If you were 26 and single would you move to West Palm? (Miami: high school, to live in)

[vdecapio]

Originally Posted by just wondering

you sound alot like me...in the sense of looking for the same things, except the girl part...i'm looking for a hot guy... I'm from Chicago and debating on moving to WPB or NY.....I'm afraid WPB isn't going to have the decent nightlife and young ppl i'm hoping for. I like clubs...dance clubs and beachs, but NY is pulling me b/c of work...that's another thing i'm afraid of not having work available for me...i'm a legal secretary...i would think there are jobs for that there...???

how is jersey compared to NY? why did you leave Jersey for florida? just curious....can u give me any feedback on NY at all? i'd appreciate it....

Well if you have the same interests as me you would love the NYC area. NYC really is the center of it all. From food to music to clothes to newspapers, you can basically find it from all over the world within a 30 mile radius. And there are over 12 million people in that same 30 mile radius, so if you can't find someone to do something with you have issues. It is also a great place for younger people because there is always a decent flux of people moving in right out of school etc. So, if you join a group and you are the only new person wait a week or two because someone new is going to join and you will have something in common. Also, because there are so many people in the area, you can have a huge contact list of friends so you can hang out with different groups on different days of the week. And have a good time with all of them.

But what I liked most about the NYC area was the attitude/personality of people. There is a certain type of sense of humor and openness that came from the people I met in the NYC area that I fully connect with. I also find that same personality/sarcasm from people in south Florida as well. So, you get along with people fairly easy. Also, people in NYC (and Miami) that I have met my age share the same world view I do. They love to go for ethnic food on a Saturday night....they love world cultures, trying new things, and talking about modern issues in an educated manner. I am currently in Jacksonville and find less of a connection with people....on all of these levels....from the sarcasm...to the trying new foods thing....to the amount of sophisticated conversations I have with people.

I also like to meet people from all over the world and well NYC and south Florida are good places for that.

Now in terms of Jersey, north Jersey is basically the 6th borough. The PATH train gives you 24 hour 7 day a week train access to Manhattan, so if you live near the PATH you can ride in and out whenever. It is cheap too. $1.50 each way. I really liked Jersey, but my job there was not what I was looking for at the time....and opportunities came up here in Jacksonville that were more appealing. If you are thinking of NYC, there are two good places to live for young people and still have very good access to NYC by train. Hoboken and Jersey City. Hoboken is the expensive one, Jersey City is the less although still expensive one. Lots of young people, great food, rush-rush lifestyle. Live it while you can type of place. Also, cool places further away from the city are Montclair and Morristown. These places have lots of young people, walkable downtowns, outdoor cafes, large variety of foods, nightlife, etc. Also, outside of Jersey there is Brooklyn as another option. Williamsburg is I think the cool place to live for young people.

Oh yeah and Jersey probably has the best Italian food in the country. Get ready to meet some pure bred Italians in Jersey. You still find people there who are full blooded Italian even after their families have been in the US for 3 or 4 generations. The Italians basically run Jersey.

But, I do have the same concern you do about WPB. I am not sure how many people my age I will see. It is the only thing that scares me. If my company had an office there, I would just move to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. No questions asked. I like the weather here in Florida, so I want to stick around for a few years before I go back to the northeast. But I do want that quasi-NYC feel you can find in south Florida....urban setting....lots of towns in a 30 mile radius...lots of diversity....good food....fancy food if I want it....see a few celebrities here and there....admire other people's wealth...etc. etc.

[nkotb]

Originally Posted by vdecapio

Here is what I am looking for in a place (and currently lack in Jacksonville):

1) Diversity....I would like to meet people from all over the world.
2) A community Interest in Foods
3) Young professional females in the area with opportunities to meet them (preferably catholic)
4) Some hustle and bustle
5) A strong catholic presence
6) A nice walkable shopping/eating area in some part of town. Not with chains, but with more of a local mom and pop feel.
7) A nightlife that is not just hip-hop dance clubs or smoky bars.....preferably a latin dance club or a chilled lounge or a hookah bar.
8) A cool beach
9) Some parks to hang out on a saturday afternoon (that are not empty)
10) Some people places.....places to go to see and be seen.
11) Good Italian Deli
12) Good Asian Market
13) Good hispanic market
14) A good mix of ethnic restaurants in the area
15) A decent airport within driving distance that will give cheap flights to Newark, NJ and Pittsburgh, PA
16) A few celebrities in the area.....if they will pay to live there, it must be good.


These are really the things that are most important to me.


Cost of living, good schools, and lack of crime are non-issues for me. I am a young professional, renter, non-married so these things are really non issues for me.

Thats quite a list... Perhaps when you die and go to heaven...

