Melbourne or Melbourne Beach ... Your thoughts? (Orlando, Palm Bay: houses, neighborhoods, purchasing)

[Infinite loop]

Saw your other thread. Maybe Fort Lauderdale?

[halfwaygone]

Originally Posted by BestEver9

Thanks for your replies. I've heard that Melbourne (inland) isn't all that bad and downtown has a decent amount of bars / restaurants all within walking distance. I know it's not exactly buzzing like say New York or L.A., but from what I've heard there's enough to keep me busy. It's also a good centralized location not too far from Orlando.

I have thought about the gulf (Tampa / St. Pete in particular) but I'm an Atlantic coast guy at heart. I'm a sucker for the waves.

There are restaurants. Nobody walks. There are no bars for young professionals (beyond maybe if you drive to like a bar and grill type restaurant to watch a game maybe). There is NO nightlife to speak of. There are a few bars, lounges, etc. . . closer to Cocoa Beach, mostly for tourists, and there are some bars for basically alcoholics. (In Melbourne Beach, there's a bar called the Oasis. You'll find a few bikers, some older -- 50/60 women -- and an underage kid probably at any given time. Maybe 3-4 people in the place on a weekend.)

There is NO downtown Melbourne. There's historic downtown Melbourne, but that's pretty bare.

It's about an hour and a half from Orlando, possibly two if you live beachside, as it takes half an hour just to get to the main land.

Feel free to move there, but don't have illusions. It's not even close to the nightlife in Philly (or, heck, probably a Philly suburb), let alone NYC. Know what you're getting into here.

[newtofl407]

Whoa - when you say you know its not NYC or LA -- you need to realize its not even like a well-developed suburb.....That is there's a lot more going on in Winter Park (suburb of Orlando) than Melbourne -- I think you need to make a visit.

I agree w/another poster -- definitely head further south - there's lots of nice areas around West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and of course Miami IS a big city. Further north Jacksonville is a nice city with lots going on....

[annagurl333]

Hello!
- First, I do agree with Halfwaygone to an extent. Just know that you are going from Philly to Melbourne. Yes, you have the beach, but you also have a very slow paced way of life. Also expect slow drivers, friendly people, a decent amount of bars, lack of shopping opportunities, an hour and a half drive to the attractions at Orlando, a large elderly population, a nice breeze but a lot of humidity. For some (myself included), I enjoy living here. Others, usually the type that always need to be “entertained” without the capability of finding things/activities/people to entertain themselves, find it very boring.

- If you were coming here without employment, I'd tell you to not move here unless you had something lined up. Work is getting more and more scare, especially more toward the northern part of Brevard County (mainly due the NASA and all of the affilitated stores and companies). However, since this isn't a problem, as long as you actually Want a slow paced life, you might find yourself very happy here.

- If you do move to Melb. Beach, when finding a condo, try for something reasonably close to Eau Galie Blvd. This is where you will enevitably be doing most of your grocery shopping and your coffee runs (mmm...starbucks! ). Plus, it extends into a causeway into Melb.

- The main difference btwn Melb and Melb Beach simply said is the beach and prices. Melb. Beach is quite nice during the day and active with people and life. However when it gets dark, so does the whole beachside. Not much going on after dark there. Melbourne has more going on for that, so you'd be traveling there for most of your nightly entertainment desires. You'll also find yourself in general going to Melb a lot for shopping other than the basic groceries.

- I wouldn't say that Melb Beach has a “nicer” area than another. Melbourne sure does though, so be careful if you see a good “deal”. Also, beachside is known for having lots of police officers monitoring the area. This most certainly has good points to it, but I have known countless people to rant on about having been pulled over and gotten a ticket for going 4 miles over the speed limit. Just drive slow at night

- As for your qualifications: Is Melbourne Beach clean? Yes. Nice beaches? I really like them, and have friends who love surfing here. Has a lot going on? That definitely depends on your definition. Bars, yes. Beach, yes. Friendly people, yes. Nightclubs, no. A fun, yet small downtown Melbourne, yes...there is like 6 bars there people go back and forth btwn. There are other bars around town as well. Melbourne does “close down” a bit later (not much) than beachside. You'll be very limited with choices of restaurants after 10 pm however.

