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Hello All,
you may remember me.. I'm still a happy Wisconsinite but the wanderlust is hitting again and I am once more thinking of FL. I am just thinking and planning, nothing is definite.
Saint Augustine seems like a fascinating place to me... all the history and architecture, etc. How much would it cost to rent an apartment in a cool old historic area of St. Aug's? What is the weather like? Will I be able to grow tropical plants, even if it is just in pots on the patio? I cannot drive so public transportation would be great. What is the diversity/ethnic makeup like down there? I'd love some ethnic food and places to hear Latin music, and am semi-fluent in Spanish, but would prefer not to use Spanish as my primary language if you get what I mean.. Is it gay friendly? I know it is old and historic and pretty, which I love, but what are the main historical attractions/events- things to do/see? I hear the job market is pretty ****ty in FL in general, but what are some common jobs there? How hot does it get there? I am NOT a hot-weather person and cannot handle extremes of heat.. (one of the reasons why I am just dreaming for now LOL).
A bit more about me. I am nineteen and attending a small college in WI from which I hope to soon have a bachelor's degree in 2 yrs. My roots are in Illinois and Wisconsin.. one of the many reasons I am reluctant to leave. But I am fascinated with Florida and want to wander.. besides, I am young and I hear this is the time to do it! I think I understand one of the biggest problems for ordinary Floridians.. real estate prices/values are WAAAY above and beyond most average incomes over there- it's right here on City-Data in black-and-white fact.
My boyfriend has relatives down in FL and I would theoretically be moving down with him to be close to them. I would do my upmost to procure a job before moving, as would he. We will most likely be renting (real estate in Florida is, as I said, WAAAY overpriced! LOL). We would want an area of St. Aug's that is gay-friendly but not overly flambuoyant. We are monogamous and relatively inconspicuous.. not your typical gays.
Any input would be valued in my thoughts and plans. Like I said we are just dreaming and it will be several years before we move ANYWHERE, let alone Florida, and will be sure to have all our ducks in a row when we do it. Thanks!!
Hello All,
you may remember me.. I'm still a happy Wisconsinite but the wanderlust is hitting again and I am once more thinking of FL. I am just thinking and planning, nothing is definite.
Saint Augustine seems like a fascinating place to me... all the history and architecture, etc. How much would it cost to rent an apartment in a cool old historic area of St. Aug's? What is the weather like? Will I be able to grow tropical plants, even if it is just in pots on the patio? I cannot drive so public transportation would be great. What is the diversity/ethnic makeup like down there? I'd love some ethnic food and places to hear Latin music, and am semi-fluent in Spanish, but would prefer not to use Spanish as my primary language if you get what I mean.. Is it gay friendly? I know it is old and historic and pretty, which I love, but what are the main historical attractions/events- things to do/see? I hear the job market is pretty ****ty in FL in general, but what are some common jobs there? How hot does it get there? I am NOT a hot-weather person and cannot handle extremes of heat.. (one of the reasons why I am just dreaming for now LOL).
A bit more about me. I am nineteen and attending a small college in WI from which I hope to soon have a bachelor's degree in 2 yrs. My roots are in Illinois and Wisconsin.. one of the many reasons I am reluctant to leave. But I am fascinated with Florida and want to wander.. besides, I am young and I hear this is the time to do it! I think I understand one of the biggest problems for ordinary Floridians.. real estate prices/values are WAAAY above and beyond most average incomes over there- it's right here on City-Data in black-and-white fact.
My boyfriend has relatives down in FL and I would theoretically be moving down with him to be close to them. I would do my upmost to procure a job before moving, as would he. We will most likely be renting (real estate in Florida is, as I said, WAAAY overpriced! LOL). We would want an area of St. Aug's that is gay-friendly but not overly flambuoyant. We are monogamous and relatively inconspicuous.. not your typical gays.
Any input would be valued in my thoughts and plans. Like I said we are just dreaming and it will be several years before we move ANYWHERE, let alone Florida, and will be sure to have all our ducks in a row when we do it. Thanks!!
My parents are in St Augustine Beach; I head into the old town whenever I visit. I've never noticed any real in-your-face flamboyant gay individuals down there. Also just about everyone was speaking English, save for some of the tourists.
It gets hot in the summer (from a north easterner's perspective) but is lovely and temperate this time of the year. I enjoy heading there in February. It's too cool to swim, you'll need a sweater to go out at night. I'll be there in a few weeks and the kids will be swimming immediately after greeting grandma and grandpa.
From what I've seen (again as a tourist) the local bars and restaurants get a mix of people but nothing extreme in any sense.
How much would it cost to rent an apartment in a cool old historic area of St. Aug's? Apartments in historic district can be pricey. If you don't mind living in the outskirts, prices are more moderate. But then again it doesn't have the ambience as living "downtown".
