[JayEmm]

Hello, I'm a 43 year old single guy from Massachusetts. Last fall on a business trip, I drove through Flagler Beach and was very intrigued by it's "old school" and laid back appearance, but I didn't have time to stop and spend any time there. When another business trip to Orlando presented itself recently, I made sure to schedule a mini vacation for a couple of days to check it out.

Well, it exceeded my expectations and then some. Everyone seemed to be smiling and have a great attitude, the weather and the beach was beautiful and there are plenty of restaurants and bars. I didn't think the noise, traffic and crowds were bad at all, and this was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Flagler Beach seems like the perfect small beach town, and now I'm seriously considering the idea of moving there (or at least snowbirding) in the near future.

After coming home and doing some more research, it looks like there is real estate that I like within my price range as well.

So, I'm trying to figure out what the negatives are. It looks like the primary issue is jobs/economy, but I am self employed and work from home so that shouldn't be an issue for me. Another complaint seems to be lack of shopping, but I don't have fancy tastes and it looks like supermarkets and a Target are close by, every big box store in the world is one exit away in Palm Coast, and St. Augustine and Daytona are not far at all. The taxes don't seem unreasonable either.

There must be more downsides that I'm not aware of. Maybe the homeowner's insurance is astronomical? Does it get really crazy in the middle of summer? Issues with crime? Or maybe it really is just the "right" place for me?

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from people more familiar with Flagler Beach to share with me the good, bad and ugly.

[jambo101]

Traffic can get heavy on the weekends as many like to take the drive from Daytona to St Augustine, is the only downside i can think of.
Miles of empty beach,great fishing pier and restaurant,20 minutes if you want to visit Daytona or 40 minutes to St Augustine, The town becomes positively sleepy during the week.
I have fond memories of living there for 6 months back in the early 70,it certainly has grown over the years

[jwolfer]

It is a small town, if you want exciting night life and clubs you wont find it there. But it could be the perfect place if that is what you want. I am considering taking a job in Daytona Beach area and my kids live in Jacksonville with their mom. I have also considered Flagler Beach. I grew up in a small summer resort beach town in NJ. It would be nice to be in a small town sometimes

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Traffic can get heavy on the weekends as many like to take the drive from Daytona to St Augustine, is the only downside i can think of.
Miles of empty beach,great fishing pier and restaurant,20 minutes if you want to visit Daytona or 40 minutes to St Augustine, The town becomes positively sleepy during the week.
I have fond memories of living there for 6 months back in the early 70,it certainly has grown over the years

It also has a fairly prevalent biker appeal, especially on weekends which can be annoying if you're not into loud motorcycle exhausts. I would strongly urge the OP look a bit further south in Brevard County in towns like Satellite Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach which have that "old school" feel minus the negatives found in Flagler Beach/Palm Coast.

[JayEmm]

Thanks for the replies so far, I appreciate everyone's input.

The "small town" aspect is definitely both a plus and a minus. I wouldn't need local employment and wouldn't need to worry about commute, schools, shopping malls, etc., so most of those issues that many people care about wouldn't really apply to me.

As far as nightlife goes, that's not a big deal to me anymore. I do like going to bars on occasion, but a 10-11pm closing time is fine with me nowadays.

I did notice the bike culture in the area. While I don't like the noise, the bikers themselves seem fine for the most part. One of the things that I liked about Flagler Beach was the mix of different people...bikers, surfers, old hippies, retirees, tourists...everyone seemed free to be themselves and nobody bothered each other...but I realize this is easy to say after only a two day visit.

Kyle, I will take a closer look at the towns you mentioned, but after a quick check I think they might me more expensive and not quite what I am looking for. One of the things that really appealed to me about Flagler Beach was the fact that the ocean is completely unobstructed from A1A, and everyone can enjoy the view. Are there any neighborhoods in the towns you recommend like that?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by JayEmm

Kyle, I will take a closer look at the towns you mentioned, but after a quick check I think they might me more expensive and not quite what I am looking for. One of the things that really appealed to me about Flagler Beach was the fact that the ocean is completely unobstructed from A1A, and everyone can enjoy the view. Are there any neighborhoods in the towns you recommend like that?

Much of Patrick Shores (north of Satellite Beach) as well as the southern end of Melbourne Beach southward to Sebastian Inlet will be like that. it is a bit more expensive (particularly around Melbourne Beach) where you're paying a bit more for the desirability factor. I would recommend a visit for comparisons sake anyway.

[JayEmm]

Kyle, thanks for the advice, you seem to know quite a bit about the area. I will research Patrick Shores and Melbourne Beach/Sebastian Inlet. I would like to try and keep it under $300k for a 2BR condo/small house preferably with ocean view, or at least very close to the ocean. Walkability to restaurants and small shops is a big plus as well.

What I am definitely NOT looking for is a place like Palm Coast with planned subdivisions and endless strings of strip malls, or towers/mansions on the beach blocking the ocean view from town, etc...in other words, the stereotypical type of places that had at one time completely turned me off to Florida. The lack of those kinds of things is what attracted me to Flagler Beach in a way that nowhere else in Florida has. Is there anything else about Flagler Beach that you don't like other than the noise from the bikers?

[jambo101]

While the area around the Flagler Beach Pier can sometimes get crowded on Saturday-Sunday afternoons most of the week its a rather quiet place with miles of deserted beach.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=flagl...7ZD6AQ_AUIBygC

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by JayEmm

What I am definitely NOT looking for is a place like Palm Coast with planned subdivisions and endless strings of strip malls, or towers/mansions on the beach blocking the ocean view from town, etc...in other words, the stereotypical type of places that had at one time completely turned me off to Florida. The lack of those kinds of things is what attracted me to Flagler Beach in a way that nowhere else in Florida has. Is there anything else about Flagler Beach that you don't like other than the noise from the bikers?

The fact that you don't like Palm Coast-like places. That's where people in Flagler Beach have to go for most amenities and what I would dislike about it too. There just isn't much there quite frankly and a significant drive to get anywhere else.

[expatCA]

I see a lot of beach area, with houses across the hwy, but what parking is available to access the beaches? Can they park alongside the road? I did not see many parking lots/areas there?