Moving from Long Island to West Palm Beach (Jupiter, Wellington: crime, homes)

[MM1923]

I work in Tv and my wife is a stay at home mom with a background in the medical administration. I commute 70 minutes on a great day, 80 on a good day, 90 on average and as much as 3 hours one way! I am tired of the long drive, 200+ a month on tolls and over $400 on gas. I am most of all tired of the cold. I hate cold weather.

So with that being said I want to move to Florida. West Palm Beach looks attractive. I have no illusions of making what I make here. I have done the cost of living calculations. I am looking to live WPB or in a 10-20 mile radius. As you can tell I don't mind driving so much.


I have 3 kids so I am looking for areas that are family friendly and safe. Good schools, activities and public spaces are important. I want to avoid the crime as much as possible.

I am looking for a home 4bds, 2.5 baths in the $220,000's I have seen quite a few on Realtor.com. I need the expertise of this board to help steer me in the right direction. Thanks

[TriMT7]

For four bedrooms in a lower price range WITH good schools, you may want to look into "West Lake Worth" (which is actually unincorporated Palm Beach County with a Lake Worth address). Some neighborhoods in that area include Lake Charleston. It's a safe area, larger homes for less money. The tradeoff being it's out west and not as close to amenities. But you'd be in downtown WPB (if that's where you're working) in about 20-30 minutes or so.

[wireyourworld]

Agreed, look west of the turnpike, along the 441/7 corridor. West Lake Worth along 441 is kinda boring, but a few miles up the road is Wellington and Royal Palm which is where our local shopping happen. Look at the intersection of Southern blvd and 441 for an example of the available shopping. And they are building rapidly from Forest Hill south near the mall.

You can also look at Wellington and Royal Palm themselves. Prices might be higher. Its really not hard to get to anywhere. Some roads have more traffic lights then others, Lake Worth Rd being one I avoid.

[cmd610]

If you are able to secure a job in West Palm Beach, you may want to look north and include Martin County (Stuart and Palm City) in your search as well. Great schools and lower taxes. As a reference, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the airport from these cities. Not sure about points south, but $220K for four bedrooms may not be in abundance......Take a look at these cities on Realtor.com for an idea.

[MiamiLIFE]

Originally Posted by MM1923

I work in Tv and my wife is a stay at home mom with a background in the medical administration. I commute 70 minutes on a great day, 80 on a good day, 90 on average and as much as 3 hours one way! I am tired of the long drive, 200+ a month on tolls and over $400 on gas. I am most of all tired of the cold. I hate cold weather.

So with that being said I want to move to Florida. West Palm Beach looks attractive. I have no illusions of making what I make here. I have done the cost of living calculations. I am looking to live WPB or in a 10-20 mile radius. As you can tell I don't mind driving so much.


I have 3 kids so I am looking for areas that are family friendly and safe. Good schools, activities and public spaces are important. I want to avoid the crime as much as possible.

I am looking for a home 4bds, 2.5 baths in the $220,000's I have seen quite a few on Realtor.com. I need the expertise of this board to help steer me in the right direction. Thanks

I think those listing on the realtor sites are red herrings used to drag in prospects. There aren't many homes in that price range anymore. In fact, home prices in FL have been increasing rapidly. In order to be in the $220's for a 4 bed you will likely have to stay west of I-95.

[MM1923]

Thanks for all the good info.

[HomeBySundown]

Also, if I might add, with children, I would look more to the Jupiter Farms area for a much better school system. (Wellington, also). Wellington has some gorgeous areas to live in, and although a bit more expensive, I believe that would be worth it.
I know living in either of those areas would add more time to your commute, but after living in Massachusetts, the commute back and forth to work here, I believe, would be so much easier on you...

There is nothing like a sunny, warm day in the middle of November or February to remind you how nice it is not to have to scrape ice off of a windshield or shovel snow! I think you'll be smiling for quite some time.

(I'm hoping to get into broadcasting/media, so I'd be interested to see what you think of the stations down here compared to where you were living.)

Best wishes on your new adventures!

[MM1923]

@HomeBySundown. thanx for the advice. I looked @ Wellington and they do have some nice homes. I will take a look @ Jupiter Farms. I don't really mind the commute. I am quite sure it has to be 1000 times better than what we have here in NY. If it's a pure drive then it's ok with me.

[Kel2013]

I've lived in Wellington for about 4 years now and I love it. We don't have kids yet, but I hear great things about the schools. I know there are lots of parks and shopping. I really like the community feel of Wellington. On Thursdays there are food truck invasions which is fun. There's also lots of activities for kids and families. There is always something going on at the newly built amphitheater such as bands, comedians, movie nights, car shows, and "Wellington Idol" which is a local version of American Idol. It's also an equestrian community so from around December to April there's polo. It's great place to live!

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