- I'd personally consider living inland towards Melbourne/PB/Viera. It's cheaper, there are still nice areas (not sure about condos though), and it's more around everything. Plus, you don't have to evacuate for hurricanes the way you do beachside. However, if the Melb area seems to small for you in general, maybe consider Port St. Lucie or more towards Fort Lauderdale? Just know that as you go south, the traffic and crime get heavier (generally, but Vero is still very small and safe)..

- Come out and visit us!

[flguy123]

We live in Orlando (due to jobs) and visit Melbourne Beach regularly when we want a day trip to the beach. But honestly, if I had the choice of living on, or very near to, a beach in Florida I don't think I would pick anything along the Treasure or Space Coast. I'm sure I'll be flamed for saying this, but it's all rather tacky and the locals are a bit on the redneck side. I would definitely head further south (e.g., Palm Beach County) to find a beach scene that also had a little more class and culture, with some urban amenities and upscale town centers nearer by.

As far as the Gulf Coast, well, with the oil spill and everything I would be very cautious about moving there unless you're going to rent first. That said, I would pick Clearwater, St. Pete or Sarasota/Siesta Key area. The latter being my personal preference.

Good luck!

[Rabflmom]

Clarification needed maybe. When people are talking about Melbourne Beach are they referring to Melbourne Beachside( across the Eau Gallie causeway area North of Indiatlantic or the town of Melbourne Beach which is South of Indiatlantic?

The town of Melbourne actually includes the area across the causeway and there is no Melbourne Beach North of Indiatlantic actually it is technically just Melbourne. Then I think you are in Canova Beach.

The town of Melbourne Beach is just a residential community basically with very few commercial places-a couple shopping strips, a library, a nice park, a couple restaurants, a golf course and a few public beaches. Homes are expensive so an upper class community of families and retirees.

For entertainment in this county of a 1/4-1/2 million people, you are not limited to just one town or city. Most people drive to wherever the bands are playing or where the younger crowd gets together on weekends, Wednesday and Thursday nights. It does not "hop" like downtown Orlando or Miami Beach but there is still lots to do in the area.

OP is interested in surfing so definitely find a place to live here in Brevard County so you can get to the beach when the waves are here. Coming from Orlando to surf at 6AM will be a pain. Midway between Patrick Air Force Base( Picnic Tables beach) and Sebastian Inlet is where you want to be.

[BigDwane]

We've lived in MB for almost 10 years. In the surrounding area there's lot's of small bar/grill places, individually owned or local chain restaurants, a number of multiscreen movie theaters, a Center for entertainers (King Center), a community college, DoD Contractors, numerous denominational churches, production theaters, lot's of water sports (sailing, fishing [surf and boat] swimming, surfing, etc.) It's all about family and friends and a job to pay for it all. Weather is pleasant, about 5 - 10 degrees cooler than inland central Florida and a small town atmosphere in Melbourne Beach which is laid back!

[laceydog3]

Can anybody tell me about the Sonesta Walk Phase Two condo development in Melbourne? Please let me know if this development is a nice place to live? I will coming down from New York in two weeks to look at these properties and don't want to regret putting a deposit on one. Is Melbourne considered a safe area and how have the hurricanes impacted the area in the last ten years? Is there alot of flooding when a storm comes by?
Thanks for any information you can give me on these questions!

[laceydog3]

I need information on how Melbourne has withstood the hurricanes that have passed by in the last ten years as far as flooding and home damage? Does anybody out there know anything about the Sonesta Walk townhouse community in Melbourne in regard to distance from shopping and stores, crime activity, and what are the temperatures in January/February? What are the pluses and minuses to living there? Thanks!

[aznjesus44]

I used to live in Melbourne, Florida. I lived in Brevard County. I was their for the hurricane grand slam when all the hurricanes came. Throughout all five of the hurricanes, no real damage was done to the surrounding houses except for roof shingles and pool screens were blown down. It never flooded during the hurricanes. I recommend you stay away from Melbourne personally if your a younger person. Their is a reason why everyone calls it Melboring...