[JayEmm]

Originally Posted by Vinny536

I live pretty close, I'm also a remote employee. If i adored small towns this would be paradise for me. Since I prefer a larger town it's just excellent.

My downside list is short. I spend too much time driving to Orlando and JAX for commercial offerings like Costco, Bestbuy, etc. The short list of retailers here mean I need to stop in walmart far more often than i would like to, and this one walmart is usually very busy. sounds terrible, eh??

At 35 and new here it's been complicated to find new friends my age. Most people here are retired. in my direct neighborhood I'm the second youngest person by about 30 years, only edged out by my wife who is a little younger than me.

That's really all the downsides I can come up with. When I moved here from coastal NC my car insurance went up about $20 a month. My renter's insurance went from $450 a year to $180 a year. I'm also a lot closer to the water here, so I don't understand how that works. My utilities are in line with what i was paying in NC and AZ.

Thanks for the info, Vinny. It sounds like on the whole you are pretty happy with the area. I'm not too concerned about having to drive far for "major" shopping...but surely most of the big box type stores have locations in Palm Coast, or at least Daytona or St. Augustine?

I do understand the fact that most people living in the area would be older, but I didn't really feel out of place when I was there...maybe the younger people were tourists or visitors though.

[JayEmm]

Originally Posted by cgeet

Actually, I love the bikers!..when they are here. I think they add to the character of this sleepy little piece of paradise and gives the beach a bit of excitement. The bikers are seasonal visitors and what true biker would not want to hang out at Flagler Beach!

Parking is available on the side of the road and signs indicate where you cannot park. It is not uncommon to see cars with tickets waving in the wind when they have simply thrown parking laws to the wind and choose to pay the ticket There is also parking on the side streets. With only 2 blocks from beach to intercostal bridge, there is not much walking required. Come and enjoy!

Thanks cgeet, it seems like you live right in Flagler Beach? I didn't have any problems with the bikers...while the noise can be irritating, I have no issues with them otherwise...of course there are good and bad in any group.

One thing I'm not really clear about is what the "busy" and "slow" seasons are. Is it busier in the winter with snowbirds heading south, or in the summer with local beach tourism?

[Disney_Geek18]

Originally Posted by JayEmm

Thanks for the info, Vinny. It sounds like on the whole you are pretty happy with the area. I'm not too concerned about having to drive far for "major" shopping...but surely most of the big box type stores have locations in Palm Coast, or at least Daytona or St. Augustine?

I do understand the fact that most people living in the area would be older, but I didn't really feel out of place when I was there...maybe the younger people were tourists or visitors though.

There is Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes and a Target in Palm Coast, and a Publix just over the bridge on the mainland in Flagler Beach. There are a other things like Kohl's and TJ Maxx in Palm Coast as well. Stores like Best Buy, and others you'd find at the mall would be found in Daytona Beach.

[freedomdove]

This is a very helpful thread. Thank you to everyone who has posted. I was wondering if this area is negatively affected by Daytona, or if anyone sees it heading that way. I read on the forum that it's not that great of a city, and it's only 20 miles or so from Flagler Beach. Is Daytona Beach really that bad?

My apologies for butting into the conversation; it's just that I also had been looking at this town and didn't see a need to start a new thread on it when this one is already here.

[Disney_Geek18]

Originally Posted by freedomdove

This is a very helpful thread. Thank you to everyone who has posted. I was wondering if this area is negatively affected by Daytona, or if anyone sees it heading that way. I read on the forum that it's not that great of a city, and it's only 20 miles or so from Flagler Beach. Is Daytona Beach really that bad?

My apologies for butting into the conversation; it's just that I also had been looking at this town and didn't see a need to start a new thread on it when this one is already here.

I don't think Flagler Beach will turn into Daytona. Flagler Beach is a sleepy, small beach town. Daytona is much different. But yes, Daytona does have it's share of problems, including homelessness and crime, like any other tourist city/larger city. It's not terrible, but there are some bad areas of Daytona.

[freedomdove]

Thank you.

