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We are doing some research on possible places to move after my husband retires (in 5 years). We love being close to the beach here in NJ, but the escalating property taxes and long cold winters have us looking at Florida and South Carolina. We still have 2 kids, one will be going into 8th grade and the other will be of college age. How is the Palm Coast area? I see some older threads but a lot can change over 10 years. How are the schools? traffic? Family friendly? It looks like new construction is popping up. Thanks in advance for any responses!
We are doing some research on possible places to move after my husband retires (in 5 years). We love being close to the beach here in NJ, but the escalating property taxes and long cold winters have us looking at Florida and South Carolina. We still have 2 kids, one will be going into 8th grade and the other will be of college age. How is the Palm Coast area? I see some older threads but a lot can change over 10 years. How are the schools? traffic? Family friendly? It looks like new construction is popping up. Thanks in advance for any responses!
I'd look further north in St John's County, just south of Jacksonville.....especially if schools are part of the equation.
We moved to Palm Coast from NJ last year and like it. It's different - there are some things to get used to. There are a lot of rules, sort of like an HOA but for the city if your'e not in a gated community. If you're in a gated community it's a whole other ball game. The neighborhoods are constructed in sections most of the time by the first letter of the street name. For instance, in the "B" section all the street names start with "B". Comparable to being asked "what exit", down here it's "what section" lol It's not bad by any means, it's just different.
Depending on what part of NJ you are in and what type of student your son is, the schools are OK. My son is a freshman and loves it. I've done some comparisons and while the curriculum is different in some ways it's comparable enough to NJ. (Although I think there's something to be said for the fact that NJ schools are losing programs left and right due to the lack of funding. So sad that some schools up there won't even have a library.) We originally wanted to be in St. Johns county simply for the reputations of the schools, but we honestly couldn't find an area we really liked. PC was our second choice knowing people who had experience with the district. There are 2 Middle Schools and 2 High Schools. Both are OK - but some people say Indian Trails Middle School and Matanzas HS are more desirable. My son has always been a good student, and he still is - his grades are still great and he's not coming home complaining he's bored or anything. He wrestles, is in JROTC, and also attends a local Jiu Jitsu Academy, - there are lots of clubs and sports to be involved in. There are lots of parks and plenty of bike trails etc as well.
It's pretty friendly around here for the most part. There are a lot of northerners in Palm Coast, which is why I think people say it's not really Florida. From what I understand it was built intending to be a retirement community in the 70's, and they used to advertise in the tri-state area and fly people down here to pitch them their deals for retirement. While there are a lot of retirees here, there are also lots of families and kids - just look at the enrollments at the schools.
If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to try and answer them for you.
One thing I can say for sure is that you need to have work when you come down here. Many people think they will find something when they get here only to discover that there isn't anything and they end up struggling.
We moved to Palm Coast from NJ last year and like it. It's different - there are some things to get used to. There are a lot of rules, sort of like an HOA but for the city if your'e not in a gated community. If you're in a gated community it's a whole other ball game. The neighborhoods are constructed in sections most of the time by the first letter of the street name. For instance, in the "B" section all the street names start with "B". Comparable to being asked "what exit", down here it's "what section" lol It's not bad by any means, it's just different.
Depending on what part of NJ you are in and what type of student your son is, the schools are OK. My son is a freshman and loves it. I've done some comparisons and while the curriculum is different in some ways it's comparable enough to NJ. (Although I think there's something to be said for the fact that NJ schools are losing programs left and right due to the lack of funding. So sad that some schools up there won't even have a library.) We originally wanted to be in St. Johns county simply for the reputations of the schools, but we honestly couldn't find an area we really liked. PC was our second choice knowing people who had experience with the district. There are 2 Middle Schools and 2 High Schools. Both are OK - but some people say Indian Trails Middle School and Matanzas HS are more desirable. My son has always been a good student, and he still is - his grades are still great and he's not coming home complaining he's bored or anything. He wrestles, is in JROTC, and also attends a local Jiu Jitsu Academy, - there are lots of clubs and sports to be involved in. There are lots of parks and plenty of bike trails etc as well.
It's pretty friendly around here for the most part. There are a lot of northerners in Palm Coast, which is why I think people say it's not really Florida. From what I understand it was built intending to be a retirement community in the 70's, and they used to advertise in the tri-state area and fly people down here to pitch them their deals for retirement. While there are a lot of retirees here, there are also lots of families and kids - just look at the enrollments at the schools.
If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to try and answer them for you.
One thing I can say for sure is that you need to have work when you come down here. Many people think they will find something when they get here only to discover that there isn't anything and they end up struggling.
Good luck!
Thanks for your response! What is your opinion on HOA's? Gated communities verses non-gated? I kind of like the idea of there being some rules as I currently live in an area where pretty much anything goes (broken down cars in streets, cars parked on lawns, bulk garbage on sides of homes). This really bothers my husband, but I just try not to look at it.
I have been checking out school ratings in the area. I see that St. Johns County has some highly rated schools, as one replier mentioned. However, I also noted the homes were a bit pricier in this area. I do see that Matanzas high is rated good. What school does your child attend? Our town in NJ has poorly rated public schools. Our high school for example was rated a "3". Not sure exactly why. Any of the schools I have seen so far in Florida are rated better than our schools here. My kids do very well in school. I'm sure they would excel wherever they go.
