[bounty80]

I'd vote Melbourne if it was listed. The coastal area is a developers dream. Jobs, run down coastal properties, retiree hotspot, etx.

[cjairo191]

Lakeland

[silverct9a]

Agreed with ALL of this. I have an extremely difficult time recommending Port Saint Lousy to anyone outside of retirees, blue collar workers, or extremely priced out young families who have little prospects of earning more money.

Moving to PSL means running your car into the ground commuting everyday to Palm Beach County or Broward to work as there is very little living wage jobs outside of healthcare there.

Once there, you will again commute to Stuart, Ft. Pierce, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale for entertainment as there is nothing there for anyone aged 21-45.

If you move to PSL, I hope you enjoy driving and maintaining your vehicle because it's little more than a bedroom community.

Originally Posted by City Guy997S

ehhh PSL has an image problem (Port St Loser) and is being filled with people who can't afford to live in S. Florida.

A guy that worked for me moved up there, bought a 4/2 CBS house for 280K BUT has to commute 10-12 hours a week which is 500+ hours a year of unpaid time and he has to pay for the expense of doing it.

So after 10 years of commuting he has wasted 5,000+ hours and spent thousands doing it. What did you really save? If you got a 10 hour 2nd job a week and stayed living south I'd bet you would come out ahead!

I had a neighbor move up there to a 55+ community. They aren't staying, said it just isn't them and they don't like PSL

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Agreed with ALL of this. I have an extremely difficult time recommending Port Saint Lousy to anyone outside of retirees, blue collar workers, or extremely priced out young families who have little prospects of earning more money.

Moving to PSL means running your car into the ground commuting everyday to Palm Beach County or Broward to work as there is very little living wage jobs outside of healthcare there.

Once there, you will again commute to Stuart, Ft. Pierce, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale for entertainment as there is nothing there for anyone aged 21-45.

If you move to PSL, I hope you enjoy driving and maintaining your vehicle because it's little more than a bedroom community.

That is exactly why places like PSL just can't be a "boom town." The commutes are only going to get worse. What does it matter is one is "sort of close" to more desirable areas when the area you are in basically has nothing going for it? PSL (and Cape Coral) are both towns that exist because developers built houses there in the 50s, there is no grass roots downtown in places like that. I know I would have zero interest in having to commute and sit in traffic every day if I were in the workforce. Places like this basically only appeal to retirees that don't need to work, and don't care about a nightlife (and I say this as a retiree myself)

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by bounty80

I'd vote Melbourne if it was listed. The coastal area is a developers dream. Jobs, run down coastal properties, retiree hotspot, etx.

Melbourne and Vero Beach have potential, but will probably be a long time before they start to "boom."

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

That is exactly why places like PSL just can't be a "boom town." The commutes are only going to get worse. What does it matter is one is "sort of close" to more desirable areas when the area you are in basically has nothing going for it? PSL (and Cape Coral) are both towns that exist because developers built houses there in the 50s, there is no grass roots downtown in places like that. I know I would have zero interest in having to commute and sit in traffic every day if I were in the workforce. Places like this basically only appeal to retirees that don't need to work, and don't care about a nightlife (and I say this as a retiree myself)

Or any sort of life at all. People in the workforce, including young professionals, and families of all ages barring retirees, have zero interest in living in places like this, and generally only end up there if they can't afford decent homes closer to some sort of activity. Kids will be bored senseless, and parents likewise.
We have a sort of vacation/family home in Port Charlotte that serves as a place for our retired relatives to visit when they come down to Florida. I go there for a few days when folks are in town, and it is nice to just kick back and relax, but I could never live there. There is quite literally nothing there.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

All you have to do is google and you will see that Lakeland IS a boomtown, on top of almost nearly every list for fastest growing city in the country. You can't base anything on the Lakeland that "was" decades ago when you lived here. It has changed incredibly since I last lived here in 2007 and growing by the day. This includes the Winter Haven metro. None of the other places you mentioned has the potential for major growth like this area does.

As far as the beach goes - I hate to break it to you but not everyone cares about the beach. No one who lives here does, including me. I lived in Sarasota for decades and almost never went to the beach. Most people who work aren't going to the beach. And not every retiree cares either. For many, all the lakes here are enough, especially for fishermen and boaters. And for that matter, from here I can be at either coast in 1.5 to less than 2 hours if I really need a "beach day."

But honestly, the whole state is growing by leaps and bounds (sad to say). Probably all the areas mentioned here will be booming in the next decade. Makes me sad. My home state has changed soooo much. I'm not really happy about Lakeland being a "boom town." I just hope they manage the development in the right way, which so far they have. One last reason why it's so popular is that it has a lot of amenities for a small city, and at least for now, a decent bang for the buck on real estate. Here you get your money's worth when you purchase a home (although prices have risen substantially the last few years.

hmmm..live next to I-4's gridlock, or near the beach? Case closed.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

hmmm..live next to I-4's gridlock, or near the beach? Case closed.

How often are people in Port St-Lucie going to the beach?

How often are people in New Port Richey going to the beach?

And I echo the post to which you responded: I lived in Palm Harbor for years, and most did not regularly go to the beach. Very few did. Same as living in the Orlando or Lakeland area and “going to Disney.”

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

How often are people in Port St-Lucie going to the beach?

How often are people in New Port Richey going to the beach?

And I echo the post to which you responded: I lived in Palm Harbor for years, and most did not regularly go to the beach. Very few did. Same as living in the Orlando or Lakeland area and “going to Disney.”

What % of Floridians live w/in 30 mins to a beach?

I rest my case...going to the beach and living near the beach are not connected.

Seniors dont go to the beach much, but they want to live near the beach to encourage family visits.

Now, do y'all get it?

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

What % of Floridians live w/in 30 mins to a beach?

I rest my case...going to the beach and living near the beach are not connected.

Seniors dont go to the beach much, but they want to live near the beach to encourage family visits.

Now, do y'all get it?

Kind of…?
It’s not like Lakeland is “far from the beach” to people visiting Florida.
Our major urban centers, barring parts of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, don’t provide quick, easy access to beaches much more than inland parts do in that sense.
Places like PSL are incredibly boring due to how they came about, and how they are built. One would be better off having family in Orlando or Lakeland and catching a shuttle to the beach than to visit relatives in PSL and being slightly closer.