Palm City Family Friendly? (Jupiter, Stuart: transplants, hair salon, 2013)

[trendi1]

I haven't been able to find much information about Palm City on any searches so here goes.... My husband and I looking to relocate from the North East to Florida. We are in our early 30's with a 14 month old and plan to have another. School systems are a high priority, along with a gated community, prefer golf and family friendly. We have looked in St. John county but I didn't love northern Florida.

My parents own a home in Jensen Beach so I am sort of familiar with Stuart. While its ok, it seems like an older crowd, sleepy town. We usually just head to Jupiter or West Palm when we want to go out (which isn't often but still).

Our budget is around 500k. Which is why I'm not solely looking in Jupiter. Reality is... our money can't get us all that much in Jupiter. We both work from home and we need at least 2500 sq feet. From a few google searches I found Palm City - which gets really high scores in regard to schools and it appears our money goes further there. 2 country clubs I found so far... Heritage Harbour and Piper's Landing which appear to be something I'd be interested in assuming they are family friendly.

Anyone have any advice or experience with this area? Its really hard to house hunt in an area being a flight away.

[cmd610]

We live in Palm City, have pre-k kids and an elementary school aged kid. It is very family friendly, all of the schools are A rated. You will definitely get more for your money in Martin County and Palm City. As far as neighborhoods go, Pipers and Heritage Harbour home prices are good, but the HOA and Club fees are super expensive.

Martin Downs CC, Fox Club (Cobblestone neighborhood) and Hammock Creek are (IMO) better options. Other family friendly neighborhoods are Copperleaf, Hammock Creek, Highlands Reserve, Danforth, Isleworth, River Landing, Lighthouse point area, Cobblestone, Stuart West, Evergreene (golf here too) are some that come to mind. Realtor.com may give you a better idea….

Let me know if you have questions.

[FlaLadyB]

Palm City is very family friendly. There are golf course communities if that is what you like, but most you don't have to join if yu don't want to. Pipers Landing is very nice...but... like it or not.. you are REQUIRED to by a very expensive equity membership there. Lots of homes to choose from, even on waterways. Some older, some brand new.

There is also a new waterfront community just coming on board. You can get in at the first choosing. Gorgeous views.

[N9HZ]

We moved to Palm City in 2013 from the Midwest.

Pros: We selected Palm City due to the reputation of the schools (Martin County Schools are rated the best in Florida on Niche), proximity to our new jobs here (Martin Health Systems) and ease of getting to the beach and Palm Beach Garden for shopping, etc.. Palm City has a number of beautiful neighborhoods and is just generally a very pretty and convenient place to live. I would list the same neighborhoods as those listed in previous posts as places to investigate for family-friendly living. Palm City is quite safe as the Martin County Sheriff's Department doesn't mess around. There is basic shopping around the corner from most neighborhoods (Publix, Panera, Subway, Walgreens, CVS, nail and hair salons, a handful of Italian, Pizza and Mexican restaurants), a small shopping mall, more restaurants, Target, Walmart, etc. within 10-15 minutes. While there is more traffic during the winter months with snowbirds in the area, the traffic is really very limited and you can get where you want to go in a snap. We were warned that the weather would be brutal in the summers, but we found it to be just fine with the beach 15 minutes away, an ocean breeze that keeps the temps down some, and pools in most yards or neighborhoods. (The weather is really about as close to Paradise as you're going to get!) There is a quaint shopping/dining/arts district in Stuart right over one of two bridges and there are many, many things to do here for adults, children and families: sports, bike trails/sidwalks that connect everything, libraries, yoga, crossfit, organized sports and activities for the children, robotics, etc.. The teachers and administration at the schools we've encountered in Palm City are very good and try very hard with communication and support and we believe the teachers have done their very best to make learning fun and interesting while preparing their students for the FCAT (now FSA) assessments (that every Florida public school child can tell you all about).

