Questions re: St. Augustine, Florida area
 

My family has an opportunity to move to the St. Augustine, Florida area. We are going to visit the area in a couple of weeks before we make a decision. In the meantime, I'm wondering if anyone on this board would be willing to share any information about the area with me that I'm not going to find surfing the internet. This would be a very big move for our family and we are trying to make the best decision for all of us. We have two teenagers who are less than thrilled about the possible move, so I decided to reach out to the board to see if anyone here could offer any information that would be helpful to us. If you could PM me or post a reply I would be grateful. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

St. Augustine is the oldest ciiy in the USA. There are plenty of antiques there. A beautiful catherdal, nice resturants and a shopping area in an old converted part of downtown. Its a beautiful city. The teens would enjoy the beaches.
You will find plenty to do there. Its lovely.

Oh, Sandilee you took my message. About the oldest city in USA>ha. We have a grandaughter in Fl., but that is all I know. Been there several times on vacation. Utilities shouldn't be a lot. You can have a lot of outdoor time there. It's most always comfortable weather. That's all I can tell you.

What is the reason for the big move ?If you are looking for one of the top 10 cities to raise children come to Zachary, Louisiana. It is a surburb of Baton Rouge, our state capitol. It has many chemical industries in the area,and we are only 80 miles from New Orleans....LSU Tiger football is great. Food is awsome. Come see for your self. Hugs

St A is a wonderful little town! I love it there. They have a quilt shop there that I haven't been to yet! Flager college is also there, so the kids might be interested in going there. Jacksonville is very close so lots to do there. The beach is very nice. I take my teens there when we go to the beach. I am in Keystone Heights, about 1 1/2 hours away. I also belong to a guild in Orange Park that is really nice.
Where are you moving from? Gina

I'm not sure about St. Augustine, but some areas of Florida, residents deal with palmetto bugs and other insects. That may be a concern for some, I know I have enough issues with the Indiana insects. just something to consider, this may be unimportant to some, but for others it could be a deal breaker. Also, lizards....

Is it possible for your family to make a trip for a quick visit before you decide, even if it's only one parent and one child? I grew up in Florida, taught school there for 35 years and St Augustine is my favorite place! There's a lot of history, but many of the attractions are kid-enticing (took many school groups there over the years, so I know!). Another plus for your kids is you wouldn't be far from Jacksonville, which is a BIG city, so they'd have all the fun of living near beautiful beaches, but near a city for concert, etc.

Thank you to those of you who offered your knowledge of the area. This is a job related move and we would be leaving our wonderful home and city of Laramie, WY. We are planning a trip for all of us to go see the area. The job is in Jacksonville, but we have been told that the St. Johns county is the best school district which is why we are looking at St. Augustine area. We've all done the pros and cons and one of our oldest sons pros was more girls, so that was super helpful. :) We'll see how we all feel after the trip. Thanks again for the info.