Below you will find all the SperlingViews added about this city.
| Cool City, Not so Cool Surrounding Areas - 10/3/2021
Was looking for change from Orlando area- crime and hecticness- and went to an opposite extreme
Let me start by saying that I am moving soon. I am moving back to the Orlando area, but to the suburbs in Seminole County. I went from one extreme to the other. I am a young single man and very bored here. I could’ve gone up the road to Seminole if I wanted a more laid back atmosphere, but still wanted to enjoy the perks of city life such as shopping and nightlife. Melbourne doesn’t have that. That’s why I give 4 stars instead of 5. There’s nowhere to eat around 1-2 am if I’m hungry
This being said- I DO like Melbourne. It is a nice, peaceful, relaxing, and diverse city. There’s some druggies and alcoholics and white trash folks, but the amount of negativity compared to other areas is minimal. Overall it’s a good town. I find it very different than the rest of Brevard county. I don’t really like Brevard. I’ve been followed and harassed by police on multiple occasions, for no reason. The police in this county give off a racist vibe. Some seem like nazis. Other areas of Brevard are either rough, stuck up, a little racist, etc. Melbourne is NEITHER of these things. It is diverse, friendly, the people are not stuck up, yet it’s not a ghetto environment either. Honestly a good family town and some good athletics, scenery and nature. I’ve found some nice restaurants to eat and go watch the ufc fights. I like this town. I’d rather not have to move but I have no choice. I’m a ride-share driver and in 3 months have had police in Brevard follow me around for no reason , up to 5 miles, have had a cop follow me with their lights off, then pull me over when I sped up to get away from what I thought was a stranger. Asked my uber passenger for her license and asked why she was with me. Then followed me again when I dropped her off. On another occasion, my friend, who is Venezuelan, had to repo his car from someone he leased it to on beachside. He politely called the cops for a standby to ensure a peaceful transition, and they showed up Cursing at him “oh this is your ****ing side hussle huh”. He felt discriminated. The cops have made me that uncomfortable that im leaving. And I’m a constitutional conservative not some liberal, but hey I’m starting to understand where the liberals are coming from in regards to wanting to defund the police. They seem like nazis here. The other reason is nightlife. I miss going to Latin clubs and dancing bachata and reggaeton (I’m Latin male), I miss going to college nights in Orlando, down to Chillers downtown on Wednesdays, maybe to some after parties. Miss going to the mall once in a while. Parties are weird to me here- dance floor areas don’t get crowded until like 1230 and places are shutting down at 130. Monkey bar - the “place to go for college night”, closes around 1230. What a joke. That’s the time we would start going out when I was in Miami. Melbourne is A cool city but not the best for a young single male trying to live life.
Again, Melbourne is cool and diverse and I don’t get the stuck up or racist vibes that I get in other parts of Brevard, but some of the surrounding areas suck. The people on the beach are really weird. The ambience is weird there it feels soulless. It’s mostly stuck up white liberals , yet they seem racist at the same time which is contradictory to their political position. Palm Bay is a massive suburbia with either ghetto People or stuck up people, Titusville seems like a hillbilly town, cocoa seems pretty rough, etc. But again Melbourne is a nice happy medium . In this county a lot of people have an attitude of settling for less, that’s the vibe I pick up. Like a lack of effort and professionalism you will notice at drive thrus, wawas, etc. Sort of a negative loser vibe, but you can do your best to avoid it. There are friendly people and beautiful things here as well. Some beautiful neighborhoods.
I tried to make this a fair and impartial review
If I could eliminate the surrounding areas and the police lol, I’d give this city 4.5 Stars. If I could do that and add some good nightlife that stays open late, I’d probably give it five stars
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| Lacking - 7/25/2021
Moved here from Ohio 3 months ago, trying not to be disappointed, there isn't much to do, its really small and shopping is bad. I wanted out of Cleveland but didn't really want out of Ohio, nothing in Columbus or Cincinnati opened up. Maybe I should have been more patient, I love going to MLB and NFL games, nothing convenient here.
My car has been broken into already and I am suppose to be in a good part of town, Melbourne pretty much feels like putting Kentucky next to the Atlantic Ocean. I am University of Kentucky Alumni so I dont mean that as negative ad it sounds, but I thought Melbourne was far enough south that it wouldn't be quite like this.
