moving to Saint Augustine (St. Augustine: renting, places to live, shop)

[chiroman]

When I last lived there 5 years ago the number was 1.4million overnight or longer visitors/year. Lots more visit on daytrips from Jax, Daytona, Orlando, etc. It also doesn't count visitors staying with family, or those who own vacation properties (which there are hundreds, if not thousands of) Total tourism numbers is easily in the millions counting these visitors, but I've never seen an actual number, and don't know that it would be possible to calculate. It's easy to count lodging stays. Anything else, like restaraunts, attractions, etc, would have overlap.

I have to say, the city and surrounding communities definitely accomodate these visitors well. The beach is able to deal with parking by allowing drivin on the beach, which is controversal, for safety and environment, but it definitely solves a problem, and means that the village can retain it's residential feel, avoiding huge parking lots and decks. It also is a draw for tourism, as not many beaches allow this, and it offers a unique way to see the coast, and a lot more ease in lugging/unpacking beach gear. The hotels and condos with beach rentals all have adequate parking, although restaraunts can have smaller lots...Mango Mango's and The Purple Grape both come to mind, though they're definitely worth the hassle. yum yum! Dang I miss fresh grouper, shrimp, and oysters . Some places that are overrun with tourists are St. George street and the downtown square, the beach right next to the pier, (but nothing like in other beach destination towns, IMO) and the major tourist attractions like the fort, Ripley's (we called it Ripoffs), the lighthouse, the Alligator Farm, etc. Even these are nothing like waiting in line for a ride in Orlando. Other than St. George St., which is a pedestrian only historic street downtown, filled with shops and museums, you simply aren't going to see thousands of people shoulder to shoulder anywhere in st. aug., even in peak season. And even St. George St. is fun at it's peak. I'd go down there on the weekends sometimes just to people watch. Tourists can wear the strangest things I guess everyone's different, but I always enjoyed living in a place that millions of others wanted to experience. How many can say that about there town, especially if it only has around 30,000 residents? Reminiscing like this has me rethinking St. Aug to relocate to again...

[chiroman]

Another thought on rentals... there is a huge inventory of furnished vacation rentals, mostly beachfront condos. If you were to check with a management company like May Realty, or look on VRBO.com, you will see hundreds of available condos. It seems to me some individual owner of one of these condos might entertain the notion of a full-time renter for a year or so. there's so much competition for renters, many of these places sit empty for months, if not years, on end. Now a lot of these owners keep these properties for their own vacation use, and figure any rental $ they get through a management company is extra coin on a property they would own anyway...but in this economy, and with the market so saturated, maybe someone wouldn't mind not worrying about it for a year or so?

maybe it's a reach, and I'm not sure how one would approach it, but it's a thought

[ssclulow]

No one knows for sure exactly how many people visit St. Augustine each year. I've seen stats that say 6 million but that is a huge exaggeration. I believe it's probably somewhere between 1 and 2 million. Many come into St. Augustine with tour bus & school field trip groups, others spend only a day here on their way to Disney World. The majority who come for the beach are Floridians who do not live near the beach. I have never felt bothered by the tourists. The city seems to absorb them well.

[Qballthekid]

atlantic oaks circle is fairly safe but alot of drug activity, i live here so i know

[madcapmagishion]

So you live there? And what about these posts from April 2012, saying you lived in NYC at 184 and Wadsworth, in Washington Heights. Maybe you just have multiple personalities as well as multiple residences, or you just moved to Atlantic Oaks. If thats the case you must have brought the drug problem down with you.

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[monsoonman]

Hello all ! My Philippine wife and I will be coming to the US in September '12
as she has accepted a job at Flagler Hospital. We will need a furnished apartment within walking distance to the hospital. One bed/- one bath. Or two bed/-two bath.
I really need your help.
Thank you.

Bill and Rosita O'Connor

[ssclulow]

Furnished rentals are difficult to find, especially at this time of year. There are 3 colleges in St. Augustine whose students are currently seeking rentals. What is your desired monthly rent cost excluding utilities? Do you have pets?

[ExpatMark]

I live in the area and Students basically got to Biglots and craiglist for funiture, also Walmart and we go down to IKEA in Orlando and a basic unit you can fill pretty cheap.

If you want to be near Flager Hospital you can live on a number of places as it is the commercial center of St. Augustine. I recommend a ten minute drive even on the Island as you will have a better lifestyle then living in the back of WalMart lets say. They have the sunshine bus so if you do not have a car do not worry.

The Depot on Anastasia is a central point for bus service and all buses stop at Flager, mostly.

I do not know if any of this helps but just ask as I am a resident and love St. Augustine. When I first moved from Europe I did not have a car either.

[MelodyA3]

Can anyone tell me about the public schools in Jacksonville? Good,Bad or the same as other places! We are from Arkansas and thinking about moving to Jax I have school age children that are 5,7,and 9. Any info on this would help. Thanks

[ExpatMark]

Jax schools are bad and St. Johns are good. That is the basic reality. You can live in Jax and homeschool I guess.