Please Help! World Golf Village area vs. Orange Park/Fleming Is. (Jacksonville: how much, houses) - Florida (FL) - City-Data Forum

OTstuckinKS · 01-11-2009, 12:32 PM

Background: We hope to move in a year or two but plan to buy a house there while the prices are low (my sister is a pilot and can stay there along with my parents at times until we can finally move). My husband and I make VERY good money in our area. I am an Occupational Therapist and Manager of the therapy department at a Home Health Agency currently. My husband works with the Parks and Rec. dept. He is the Director of IT and is great at computer graphic design (ad. creation, logo's, etc.). We are not expecting that we will be able to make the same pay when we move but would be OK with 3/4 of what we currently receive. We have an 8 year old and a 3 year old who will be in school when we move. I have spent DAYS researching on these threads and other areas online. It took me months to narrow it down to apporx. 4-6 towns between Jacksonville to Melbourne area.
Questions: Between World Golf Village and OP/FI: Which is better for families? Are St. Johns schools really that much better than OP/FI? Closer to the beach? How long of a commute (really) from World golf village to Jax or nearest good places to eat, play etc.? I currently commute approx. 25 min. to work form our home in a medium sized suburb. Does either place have a swim team (for my son) or good dance school (for my daughter)?
Does anyone know how much an Occupational Therapist makes there? I have checked the salary report websites but don't trust them because they were very wrong about the area I currently live (by approx. 20-30K less per year). I would prefer to be in management but would be OK going back into the field if I need to (less stress but less money too).
Please anyone give me any good information you can. We will be traveling down there in a few weeks and would like to have it narrowed down to 2-3 places by then. Thanks so much!!!

titaniummd · 01-11-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTstuckinKS

Background: We hope to move in a year or two but plan to buy a house there while the prices are low (my sister is a pilot and can stay there along with my parents at times until we can finally move). My husband and I make VERY good money in our area. I am an Occupational Therapist and Manager of the therapy department at a Home Health Agency currently. My husband works with the Parks and Rec. dept. He is the Director of IT and is great at computer graphic design (ad. creation, logo's, etc.). We are not expecting that we will be able to make the same pay when we move but would be OK with 3/4 of what we currently receive. We have an 8 year old and a 3 year old who will be in school when we move. I have spent DAYS researching on these threads and other areas online. It took me months to narrow it down to apporx. 4-6 towns between Jacksonville to Melbourne area.
Questions: Between World Golf Village and OP/FI: Which is better for families? Are St. Johns schools really that much better than OP/FI? Closer to the beach? How long of a commute (really) from World golf village to Jax or nearest good places to eat, play etc.? I currently commute approx. 25 min. to work form our home in a medium sized suburb. Does either place have a swim team (for my son) or good dance school (for my daughter)?
Does anyone know how much an Occupational Therapist makes there? I have checked the salary report websites but don't trust them because they were very wrong about the area I currently live (by approx. 20-30K less per year). I would prefer to be in management but would be OK going back into the field if I need to (less stress but less money too).
Please anyone give me any good information you can. We will be traveling down there in a few weeks and would like to have it narrowed down to 2-3 places by then. Thanks so much!!!

I live in Fleming Island and the schools are excellent. My daughter attends Thunderbolt Elementary and my wife volunteers at her class one day a week. I love the school with regards to their teachers, programs and library. They have an active PFA.

The surrounding community has decent shopping for everyday items (i.e. Walmart, Kohls, Dollar Store, Stein Mart, Pet Co, Lazy Boy, Target, Publix (2), Winn Dixie, upcoming Movie Theater. High end shopping is at the Avenues (30 min) or the outlet mall in St Augustine (40 min). There are a bunch of restaurants but diversity is not as good as the Southside or San Marco: La Nopalera, Kanki Japanese Restaurant, Pita Pit, Blue Grotto, various BBQ, Ruby Tuesday, Longhorn Steaks, and various fast food chains.

There are some medical parks off of Bald Eagle Road, a skilled care facility in the grounds of Fleming Island Plantation (the Terrace?).