Cons: Our children (4th, 5th and 7th graders now) attended outstanding public schools up north. We found that they entered school ahead of the students here. The pressure of passing the FCAT/FSA is so great that we have witnessed multiple children in tears/expressing great anxiety regarding these tests. This is probably because Florida law mandates that third graders be retained if they don't pass however, so this is not something unique to Palm City. We have found the culture in Palm City to be different than from where we came and it's been an adjustment. Most adults we've met/encountered here (generally other transplants from the Northeast - especially New York and New Jersey) are surprisingly welcoming and friendly, but there seems to be a high level of social competitiveness in the area and relational aggression is sadly an occurrence that we have witnessed or heard about all to often between children. As moderate liberals, we have found the area to be loudly - and sometimes aggressively - conservative. Values such as humility, cooperation, or kindness to those who are different, weak or are less-fortunate appear to be somewhat scarce in certain social circles. While this is certainly true of some people everywhere and there definitely are very kind and tolerant people in Palm City, there is almost no diversity in Palm City - it is blindingly white - and we weren't here two months before our children learned various racial epithets, along with every other curse word known to mankind. Many of the neighborhoods in Palm City have housing that is starting to age. With only a few new development exceptions, many of the homes on the market are in need of some updating and/or are very close together.

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by N9HZ

We moved to Palm City in 2013 from the Midwest.

Pros: We selected Palm City due to the reputation of the schools (Martin County Schools are rated the best in Florida on Niche), proximity to our new jobs here (Martin Health Systems) and ease of getting to the beach and Palm Beach Garden for shopping, etc.. Palm City has a number of beautiful neighborhoods and is just generally a very pretty and convenient place to live. I would list the same neighborhoods as those listed in previous posts as places to investigate for family-friendly living. Palm City is quite safe as the Martin County Sheriff's Department doesn't mess around. There is basic shopping around the corner from most neighborhoods (Publix, Panera, Subway, Walgreens, CVS, nail and hair salons, a handful of Italian, Pizza and Mexican restaurants), a small shopping mall, more restaurants, Target, Walmart, etc. within 10-15 minutes. While there is more traffic during the winter months with snowbirds in the area, the traffic is really very limited and you can get where you want to go in a snap. We were warned that the weather would be brutal in the summers, but we found it to be just fine with the beach 15 minutes away, an ocean breeze that keeps the temps down some, and pools in most yards or neighborhoods. (The weather is really about as close to Paradise as you're going to get!) There is a quaint shopping/dining/arts district in Stuart right over one of two bridges and there are many, many things to do here for adults, children and families: sports, bike trails/sidwalks that connect everything, libraries, yoga, crossfit, organized sports and activities for the children, robotics, etc.. The teachers and administration at the schools we've encountered in Palm City are very good and try very hard with communication and support and we believe the teachers have done their very best to make learning fun and interesting while preparing their students for the FCAT (now FSA) assessments (that every Florida public school child can tell you all about).

Cons: Our children (4th, 5th and 7th graders now) attended outstanding public schools up north. We found that they entered school ahead of the students here. The pressure of passing the FCAT/FSA is so great that we have witnessed multiple children in tears/expressing great anxiety regarding these tests. This is probably because Florida law mandates that third graders be retained if they don't pass however, so this is not something unique to Palm City. We have found the culture in Palm City to be different than from where we came and it's been an adjustment. Most adults we've met/encountered here (generally other transplants from the Northeast - especially New York and New Jersey) are surprisingly welcoming and friendly, but there seems to be a high level of social competitiveness in the area and relational aggression is sadly an occurrence that we have witnessed or heard about all to often between children. As moderate liberals, we have found the area to be loudly - and sometimes aggressively - conservative. Values such as humility, cooperation, or kindness to those who are different, weak or are less-fortunate appear to be somewhat scarce in certain social circles. While this is certainly true of some people everywhere and there definitely are very kind and tolerant people in Palm City, there is almost no diversity in Palm City - it is blindingly white - and we weren't here two months before our children learned various racial epithets, along with every other curse word known to mankind. Many of the neighborhoods in Palm City have housing that is starting to age. With only a few new development exceptions, many of the homes on the market are in need of some updating and/or are very close together.

