Where should I NOT move to in Port St. Lucie?

Hi all! I'm RUNNNNING from philadelphia with my family and would like to know where in PSL should we be staying away from? It looks so beautiful in all the websites, ads and job postings...can I believe this little oasis!? :)

Dianna in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: Hi all! I'm RUNNNNING from philadelphia with my family and would like to know where in PSL should we be staying away from? It looks so beautiful in all the websites, ads and job postings...can I believe this little oasis!? :)

There are really no bad areas in PSL, But anything west of us-1 is a great area

Thank you for that!! Anything further?

I'm also looking for personal info from parents with kids in the schools ... :)

Dianna in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: Hi all! I'm RUNNNNING from philadelphia with my family and would like to know where in PSL should we be staying away from? It looks so beautiful in all the websites, ads and job postings...can I believe this little oasis!? :)

Well I've been living here for 5 months and I love it, but there are no jobs here, I have to drive and hour to work in West Palm Beach.

very true, The only real bad thing about PSL is there is no jobs here!!! Been here 7 months and still no job in PSL. BTW anyone needs a salesperson i can sell ice to eskimos :)

I have lived in Port St Lucie (PSL) since I was a little kid. It is true that there isn't really any jobs in Port St Lucie since we have no industry here. What we have is a lot of resturants, shopping areas, doctor offices, etc.. no big mills or companies except a branch of QVC shopping network.
Right now things are slow here. Port st Lucie is absolutly beautiful in areas where we have new growth. Some of the older areas are not as wonderful as they use to be because they have turned into a lot of rental properties etc... but compaired though to most cities it is very nice all around!! There isn't really a "bad" area in port St Lucie ...no slum area I mean. We have new families move here all the time and our population has exploded. Our taxes are high here also.
Where you chose to live will determine where you kids go to school. PSL is divided by color codes so that your child goes to only the schools in their zone unless you choose to send them to a private school. The school system here is over run and they have several new schools in the works. You can go to this web site for more information. www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/
You can also see how the testing for each school is around here. I believe Port St Lucie High is the worst right now...don't know how old your kids are? Almost all buildings here are new also since we keep adding new shopping areas. You should always visit before you move to find a job and see if the housing is affordable. Most people who come from up north want to get away from the snow but come here and are depressed the first Christmas since the seasons never really change.
Last time I checked the cheapest rental property was $1000 for about a 2 bedroom. Since the market is slow though it might have changed. You can check the port St Lucie news for an idea of how much rentals and houses are right now.
The beach is very close from any area in PSL and you would be able to get there from any place in PSL within a half hour.

WOW! Thank you very very much for all that wonderful insight!! I appreciate your time a great deal! We did visit twice and will be visiting again soon. Yeah I'll admit the holidays will be depressing...My daughter will be 9 mos so I have plenty of time to figure it out but I wanted to move into the best school zone. I did do some homework on the zones..which in your opinion is the less crowded, best for challange, best teachers...etc?? I'll forward this to my husband so he can read it to at his leisure and we'll probably have more questions...
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH AGAIN!!
Dianna

iam thinkingh of moving to PLS, and would like to know if there is any social worker colleges, or universities in the city, i am trying to complete my degree, dont really want to drive to westpalm for school too far away.

Planning on moving to PSL , have visited already and loved it there. does anyone know about JOBS in the medical field in PSL ? 10 yrs + experience with a degree as a Bacterialogist and related fields. Thanks

PSL has a lot to offer as far as a career in the medical field. Just west of Gatlin blvd. they are getting ready to build a brand new hospital right next to Torrey Pines institute for Molecular Studies and the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI)is also located in the same area. Hope this helps.

PSL BOUND in Port Saint Lucie, Florida said: PSL has a lot to offer as far as a career in the medical field. Just west of Gatlin blvd. they are getting ready to build a brand new hospital right next to Torrey Pines institute for Molecular Studies and the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI)is also located in the same area. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your info hopefully soon will b able to visit and put some apps. Have you heard of a new medical laboratory being built or already functiong in PSL. I also hope you get what you want in PSL, Godwilling HUH (;

As far as the new Lab, You may be thinking about Torrey Pines, Its a new facility that is about a year old now. The company i now work for does work there. You might want to check out the're website: www.tpims.org. Yeah I ended up taking a job out of WPB with an energy solutions company but i do most of my work from home and the PSL area so it has worked out fairly well despite having been out of work for 11 months!! Good luck with your job hunt and if you have any questions about the area id be more than happy to answer them for you.