[NSX1990]

Originally Posted by vdecapio

Here is what I am looking for in a place (and currently lack in Jacksonville):

1) Diversity....I would like to meet people from all over the world.
2) A community Interest in Foods
3) Young professional females in the area with opportunities to meet them (preferably catholic)
4) Some hustle and bustle
5) A strong catholic presence
6) A nice walkable shopping/eating area in some part of town. Not with chains, but with more of a local mom and pop feel.
7) A nightlife that is not just hip-hop dance clubs or smoky bars.....preferably a latin dance club or a chilled lounge or a hookah bar.
8) A cool beach
9) Some parks to hang out on a saturday afternoon (that are not empty)
10) Some people places.....places to go to see and be seen.
11) Good Italian Deli
12) Good Asian Market
13) Good hispanic market
14) A good mix of ethnic restaurants in the area
15) A decent airport within driving distance that will give cheap flights to Newark, NJ and Pittsburgh, PA
16) A few celebrities in the area.....if they will pay to live there, it must be good.


These are really the things that are most important to me.


Cost of living, good schools, and lack of crime are non-issues for me. I am a young professional, renter, non-married so these things are really non issues for me.

Requirements 5 and 7 = DOES NOT COMPUTE


In all seriousness, you are asking for a lot. WPB isn't bad, but remember: people in PBC usually travel a lot to find things they like. For example Ft. Lauderdale and Broward have a lot of ethnic restaurants and supermarkets, as well as a nice nightlife on the waterfront. WPB has the Kravis Center and CityPlace and other culture.

Also, not to alarm you about the good catholic girls or anything, but the Treasure Coast all the way down to Miami has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates among young people in the country.

[vdecapio]

Originally Posted by NSX1990

Requirements 5 and 7 = DOES NOT COMPUTE



Also, not to alarm you about the good catholic girls or anything, but the Treasure Coast all the way down to Miami has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates among young people in the country.

I think you are missing the point with the catholics. There is a difference between cultural/craddle catholics and what you have termed a good catholic...maybe I would call them practicing catholics. A practicing catholic by definition would abstain from sex before marriage, so unless they were doing drugs and were getting aids through needles, it doesn't matter what the HIV rate is in South Florida, a person who has never had sex or injected drugs into their bloodstream is not going to have hiv/aids.

I think you would be surprised how many young people are practicing catholicism today. All over the country....even in south florida. But let us remember craddle catholic can/but does not necessarily imply practicing catholic. Catholicism is not easy.....so a lot of people give up.....put if off till there 70. But, there are still a lot of young people practicing. These are the catholics I was implying in the questions.

Thanks for trying to scare me though with the "so many catholics have AIDS here" thing. Fear. Statistics. Surveys. Gotta love the information age.

[Delray Patty]

Best place Delray by far...Best Beach in the area...by far....Atlantic Ave...or try the
Ale House in boynton Beach on a Friday night or the new one on Yamato Rd. to meet
someone....Also there's a new Irish pub on Gateway near Congress called Slainte Pub.
Couldn't get in there on St. Patty's Day...heard its' very nice..

[heydade]

no Way Jose

[hitekhomeless]

I grew up in the Northern area of Palm Beach County. I cannot speak for the areas south of Lake Worth. But, I do not think that you are going to find the kind of scene that you are looking for there. Florida is a different kind of animal. It is very spread out. There isn't any real public transportation. You have to drive to get every where. Yes there is a scene downtown WPB, but that's only for 2 nights a week.

It sounds like you are looking for Chicago, which is where I would suggest you move, in Florida. I don't think that you are going to find it. I lived in Chicago and the only thing that its lacking on your list is a nice beach. People hang out in the parks there, no one hangs out in them in WPB, etc.

The beaches. I love my Florida east coast beaches! But, you should keep in mind that the beaches of eastern FL are not the sprawling, powdery sand, white beaches that you might expect. They are abrupt, coarse and a dark camel color. There's also a ton of seaweed on the beach and in the water. One plus is that they don't get as much red tide as west FL. Again, I love the east coast of FL and the beaches around Juno and Jupiter are the best! They just aren't for everyone.

I don't think its the place for a young professional. Well, I guess that depends on your line of work. As a Unix Admin, it wouldn't have been on my list as a great career move. I don't want to offend anyone, but lets face it, its still a hick town. Rather a hick city. Now, that didn't bother me, I have lived in Florida most of my life, so I am used to the culture, but you will be shocked moving from NJ. A lot of folks spend their time hunting and fishing. A lot of young folks.

Come to WPB, and I bet you will see more pickup trucks in a week than you have seen in the last year in NJ.

Seriously, Palm Beach County is one of my favorite places, but not for the reasons you listed. Chicago is a much better match!

I think that you would like the Tampa area more.

[Agnes]

Just have to chime in -

You should look into Washington, D.C.! Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle areas
The only thing it's missing is a beach, but that's a daytrip. And it offers better weather than Chicago.

[generaljtp]

Lots more "Action" in Miami and FLL, just a bit more hectic and crowded there. I just moved back from NYC...really miss having an urban core that is happening and crowded with profesionals. I'm searching for all the same as you (except for woman not man). Palm Beach itself is nice, quiet. WPB seems desolate to me..maybe better in winter. I hear Delray is worth getting to know. Move to South Beach or Las Olas if you really want lots of young action.

[Tungsten_Udder]

I didn't read all of the responses you've received yet, but to me, it sounds very obvious to me that you should look at metro Miami instead. Or possibly metro LA, but the problem there is that the flights will be more expensive and longer.