What is the weather like? Will I be able to grow tropical plants, even if it is just in pots on the patio? As previous poster said, it gets pretty hot for notherners in the summer. Nice thing about St. Aug, is because it's on the water, the downtown district gets a constant ocean breeze. Really lovely! Yes, you can keep tropicals in patio pots, but you will have to bring them in during winter months. NE Florida can get rather nippy in comparison to Central/South Florida, something most people forget. Especially in St. Aug, the wind will make the air feel colder. When people think of Florida what immediately comes to mind is heat all year. Not so. NE Florida, in winter months, can dip low enough for a good freeze. But it only lasts for a few nights and the cold snap runs between January - February. By March, it's lovely spring warm.
I cannot drive so public transportation would be great. St. Aug is fairly adequate with public transportation. "Sunshine Transportation" has smaller, white vans that transport only locally in St. Augustine. (Doesn't go into Jax) You'd have to call for transportation, but they have designated stops. If pricing hasn't changed, it's $1.00/ride. Jax has a full bus schedule, but I'm not certain if it goes into St. Augustine. At least you might be able to take the St. Augustine bus to a Jax stop and transfer over from there.
What is the diversity/ethnic makeup like down there? I'd love some ethnic food and places to hear Latin music, and am semi-fluent in Spanish, but would prefer not to use Spanish as my primary language if you get what I mean.. Very diverse. As poster said, seems to be a large foreign tourist destination. A lot of spanish can be heard with tourists. If you work in St. Aug, it is helpful to know spanish but not necessary. The large, historic Catholic Church downtown (Basilica) does have a Spanish mass, so obviously the demographics must constitute a need. There are a few ethinic restaurants, but they are pricey. There is a lovely Spanish cafe, inside of a courtyard (can't remember the name, but it's near the fudge factory) that makes really tasty empanadas and breads. But they're open pretty nutty hours (I think they close at 3:00 PM) and I could never seem to get there when they were open for business. Another aspect about St. Aug. that is not well known, is that many shop keepers also communicate in sign language. St. Aug has a large, state-run school for the deaf and blind. (Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.) It is famous due to the likes of alumni like Ray Charles. Because it is a state run school, families from all over Florida either send their kids or actually live nearby. In our development alone, we had 3 families with deaf children. That's pretty unusual. To accomodate for staff and families that live in the area, many business are able to communicate in the basic forms of sign language.
Is it gay friendly? The gay population seems to be fairly strong, but not to the point where it is obvious. Two years ago, the local lesbian group received permission to fly their rainbow flags over the Bridge of Lions.
I know it is old and historic and pretty, which I love, but what are the main historical attractions/events- things to do/see? Lots to do and see in St. Augustine. We lived there for 4 years and still didn't see everything. They have quite a few festivals and decorate the downtown to the hilt at Christmas. White lights everywhere. Very pretty!
I hear the job market is pretty ****ty in FL in general, but what are some common jobs there? Jobs in St. Augustine stink, quite plainly. Unless you work either in hospitality or tourist type jobs, there's not a whole lot of work. There is college smack in the center of town. But as far as businesses or corporations are concerned, you'd have to communte into Jax. Biggest "corporate employer" in town is Grumman, but that's way up by the St. Aug. Airport.
How hot does it get there? I am NOT a hot-weather person and cannot handle extremes of heat.. (one of the reasons why I am just dreaming for now LOL). Honestly, St. Aug. in the dead of summer June - Aug gets pretty darn hot. In July, it can be sweltering. But, again, the nice thing about St. Aug, is direct location to ocean breezes. Not to say that during the day it makes a difference, it doesn't but in the early morning and after dusk, it's quite lovely. Do like the locals do, for those few months, stay indoors (everything is has A/C) and do your errands or excursions either early in the AM or after dusk. The rest of the year especially spring and fall is glorious. No humidity, but warm enough to walk around in short sleeves. Well worth the sacrifice of sticking out those summer, ugly months for the beauty of the rest of the year. Just know that when you live in Florida, you DO NOT travel during the summer. It's just too hot. Most people we knew NEVER went to Disney during the summer like the rest of the country. Not only because of the tourist crowds did the locals stay away, but the heat. Just as northerns know that in the winter months, they'll be stuck indoors, Floridians know in the summer months they have to coordinate their errands to the cooler hours and spend the rest of the day INDOORS! Rarely seen are children living in develpments playing outside in the summer. Bike riding, basketball, are all reserved for after dusk. Even pool swimming is done either in the early AM or after dusk. And the beach in July - forget it! Better to wait until April or October!
......real estate prices/values are WAAAY above and beyond most average incomes over there- it's right here on City-Data in black-and-white fact. Yeah, but not now they aren't. Florida is hurting badly in real estate. People with homes can't sell them for what they want. So most homeowners are forced to rent their properties until the market gets better. Unfortunately, the market is saturated right now with rentals. But, that's great for renters and for home buyers. Because housing is so much cheaper to buy than it was 2 years ago, people can't get a pretty good deal. As far as for renters, because the competition is so steep, renters can get a pretty terrific place for much cheaper. A lot of landlords had to drop rents in order to keep their properties occupied.
Last edited by Coffeecake; 05-15-2008 at 11:17 AM..
Since your boyfriend has relitives there. I am going to suggest you see if you can spend a month with them see if you can handle the weather...what jobs are like , etc....
St. Augustine and St. Augustine beach are both wonderful and diverse. Spend some time there and then make your decision. I think it will meet your needs!!
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