OTstuckinKS · 01-11-2009, 05:00 PM

We will check out that area. We found a few houses online within the range we are looking for. Thanks so much for the reply!

titaniummd · 01-11-2009, 05:52 PM

I drove by World Golf Village and it looks great. My daughter goes there for field trips. The shopping for golf (I love golf) is right there and the outlet malls are very close. If you work at Baptist South along 95 you would be set. However, I know nothing about the schools there (BUT I am sure they are excellent given the caliber of housing). You would have to visit to see if that works out for you. You would be closer to the beach.

From my house it is about 40 minutes to Jax Beach/Ponte Vedra.

mkgolfer · 01-11-2009, 07:14 PM

There are some great areas in JAX. Fleming island is on the South/west side of the 295 loop around JAX. Great housing- Nice neighborhoods and schools and fabulous community pool ammenities . By the way, what size/price are you looking for in a home? That would determine which area you look in too.
Bartram Springs (has an olympic pool and fabulous community center too and swim team) and Mandarin (Zip code 32258) are great Family areas in Duval County . They are at the south of the 295 loop, right by 95. There are lots of hospitals that you'd probably have some good choices.
In the northern St. Johns County, there is Julington Creek Plantation (Zip code 32259)and South Hampton,(32092) some great golf communities.
World Golf village is about 20 min. south on the 95 freeway, and is kind of out by itself. Many people move south of Jacksonville, because that is where all the growth is, and everyone commutes north on 95 to JAX. (Traffic can be bad, depending on which direction you're going).
I'd love to help you, in anyway I can.
My son went to a really nice private Christian school in Southside (32256) that was about 5,200 yr. for HS. THe elmentary and middle schools are good. Have you already checked out www.greatschools.net
I'd love to meet you, sounds like you'll love Jacksonville....lots to do for kids!! and Great weather!!
MKGolfer

OTstuckinKS · 01-14-2009, 05:31 PM

It is beyond freezing here today. Thanks to all of you for your insight. Please keep any info coming that you think would help!

titaniummd · 01-14-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTstuckinKS

It is beyond freezing here today. Thanks to all of you for your insight. Please keep any info coming that you think would help!

It is quite cold here, too. I actually saw frost on my windshield

.

Right now, it is 54 degrees and I had to wear a windbreaker.

OTstuckinKS · 01-14-2009, 07:58 PM

Ok. Very Funny. It's 17 degrees where I live and it was physically painful to put gas in my car today. Thanks for everyone's replies!

mawipafl · 01-15-2009, 05:32 AM

WGV is very nice: close to 95, near St. Augustine and the Outlets, has some shopping. But because it's still an area of growth with lots more to come (eventually), my preference is Fleming Island because it's already quite built out, and it's more or less obvious where the growth will continue. It's not for everyone, but it is my personal preference to have almost everything I need within a short 5-minute drive. (I'm still hoping for a bookstore here.)

joninclay · 01-15-2009, 05:37 AM

Titanium is right about Fleming Island / Eagle Harbor. I absolutely love it! My son goes to school at Thunderbolt Elementary, which is an A-rated school. Nice homes, good access to most of what you'll need, etc. Very family friendly.

World Golf Village is nice, too. My neighbor just bought a home out there and moved her family out there (she said it's a better location for her line of work). Good schools, growing area (will take a little longer in the current economy), a bit closer to the beach (maybe 20 minutes?), etc.

One word, though, about Orange Park: There's zip code 32003, which is the part of Orange Park that is considered Fleming Island (Eagle Harbor is also located in Fleming Island); and then there's the rest of Orange Park, which is very hit-and-miss in terms of houses, crime, etc. Someone here correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Fleming Island just recently became its own city. Prior to becoming its own city, it was considered part of Orange Park. Anywho, I would avoid most of Orange Park outside of zip code 32003. (Sidebar: Oakleaf Plantation is a very nice area, and it is part of Orange Park. But depending on where you work, there's a pretty good chance you'd have a longer commute, unless you work in downtown Jax.)

Truth be told, I don't think you can go wrong with either area. What I would do if I were you is get your jobs lined up, see where they're located, and then see which area (Fleming Island/Eagle Harbor vs. WGV) is closer to your job and search extensively in that area. Proximity to jobs doesn't have to be THE primary factor, but I suspect it will at least be one of many factors.

Let me know if I can be of further help.