Fernandina Beach drug problem???? (Jacksonville, St. Augustine: 2013, homes, neighborhoods)

[wrigley615]

So I just returned home from a scouting trip to the Jacksonville area. While checking out the Eagle Harbor neighborhood in Fleming Island (beautiful neigborhood!) I was speaking with a couple who were actually having a home built in Eagle Landing and were meeting with their builder or agent, or something like that. I had mentioned that we were having a tough time deciding between Eagle Harbor or Fernandina Beach as each have so much to offer but they are quite different. Anyhow their response was that they wouldn't consider a move to Fernandina due to the horrible drug problem the island has. Now my children are very young (4 and 2) but that still would be a valid concern if in fact there's any truth to it. I have done a lot of research on Fernandina and have never come by the town having a "bad" drug problem. I kind of first wrote it off as these guys just talking out of their you know what but now I have started to really think about it quite a bit. I can't really find anything online to validate what they were saying so I thought I would ask the community here what they know about it. I understand drugs use is found everywhere but me being from Colorado could tell you which towns and neighborhoods around here are known for having "bad" drug issues.

[williamwebb1986]

I recently spent about a month in Northeast Florida, about 1 week in the Fernandina/Amelia Island area and never
noticed a "bad drug problem" area. On my frequent runs around the area I did see a couple of people smoking what
I assumed to be pot, but never more than 3 and always in a secluded area. I would say with the college/university
in St. Augustine there is more drug use there than in all of Fernandina. But even saying that I wouldn't consider either
area to be a ''Bad Drug Area.''

[fsu813]

Drugs are everywhere. Niether area is considered to have a huge drug problem, but moth areas have their skethy pockets.

[wrigley615]

That's what I was expecting to hear. Thanks for the responses!

[JBtwinz]

We have been in this area over 24 years and the last 13 living in Fernandina Beach..............I have never heard of this area having a troublesome drug problem, but sometimes the most obvious things are hidden. Our children are a year away from Kindergarten but we have friends who have children that have gone through the school system here and have done very well without any negatives. Our school system was recently recognized as having one of the highest graduation rates in the state.

It is funny as you hear so many comments about the area you live in and the one we hear most is that there are too many affluent retirees moving to this area

Good luck with your move

[wrigley615]

Originally Posted by JBtwinz

We have been in this area over 24 years and the last 13 living in Fernandina Beach..............I have never heard of this area having a troublesome drug problem, but sometimes the most obvious things are hidden. Our children are a year away from Kindergarten but we have friends who have children that have gone through the school system here and have done very well without any negatives. Our school system was recently recognized as having one of the highest graduation rates in the state.

It is funny as you hear so many comments about the area you live in and the one we hear most is that there are too many affluent retirees moving to this area

Good luck with your move

Excellent thanks! I do wonder how there are so many, what look like, multi million $$ homes on the south end of the island. I guess I too thought there were a good population of affluent retirees.

[JBtwinz]

There are still plenty of us poor people living here

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by wrigley615

So I just returned home from a scouting trip to the Jacksonville area. While checking out the Eagle Harbor neighborhood in Fleming Island (beautiful neigborhood!) I was speaking with a couple who were actually having a home built in Eagle Landing and were meeting with their builder or agent, or something like that. I had mentioned that we were having a tough time deciding between Eagle Harbor or Fernandina Beach as each have so much to offer but they are quite different. Anyhow their response was that they wouldn't consider a move to Fernandina due to the horrible drug problem the island has. Now my children are very young (4 and 2) but that still would be a valid concern if in fact there's any truth to it. I have done a lot of research on Fernandina and have never come by the town having a "bad" drug problem. I kind of first wrote it off as these guys just talking out of their you know what but now I have started to really think about it quite a bit. I can't really find anything online to validate what they were saying so I thought I would ask the community here what they know about it. I understand drugs use is found everywhere but me being from Colorado could tell you which towns and neighborhoods around here are known for having "bad" drug issues.

I am originally from Colorado, too. I've been in Fernandina Beach about 6 years. I teach preschool.

Never heard of a "bad drug problem" here. Sure there are the occasional incidents, we do live in a beach town where tourists come to play. But nothing out of the ordinary, and the public schools are highly rated.

There *are* affluent retirees here, and a lot of them do live on the south end of the island. I am neither affluent nor retired, and I like living in town.

[The King of Um]

Originally Posted by wrigley615

So I just returned home from a scouting trip to the Jacksonville area. While checking out the Eagle Harbor neighborhood in Fleming Island (beautiful neigborhood!) I was speaking with a couple who were actually having a home built in Eagle Landing and were meeting with their builder or agent, or something like that. I had mentioned that we were having a tough time deciding between Eagle Harbor or Fernandina Beach as each have so much to offer but they are quite different. Anyhow their response was that they wouldn't consider a move to Fernandina due to the horrible drug problem the island has. Now my children are very young (4 and 2) but that still would be a valid concern if in fact there's any truth to it. I have done a lot of research on Fernandina and have never come by the town having a "bad" drug problem. I kind of first wrote it off as these guys just talking out of their you know what but now I have started to really think about it quite a bit. I can't really find anything online to validate what they were saying so I thought I would ask the community here what they know about it. I understand drugs use is found everywhere but me being from Colorado could tell you which towns and neighborhoods around here are known for having "bad" drug issues.

Oh God, Fernandina Beach does not have a drug problem. Whoever told you that doesn't know what they're talking about. You want to see a gritty, declining area with a drug problem? Check out the Northside of Jax. Fernandina Beach is actually a very nice community; it's hardly full of druggies and derelicts. I used to do a lot of business up there; I was on the Island at least once a week for several years. By the way: If you appreciate historic architecture, other than St. Augustine, Fernandina is the only place in metro Jax that has a significant amount of Victorian-era homes and commercial buildings. It's a charming little town.

[whoanellie]

Okay, let's get real about Fernandina here for a minute. I had kids in FBHS for the 2013-14 school year so I am relating their observations about drug use amongst their peers.

It is WAY worse than one would think. I personally know at least 25 kids who are overt drug users, easily twice that amongst kids that many people would say "no way" when asked if so and so uses. By rough estimation, my kids seriously think over half of their classmates are pot smokers to some degree, be it casual or regular use. I have had conversations with staff and administrators who are more than just a little aware of the number of kids involved, many of the teachers can name names but don't or won't for reasons I'll never understand. Nothing like watching a promising life fizzle out beore your eyes. Great educators there.
There's not much for these kids to do on the island - going to a movie or the beach gets old pretty quick to a kid - so drugs and alcohol become about the only place to turn. Since the community is so focused on generating the tourist dollar, programs and activities for pre-teen and up kids that are enough to keep them interested are few and far between.
Can't bury our heads in the sand much longer, Amelia Islanders, our kids are suffering for our misdirected focus. There are too many local kids stuck here after high school with marginal jobs and not much to look forward to, if we think they won't find drugs we're the ignorant ones.