being great friends but we can be cordial and socialize. Although if my kid were young I might think about it - but you can find friends of any persuasion down here. I would NEVER raise my kid in a group of "opposite thinkers" so I know what you mean. So many transplants! I have to say nobody ever spoke politics to me in the four years since I've relocated or my whole life coming down here off and on since I was a kid. But I remember when my kid was young ALL of our circle of friends were like minded, gravitating to each other. But if you think about it, Obama got elected by HALF the population and the other half did NOT ALL live in just a few states LOL. So you can find either half especially in Florida. It's not like it's San Fransisco and The Castro but even THERE , there are ~ conservative people surrounding the city, just not in The Castro LOL.
If you take Miami you may assume that everyone is Liberal but it's not all that definite because lots of Cubans are conservative. That's the first example that comes to mind. Jax is called conservative but there are TONS of relocations there in every field.
I mean our way of talking alot (haha), fast, laughing, being animated etc. The Jersey way. People are "laid back" here if they aren't recent relocations and it takes some getting used to. And there's a tad bit of the "yankee" thing with alot of the people born here a couple of generations. When I interview a new client I put myself in dog walker mode - calm and gently assertive - and make sure I don't get too exuberant LOL.
When you stand in line in Jersey or Philly everyone in line with you is talking and telling stories or laughing - even including you as a stranger. When you stand in line here and in EVERY town I've been in in Florida except Miami, everyone is quiet or basically just talking about what they're buying!! Of course that's a generalization but it's TRUE!
They're "nice" but I wouldn't say warm. Most of the invitations I've had from FL people to socialize were all from Northerners!!
Once in CVS I'll never forget it. I was in line a long time and paying....the person behind me put a quart of milk on the floor cuz it was leaking. The cashier STOPPED ringing me up mid-stream....wandered ALL THE WAY around the front counter with some paper towels...and started cleaning up the tiny bit of milk that dripped from the lid. I was like WHAT!!!!????
As far as moving here if you tell us what you like in NJ we can equate it to FL. Like if you like Avalon I will tell you to go to the Vero barrier island and you will be madly in love. It's really NICER than Avalon or most shore towns but has no honky tonk like "the boardwalk" which I miss. I actually LOVE Wildwood etc. Google the photos. There's a school on the south end St Edwards (Episcopalian) that looks really nice that some of my clients use. I'm just using it as an example, because it is a religious school so it's not for everyone - obviously.
There is this website for school comparisons for public and private...my kid's 30 I know nothing about schools here.
The MAIN thing is your lifestyle (after schools) one end of Vero to the other is only 20 minutes but if you're a golfer and not a beach-er you may not want to deal with driving to your hobby but live "closer". If you are a dedicated beach person and can afford the insurance you need to live ON the island IF you can tolerate driving 15-20 minutes to the "mall" with Target, Walmart etc if you're a dedicated store shopper. Unless you can deal with substituting other stores for those. The island has none of that or even a large grocery store but they are all close by like 2 miles over the bridge.
Of course you really don't "need to" live on the island I'm exaggerating - the beach is only 15 minutes from ANYWHERE! But it would be nice to rent there a year and you should never buy ANYWHERE in FL unless you are absolutely SURE because your whole impressions may change a year later. About what you want or what you "thought" you "loved".!!
ETA: I also don't know if Vero has "enough kids" for your taste. I can't help you with that but the schools were all having construction when I moved here in 2008. There is definitely a senior citizen contingent here. But it's FLORIDA! LOL. And for really LIBERAL environment you'd probably not go wrong in a college town but I'm guessing. Maybe Gainesville or Talahassee? But I have no real clue. And who wants to live in a college town? Not me!
Last edited by runswithscissors; 06-08-2013 at 01:51 PM..
Hmmmm.
I thank you all again for your insights; it is very helpful and much appreciated.
I was speaking with a friend whom I hadn't seen in a long time, whose family now lives in Florida. He mentioned that in many ways, it is difficult to be an "outdoors' person in Florida because the heat is so oppressive. He said that my original choice of Northern California or Virgina Beach might be better, not only for this reason but because of jobs and our lifestyle and the kind of environment we want for our son.
After having that discussion with him, reading these posts and some others on the forum, I'm starting to wonder if he's right...
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. In addition, both my son and I and my husband to a lesser degree are water-loving creatures.
auto mechanics seem to be needed everywhere, though to varying degrees depending on all sorts of factors. Really we are looking for excellent schools and employment opportunities simultaneously, while also doing our research (hence my reason for being here!) and reading up on these different areas, pros and cons, and attempting to find out which area would be the best "fit" for our personalities and lifestyle as well as which area feels right.
