[Cyndiu]

My husband & I are planning a move in the near future to Florida. We'll need to be within 20 miles or so of Pratt Whitney/Sikorsky in WPB/Jupiter. We're hearing conflicting info from friends in the area.

We're considering property values & taxes, job market (for me, hubby works for Sikorsky) and hoping for a close-to-home Community College for 2 kids (18 & 20).

Seems like Martin County is coming out ahead for taxes, but it appears that the job market for me (HUman Resources) is better in the WPB area.

Are we forgetting to consider something that we should? A friend just mentioned the "cancer cluster" area in Loxahatchee and that scared the heck out of us. What else don't we know?

Thanks!!!

[Lilybeans]

Palm Beach County is a major metropolitan area, with a lot more people and businesses than Martin County. Martin County Jobs are scare. Check out the populations.

If you are coming from the north where towns and villages are important political subdivisions, you will be surprised to learn that in Florida Counties are the major political subdivision. Everything is done on the county level-taxes, driver's licenses, schools. There are no local schools or school boards-everything is county wide.

Much higher crime in Palm Beach county, gangs are prevelant, althought some towns are markedly worse than others. Be careful about the area of PB called the Acreage, as there is a cancer cluster there, but they don't know why.

PB no longer has PBCC- Palm Beach Community College. Now it is Palm Beach State College. Martin used to have IRCC, but now it is Indian River State College. Martin County property values seem to hold on better. Martin County has a countywide height restriction-nothing over 4 stories, and very few at that. No high rise buildings in Martin.

Also, there is no paid parking anywhere in Martin County.

[Cyndiu]

Thanks! Sounds like we should be looking for a home in the Stuart, Hobe Sound area. I am willing to drive a bit to get into WPB for a job. In comparing the southern Martin County towns, are there areas we should focus on? Opinions are WELCOME!

[Lilybeans]

Hobe Sound is the southernmost town in Martin County. Martin County isn't very long. You might consider Palm City, because it has easy access to the interstate.

[megwuf]

I grew up in Martin County, Hobe Sound to be specific. Hobe Sound is a great small town with easy access to the highway and PB county. You can be pretty much garenteed a safe/quiet neighborhood if you look east of US1 (there is only one area I would advise against and that is just west of US1 and just south of Bridge Road). It depends on what you are looking for...Hobe Sound is quiet with entertainment options limited to nature/outdoorsy stuff. Palm City is further inland but also easy to access the highway. Port Salerno is the town north of HS and it has its share of seedy areas so you have to be careful if you look there. Tequesta is also nice and is the northern most town in PB county. Let me know if you have any other questions!

[TriMT7]

If your husband is going to work at Sikorsky, why not live in Jupiter, which is northern Palm Beach County?

Jupiter is a smaller town, very safe, A rated schools, less crowded and congested than points South, but so much closer to conveniences than Martin County (gotta say the beaches at Jupiter/Juno Beach are the best around). Property values are also more stable in Jupiter than in other places, because of its positives.

Palm Beach State College is closer to Jupiter than Indian River State College is to Martin County (which is actually in Fort Pierce, which can be 45 minutes away or more depending on "where" in Martin County you are).

Martin County is nice, and you may be able to get more house for the money up there... but when gas hits $4.00/gallon, your commute may eat up your home savings.

[Lilybeans]

IRSC is in Stuart too.

My issue with Jupiter is that it is not really a town. You can't go downtown and park and walk around among the shops, because there is no downtown. Jupiter is just a place on a map. Same a Port St. Lucie. It's not a real town.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

IRSC is in Stuart too.

My issue with Jupiter is that it is not really a town. You can't go downtown and park and walk around among the shops, because there is no downtown. Jupiter is just a place on a map. Same a Port St. Lucie. It's not a real town.

Who needs a downtown when Legacy Place, the Gardens Mall AND Downtown at the Gardens are 5 minutes away?


If having a proper "downtown" is requisite for being a "town," then most cities in Florida do not fit the bill, including Palm City.

Downtown Stuart is quaint, but does anyone really shop there? There's only so much antiques and expensive organic soap one can buy. Though Luna pizza is good.

For what it's worth, Abacoa town center in Jupiter has shops, a stadium, bars and restaurants, and they are building a waterfront promenade in Jupiter.

[Lilybeans]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Who needs a downtown when Legacy Place, the Gardens Mall AND Downtown at the Gardens are 5 minutes away?


If having a proper "downtown" is requisite for being a "town," then most cities in Florida do not fit the bill, including Palm City.

That's absolutely true. Real towns in South Florida are few and far between.

Having a real downtown is what makes a place a town. Not a name on a map or a zip code.

Palm City is just a place on a map. A town is different. Strop centers and malls are the antithesis of a town. They are town destroyers.

[Cyndiu]

The absence of a town center isn't a deal-breaker for us. We live in a town with one now, and I'll bet it's 10 years since we've walked through it.

Our main focus is proximity to work, low crime, well-kept yards and affordable taxes... and I think that's it.

With friends in Stuart, Hobe Sound and Tequesta, those towns seem to be where we're looking. Although more affordable, Port St. Lucie is so far away from Sikorsky that my husband will be on the road too much everyday and at least part of the reason we're looking at a move to to increase our quality of life.

We're curious about the towns I mentioned above and any other that sort-of fill the same criteria (and aren't in the acreage). {I guess we're sufficient startled by what we're reading online about that area...}