Its good to hear about the parks and bike trails as we like the outdoors. I don't dislike NJ, but the long winters are painful for me. How do you enjoy the weather there? The beaches?
How do you find the cost of living as compared to NJ? Our taxes here have doubled in the past 10 years. I don't see it getting any better. I also hear that groceries are higher in Florida. Is there a significant difference?
We definitely intend to look into work before making a move. I am a nurse, so I think I should be ok. My husband will be retired corrections but is looking to work full time. Not sure yet what career path he will choose. He has a bachelors. He is interested in possibly teaching. But unsure of the need. Must do more research.
I am very appreciative of your response. So much to think about when making a big move.
Thanks for your response! What is your opinion on HOA's? Gated communities verses non-gated? I kind of like the idea of there being some rules as I currently live in an area where pretty much anything goes (broken down cars in streets, cars parked on lawns, bulk garbage on sides of homes). This really bothers my husband, but I just try not to look at it.
I have been checking out school ratings in the area. I see that St. Johns County has some highly rated schools, as one replier mentioned. However, I also noted the homes were a bit pricier in this area. I do see that Matanzas high is rated good. What school does your child attend? Our town in NJ has poorly rated public schools. Our high school for example was rated a "3". Not sure exactly why. Any of the schools I have seen so far in Florida are rated better than our schools here. My kids do very well in school. I'm sure they would excel wherever they go.
Its good to hear about the parks and bike trails as we like the outdoors. I don't dislike NJ, but the long winters are painful for me. How do you enjoy the weather there? The beaches?
How do you find the cost of living as compared to NJ? Our taxes here have doubled in the past 10 years. I don't see it getting any better. I also hear that groceries are higher in Florida. Is there a significant difference?
We definitely intend to look into work before making a move. I am a nurse, so I think I should be ok. My husband will be retired corrections but is looking to work full time. Not sure yet what career path he will choose. He has a bachelors. He is interested in possibly teaching. But unsure of the need. Must do more research.
I am very appreciative of your response. So much to think about when making a big move.
I'm so sorry I didn't see your questions until now. I don't know if you were able to get the information you were looking for but just in case you didn't here is my response:
We prefer not to be in the gated communities - the rules can be very strict and overwhelming, for example a friend of our lives in one where they are not allowed to have their motorcycles in the driveway. They must always be in the garage. Each has its own restrictions.
The city of Palm Coast has their own rules and city officials drive around and will issue citations for anything against the rules. Examples would include no parking on the grass overnight, no commercial vehicles allowed to be kept at houses unless they are in the garage or covered either by magnets or a fitted cover, grass must be cut and can't exceed a certain height (not sure what that is).
My son goes to Matanzas and loves it. We also looked in St. Augustine but couldn't find what a house an area that wasn't through the roof expensive that we wanted to be in and I am happy with our second choice - Matanzas. There are a lot of teachers from up North and I haven't found the curriculum to be too much different for the core classes. Phys Ed is not a yearly requirement, however. They only have to take 1 year long class and it can be taken online. School days are shorter - 8:00-2:00. This year the last day of school was May 26th but they go back August 10th. My sons personal experience is that the teachers made him want to work harder - they encouraged him and were creative which he loved. He'll be in several honors classes next year and will also be on target for Dual Enrollment.
Cost of living is not much different other than your property taxes. Food, car insurance, taxes (other than property tax) is more expensive. Be prepared for the initial tax to register your car - it cost us about $500 (yearly registration is about the same as NJ though.) I have found where one thing is cheaper the next is more expensive, so it evens out for the most part - property taxes being the exception. Property taxes are no where near where they are up in NJ - I think $2500 per year is on the higher side for an average home here. Besides that the wages are lower so you will want to take that into consideration too and do some research in your respective careers. In a nutshell, we have not found it to be a whole lot cheaper but it's not more expensive - but we are happier!
I will try to check back sooner this time in case you have any more questions.
I think your biggest issue is going to be work. There is just not a lot out there. You will likely have a long commute. I had a coworker who lived there and she drove to Daytona every day for work. Daytona has poor schools and is not nice so I would not recommend living there, but the point is that there is not much in terms of job options in that area.
I moved here 4 years ago from NYC with my husband and new baby. It's very peaceful and so unbelievably beautiful nature wise. The beaches are amazing and never too crowded or crazy. There are amazing walking and bike trails. There are beautiful parks where you can watch the dolphins and manattee. But the playgrounds almost always seem to be empty. The grocery stores are so clean and everyone is so friendly. Other than those few things, there isn't much going on around here. We are looking to move further south where there are more sidewalks, street lights, businesses, and jobs. Palm Coast is progressing and there are so many new homes being built, a lot of chain restaurants opening but that is about it. I guess some people would love that part about this city, but right now that is just not what we are looking for. I just wish there was more to Palm Coast. They have a town center which has so much potential but not much going on right now. I've also heard that the hospital isn't so great and doesn't even have a labor and delivery ward.
I think your biggest issue is going to be work. There is just not a lot out there. You will likely have a long commute. I had a coworker who lived there and she drove to Daytona every day for work. Daytona has poor schools and is not nice so I would not recommend living there, but the point is that there is not much in terms of job options in that area.
Which is why looking 40 miles north in St John's County makes a lot more sense with the state's top ranked schools and arguably the state's best job market in Jacksonville nearby.
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