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| The Melbourne FL techie haven - 5/26/2018
I have lived in many areas of this town. It is growing and has a nice selection of older and very new areas. The access to beaches and parks is quick and well kept. Not enough bike paths on the mainland. For shopping and amusement you can usually find anything in an hour's drive. To theme parks a little more driving time is needed due to traffic. Schools are good, both public and private. Crime? Not as bad as Miami, Orlando and Tampa! Since Melbourne is close you hear about these activities but it's much safer in our town and Palm Bay to the South.
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| Answer to the comments who keep asking about crime - 7/18/2017
The rating on here is accurate. Crime is rather high. There's shootings and killings constantly. If you're coming from another state, just check floridatoday.com at least once a week to see whats going on. Gun ownership is also very high. Home invasions often end with a robber shot dead. But nearby cities like Palm Bay and Cocoa are even worse.
However, if you have money then Viera, Suntree, West Melbourne, and Beachside are better choices and it'd be a great place to live.
Cost of living is low compared to many parts of the country without giving up too much quality of life.
Healthcare is great compared to other parts of the country. Just make sure you're on the HealthFirst network. Avoid Wuestaff Hospital, locals call it "worst off" for good reason.
Plenty of shopping for the size of the area. The avenues in Viera, and Hammock Landing in West Melbourne. There's the Melbourne Square Mall of course, but more dated than the other two options.
Restaurants. I've never seen so many restaurants like in Florida. Tons of chain restaurants, but if you're looking for good local places try Tuscany Grill, Pizza Gallery, Grills, Squid Lips or Long Doggers.
If you're a runner, there is an amazing local running community. I've yet to see one like it anywhere else, and I'm pretty well travelled. You can basically do a 5k every weekend. Its mostly organized by a local shop "running zone".
Of course, if you love rockets, canaveral is right there but melbourne is close enough to see it go up and hear/feel your windows rattle lightly.
For families, Brevard Zoo is fantastic for the kids. There's plenty of beach of course, and Orlando is only an hour away.
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| Crime in Melbourne,FL - 3/9/2017
Could someone tell me how the crime rate is in Melbourne? Are there murders? Is it a safe place to live? We are thinking of retiring there. Thank you everyone.
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| Safety In and Around Melbourne - 1/9/2016
Anyone have a unbiased opinion or some facts about crime in Melbourne?
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| weather - 9/15/2013
HOT
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| Melbourne Florida - 4/21/2012
Melbourne and the surrounding areas are a good place to live and have great schools compared to many other areas around the country. I lived there 25 yrs and loved it. However the job market there is pretty tough if you don't already have a job.
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| Mixed feelings about Melbourne - 10/21/2010
Melbourne has some nice folks. The culture here is pretty simple, and the people have low expectations in life. That is somewhat relaxing to us because we are from a competitive environment in North Carolina. Don't be deceived by the cost of living index. It is very cheap to live here, but you are living around a very uneducated population. Naturally, there is not much demand for nicer housing because of this demographic. There is plenty of cheap housing in Melbourne and surrounding county, but most of it should be bulldozed over because it is not inhabitable. Just a few things to keep in mind. They have wonderful local TV broadcasts - includes a classical music station that we watch, foreign TV station, lots of PBS, Christian TV, etc..
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| Local Economy - 7/15/2010
Economy has been depressed for some time and it looks like turnaround will be slow. Small and medium businesses are hardest hit while local defense contractors seem to be doing OK. Layoffs at the Space Center are also indirectly affecting the local economy adversely. The housing market remains stagnent so it's definitely a buyers market.
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| Explanation of Melbourne. - 7/4/2010
Try not to read into most of these comments... For one, Donald over here posted twice... One post being negative then the other positive. It's a great town! Like any area there is crime. High areas of crime are mostly in Cocoa and Palm Bay though. If you enjoy a very active environment, such as NY NY or L.A. Cali etc. Then yes this will be a small town for you. If you enjoy the beach, sun, fishing, golf, surfing, or really any type of water activity it's great. I for one love those activities; therefore this is a good fit for me... Common sense... It's about 1h 20m from Daytona beach and about 45m too Orlando. There are plenty of surrounding areas to live at along the coast that are not too expensive and within 15m drive.. I for one enjoy life here!! Remember:(It's Florida) and it does get very hot during the summer months... Just use a little common scene and you should be able to find an enjoyable environment.....
