21 year old single female planning to move to west palm beach (Jupiter: section 8, apartment complexes)

[stormchaser27]

Hi, I am a 21 year old single female looking to move to west palm beach. I plan on enrolling in school once I am down there but am more concerned with the job market. I have experience working as receptionist and restaurant hostess... are there jobs down there in these areas? also what are the best areas to get an apartment in? I have a limited budget looking for the cheapest but also safe place to live as I will be on my own. Any help in these departments would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[THX 1138]

Unless you got a lot of cash to live off of and pay your rent and bills for long time, I would not move down here without a job lined up, there is a lot of people out of work and competition for the jobs you listed will be very high. From my experience at my office and what I heard of people I know in business who hire or placed ads for several different positions and the amount of people that apply is astronomical. In one instance 150+ people applied for a Receptionist job paying $10 an hour, a mix of no experience to some with college degrees and very experienced in other lines of work and some were bilingual in English and Spanish (often these get preference in some cases).

Not sure what a Restaurant Hostess makes but it is probably less, also a lot of competition, with teenagers who did not go to college or when they are out of school.

Going to school typically isn't cheap, not sure how you are paying, but expect a 1 bedroom in the nicer parts of the area to be around $1,000+ a month. You can find places for less or room mate with someone and/or rent a room. Section 8 accepted but that usually equals seedy neighbors.

This area is not a low cost of living type of place, sure you can live on less if you are willing to sacrifice a lot of liberties, like a car and take public transit.

Last thing, what are you going to school for? Some professions are not that popular down here and you may find yourself having to move elsewhere.

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

Unless you got a lot of cash to live off of and pay your rent and bills for long time, I would not move down here without a job lined up, there is a lot of people out of work and competition for the jobs you listed will be very high. From my experience at my office and what I heard of people I know in business who hire or placed ads for several different positions and the amount of people that apply is astronomical. In one instance 150+ people applied for a Receptionist job paying $10 an hour, a mix of no experience to some with college degrees and very experienced in other lines of work and some were bilingual in English and Spanish (often these get preference in some cases).

Not sure what a Restaurant Hostess makes but it is probably less, also a lot of competition, with teenagers who did not go to college or when they are out of school.

Going to school typically isn't cheap, not sure how you are paying, but expect a 1 bedroom in the nicer parts of the area to be around $1,000+ a month. You can find places for less or room mate with someone and/or rent a room. Section 8 accepted but that usually equals seedy neighbors.

This area is not a low cost of living type of place, sure you can live on less if you are willing to sacrifice a lot of liberties, like a car and take public transit.

Last thing, what are you going to school for? Some professions are not that popular down here and you may find yourself having to move elsewhere.

Excellent advice! Don't move until you have a job and don't expect to pay less than $1,000/month for an apartment.. at the least.

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

Excellent advice! Don't move until you have a job and don't expect to pay less than $1,000/month for an apartment.. at the least.

Agree on the job but not the apartment. You can get something at one of the million apartment complexes off Village Blvd in WPB for $700/month, sometimes less. It's a safe area for a single female, too, and five minutes from downtown.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

Agree on the job but not the apartment. You can get something at one of the million apartment complexes off Village Blvd in WPB for $700/month, sometimes less. It's a safe area for a single female, too, and five minutes from downtown.

Village Blvd, hmm well it use to be a nice place a long time ago, has really changed though...tends to be you get what you pay for, of course except with Shoma out my way which is is equally expensive and full of Section 8 tenants who don't care about anything...1st of the month, you want to avoid Publix next to it..

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

Village Blvd, hmm well it use to be a nice place a long time ago, has really changed though...tends to be you get what you pay for, of course except with Shoma out my way which is is equally expensive and full of Section 8 tenants who don't care about anything...1st of the month, you want to avoid Publix next to it..