[Vinny536]

Originally Posted by JayEmm

Thanks for the info, Vinny. It sounds like on the whole you are pretty happy with the area. I'm not too concerned about having to drive far for "major" shopping...but surely most of the big box type stores have locations in Palm Coast, or at least Daytona or St. Augustine?

I do understand the fact that most people living in the area would be older, but I didn't really feel out of place when I was there...maybe the younger people were tourists or visitors though.

My direct neighborhood is all retired, except me and one person who is a physician. I think there might be one or two nurses as well. I live on the waterfront canals near european village. I think if I was to get further north or west I would find people in my age group. When i run for a coffee before starting my work day I'll pass maybe 10 kids on the corners waiting for the bus, so there are probably a few younger households I'm not seeing.

When i say direct neighborhood I mean areas where I can get to on a 15 to 20 minute round trip walk with my dog. I don't have kids either, so that keeps me secluded from those raising a family.


As someone else mentioned, you could get a good bit here. There are also some AMAZING cultural grocery stores. I know of a portuguese, Hispanic, polish, russian, and 2 asian grocers. Ross, petsmart, I think petco is coming, kohls, and so on. You could poke around google maps to see what we have.

I end up traveling mostly for Costco/Sam's and Health food stores. I've found one health food store here, it has friendly people and acceptable prices, but it's a small store. They just don't have the room to stock a huge selection. I like Native Sun and Earth Fare up in Jacksonville.

Daytona does have a large selection including a Sam's. I haven't found a health food store there, so I would love to hear suggestions if there is a good one for gluten free selection. I try to avoid Daytona on the weekend though, too many tourists for my liking. Who goes on vacation and goes to the same beige strip mall they have in their town????

[freedomdove]

Originally Posted by Vinny536

I end up traveling mostly for Costco/Sam's and Health food stores. I've found one health food store here, it has friendly people and acceptable prices, but it's a small store. They just don't have the room to stock a huge selection. I like Native Sun and Earth Fare up in Jacksonville.

Daytona does have a large selection including a Sam's. I haven't found a health food store there, so I would love to hear suggestions if there is a good one for gluten free selection. I try to avoid Daytona on the weekend though, too many tourists for my liking. Who goes on vacation and goes to the same beige strip mall they have in their town????

I actually get a lot of my natural and organic foods from Azure Standard. They are an online buying club (no fees) located in Oregon, but they have drop points all across the country. I just looked and there aren't any drops around Palm Coast or Flagler, but there are a few in the NE region of Florida. New drop points can always be set up, but it requires a minimum dollar amount for each drop ($500, I think). Individual orders must be $50 or more. I never have a problem meeting the minimum since I buy a large portion of our food from them nowadays. It would be great if someone near Flagler would set up a drop for that part of FL.

https://www.azurestandard.com/

To find the drop points in FL, go to the "ordering info" tab, and then click on "find a drop". You'll find a map of the US, and you can zoom in on your area to see the current drops. You can have stuff shipped to you through UPS, but nothing perishable. Refrigerated and frozen foods have to be delivered by their trucks.

I've been buying through Azure for a couple years, and love it. I like how you can buy one box or can of something to try it out, or you can buy a whole case of something, which brings the cost per item down greatly. A lot of the stuff I buy from them, I just can't find locally, so they have been a blessing for me. And because I buy mostly in bulk from them (to get the best prices), my pantry is always stocked. I call myself the "accidental prepper". Lol.

Oh, and I've given up on buying fresh produce from them unless it's something like potatoes and apples, which hold up well during transport. I have *no* luck whatsoever with more fragile produce like melons and fresh broccoli. After having figured that out, I now only buy frozen produce from them (besides the foods I mentioned).

[JayEmm]

Thanks again everyone for the input and advice. I've gone ahead and rented an oceanfront apartment in Flagler Beach for the month of January in order to get a better feel for the town and decide whether it's the best choice for me long term. For the first time ever, I can't wait for the winter!

[Fredesch]

Good luck and avoid getting hit by cars as you cross A1A.