How progressive/liberal/alternative is PBC? (West Palm Beach, Delray Beach: appointed, crime, homes)

[chilove]

Hello all,

I have a chance to take a very well paying job in PBC, but I'm concerned about whether or not the area would be too conservative/mainstream for me. I live in Austin and used to live in Seattle, so I've been blessed to live in very progressive areas and don't know if I'd be happy in a conservative area.

I am in my 30's, very progressive and liberal. I'm into things like social and environmental activism, animal rights, feminism, simple living, sustainable living, yoga, meditation, natural health and healing, veganism, etc... I'm also gay.

Would I be able to find any like minded folks or would I be a total misfit? :-)

Thanks!

[TriMT7]

Palm Beach County has a good mix of both "alternative/hip" and conservative/mainstream.

It's not nearly as progressive as Austin or Seattle though, I'm not going to lie (though PBC is reliably Democratic voting, much of that has to do with significant minority representation, which often does not translate into progressive politics on gay issues).

That being said, Compass, the gay and lesbian community organization in Lake Worth, is apparently the largest in the Southeast. They have a pride celebration every year downtown. Palm Beach County also has domestic partnership registration, and additional workplace protections for gay and lesbians. The City of Lake Worth has a transgendered city manager, who was fired from her job elsewhere and welcomed to Lake Worth.

There is yoga, etc. in town. I'm sure there's a Palm Beach County chapter of various sub-political activism groups as well, for animal rights, vegetarianism, etc.


In all, I would look for places to live between downtown West Palm Beach (Clematis Street South to Okeechobee Blvd., including Cityplace) or downtown Lake Worth for urban-ish living feel. And if you want to look at single family homes, the gay friendly neighborhoods are known to be Flamingo Park, Grandview Heights (West Palm), and Parrot Cove and College Park (Lake Worth).

[bocamom]

Originally Posted by chilove

Hello all,


I am in my 30's, very progressive and liberal. I'm into things like social and environmental activism, animal rights, feminism, simple living, sustainable living, yoga, meditation, natural health and healing, veganism, etc... I'm also gay.

me too. i do ok, but do fantasize about living somewhere like Seattle someday. . . Lake Worth is nice, Boca has all that in a "posh" wrapper, lots of stuff in lauderdale and hollywood. iti s all here, but not centralized and not so much a dominant ideology except in wilton manors/gay terms

[StarlaJane]

I have never lived in Seattle but went to school in (and lived in) Austin.
I hate to say this but I am miserable here. And most of it has to do with the fact that it is not a liberal, progressive area and/or a college town. Education is low, especially in comparison to Austin and Seattle. If anything, WPB could be considered a "junior college" town.
I find everyone to be very mainstream, very suburban. It probably isn't very diff from Austin and Seattle wrt there being a population that is raising families and being very suburban--except that isn't just a percentage here but everyone.
So when it comes to ideas, hip culture, etc., you will be EXTREMELY disappointed, especially wrt a music scene or young, artistic & hip sub-culture; it simply doesn't exist here.
And for those of you who are wondering why I am still here if I hate it so much? I won't go into great detail but will just say that I have lived here for ten years and been trying to leave for the last five. The first chance I get... And two of the places that I have been trying to move to are Austin and Seattle.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by StarlaJane

I have never lived in Seattle but went to school in (and lived in) Austin.
I hate to say this but I am miserable here. And most of it has to do with the fact that it is not a liberal, progressive area and/or a college town. Education is low, especially in comparison to Austin and Seattle. If anything, WPB could be considered a "junior college" town.
I find everyone to be very mainstream, very suburban. It probably isn't very diff from Austin and Seattle wrt there being a population that is raising families and being very suburban--except that isn't just a percentage here but everyone.
So when it comes to ideas, hip culture, etc., you will be EXTREMELY disappointed, especially wrt a music scene or young, artistic & hip sub-culture; it simply doesn't exist here.
And for those of you who are wondering why I am still here if I hate it so much? I won't go into great detail but will just say that I have lived here for ten years and been trying to leave for the last five. The first chance I get... And two of the places that I have been trying to move to are Austin and Seattle.

Where in West Palm Beach do you live?

Aren't you also the person who said crime was getting bad in Wellington, when it's actually DOWN or FLAT over a 10 year period? Cause I dunno... sometimes some people's perceptions aren't very reliable because they're clouded by personal dissatisfactions. "Miserable"? For the past five years?

Sometimes it's not a "place."

