Considering moving to Cocoa Beach (Palm Bay, Melbourne: 2014, rentals, condo)

[mjd2014]

We are selling our condo in Delray Beach and are looking to the Cocoa Beach area.
We would like to rent for the next five years until my husband retires.
I am sick of HOA's, traffic and difficult access to the beach. Can anyone from Cocoa Beach give me any pointers? We have vacationed there and loved the small town feel.

[kyle19125]

Not to be contradictory but have you visited Melbourne Beach just to the south? It nails your criteria a bit better in my opinion and is somewhat Delray-like in personality.

[mjd2014]

I'm not a fan of Delray Beach. I'd like to live somewhere where people get to know you and you have easy access to the beach. I have noticed that the price of rentals are just as high as they are down here. What about satellite Beach? I'd like to walk and bike so a smaller community appeals to me.

[1insider]

Biggest tip I can give as a long-time resident of CB is that there are two Cocoa Beaches; the tourist-centric area north of downtown and the small beach town that starts at the Kelly Slater statue and continues south of downtown. I wouldn't live north of the statue.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by mjd2014

I'm not a fan of Delray Beach. I'd like to live somewhere where people get to know you and you have easy access to the beach. I have noticed that the price of rentals are just as high as they are down here. What about satellite Beach? I'd like to walk and bike so a smaller community appeals to me.

Much of Satellite Beach is bike-walk friendly and close to the beach. If looking for more affordable rentals you might also consider the town of Port Canaveral, north of Satellite Beach

[1insider]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Much of Satellite Beach is bike-walk friendly and close to the beach. If looking for more affordable rentals you might also consider the town of Port Canaveral, north of Satellite Beach

I think you mean Cape Canaveral. There is no town of Port Canaveral. As a CB resident, Cape Canaveral is very different than Cocoa Beach and the things that I like about Cocoa Beach are not there in CC. I'm sure many residents of CC would disagree but they haven't experienced the difference that living in south Cocoa Beach is. I lived in Cape Canaveral years ago and it's different.

Satellite Beach is tougher to get to and from the beach safely than south Cocoa Beach. You've got a busy four lane A1A separating most of Satellite Beach from the ocean. All of Satellite Beach has a rocky beach as well. South Cocoa Beach is the gem among these northern Brevard beach towns. South of Ocean Ave. in Mel Beach is cool too if you don't need to go to the mainland every day.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by 1insider

I think you mean Cape Canaveral. There is no town of Port Canaveral. As a CB resident, Cape Canaveral is very different than Cocoa Beach and the things that I like about Cocoa Beach are not there in CC. I'm sure many residents of CC would disagree but they haven't experienced the difference that living in south Cocoa Beach is. I lived in Cape Canaveral years ago and it's different.

Satellite Beach is tougher to get to and from the beach safely than south Cocoa Beach. You've got a busy four lane A1A separating most of Satellite Beach from the ocean. All of Satellite Beach has a rocky beach as well. South Cocoa Beach is the gem among these northern Brevard beach towns. South of Ocean Ave. in Mel Beach is cool too if you don't need to go to the mainland every day.

I meant Cape Canaveral, I aways do that!

I still disagree regarding even the south side of Cocoa Beach given there's going to be overlap. How do you feel about Indialantic? That might hit the soft spot for the OP.

[1insider]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I meant Cape Canaveral, I aways do that!

I still disagree regarding even the south side of Cocoa Beach given there's going to be overlap. How do you feel about Indialantic? That might hit the soft spot for the OP.

I like Indialantic. It's really the only other beachside town in Brevard besides CB that has an actual downtown and small beach town feel. My biggest gripe about Indy is that it gets a ton of mainlanders visiting the beach every pretty day so the Boardwalk area can get super crowded. Being so close to the mainland it's easy for all of Melbourne and Palm Bay to go to the beach there.

Trust me that south Cocoa Beach is far different than north Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. South Cocoa Beach is an actual small town and while some tourists make it to downtown it's a whole different vibe than the area north of the old Publix which is chocka with tourists in summer and snowbirds in the winter. Population of Cocoa Beach total hasn't changed more than 1% since 1970. Public beach parking ends at 17th St. so the beaches between there and Patrick are guaranteed to be crowd-free all the time. I have been the only guy in the water on days of good surf when just up the road at 16th St. there'd be 50 guys fighting for waves.

[Gypsy3n8]

As someone who had owned a condo in the central tourist area of Cocoa Beach, listen to what 1insider has to say. There are too many snowbirds and tourists in the upper part of CB to 'get to know' your neighbors. While we loved the condo as a vacation place, when it came to buying a home for retirement, the condo wasn't it and we solid it in January 2022 and moved up to Flagler County.

[gatorlyn]

Originally Posted by 1insider

I like Indialantic. It's really the only other beachside town in Brevard besides CB that has an actual downtown and small beach town feel. My biggest gripe about Indy is that it gets a ton of mainlanders visiting the beach every pretty day so the Boardwalk area can get super crowded. Being so close to the mainland it's easy for all of Melbourne and Palm Bay to go to the beach there.

Trust me that south Cocoa Beach is far different than north Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. South Cocoa Beach is an actual small town and while some tourists make it to downtown it's a whole different vibe than the area north of the old Publix which is chocka with tourists in summer and snowbirds in the winter. Population of Cocoa Beach total hasn't changed more than 1% since 1970. Public beach parking ends at 17th St. so the beaches between there and Patrick are guaranteed to be crowd-free all the time. I have been the only guy in the water on days of good surf when just up the road at 16th St. there'd be 50 guys fighting for waves.

I call that spot the mermaid house