Village Blvd is fine. It's not Jupiter Island, but it's plenty clean and safe for a single female. Most of the complexes in the area (Royal St. George, Village Crossing, etc.) are professionally managed and not section 8. Totally different from Shoma on both counts.

[rainroosty]

$800 per month will get you a wonderful place in a safe area, close to West Palm Beach.
Send me a message if you wish.....and don't listen to the exaggerated replies.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

Village Blvd is fine. It's not Jupiter Island, but it's plenty clean and safe for a single female. Most of the complexes in the area (Royal St. George, Village Crossing, etc.) are professionally managed and not section 8. Totally different from Shoma on both counts.

I get over to the Village Commons often, it has gone downhill for the most part, a few places I frequent still remain. Never ate at Outback, maybe once in my life and it closed, another place came in and went out of business, Five Guys, went a while ago, Moes went in it's place, went out of business, a few other places are gone. The Publix remodel and closure will also hurt the shopping center, mainly the managers I talk to at the restaurants complain about the downturn is due to crime in the area...that's what they said, I don't feel unsafe when I go over there....but obviously there other customers are venting this.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by rainroosty

$800 per month will get you a wonderful place in a safe area, close to West Palm Beach.
Send me a message if you wish.....and don't listen to the exaggerated replies.

$1000K+ is not an exaggeration for a nice place in a nice desirable area, don't forget most of these complexes have flat water and trash rates, $100 a month in some instances since they split it up each quad and if your a single female living next to 3 people living in a 1 bedroom using 3 times the amount of water you will be paying for their usage. Also the prices vary based on location, ground floor is less than the top floor, views or which end also raises the premium, the cheaper places are almost always taken.

Just a few in Wellington and some are not that nice, I have been in a couple of them to visit friends that lived there, they have fancy sugar coated ones all decorated to entice you...

http://www.waterstoneatwellingtonapts.com/Pricing.aspx

Estates at Wellington Green Apartments - 2301 Wellington Green Dr - Wellington - EquityApartments.com

Polo Lakes Apartments | Wellington, FL 33414 | 561-791-3332


Sure there are places under $1,000 a month, but I would not call them all great locations and most add up near $1,000.00 after all the fees are tacked on. Just go to apartmentratings.com and see all the reviews....mandatory garbage valet fee and etc...you get what you pay for and a lot of these places often don't even change the carpet and do much cleaning most are worth $500 a month at a max. I have been in some places off of Haverhill too and heard more horror stories than I care to repeat. Invest in some good earplugs, let's just say that...

The Royal St. George Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other West Palm Beach apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

$1000K+ is not an exaggeration for a nice place in a nice desirable area, don't forget most of these complexes have flat water and trash rates, $100 a month in some instances since they split it up each quad and if your a single female living next to 3 people living in a 1 bedroom using 3 times the amount of water you will be paying for their usage. Also the prices vary based on location, ground floor is less than the top floor, views or which end also raises the premium, the cheaper places are almost always taken.

Just a few in Wellington and some are not that nice, I have been in a couple of them to visit friends that lived there, they have fancy sugar coated ones all decorated to entice you...

http://www.waterstoneatwellingtonapts.com/Pricing.aspx

Estates at Wellington Green Apartments - 2301 Wellington Green Dr - Wellington - EquityApartments.com

Polo Lakes Apartments | Wellington, FL 33414 | 561-791-3332


Sure there are places under $1,000 a month, but I would not call them all great locations and most add up near $1,000.00 after all the fees are tacked on. Just go to apartmentratings.com and see all the reviews....mandatory garbage valet fee and etc...you get what you pay for and a lot of these places often don't even change the carpet and do much cleaning most are worth $500 a month at a max. I have been in some places off of Haverhill too and heard more horror stories than I care to repeat. Invest in some good earplugs, let's just say that...

The Royal St. George Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other West Palm Beach apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com

Agreed!
A young woman, new in town, needs to be in a safe area and less than $1,000.00 will NOT be safe.