Yo waasssupp

Cassie in Geneva, New York said: Yo waasssupp

Hello Cassie, not much happening so far here but enjoying sunny california when it doesn't rain other than that where I am at is not tooooooo bad ,we have alot of strawberries growing in this area plus all kinds of produce and citrus products. what up in your neck of the woods or should I say SNOW AND ICE NO NO PREFER CALIFORNIA OR PSL.Good luck with that weather ok.

PSL BOUND in Port Saint Lucie, Florida said: As far as the new Lab, You may be thinking about Torrey Pines, Its a new facility that is about a year old now. The company i now work for does work there. You might want to check out the're website: www.tpims.org . Yeah I ended up taking a job out of WPB with an energy solutions company but i do most of my work from home and the PSL area so it has worked out fairly well despite having been out of work for 11 months!! Good luck with your job hunt and if you have any questions about the area id be more than happy to answer them for you.

I am thinking of moving to PSL with my fiance. He is convinced it is the place to be but he does not have to worry about a job. I do and I keep hearing there is not much out there. I am an office manager in a car dealership. Whats my chance of getting a job in a dealership?

I would check out the dealerships on US1 in PSL and Ft. Pierce. there are quite a few in the area and I will say you can get a steal on a house in the area. Lots of newer homes on the market down here.

You might want to try Lexus of Ft. Pierce. it is a new dealership in the area

I know there are a lot of dealerships in Fort Pierce and Stuart I was just hoping to find out what the availability of an office is job is and would love to know the pay scale as well. I have written to a few dealerships but no one has written back as of yet.

Another question we have is are there areas of PSL that are nicer than others. Are there areas we should stay away from. Which sub division is the newest? I believe I read Torino. My boyfriend has been likeing what he has been reading about the Tradition subdivision.

A concern I have moving to FL is bugs. What are the bugs like out there? I am assuming they are worse closer to the river. We are sit in the yard kinda people, are we going to be able to do that? Or are the bugs going to drive us back in the house?

We are hoping to visit the area in June. Hopefully that will rest all of my fears. Change is always difficult, but I know it is a good thing too. Thanks for all the comments, they help.

G in Port Saint Lucie, Florida said: Well I've been living here for 5 months and I love it, but there are no jobs here, I have to drive and hour to work in West Palm Beach.

Please tell me you found a job and you are still loving it there.

Im thinking of moving to PSL from this terrible state of NJ Been getting real estate listings from a realtor and love what we see but are very concerned that PSL is so close to the beach and the prices of homes are so cheap like the center of the state! Also no meantion on taxes on a house in PSL ANyone no would luv to hear about it

wow brick this state of florida sucks. not tgryin g to get you discouraged you would have your reasons to move here. but jobs are non existent here and if you do get one it pays nothing. but yes it is cheap as only old folks who need no jobs live here. the houses are cheap and nice. tahts true. i live in one town home a beautiful one and it is seeling for only 60000...

Angela,
I have heard it is really hard to get a job there as is here in NY right now also. But I would need a job in a car dealership office and I heard they are a dime a dozen out there, I hope that is true. As for making loads of money, of course everyone wants to but I don't need to if the "COL" is cheaper. Besides jobs, can you tell me more about the area? Are the people nice? Is there high crime? Will I hate the weather? Whats the deal with the bugs? Are there so many that it is impossible to sit outside? I love to shop, how's the shopping? Please get back to me. Any info good or bad is appreciated.

HI Brick. If teh reason why you are moving is the weather then you will like the weather here even though it gets a little hot in the summer. But i wouldnt know about your job and the opportunity there is here i only know that it is very tough for people here to find jobs and teh pay is really nothing and people come from the north only for the weather but when they realize about the economy they go back. I am moving to New jersey from here because i didnt like it here. I am more of a city girl and loved it in New York. Here it is very slow and kind of boring for me at least. It all depends on how you are. The people are ok maybe more relaxed than in New york. As far as bugs we had tons of them for couple of weeks this month at the point where we coulodnt open the window because the house would be filled with those. Now it is fine and nice. The cost of living is lower but i think teh reason is again because you have nothing much here. If you like absolutely quiet places with not much around and if you like the heat then you will be ok here. It is also safe and this is a good point. Fort Lauderdale might be a better place maybe? Where are you from in new york or new jersey this is where i am going..why you want to leave the place. I am moving there next month.

