Availability of rentals in town of St. Augustine Beach (Sarasota: apartments, renters)

[Readerwoman]

I will be going down in April to see if this area of northeast Florida appeals to me based on what I've learned about St. Augustine: walkable community, historical flavor, friendly people, and a summer climate which MAY be more tolerable than the southern part of the state (from New England and would need to adjust). I will be an "active, on the young side" retiree. I definitely don't want beachfront but would like to be a few blocks from the beach. The thing is, I am really leaning towards relinquishing the responsibilities of home ownership once I sell my own house and would like to rent in a pretty decent place with clubhouse and pool, preferably in a condo since those properties often seem in better condition than regular apartments (true up north anyway). However...... I have done some investigating and it seems to me most rentals are of the vacation sort; I assume because the owner can make much more profit by the week. So, my question is for those of you who are familiar with the area, how likely is it that I can find such a permanent rental on Anastasia Island? Or, is there an area of the city of St. Augustine where I could drive to the beach in a few minutes or hop the local bus (the type of housing situation I absolutely hate is one located in the middle of sprawl -- wide busy highways, no sidewalks, lots of shopping plazas with huge parking lots, no sidewalks. ) Initially, I had considered Fernandina Beach but am concerned about pollution from the paper mills. Also, Sarasota, but think this location would be cooler in the summer. Thanks so much for your input!

[squarpeg]

Hmmm...well I personally do not feel st augustine is a walkable community unless you are living in the center of town around flagler college. That is the walkable part. If your out at the beach on the island you can certainly "walk" but that is not how I define walkable. I consider a walkable community one in which I don't really need a car for my daily needs. Unfortunatley the USA has moved away from this as the automobile has taken over our lives. It is now very difficult to find a really great walkable community. People can correct me if I am wrong here but I looked fairly extensively at St Augustine, whether I could live there without a car and not have to get on a bus or in a taxi. My conclusion was yes, for the most part everything is there, you might need a bike for some trips. The caveat is you need to look for housing around flagler college. If your across the bridge of lions or in some condo or gated community out by the beach you will enjoy walking for pleasure but otherwise you will be car dependent. There is a mix of housing in the downtown area. There is Lincoln-ville which is a historically black community just south of the college. A very cool area, now somewhat mixed with whites, blacks, college kids. Also can be a bit sketchy, may make some people uncomfortable. To the North of the college is a very well healed and small area with homes and some cottages, I am unsure of rental availability. St. Augustine is a very heavy tourist town. Actually tourism has largely taken over much of the downtown. You'll love it first couple times your there. If you live in the midst of it you may not find it so appealing. In regards to how hot places are in the summer. I am not an expert as I flee the state of Florida in the summer, but I think you'll find whether your in Sarasota or st Augustine your going to be hot. No escaping the Florida heat. I would not let that aspect color your relocation decision.

[ssclulow]

How large of a rental will you require and what is your price range? Will pets be living with you? The rental market in St, Augustine and St. Augustine Beach is very tight. Trying to find a nice reasonably priced rental if you are not already living here can be frustrating. The really good ones are gone within a day of being advertised. It gets hot walking here in the warmer months unless you are walking on the beach. I much prefer biking. I am not a fan of living downtown unless you can find just the right location. Davis Shores on the south side of the Bridge of Lions is very nice. Single family rental homes can be found there as well as a few condos, townhouses and duplexes. It is very walkable to downtown, a small grocery/food/ meat market, many restaurants, boutiques, medical/ dental offices, etc. It's an easy couple mile bike ride to the beach at the state park. The Sunshine Bus route can take you anywhere you would want to go for $1 each way. Vacation rentals are leased furnished and generally are intermingled with regular unfurnished long-term rentals in condo communities along the beach in St. Augustine Beach. If you want to live with a pet, finding any rental can be challenging, but most especially in condo complexes. Most of the condo HOAs will not allow renters to have pets. Hope this helps.

