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Port St. Lucie - Sebastian - Vero Beach St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River counties (Treasure Coast)
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Old 08-17-2021, 10:51 PM
 
Location: Sarasota/Bradenton
15 posts, read 38,120 times
Reputation: 16

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Hello all,

My husband and I had been looking at Merritt Island/Cocoa Beach area for quite some time but I'm not 100% sold on it. It's a little further north and kind of loses that lush sub-tropical feel. Currently we live in Bradenton/Sarasota area; I've been here for about 15 years but it is becoming overwhelmingly congested.

Originally, I am from Vermont which I know cannot be replicated here, however, I would love to find somewhere that is *somewhat* quaint. Or, more quaint-feeling than where we are now. I need to make another trip to the east coast to really get a feel for it, day-to-day not just what it's like on a vaca, and would love to hear your personal experience.

How would you briefly describe the differences between each of these areas?

1. Stuart/Jensen Beach - I went roughly 7 years ago and loved how cute the downtown was. Is it still this way or has it changed a lot?

2. Vero Beach - I went there once and it was very quiet but I did like the downtown, still need to drive around and get a better feel for it. Thoughts?

3. Melbourne/Sebastian - I know this is not in the Treasure Coast and is further north but using this as a point of reference. We were in Sebastian last year and I wasn't very enthused, nothing about it really grabbed my attention unless I missed something.

In the end, I'm hoping for an area where we can raise our daughter (long ways to go, she's only 9 months ) that isn't a soon-to-be mega overdeveloped area with some charm here and there.

Thanks for any recommendations!
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Old 08-19-2021, 03:27 PM
 
231 posts, read 382,842 times
Reputation: 282
Quote:
Originally Posted by GulfCoastGalForNow View Post
Hello all,

My husband and I had been looking at Merritt Island/Cocoa Beach area for quite some time but I'm not 100% sold on it. It's a little further north and kind of loses that lush sub-tropical feel. Currently we live in Bradenton/Sarasota area; I've been here for about 15 years but it is becoming overwhelmingly congested.

Originally, I am from Vermont which I know cannot be replicated here, however, I would love to find somewhere that is *somewhat* quaint. Or, more quaint-feeling than where we are now. I need to make another trip to the east coast to really get a feel for it, day-to-day not just what it's like on a vaca, and would love to hear your personal experience.

How would you briefly describe the differences between each of these areas?

1. Stuart/Jensen Beach - I went roughly 7 years ago and loved how cute the downtown was. Is it still this way or has it changed a lot?

2. Vero Beach - I went there once and it was very quiet but I did like the downtown, still need to drive around and get a better feel for it. Thoughts?

3. Melbourne/Sebastian - I know this is not in the Treasure Coast and is further north but using this as a point of reference. We were in Sebastian last year and I wasn't very enthused, nothing about it really grabbed my attention unless I missed something.

In the end, I'm hoping for an area where we can raise our daughter (long ways to go, she's only 9 months ) that isn't a soon-to-be mega overdeveloped area with some charm here and there.

Thanks for any recommendations!
Downtown Jensen and Stuart are still cute small downtowns. US 1 and other major roads in Jensen and Stuart are full of all the same chain stores and big box stores you find in most large suburban communities throughout the US. Jensen and Stuart are getting more crowded and you will see them building new homes, townhouses, and apartments in the area. Costco recently got approval to open a store in Stuart. However, the Jensen/Stuart area is not as built up as Sarasota. Martin County has a 4-story height restriction on buildings which is in contrast to the many large condo towers in downtown Sarasota. I'm not as familiar with Bradenton as I am with Sarasota.

In my opinion Jensen, Stuart, and Sebastian all have nicer beaches and ocean color than Melbourne. However, Melbourne being part of the Space Coast I assume has a more developed and diversified economy than the treasure coast towns.
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Old 08-19-2021, 11:04 PM
 
Location: Sarasota/Bradenton
15 posts, read 38,120 times
Reputation: 16
Great, appreciate your insight. I saw on Google maps street view some new apartment buildings went up, and read about the new Costco on a Facebook group. The height restriction is good to hear. Sarasota really has no zoning "loyalty," they say yes to everything and every developer. Hopefully as Stuart grows it keeps its integrity. Any particular neighborhoods to check out for families?
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Old 08-19-2021, 11:27 PM
 
Location: Native Floridian, USA
5,297 posts, read 7,577,413 times
Reputation: 7478
I lived in Vero Beach for several years and loved it. It can be expensive to live there because it is considered a beach town. If I could afford it, I would move back. I have several grown grandchildren that still live there.
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Old 08-20-2021, 11:42 AM
 
231 posts, read 382,842 times
Reputation: 282
Quote:
Originally Posted by GulfCoastGalForNow View Post
Great, appreciate your insight. I saw on Google maps street view some new apartment buildings went up, and read about the new Costco on a Facebook group. The height restriction is good to hear. Sarasota really has no zoning "loyalty," they say yes to everything and every developer. Hopefully as Stuart grows it keeps its integrity. Any particular neighborhoods to check out for families?
Jensen Beach and Stuart have lots of family friendly neighborhoods. Also Palm City to the west of Stuart is known for being very family friendly. The schools in Martin County are very good so the area attracts lots of families. The right neighborhood will depend on the size of home you need and your budget. In Jensen Beach there are neighborhoods with 1,400 square foot homes that were build in the 60's and then there are newer homes built in the last 20 years that have typically have 2,500 to 3,500 square feet.
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Old 08-20-2021, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Sarasota/Bradenton
15 posts, read 38,120 times
Reputation: 16
Great, thank you! Here in Bradenton and Sarasota, it's gotten very hectic. Hard to enjoy anymore. I'll have to do some research before making another trip. Sounds like the scale and pace of life is what we are looking for.
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Old 01-27-2022, 05:14 AM
 
74 posts, read 130,823 times
Reputation: 115
Stuart and Jensen traffic is getting bonkers. BEst to head further North or Further towards the inland.
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Old 01-28-2022, 11:06 PM
 
103 posts, read 71,037 times
Reputation: 104
I see alot of people referencing stuart and jensen beach for small towns. I can tell you it's lost the small town feel. Locals aren't to keen on the new development and traffic. Be prepared for rude comments
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Old 01-29-2022, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Capital Region, NY
2,417 posts, read 1,483,536 times
Reputation: 3425
My sister lived in Melbourne and raised her daughter there. I always thought it was a nice spot, not too developed, yet fun and appealing enough to happily visit. I like the zoo there. The Viera community has since developed just north and it is growing. The last time I was there was a few years ago and I couldn’t believe how many developments had gone in. My sister has since moved to Merritt Island, but I have to say I still like Melbourne better.
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