28 single male: WPB vs PSL (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: for sale, real estate, apartment complex) - West Palm Beach - Boca Raton - Boynton Beach - Florida (FL) -Palm Beach County - City-Data Forum

Pimpy · 12-31-2010, 06:31 PM

I will try to organize my thoughts as best I can. I am a 28 y/o single, professional male who has lived in Tennessee my whole life. Bottom line, I just need a change. I'm looking to make the move to either PSL/Stuart or WPB, ASAP. I am familiar with the PSL area because my father has spent many years there.

I want to be around a decent number of other young, single people, but I like a pretty laid back area. I'm not into the NYC/Chicago type bustle. Therefore, I'm not really interested in anything encroaching on Miami, such as Fort Lauderdale.

PSL and Stuart are familiar territory for me, but being a single guy in those areas concerns me. Will I be bored? Will it be hard to meet women, at least ones worth meeting? I am a decent looking guy and not particularly shy and I don't really desire a South Beach-esque social scene, but I don't want to be in a completely non-single-friendly area.

WPB is a wild card for me. A poster over the PSL forum has me really intrigued by the area, though.

I work out of a home office so the job market/unemployment rate is irrelevant to me at this point.

Here are my questions:

1. Since the housing market crash, I'm seeing tons of nice looking homes in PSL for under $100K. This is a huge draw for me, as I am a Dave Ramsey listener and I want my house payment to be a small part of my budget.

It has been easy for me to look at real estate in PSL because I am familiar with the area. In WPB, not so much. I have found some good prices, but I know nothing about the neighborhoods, safety, etc. What kind of deals will I be able to find in WPB in a decent area?

2. If I decide to rent first, what should I expect to pay for a decent 2BR (or 1BR with office) with a pool in a safe neighborhood?

3. Social scene in WPB versus PSL for late 20's and early 30's? I want to be able to meet women as well as find some good male friends my age to hang with. I'm pretty much over the "club scene" but I like hanging out at local joints and sports bars on the weekends.

4. Are there any other areas I am missing? At this point, I am willing to keep an open mind and check out anything as far north as Vero Beach and as far south as downtown WPB.

Sorry for so many questions but I really would love some guidance! I am very serious about this move and hope to make it early on in 2011. I was leaning PSL, but WPB is really starting to intrigue me. Look forward to making myself a part of this community! Thanks everyone!

skylinet · 01-01-2011, 01:15 PM

I would think WPB area would be a no brainer as far as meeting people/night life is concerned. It's not like a Chicago/NYC at all. If you want to be a little further north the Gardens are really nice with a lot of young pro's as well.
I've never really hung out in PSL other than selling a few homes, but it didn't seem like much was going on. I'm sure Tri will chip in on this.
As far as real estate goes, yes PSL is much cheaper, but you get what you pay for... I just did a very quick search and there are 560 single family homes for sale in PSL under 100k.
There are some great values in PBC around 100k as well.

Pimpy · 01-01-2011, 04:14 PM

Skyline,

Thank you for your response. Tri actually did respond to my thread on the PSL forum, which is why I am here in the first place.

I have been reading a lot of threads on this forum and I've heard a lot of good things about your services. Do you think you could point me toward some of these deals in PBC for around $100K, just so I can start looking.

Also, what about rentals for $800 or less? I would prefer to rent a house and not live in an apartment complex, but I will rule nothing out at this point.

skylinet · 01-01-2011, 06:38 PM

Sure, I'll send you a few good options.
Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches - Young Professionals of the Palm Beaches - YPOP
This is a nice group I'm part of down here. If you decide to move down here it's a good way to meet people.

Pimpy · 01-01-2011, 06:42 PM

Thanks again. I will PM you my e-mail address.

ssclulow · 01-03-2011, 11:16 AM

I'm in my 50's and think PSL is boring, so I'm quite sure it would not be a very good place to be young and single. WPB is a great area for people of all ages. I would advise to rent first and buy after you get a feel for the area. The great housing deals will be around for awhile.

allenk893 · 01-03-2011, 12:51 PM

Port St. Lucie is completely out of the question. It is a family city. NOT a city fitting for a single man. Palm Beach County is the way to go. West Palm Beach is perfect.

mayorhaggar · 01-03-2011, 03:03 PM

PSL is just really small. What are you going to do there, go to a bar? The WPB area isn't a big urban area by any means but at least it covers a large area so it has a lot of different restaurants and things going on, but it doesn't have horrible traffic like more urban areas or Broward/Dade do. I wouldn't want to live in the WPB area unless I was retired or raising kids though, it's still too boring and suburban for me.

TriMT7 · 01-03-2011, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

PSL is just really small. What are you going to do there, go to a bar? The WPB area isn't a big urban area by any means but at least it covers a large area so it has a lot of different restaurants and things going on, but it doesn't have horrible traffic like more urban areas or Broward/Dade do. I wouldn't want to live in the WPB area unless I was retired or raising kids though, it's still too boring and suburban for me.

Not sure what else you need as a 28 year old past partying age (per the OP's description) that you can't find in downtown WPB, downtown Lake Worth, downtown Delray, or the PGA corridor for day to day and most weekends' activities .... or a drive to Lauderdale or Miami for the occasional bigger city experience?

mayorhaggar · 01-03-2011, 03:09 PM

Most people in PBC are in their 40's and 50's, there's not that many people in their 20's and 30's. Most people I know who grew up in WPB moved out to big cities like NYC, Chicago and the Bay Area because they got better jobs there or went to grad school there and it's fun to live in a city when you're young--less so as you get older. PBC is better than when I was a kid when it was just strip malls and fast food, but it's still really suburban.