[nep321]

Now that I have been living in Jacksonville for 4 years, settled down with a good job and nice house, I can't help but wonder if my life would be better in another part of Florida. I have visited all 67 counties in Florida and wonder if another one would be a better fit for me. I am wondering if the best fit could be Palm Beach County, but I have some hesitations as well as reasons I think it could be better for me.

----- Why I think PBC might be better for me:

The climate seems to be more to my liking. I like 70's and 80's temps. Unfortunately, Jax gets cold in the winter for the most part and all I want to do is stay indoors and hibernate. But in PBC, it's pretty much summer all year round, which is great. Also, the summers in PBC are not quite as hot and long as in Jax. Don't believe me? Look at the weather data. But, I suspect it's more humid than Jax, which sucks.

PBC overall seems to be slightly more progressive thinking than Jax, which is a plus for me. Especially as a gay person and social democrat. I am 37 and single, so there are probably slightly better dating opportunities down there compared to here, which is abysmal. I've been here for 4 years and have zero friends (all of my friends are in CT).

PBC is more educated and well off compared to Duval. I am highly educated, make great money and sometimes feel like a misfit here.

PBC seems to be more of a northeastern US culture, which is 100% me. Jax is also a melting pot to a good degree, but it still has a southern/redneck element sometimes and I just can't adjust. PBC has many more Italian Americans (8.5%) than Jax does (3.5%), which is a mild plus for me to fit in better (not a big deal though).

----- My hesitations about PBC:

Cost of living? My house budget in PBC would be limited to around $570K max. But under $500K would be great. I would want a nice 3x2 single story house with attached garage, small lot and 1200 - 1800 sq ft. Move in ready and in a decent neighborhood. Hopefully low ambient noise level, too. I could be wrong, but I think this is achievable?

Congestion? Technically, Duval has a significantly higher population density than PBC (1,268 ppsm vs. 765 ppsm). However, most of PBC is undeveloped, so I'm guessing that PBC *feels* more congested than Duval? Is this the case? IMO Duval is a bit more congested than I would prefer, but not that bad. I'm guessing traffic is worse in PBC?

Boring scenery? PBC seems extra flat compared to Duval. The trees are much shorter and it's just a bunch of shrubbery mixed with some tropical flora. I do like the dense, tall forests and pine trees up here. I'm sure PBC has much nicer beaches, although I am not a beach person at all. But the area seems like it's trapped between the ocean and vast swamp lands, which seems depressing.

Mean people? So many people say that south FL people are rude and nasty compared to Jax people. Is this BS or is there truth to it? Is it overblown?

PBC would be a 3 hr 10 min drive to vist my parents in Ormond beach compared to just 1 hr 10 min right now from my house in Jax. That means if I want to visit my parents, I would probably have to sleep over their house, which sucks.

PBC seems to be lacking quality jobs in my field (tax accounting). There are some, but the opportunities are not any better than those in Jax, and even Jax is limited. They seem to be mostly in public accounting, which I do not prefer (I prefer internal corporate with no clientele).

PBC might have a more hectic, stressful vibe than Duval? But I can probably adapt just fine, since I've lived in such places before.

PBC seems like it may be more geared toward families and older people than Duval.

PBC seems like it has all the stereotypical Florida elements like snowbirds, tourists and retirees. Meh.

PBC seems much more prone to hurricanes and flooding. Is this a real concern?

I don't speak fluent Spanish at all, but I know certain words.


Can anyone chime in and either confirm or debunk my thoughts mentioned above? I will also add that if I were to make a relocation, it would be incumbent upon securing employment (remote job or local to PBC). I would get a 10% pay increase as well. Thank you!

[OysterCatcher]

Have you considered looking into Orlando? I’ve read there are some cool walkable neighborhoods by downtown.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by OysterCatcher

Have you considered looking into Orlando? I’ve read there are some cool walkable neighborhoods by downtown.

Orlando for some reason doesn't appeal to me that much. It seems extremely touristy and extremely congested. It seems like it's always under construction too. Pretty good job market though.

I have considered Seminole county though, which seems quieter. Potentially a good contender versus Duval or PBC.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by nep321

Orlando for some reason doesn't appeal to me that much. It seems extremely touristy and extremely congested. It seems like it's always under construction too. Pretty good job market though.

I have considered Seminole county though, which seems quieter. Potentially a good contender versus Duval or PBC.

Orlando is not touristy, outside of the tourist corridor at the far South edge of the county. You’d probably never have to go out that way at all if you lived there, and you’d forget it even existed.

Orlando is worth looking at.

Look into Baldwin Park (I lived there for a year and LOVED it,) Thornton Park, and Winter Park.