[bocamom]

i have to disagree with the idea that the area is barren of education, philosophy, music, or subculture. . .
wellington is suburbia, it is weston, west boca, etc. . . in suburbia you will find suburbianity i guess. . . go east. . . .

i teach philosophy and have a lot of friends willing to discuss ideas, i meet q u e er folks everywhere I go, most of the people i know want to lower their carbon footprint, and i have three friends who full time promote local indie music. in fact, my babysitter recently got a top 40 hit with her indie band, and they are in west boca. . .

the biggest problem with it all is the driving.

there is something to do every night. on tuesday, for example, iw as invited to a show, intoxiskate (yes, drunk roller skating, in fact, gay drunk rollerskating) and a poetry slam

i go almost every week to an event of some kind. last week i attended a free seminar on ayurvedic medicine. and i did a gallery show upening friday before heading to lesbian night at revolution in lake worth. there are SO many cool feminist seminars and such at FAU and I'd love to have someone to go with.

if you really feel like there is nothing, try friending osme local promoters like steve rullman on facebook, mark pollack is another, and who is the poetry guy? renda writer i think, he runs a lot of open mic nights.

there are lots of great bands and venues around. and the vibe is young, but i am not terribly young anymore and i fold in fine.

[StarlaJane]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Where in West Palm Beach do you live?

Aren't you also the person who said crime was getting bad in Wellington, when it's actually DOWN or FLAT over a 10 year period? Cause I dunno... sometimes some people's perceptions aren't very reliable because they're clouded by personal dissatisfactions. "Miserable"? For the past five years?

Sometimes it's not a "place."

My comments re: crime have to do with City-Data statistics. Look them up; crime is not down or flat, in the entire South FL region.

And re: your rude comments re: me and and my perception: whatever . I think you provided a great example of the attitude of many people here that I have been talking about--and yes, it is an attitude that makes me, and a lot of others, absolutely miserable. Sometimes it is a place.

Did it ever occur to you that I might be right about the area? And did it ever occur to you that that might not be a bad thing? There's nothing wrong with an area that caters to a mainstream, suburban populace. However, the OP appears to be looking for a place that is comparable to Seattle or Austin. Have you ever been to either of those cities? Because I can assure you that I have and WPB is nothing like them.

[twowolves]

I think you would be happy here. I am very conservative and I think it's too liberal here.
As for yoga, there are tons of yoga places.
I love Bikram Yoga. There's one in Delray that I go to when I can:
Delray Beach, Florida (http://www.bikramyoga.com/schools/delraybeach.htm - broken link)
HTH.
Good luck!

[DaniellaG]

I would think being in a major city like West Palm you could find what you are looking for if you push yourself to join groups etc. I found this site though I have not been to any groups on it but called meet up and you put in your zip and there are groups in things like healing,yoga,organic health. Reading this I was thinking California though it is not an option with your job prospect but I used to live in Ca and my step sister does and she sounds very similar to you and what you view and enjoy.When I first came to FL I looked at a place in Palm Beach and others here may know better but looked like an area that may meet some of your interests. I am in Boca and not sure I would say here does. Yes there are yoga studios and a Whole Foods but not sure how open the views are but have not been here that long to know.
I have never been to Seattle but have moved a lot from CA,MI,NJ,now FL I am 31 and anyhow I think every place has there pros and cons and there is no perfect. It is finding the best in the situation. So maybe if the job is great opportunity that will outweigh some of the things you listed if there not as good as where you are from. From what you have stated though I don't think you will be out of place. Good luck in your choice

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Im a soon-to-be-goner and never have understood or
approved of the WPB, SE-FL lifestyle/mindset as a whole.
But, it is a 'Me' problem though, as it would be anyone who
is bothered by lots of crime, traffic and gated community mindset,
so take this opinion with that in mind.... but my time of spent
in Lake Worth, small amount of time, it was a welcome break
from the fakery and craziness of the surrounding areas. A few
art boutiques, Soma Center, Gay friendly, great animal related business's,
bike nites and some great parades(gay too) and cultural events make it the
place that fits me, a quiet, never-left-the-70's hippy's, favorite place around
here. It sort of gets a bad rap cuz its not the surgically sterile, artificially perfect
landscapery ppl around here love, but its the closest thing to 'ecclectic' and arty as you will find in the WPB area.
Like anywhere else here, you have to know your areas.

Read this every day so you are aware of what you might be getting into:
www.palmbeachpost.com

Originally Posted by chilove

Hello all,

I have a chance to take a very well paying job in PBC, but I'm concerned about whether or not the area would be too conservative/mainstream for me. I live in Austin and used to live in Seattle, so I've been blessed to live in very progressive areas and don't know if I'd be happy in a conservative area.

I am in my 30's, very progressive and liberal. I'm into things like social and environmental activism, animal rights, feminism, simple living, sustainable living, yoga, meditation, natural health and healing, veganism, etc... I'm also gay.

Would I be able to find any like minded folks or would I be a total misfit? :-)

Thanks!