That's funny. Your post got increasingly aggressive as you kept writing. And confusing.

Maybe you thought you were moving to a CITY because that word is in the name.

Palm City is a CDP, an unincorporated town of 23K. A whopping 16 Sq Mi. What we may call "the suburbs".

You admittedly have a ton of Northeasterners and don't enjoy the culture. Why would you be surprised it's not like the Mid West?

Humility LOL.

Are you AWARE that even in the corporate world they make you take classes and do management seminars to understand the differences between people of NEW YORK and IOWA??

At my Fortune 10 company they made us do appraisals of our peers in Iowa and they all said "OMG if you gave our people appraisals like that they'd all be crying." We said "HAHAHA if you gave our people appraisals like you did, they'd all be laughing at you."

I'm not too sure what you suggest can be done when people of color chose to not move somewhere, but there's probably a nice Affirmative Action program somewhere floating around the Progressive circles that will FORCE everyone to move equally.

There are probably plenty of African Americas that you work with; maybe ask them.

It's still a problem though since the country is STILL 77% White as of the last census. And I'm sure you KNOW that Hispanics are increasingly identifying as White.

You know, you COULD HAVE moved a couple inches over to Port St Lucie where the demographics are more to your liking. A mere 15-20 minutes away. Or even Stuart.

PSL White Only Not Hispanic - 62%

Versus Stuart White Only Not Hispanic - 73%

Versus Palm City White Only Not Hispanic - 91%.

I wonder if you have any insight as to why you didn't make THAT choice? You chose the white area it didn't chose you.

And let's be REAL, in PALM CITY the mere existence of any significant number of : different, weak or less-fortunate appears to be somewhat scarce to begin with.

With an average 2.5 persons per household, a per capita income of $40K versus $26K for the state, $73K Median Household Income versus $46K for Florida, and a whopping 5% below the poverty line - 1/3 the state of Florida. A home ownership rate of 85% vs 67% Florida.

Lastly, you ARE AWARE that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is mandating this school craziness, correct? People have been on national news with the "children are crying" story. The PARENTS can't even do the Common Core math to help them, which of course is by DESIGN since the schools say "they are OUR CHILDREN, TOO". [NO THEY ARE NOT].

YAY BIG CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT! Yet when Conservatives criticize Common Core they're called what? EPITHETS!

Is THIS the type of AGGRESSIVE Conservatism that bothers you? Relax, I'm from the evil North East, Philly. We're animated. For that matter they're "nicer" in Pittsburgh than Philly. We're busy. Places to go people to see. Things to do.

A couple of years ago Florida ranked 6th in the country. Ever since this moving target mess of testing that keeps changing, they're in the middle of the pack. Something you failed to mention. The schools were also BUMPED DOWN if they failed to meet the NEW UNMEASURABLE LIBERAL CRITERIA of "potential to excel" or some nonsense.

There is no utopia in Florida or anywhere else. But you may want to educate yourselves on WHY the schools are having problems and get involved to correct it. It also starts at the BALLOT BOX. Or your School District members depending on how your county puts them in office.

[CarolinaHopefuls]

Moved from NJ to Palm City. The schools are better down here and we love it. Martin county schools were just ranked #1 on niche. Standardized testing is worse up north as well (so much arguing and hostility about it up there!). Some neighborhoods are more family friendly than others. You will know when you have found the right place. Good luck!!

[sammylovesu]

Palm city is ridiculously overpriced for suckers.

Go to port st lucie, Jensen beach, Stuart.

Do you really need more than this?: http://www.remax.com/realestatehomes...012860654.html

[Fl1150]

I always figured Martin County was the county conservatives escaped to from liberal South Florida and it seems like that's the case based on opinions here. But I expect the area to get more diverse as more people flee and come from other states as it has good schools.

[FlaLadyB]

The schools are good.. the prices are not. It will somewhat depend on what you can afford

[SJNE17]

Good thread. Keep the discussion going. Not so much about the racial and political dynamic, preferably, but about the town and things to do, what is attractive (or not) about it, etc.

Thanks!