[Rebek56]

Great information, sclulow (chiming in from another thread). It is beginning to sound as if Florida will not suit our needs (or at least not mine). I want to avoid getting in the car every day but don't want to be stuck in the house, and we have three cats. Snowbirdery may be our future. We'll check out the Sunshine Bus, though.

[Readerwoman]

I am willing to pay up to 1200 per month but would prefer somewhat less.
Yes, I do have a pet cat. It's interesting what squad peg Said too about not letting summer heat in one part of Fl. Vs another influence a decision about where to live. This feedback about a tight rental market makes me think I should be looking elsewhere. I also plan to travel a bit in the summer, up to Maine and perhaps elsewhere.
I really appreciate people's feedbac.

QUOTE=ssclulow;38175303]How large of a rental will you require and what is your price range? Will pets be living with you? The rental market in St, Augustine and St. Augustine Beach is very tight. Trying to find a nice reasonably priced rental if you are not already living here can be frustrating. The really good ones are gone within a day of being advertised. It gets hot walking here in the warmer months unless you are walking on the beach. I much prefer biking. I am not a fan of living downtown unless you can find just the right location. Davis Shores on the south side of the Bridge of Lions is very nice. Single family rental homes can be found there as well as a few condos, townhouses and duplexes. It is very walkable to downtown, a small grocery/food/ meat market, many restaurants, boutiques, medical/ dental offices, etc. It's an easy couple mile bike ride to the beach at the state park. The Sunshine Bus route can take you anywhere you would want to go for $1 each way. Vacation rentals are leased furnished and generally are intermingled with regular unfurnished long-term rentals in condo communities along the beach in St. Augustine Beach. If you want to live with a pet, finding any rental can be challenging, but most especially in condo complexes. Most of the condo HOAs will not allow renters to have pets. Hope this helps.[/quote]

[Readerwoman]

Rebek56, I read many of your posts with interest because the setting you describe seems like the one I'm seeking. It is hard to get the ideal place and California and Hawaii are out of the picture because of the cost of living. I guess I would love to summer in Maine, winter in Florida, and do spring in NYC and Boston if money were not an issue! I love convenient public transit too. May I aski what other locations you are considering?

[Rebek56]

In terms of everything but weather, the place that comes closest to meeting both my spouse's needs (a lively acoustic music scene being #1) and mine is northeast Ohio: artsy, decent transit in the Cleveland metro area, good farmers markets, lots of UU churches, parks, interesting architecture (I'm partial to early 20th-century buildings) and walkable neighborhoods. I really like Oberlin, a historic small town SW of Cleveland where I spent a week at a summer institute, though living there would have my DH on the road a lot. I also like a lot of things about the Mid-Ohio Valley, where I have lived for thirty years: beautiful trees, historic and functioning downtowns, mild summers, gorgeous autumns, low crime, and friendly people. Unfortunately, we don't have the population density to support a lot of music venues, winters are cold (or at least coldish), damp, and frequently gray, and the air quality isn't the best. There is also no real transit system, though the bike trails are getting better.

We may snowbird. If we stay put here in the Valley, we have an excellent catsitter and a low enough COL that we should be able to afford to get away at least part of the winter--once I finally turn in my chalk and office key.

DH attended New College long years ago, so we may explore Sarasota again, but I'm guessing that most of it isn't particularly walkable (at least not the places in our price range). I love the quiet beaches in Brevard County, but again, it's a car-dependent area, so it wouldn't work for year-round residency. We have friends who winter in Dunedin, so we will be checking it out. Someone else recommended downtown Cocoa Beach for music, but again, we've not been able to get there.

[Pedal Wench]

There are numerous condo communities just south of the shopping areas on St. Aug Beach - easy walking distance to the Publix and Winn Dixie, Walgreens, etc. We're further south but a 2-mile stroll on the beach to these areas. We go for a week at a time without starting the car, so it just depends what you're looking for in your walkable areas. There's a sidewalk, bike lane, and beach access to get anywhere on the island.