Gina in Stony Brook, New York said: Angela,
I have heard it is really hard to get a job there as is here in NY right now also. But I would need a job in a car dealership office and I heard they are a dime a dozen out there, I hope that is true. As for making loads of money, of course everyone wants to but I don't need to if the "COL" is cheaper. Besides jobs, can you tell me more about the area? Are the people nice? Is there high crime? Will I hate the weather? Whats the deal with the bugs? Are there so many that it is impossible to sit outside? I love to shop, how's the shopping? Please get back to me. Any info good or bad is appreciated.

Sorry Gina i called you Brick i though i was responding to his post. Lol Gina are you Italian? I am born and raised Italian

Hello Angela,
Yes, I am Part Italian. I am more into a relaxed atmosphere. I am 46 and I like to have fun but I can travel an hour for the fun every once in a while. But I don't want to travel an hour for work every day! I have always worked near my home and if I had to travel to work everyday that just would not work for me. I don't mind making a little bit less, but also don't want to work for nothing. I'm all about friends gathering at a local place to have a few cocktails, watching the sun set and people as they walk by. Going for walks with my honey. So PSL sounds just our speed. I just want to make sure I have a job before going there. Thanks for all your info. It helps a lot. Keep it coming.
Thanks, Gina

Does anyone watch "AAN" television...? Jeremiah Hartmann (auctioneer).
We enjoy his show and are considering purchasing a foreclosure.
What do you think about the real estate situation in Florida?
We want to live in or near a metropolitan city.
What areas would you suggest?
Thank you.

Goldngirl
goldstringer@gmail.com

B in Port Saint Lucie, Florida said: I have lived in Port St Lucie (PSL) since I was a little kid. It is true that there isn't really any jobs in Port St Lucie since we have no industry here. What we have is a lot of resturants, shopping areas, doctor offices, etc.. no big mills or companies except a branch of QVC shopping network.
Right now things are slow here. Port st Lucie is absolutly beautiful in areas where we have new growth. Some of the older areas are not as wonderful as they use to be because they have turned into a lot of rental properties etc... but compaired though to most cities it is very nice all around!! There isn't really a "bad" area in port St Lucie ...no slum area I mean. We have new families move here all the time and our population has exploded. Our taxes are high here also.
Where you chose to live will determine where you kids go to school. PSL is divided by color codes so that your child goes to only the schools in their zone unless you choose to send them to a private school. The school system here is over run and they have several new schools in the works. You can go to this web site for more information. www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/
You can also see how the testing for each school is around here. I believe Port St Lucie High is the worst right now...don't know how old your kids are? Almost all buildings here are new also since we keep adding new shopping areas. You should always visit before you move to find a job and see if the housing is affordable. Most people who come from up north want to get away from the snow but come here and are depressed the first Christmas since the seasons never really change.
Last time I checked the cheapest rental property was $1000 for about a 2 bedroom. Since the market is slow though it might have changed. You can check the port St Lucie news for an idea of how much rentals and houses are right now.
The beach is very close from any area in PSL and you would be able to get there from any pla

PSL is nice and queit i will agree. But your kids will end up doin drugs and getin introuble due to the lack of activites and things to do in PSL. RARLEY any parks. most of the parks are jus empty grass lands. And if you dont have a car your basically screwd. because nothing is close. Lots of traffic. for this small town. When i first moved here everything was 1way roads. But the population grew so did the roads. jus my .2 i moved to california and im never going back there.

Port St Lucie is very safe very nice and very cheap! There is not any high paying jobs that I have ever seen outside of sales. I love it here, and wont be leaving until the real estate prices start rising. If you are coming from New England you will find an extremely safe oasis unlike anything you are used to, you will not hear gun shots, or risk being car-jacked at every light. The poor in st lucie county do alot of home invasions and that is the only crime you hear of for the most part. It is also a police state, do not speed, forget your blinker, and any other off thing, because you will immediately get pulled over, and ticketed, and chances are the police officer may come off as arrogant especially to a new englander. I have been here on and off since 04 and the pros seriously outweigh the cons, especially with the current pricing here. Come on down buy a house for 80k rent it when the market comes back, and go further south.

James in Port Saint Lucie, Florida said: PSL is nice and queit i will agree. But your kids will end up doin drugs and getin introuble due to the lack of activites and things to do in PSL. RARLEY any parks. most of the parks are jus empty grass lands. And if you dont have a car your basically screwd. because nothing is close. Lots of traffic. for this small town. When i first moved here everything was 1way roads. But the population grew so did the roads. jus my .2 i moved to california and im never going back there.

