re: Florida - Atlantic side

Jupiter/PB gardens for the win

Check out West Boca

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Haha. Where they live in RI is actually really nice. I enjoy it up there.

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Narragansett and Newport are two of this country's hidden gems. Providence is a shithole, though.

As for OP's question, I've been in Jax for over a year now. It's alright. A lot of the city is nothing more than cookie cutter strip malls and apartment complexes. It has the worst downtown of any big city I've ever seen. But there are places like Riverside and Five Points that are fun. The beaches are fine. IMO, the best beach in the area is Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island, which is about 45 minutes away but feels like a whole different world.

St. Augustine is close. That is a fun place with a lot of cool things to see and do.

Infrastructure here is good. The city is massive but the highway system makes it easy to get around.

I live in a safe area, but some of the areas west of the river and up by the airport are really rough. I don't have kids so I can't help with the school district thing.

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Narragansett

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Where they went to high school.

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St. Augustine is close. That is a fun place with a lot of cool things to see and do.

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With a statement like that, I have to assume you are 65+ St Augustine down to palm coast is all painfully boring. I went to visit some family in palm coast for a week and the highlights of my trip were seeing a chick in a grocery store that was under 40 and a cowboy ribeye at Outback Steakhouse.

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With a statement like that, I have to assume you are 65+ St Augustine down to palm coast is all painfully boring

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31. Have gotten shitfaced in St. Augustine a few times. If you're into walking through historical stuff, that's the only place in Florida I know of to do that.

Jax down to St. Augustine would be my choice. Still in the south with a nice mix of folks from all over. Moved here in 2003 from BR/NO and raised my 4 children. Cost of Living is better than home, schools in Clay and St. John counties are tops, and you see LSU plates all over the place.

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Jupiter/PB Gardens

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Jupiter would be the only area I'd move to if I had to go back down to SE Florida. Def a great area for a family.

Naples it beautiful

I gotta say Florida has a lot of outdoor beauty. Love the springs

I live in Palm Beach Gardens. It's a nice town. Seasonal like everywhere else down here and obviously hot as shite most of the time. Great beaches in Juno, Jupiter, Singer Island less than 15 mins away. Good hospitals.

Jupiter High is definitely the best public high school in the area. Better than Dwyer and Definitely better than Gardens High. Jupiter grammar schools also better in terms of public. Private schools are fantastic around here but EXPENSIVE. K-8 going to run you 10-20+K a year. Same for high schools where some of the better ones approach 30k although there is financial aide and they will often work with you if your kids are athletes.

If your kids are younger PBG and to a lesser extent Jupiter have some of the best recreational sports complexes around. The soccer fields and baseball fields are absolutely first rate.

Great restaurants around here (from Jupiter down as far as you want to venture) which are especially nice in the summer when the snowbirds are gone. Tons of concerts, events, etc within a few hours down to Lauderdale and Miami.

Housing is definitely higher than Louisiana although if you're willing to live west of 95 you can get a place with a few acres for pretty reasonable.


I've lived in St. Augustine extensively as well. I'd pick there/Ponte Vedra over Jacksonville. If there were more work for PTs in St. Aug, I'd move my family back up there. Just oversaturated due to the school and they can hire new grads for cheaper than me.