How is it to actually live in St. Augustine? (University: crime, homes)

[JG_Latakia]

Hi All,

I’m thinking of moving to St. Augustine, Florida. I visited it about 20 years ago on a vacation. I remember it as having flat terrain, a quaint historic downtown, and of course the Spanish fort. I also remember it as a small town. I actually like flat land, and I prefer small town living, and I liked the charm of the old town. I’ve had enough of the cold and the gray skies in the Midwest. I want sunshine, warmth, the beach.

And so, I thought that I would ask: What is it like to actually live there?

-- Is it still a small town? Has it become too built up with people like me moving there?

-- Is the broadband internet access there reliable? (That would be important for my work.)

-- Are there homes in the country near the town? My goal would be to have a ranch home on a secluded lot within a few miles of town.

-- How is the cost of living?

-- How is the traffic?

-- How is crime?

-- Is there a decent public library / university library for research?

-- How is medical care in the area?

-- What is the local culture like? I don’t mean things like the arts necessarily, and I know it’s a tourist town. I mean how do local people think: are they open-minded, laid back, welcoming? I’m middle-aged, and I would like to put down roots wherever I go.

Thank you for any replies.

[ssclulow]

The St. Augustine / St. Johns County area has grown quite a bit in the last 20years. The city itself is still a small town. Sunshine, the warmth and awesome beaches are still here. Broadband internet is reliable. A nice ranch home on a secluded lot could be found within 5 - 7 miles of the center of St. Augustine. The roads have improved for traffic flow a lot since you last were here. Cost of living and traffic questions are a subjective matter and depends on what you are accustomed to. Where in the midwest do you currently live? Trafiic here is really not a problem except on holiday weekends. Crime is not a problem. We have decent public libraries. We have 2 colleges here: Flagler College and St. Johns College. The closest University would be U. of North FL which is a 45 min drive. Medical care in the area is excellent. The local hospital is highly rated and Mayo Clinic is less than an hour away. The people who live here are our greatest asset. Very welcoming community and people move here from all over the world so there is a good cross section. The is a VERY laid back place to live.

[JG_Latakia]

Thank you for your response!

It sounds almost perfect...

[Peter the Brit]

I can only echo the full reply above and add I have lived many places in Florida and England and by far this is the best
Love the history, buildings and people and most important and not to be forgotten as we are in the NE of Fl it is easy to escape to the cooler hills when you want to

[JG_Latakia]

Thank you, Peter.

Ssclulow, you asked where I am from? I am from Ohio. We have cloudy, overcast skies, which are pearl-gray in color, for about half the year here. Also, it is often cold or cool. For example, today is the 19th of April. We have gray skies and a temperature of 42 degrees, with a wind-chill of 32 degrees. There is also a chance of snow flurries tonight.

I need sunshine, warmth, the beach.

[Teemo]

St. Aug. has been discovered by many and not as quaint as it used to be. The world is overpopulated...but I digress. Anyway, it's still small enough to be a friendly town and crime isn't bad.

[ssclulow]

JG I moved here to retire after living in S.E. Michigan for almost 20 years, Ohio for 2 years and Pennsylvaina for 10 years. I am totally familiar with what you are trying to escape from. You will love it here!

[bobandsteve]

we moved from rural virginia to st. augustine in november, and absolutely love it! it's a great small town with all the amenities (restaurants especially) of a much larger place, but without the concurrent problems. as a gay couple, we find that the folks here are incredibly welcoming and friendly--not once have we experienced any stereotypical 'small-town, bible-belt' unpleasantness. go ahead and move here--you'll not regret it!!

[boilerman856]

Originally Posted by JG_Latakia

Thank you, Peter.

Ssclulow, you asked where I am from? I am from Ohio. We have cloudy, overcast skies, which are pearl-gray in color, for about half the year here. Also, it is often cold or cool. For example, today is the 19th of April. We have gray skies and a temperature of 42 degrees, with a wind-chill of 32 degrees. There is also a chance of snow flurries tonight.

I need sunshine, warmth, the beach.

This sounds like us in NH. Black and white for 7 months. Beautiful in the summer (60 days). We are looking for the same thing but need a place as safe and friendly as here for our 9 year old boys. Any in site on here for a family in this area? Thanks

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[JG_Latakia]

Thank you, Teemo !
Thank you, Bob and Steve !

Boilerman, from the other threads that I have read here, it seems that St. John's County (especially the northern part?) has a very good reputation for elementary and secondary schools; and younger families seem to be moving there. Perhaps some people with families could comment more.

As for me, I am single and without children; and so schools etc. are not issues for me personally. Instead, I need my peace and quiet and solitude in the country, but I also want to be within a 15-20 minute drive to a small town for socializing.