Jupiter, FL (Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens: rentals, condo, townhouse)

[pbgflorida]

I've lived in the Jupiter/PBG area almost my entire life. Tried Miami for 3 years and just barely made it out alive. Came right back to PBG. But things changed very quickly while I was away. Not an inch of land was left untouched. Highway expansions left and right - if you want to call narrowing 4 lanes to 2 just to add a 5th over 3 years time 'expanding'. Traffic on the sideroads. European land barges speeding through 25mph neighborhoods. Nobody says "Thank You" when you hold a door or let them in front of you.

I'm working on an exit strategy.

[JSR]

Well pbgflorida, my recommendation is that you stay away from the NYC metro area then because you just described CT, NJ and NY to a tee. And, don't forget to add an average home price of $700K+ and temps of 20-30 degrees from November to April to that description!

No state is perfect and I think that most everyone is our society is a "grass is greener" type of person. Florida might be overdeveloped, but I would argue that every state on either coast is in the same position. In regards to the cost of living you will not find any support for your complaints from anyone living north of Georgia, east of Ohio, west of Colorado or anywhere within an hour of a major city. It costs alot to live...period!

Just food for thought. If you're searching for Utopia my guess is that you have embarked on a lifelong quest.

Can anyone give me the basic differences between Stuart and Jupiter? Public schools aside. Is the commute from Jupiter to Port Saint Lucie "do-able"? How long?

[pbgflorida]

Commute from Jupiter to PSL is 30 miles by road (i.e. not as the crow flies). One half is on I-95 or Turnpike (depends if you're inland or coastal) where you'll be moving at a good pace. The surface streets will be busy. Indiantown Rd in Jupiter is the only East/West route in town and intersects with Military Trail, Alternate A1A and US1 for N/S travel. Turnpike and I-95 ramps also on Indiantown Rd. Also, nearly all stores and gas stations are on Indiantown. So imagine the cluster of commuting folks and town folks all on the same surface street.

JSR, I'm not looking for Utopia per se, just a place I can afford to buy. I'm currently paying over 1200/mo to rent a 2BR townhome in a quiet area. I do like where I live and work right now - I live 1/4mi from work. But the median home price is in the upper 300s right now and out of my reach, even with D.I.N.K. I very well may end up back in FL after the prices cool and the New Yorkers move out

[JSR]

Thanks pbgflorida! For the record, I'm not a New Yorker. Bannish the thought. )

When you say 30 miles would you say that's equal to 35 minutes or so of driving? My husband currently commutes from CT to NJ every day and one big reason for our move is to reduce his commute. I don't want to put him right back in the same position that he's in now. But, I have concerns about Stuart. From what I've read and seen my guess is that we will be more comfortable in the J/PBG area and I will probably end up playing and working in WPB a lot. Thoughts?

If it makes you feel better we own a few rental properties in CT and we charge $1500 minimum for our two bedroom apartments. You're getting a deal!

[pbgflorida]

I may be getting a deal compared to your CT properties, but this unit sold for $73K when my uncle sold it 10 years ago. Now my rent is exponentially higher than his mortgage was, and no upgrades have been made since. "Market Value" has caused this, not actual value. This is to be expected in real estate, prices going up and all, and this is why I want to buy too.

Jupiter to PSL I would guesstimate at 45-60min door-to-door. You might make it from exit-to-exit in 30 minutes or less, but on either side of the highway you'll be slowed tremendously. Perhaps work and home will both be close to the highways, minimizing the traffic light grind.

WPB is not a place you'll frequent by choice. Just a few years ago it was the hub of the county, with all the big name retail stores, restaurants and car dealerships on Okeechobee Blvd. But with the expansions in the North (PBG, Jupiter) and West (Juptier Farms, Wellington, Acerage, Royal Palm) and violent crime increasing at alarming rates, it is losing the last remaining draw it had. There are new Best Buys, Wal Marts, Targets, restaurants, etc. going up everywhere now. That's the good news. The bad news is the same scum that made WPB such a dangerous and ugly place to visit are coming up this way to shop/steal in the new stores. Newness draws good and bad.

[JSR]

We have a vacation house in Hollywood and have spent quite a bit of time at the Palm Beach Gardens mall and the Boca Raton mall so as far as shopping goes I know that I will be spending most of my time in those two places. Zagat seems to have a good selection of restaurants in the Jupiter, PBG, WPB area so hopefully we will find some fun places for dining too. My only concern is the commute. I guess we will have to drive the distance during rush hour to get an accurate sense of the timing. I've heard estimates of 30 minutes to estimates of 60 minutes, which is quite a discrepency. I guess traffic plays a big role but I can't imagine that you all have the problems with I-95 that we have up here...30 minutes to go two exits!

[mbmouse]

I used to live in Jupiter, and my parents lived in PSL. It would take me a minimum of 45 minutes on the turnpike. An hour on 95. That was back in the mid 90's (we have all since moved to East TN) I can't imagine what that drive would be like now!
My dad retired from Pratt just before he moved to PSL, a few years later they asked him back so he drove from PSL to way West Jupiter. At first he thought "no big deal" as far as the drive. After about 6 months of it he was already regretting accepting the job due to the drive.
Just my experiences with that drive.

[pbgflorida]

The biggest problem with PBC is that there are only two ways to go North and South for any distance - I-95 and Turnpike (tolls). Despite construction, they generally flow rather smooth even during rush hour (as long as it isnt raining). I can drive the 12mi from PBG to WPB on I-95 in about 10 minutes, rarely having to use the brakes, from 5pm-6pm on weekdays. Not bad at all.

But when there's an accident of any sort everything comes to a HALT. If there were more alternate routes it wouldn't cause such a disturbance.

JSR, in your shoes I might shop around Martin County, between PBC and PSL. The daily commute would be less and the times you do venture down to PBC won't be during rush hour which means light traffic.

[SunnyDog]

From Jupiter to PSL, on I95, exit to exit, is maybe a 20 minute drive. I travel it quite a bit but have never put a stopwatch to it. Doesn't seem to matter what time of day or night it is, rush hour there is laughable compared to Dade or Broward.

[jennmc30]

Hi, I have lived almost my entire life in Fl. For the past five years we have moved quite a bit due to my husbands work and I have found everywhere else is much more reasonable than Fl. We also moved from Central Florida(Ocala) to Jupite. What a shock! The prices were unbelievable and it was even hotter. I thought Jupiter was an ok place but I would not drive from Jupiter to PSL daily. It is too much driving. My cousin who grew up in Ft Lauderdale built a house in Port Saint Lucie since it was so much more affordable than FL. Anyway good luck on your move and be ready for constant heat and no change of seasons.