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| Explanation of Melbourne. - 7/4/2010
Try not to read into most of these comments... For one, Donald over here posted twice... One post being negative then the other positive. It's a great town! Like any area there is crime. High areas of crime are mostly in Cocoa and Palm Bay though. If you enjoy a very active environment, such as NY NY or L.A. Cali etc. Then yes this will be a small town for you. If you enjoy the beach, sun, fishing, golf, surfing, or really any type of water activity it's great. I for one love those activities; therefore this is a good fit for me... Common sense... It's about 1h 20m from Daytona beach and about 45m too Orlando. There are plenty of surrounding areas to live at along the coast that are not too expensive and within 15m drive.. I for one enjoy life here!! Remember: (It's Florida) and it does get very hot during the summer months... Just use a little common scene and you should be able to find an enjoyable environment.....
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| Awesome - 4/8/2010
Melbourne is a really cool place to grow up in. I grew up there. You got the beach, all the theme parks, kennedy space center, and other things near you. It isn't boring. It's like you're living on a vacation. It's awesome.
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| Viera/Suntree - 11/20/2009
Desirable east coast location a little over an hour to Orlando, 20 minutes or so to the Atlantic Ocean & in view of shuttle launches
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| day dreaming - 9/16/2009
Area unemployement is over 10% but prpoerty owners still think they are in 2006
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| Climate - 3/24/2009
Year round paradise! Winter is only a tease of cold (that is if you consider 40 cold), Summer is tropical, Spring and Fall are perfect!
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| Melbourne, FL in Brief - 6/25/2008
Melbourne, FL is a small town of about 60,000 people, broken up into many small townships. For example, in the Melbourne area, include Melbourne, West Melbourne, Melbourne Village, unincorporated Brevard county, as well as a wealth of small seaside towns. All of these towns exist in a 25 mile radius. Each town has its own taxes and police, but the school and fire are done at the count level. Because of the small tax bases for all these small townships, the police forces are renowned for citing for speeding tickets....just look at any of the speedtrap websites for more data. As for Melbourne itself, it is a quiet retirement town with little crime and a good school system. It does not really have any high-end nightlife, and is really best suited for those who are married with childered. I really have never understood why retirees move here, as activities are quite limited. The type of retiree that does move here typically comes from New York or California, purchases a large house, and complains that they are being raked over the coals by taxes or insurance. Speaking of those topics, insurance is a mess in most coastal towns of Florida. If your plan on living near the coast, you can count on not being able to obtain private wind damage insurance; instead, you will need to go with the state pool, which is not as reliable as private, and is very expensive. For example, a small 2000 sqft house on the beach can set you back $6000 a year in wind storm insurance alone....above that, of course, you will need to purchase general insurance for fire and the like. Taxes are not too bad for Florida. There is a 6% sales tax. No income tax. Property taxes average $3000 or so for a 2000 sqft house; however, Florida recently changed the laws surrounding taxes, so be careful. Overall, Melbourne is a nice small city with small city amenities, but is in a short 1 hour ride to big city shopping. With that stated, however, after 13 years of being here, I think I am ready for a change.
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| Not for singles! - 3/3/2008
It's a nice place to raise a family, but a boring city overall.
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| Don't expect too much !!! - 8/31/2007
Not much of a town , Dirty , Crime ridden , and terrible roads , on top of that way too expensive for what is there , which is NOT MUCH ! Might be ok for a snowbird , and thats being generous , very generous , thats if you can find a SAFE area to stay in ???
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| Sad what happened to Melbourne - 4/22/2007
The other comments I've read are sad but true. Most people in Melbourne are from somewhere else and are dying to make it just like wherever they came from (usually New Yawk). There is a throwback mentality (Army Corps of Engineers 40's, 50's, 60's etc) that everything should be drained and cleared for "progress" without regard to consequences. There are a few environmental companies doing thier best, no thanks to city or county government. Many city officials and staff came from areas with outrageous pollution anyway so why not ruin this place too? Its become a "little big town" that is growing faster than the infrastructure can handle; schools, police, water, sewer, and of course the horrendous roads. Oh and in the schools most big city gangs are well represented. Don't get me wrong I love NYC, just to visit though. As the city suffers growing pains, the governments are quick to recommend increasing taxes, which makes sense to people driving on backed up roads with kids in overcrowded classrooms. Nevermind that they are already getting more taxpayers so they really shouldn't need to increase tax percentages. If you must consider Melbourne, look at West Melbourne it was formed by an old school Florida man that didn't want his property "annexed" as part of Melbourne, so he formed a city and declared that there would be no property taxes in it.
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