Need advice on WPB area-getting dizzy from all the info! (West Palm Beach: apartment complex, rental)

[rozzesrred]

All the information on the blogs about WPB area is confusing. This is my situation: I'm retired and will be moving with my 22 year old son from NY.
We thought it would be a good place for both our lifestyles. We'd like to live in a safe place that is walking distance to town and preferably close to the beach.

I've been looking on-line at 2/3 bedroom condo/townhouses for under $200.000 and there seems to be thousands of them! The HOA costs vary considerably.

These areas were noted as safe, so please tell me if it's correct:
Palm Beach Gdns, Royal Palm Bch, Flamingo Pk,/Grandview Hts.,area behind the Convention Center.
Any others?

** The bottom line is I'd like to buy a condo/townhouse in a gated comm. that's in a safe area, walking distance to town and relatively close to a beach. Someplace not too congested.
It would be great if you can suggest the names of condo communities.

I know I'm asking a lot and appreciate your help. I just want as much information as possible before a decision can be made.

[TriMT7]

There are no gated townhome or single family communities within walkable distance of downtown West Palm Beach. The couple of gated townhouse communities - such as Cityside - are a few miles from downtown.


If you buy in one of the downtown condo buildings, they will usually be big, secure, doormen buildings with full amenities.


Perhaps you can also expand your search to downtown Delray Beach? About 20 mins south of downtown West Palm?

[nettoarbeit]

Yeah, "Florida" and "walkable to town" do not really go together, especially not with "gated community" too.

Just what someone has in mind with "town" is maybe up for grabs, but "gated community" usually implies that it's probably going to be at least a good 3-4 miles from your front door to even a strip-mall shopping center of a respectable size. So you'd have a at least a 6-8 mile round trip--at least a couple hour walk--just to get groceries or something, and from late May to late September, in maybe 90 degree heat with close to 70% humidity or so--giving you a heat index of more than 100. The walk would also likely be on roads that aren't designed to be very walkable--they might not have sidewalks, they might be very busy traffic-wise, etc.

Florida is like Southern California in terms of not being walkable, only with far less frequent/efficient public transportation than Southern California has.

In other words, for the vast majority of places you could live, you'll need a car, and you'll need to use it even if you want to run to a fast food place, a convenience store, etc.

[cfbs2691]

You're getting great advice - also during season, when the tourists are here in droves, if you're anywhere near the beach, and I mean within 5 miles of it.. you are going to deal with massive traffic. South Florida is pretty much nothing but congestion too. But I guess that's relative.
Best of luck!

[rozzesrred]

Thanks for the good advice. Since the listings don't state the neighborhoods the places are in and just have WPB, would you know which ZIP CODE areas are safe? I'll be renting at first and then buy after I get familiar with WPB. My landlord just sold the house I've been renting and gave me a 30 day notice. I'm in a panic so the information would be appreciated ASAP. It also looks like I'll need to rent a place from on-line information, if that's possible, since I don't have much time.

[florida_boy]

Originally Posted by rozzesrred

Thanks for the good advice. Since the listings don't state the neighborhoods the places are in and just have WPB, would you know which ZIP CODE areas are safe? I'll be renting at first and then buy after I get familiar with WPB. My landlord just sold the house I've been renting and gave me a 30 day notice. I'm in a panic so the information would be appreciated ASAP. It also looks like I'll need to rent a place from on-line information, if that's possible, since I don't have much time.

It's much easier to rent here in Palm Beach County than NY, so you shouldn't have any problems securing a place without actually being here, as long as you have good credit. My recommendation would be to start with the major rental companies and give them a call.

For example, I think that Archstone Properties will actually allow you to apply to rent online.

Find Apartments for Rent | Archstone Apartments

You can find some of the major apartment complexes at:

http://www.apartmentguide.com/

Good luck.

[rozzesrred]

Thanks so much. I'll look into it. There is a clearly defined map of WPB zip code areas on this site under West Palm Beach zip maps. PLEASE look at it and let me know where the safest places are to live. Maybe I can get a rental by tomorrow with that information in hand. THANKS!

[florida_boy]

Originally Posted by rozzesrred

Thanks so much. I'll look into it. There is a clearly defined map of WPB zip code areas on this site under West Palm Beach zip maps. PLEASE look at it and let me know where the safest places are to live. Maybe I can get a rental by tomorrow with that information in hand. THANKS!

I don't see this map you're referring to in your post, but even if I could find the map, neighborhoods are going to vary here even within the same zip code.

If you want my honest recommendation, if you're not on a tight budget, I would rent in Boca for one year. Boca is a beautiful place with a lot of REALLY nice apartment complexes. The rents are high, but it would only be a year until you became more familiar with the area and you could actually scope out houses you're interested in buying. For $200,000 you can get a nice place in PB County, but once you're here you'll be able to look at places during the day and at night. I've lived, worked, and went to school in Boca and go there quite often and it's a quality place to live and you really wouldn't have to worry about zip codes or neighborhoods.


This is a little expensive, but Mizner park is a fun place:

http://gables.com/find/apartment/561...-boca-raton-fl

This is less expensive, but near the town center mall:

http://gables.com/find/apartment/311...-boca-raton-fl

This is more expensive again, but in Broken Sound (nice CC community):

http://gables.com/find/apartment/241...-boca-raton-fl

[rozzesrred]

You have been a doll and it's appreciated! I searched the apt. complexes you recommended in WPB and Boca. Those places in Boca are a little too expensive for me, however if Boca is safe, I'll look at other complexes. I'm also considering renting in Royal Palm Beach (at a place you recommended) and maybe Jupiter (I have an old friend who lives there and can look at places for me) I hope I'm not being a pain but you are so knowledgeable about the names of the complexes, which are 3-story and hi-rise apts. Do you know of any rental complexes that have townhouses or garden apts.? (not sure what they're called in FL. but ones that share a wall and not a floor or ceiling) THANKS again Fl. boy.

[florida_boy]

Boca is very safe area, same for Jupiter.

I'm not too familiar with Royal Palm Beach, but I personally wouldn't live that far west. Lot's of trucks and dirt roads. Maybe things have changed, but when I was looking to buy a place in the late 90s, I looked out there and also the Acreage and that was my general impression.

I think that the terms used here to describe what you are looking for is townhouse or villa. I never heard the term Garden Apartment until I was in NY.

I think you could do your search via the internet. Most of the large apartment complexes have websites with pictures so you could determine the type of building. You could also call the office to ask them directly. Since you have a time issue and are not familiar with the area, I would just through money at the problem. Just like buying a home, rent is a function of location, quality, and size. If it's cheap, it's cheap for a reason, if it's expensive it's expensive for a reason; hence why the rates are so high in Boca.

You're only going to be in the rental for a year, so even if you choose an iffy area, you're only going to be there short-term. You might even consider a shorter term lease, since you plan on purchasing a place.

A very helpful thing to do is actually google the address of the apartment complex you are considering and "walk" the neighborhood using street view. The street view in Google maps is pretty comprehensive in S. Florida.