[WinterParkLocal]

Another Orlando fan. Far more progressive and inclusive than any other city I've lived in. Young, plenty of growth potential and still some affordable houses in desirable neighborhoods or at least better than South Florida. I lived in Fort Lauderdale for 5 years and do not miss the traffic, crime or aggressiveness. Orlando is not Disney. Downtown, Thornton Park, Winter Park, Baldwin Park, College Park... any of them are worth exploring. Seminole County is more Jacksonville like.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by WinterParkLocal

Another Orlando fan. Far more progressive and inclusive than any other city I've lived in. Young, plenty of growth potential and still some affordable houses in desirable neighborhoods or at least better than South Florida. I lived in Fort Lauderdale for 5 years and do not miss the traffic, crime or aggressiveness. Orlando is not Disney. Downtown, Thornton Park, Winter Park, Baldwin Park, College Park... any of them are worth exploring. Seminole County is more Jacksonville like.

Well I don't like high density neighborhoods with lots of young people. I like places that are low key with light traffic but also with a progressive tilt. I like quiet. Orlando seems way too congested for me. Am I correct in my observations? Every time I've driven through Orlando along I-4 I thought to myself "I'm so glad I don't live here."

[WinterParkLocal]

Originally Posted by nep321

Well I don't like high density neighborhoods with lots of young people. I like places that are low key with light traffic but also with a progressive tilt. I like quiet. Orlando seems way too congested for me. Am I correct in my observations? Every time I've driven through Orlando along I-4 I thought to myself "I'm so glad I don't live here."

You are correct that I-4 is a congested nightmare. I rarely go on I-4. I live in the bubble of Winter Park down through Thornton Park (where Summerlin runs in to 408). Thornton, Baldwin and Winter Park are walkable areas where you can park your car Friday after work and not have to use it the rest of the weekend. Winter Park has a very controlled plan to limit density.

Thornton Park is more affordable but Baldwin has different home options. Baldwin attracts more families because of the schools. Winter park would be the most expensive option but has the most dining, shopping and grocery options. I've lived in Tampa, Ft Lauderdale and Orlando. Never in Jax but I went to school in Gainesville and spent enough time there. I prefer Orlando over all of them.

[Arcenal813]

Palm Beach is just as congested as Orlando.
As said above, Seminole County is more like Jacksonville. More spread out, quieter, but still very progressive.

Winter Park, just outside of the Orlando core, does not feel congested.
Baldwin Park, while quite dense, always felt quiet to me. No loud sirens/noise.
Another area would be Lake Nona, which is fairly new, and removed from the urban core, but still has everything you are looking for.

It’s worth looking at. I think you’d like it, given your criteria, if you checked out the more residential parts of the metro.

Your requests/demands/likes scream Orlando to me.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Palm Beach is just as congested as Orlando.
As said above, Seminole County is more like Jacksonville. More spread out, quieter, but still very progressive.

Winter Park, just outside of the Orlando core, does not feel congested.
Baldwin Park, while quite dense, always felt quiet to me. No loud sirens/noise.
Another area would be Lake Nona, which is fairly new, and removed from the urban core, but still has everything you are looking for.

It’s worth looking at. I think you’d like it, given your criteria, if you checked out the more residential parts of the metro.

Your requests/demands/likes scream Orlando to me.

When winter is over, I will certainly takes some trips and check out the outskirts of Orlando and PBC to get first hand observation. Seminole County could be good since it seems quieter than ORL and the drive to my parents' house in Ormond Beach is about the same as it is now from my house in Jax, which is good (1 hr 15 min).

I am absolutely open to hearing about places other than PBC. I viewed PBC as a conversation starting point.

[kidyankee764]

I relocated from Ridgefield, Connecticut to northern Palm Beach County a few years ago. Not knowing Duval at all, I cannot accurately compare the two, however I can compare PBC to Connecticut.

One thing you’ll notice here is everyone - almost literally everyone - is from NY, NJ, CT or somewhere else up north. You’re more likely to hear a NY accent than a southern accent. The people here are far more aggressive than I ever knew them to be in CT; insane drivers, quite a bit of congestion, and lots of impatience. Everyone in CT thought they took the award for all of this - no, not even close. There is a very large Jewish population in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami (second largest concentration of Jews in the country, only to New York). I assume this is due to NY transplants. Unsure if you’re Jewish, but that could be a draw if you are.

For gay males, there is an abundance of them in Fort Lauderdale (Broward) and specifically, the town of Wilton Manors. I know you say you’re not too social, so this may not matter, but figured I’d throw it out there if you’re looking to meet and date. At least in PBC, they’ll be within a short drive if you happen to catch them on Tinder or Bumble.

As for pricing, PBC is very expensive. It’s far more expensive than most of CT, and now seems to be priced fairly comparable to Stamford. There will be no deals to be had these days, and my realtor here said he continues to see prices trend sharply upward as we enter 2022. In your price range, you can probably score a small, dated home in a nice area. You seem to prefer up county (Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens) as opposed to down county (Boca Raton, Delray Beach). Down county is more showy and flashy. Up county is a quieter affluence. You may like Wellington, but that’s a bit inland and more family friendly. You’ll get slightly more for your money though. Forget affording beach towns like Highland Beach, Palm Beach, Juno Beach, or far east areas in any of the above mentioned towns - they are on par with Greenwich.

As for politics, south FL leans liberal but isn’t “woke” liberal. There is a difference and the latter isn’t common.

Let me know if you have any questions, feel free to DM me.