Dianna in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: Hi all! I'm RUNNNNING from philadelphia with my family and would like to know where in PSL should we be staying away from? It looks so beautiful in all the websites, ads and job postings...can I believe this little oasis!? :)

I live in St Lucie West..its the newest area of Port St Lucie with homes all within gated communities..we have everything here from shopping,movie theater,golf and all the resturants you can think of..its beautiful here. I moved here from Long Island 7 years ago...unfortunately, I do have to move back to Long Island for family reasons...So if anyone is interested in a beautiful home on the lake...feel free to contact me lol...good luck to you!!!

If your kids get into drugs I would have to say that is a parenting issue not a lack of things to do issue. There is plenty of things for the kids to do here. The new civic center has a ton of activities for kids, there are weekend events almost every weekend, Not to mention there is a super cool paintball park right in PSL that is a great way to keep the kiddos out of trouble and helps them with team building skills. Its called invincables paintball park I think. They also have a BMX bike park there as well.

Dianna in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: Hi all! I'm RUNNNNING from philadelphia with my family and would like to know where in PSL should we be staying away from? It looks so beautiful in all the websites, ads and job postings...can I believe this little oasis!? :)

It's probably too late, but "DO NOT" move to Port St. Lucie!!!!
We've been coming to Port St lucie since 1980 to visit friends while on Fla. vacation. It "Used" to be a nice place to live. When I retired in 2009 we moved here. Most of our friends aren't here anymore and we hadn't been down here since 2005, so we didn't know how bad it is now . Well, we bought a home here and it's awfull! The police ticket people all day and it's all about the money, you can't trust anyone... it really went down hill! The good people must have left, because everyone here is either ignorant or in a bad mood. Our home is beautiful, but that's about it. Also, there's not much doing here. Our home is up for sale "Again"...I hope it sells this time! Jenson beach each isn't bad, neither is most of Stuart and Hobe sound. We're headed for St. Augustine, even though the winters are colder, but the people are warmer!
THATS IF..... WE CAN EVER SEll OUR HOME!

I am now thinking of moving to port st. lucie area. Can someone give me some info on the area, and possible where not to move to.

Why did people earlier say to move west of Hwy 1, and is that still true.

PLEASE!
Do not move to Port ST.LUCIE, you'll be sorry (We've already left)!
Yes, West of I-95 is a good area but you still have to come into the city for Doctors visits etc... The Police only care about writing tickets, everyone is in a bad mood, trailer trash, white trash, Travon trash etc.
The good people here mostly seem to be Spanish (I am white). and can't believe the amount of negativity in this city! Move to Sebastion, Vero, Jenson Beach or Stuart, Not PSL or Fort Pierce)!
If you like it cooler in the winter, head for St. Augustine... best place to live in Florida!

bigalturk1 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida said: PLEASE!
Do not move to Port ST.LUCIE, you'll be sorry (We've already left)!
Yes, West of I-95 is a good area but you still have to come into the city for Doctors visits etc... The Police only care about writing tickets, everyone is in a bad mood, trailer trash, white trash, Travon trash etc.
The good people here mostly seem to be Spanish (I am white). and can't believe the amount of negativity in this city! Move to Sebastion, Vero, Jenson Beach or Stuart, Not PSL or Fort Pierce)!
If you like it cooler in the winter, head for St. Augustine... best place to live in Florida!

I hate to say this but "big" you sound like an older person who does not like the influx of the younger crowd (25-35) that has moved into PSL over the last 15 years or so. Yes police are hired to write tickets for people who break the law. I moved here from Miami in 07 ( I think I was the last white person to leave Miami lol) and have never had a problem with the people here. I live just east of I-95 and on a nice quiet street with families who have kids who can play outside and not worry or have to keep that close of an eye on them. Alot of people walk in my area and never once while I have been in my garage have none of them not waved and said hello. Indusrty is starting to pick up with the new DigitalDomain.com studio in the area along with a new gene research facility as well. I will say if the need ever arises that the paramedics or police need to be called they respond within mins. (Nephew fainted and called 911) The area is nice and Im very glad I moved here from a real city.

I moved to PSL 2 years ago. I am a Classic Car & Motorcycle enthusiast. I moved my friend down here in 1982 and it was a good place to live until a few years ago. I'm not old and come from a middle class blue collar background. I am a former Army Ranger(With Combat experience), enjoy Martial Arts and modern music.
If you wish to move here that is fine with me. The advice I'm giving you is the same advice that I would give to my brother or best friend. I wish you the best , either way.