West Palm Beach, Florida SperlingViews

I have lived in West Palm Beach for almost my entire life and it's not as bad as people are making it out to be. After reading some of the other comments I do have a few responses:

When I was in elementary and middle school, West Palm was less developed and there were a lot less people. Once more people started to move into the area, it became more crowded, as to be expected. Prices started to go up and we had a lot of people coming down here from New England, especially New York. In my experience, a lot of people move down here and expect it to be like how it was where they were living before. You can't realistically expect to move to a completely different region of the country and for things to stay the same. Yes, we wear flip flops all the time. It's in the 80s and 90s for a good majority of the year and our dirt isn't dirt- it's sand! If you want high fashion, then go back to New York. I'm just trying to get through the day without passing out from heat exhaustion!

Crime has gone down here. But just like anywhere else, you trust your instincts, and don't do stupid stuff like leaving your doors unlocked or leaving your wallet or shopping bags in plain view in your car, walking down alleys at 2am or associating with drug dealers or gangbangers, and you should be fine.

South Florida is different from many places in that there is a lot of cultural diversity and a lot of immigrants, especially from Caribbean countries. It's the closest area in the United States to these places. If you don't like immigrants then don't move here. Plain and simple.

My hometown has it's flaws. The construction does get annoying and sometimes there's just way too many people in one area. It has definitely been affected by the recession. But I love the weather, I love being within 10 minutes of the beach, and I love how my friends come from all different walks of life, countries, and cultures. Obviously, it's a personal decision as to whether one would choose to live here, but that's my two cents.

Login to reply to SperlingViews. (Membership is Free)

gorgeous - 12/12/2007

For anyone who loves warm (hot) weather, this is the place to[read more...]

Pretty but unaffordable - 8/31/2007

West Palm Beach has beautiful views:lakes, fountains, nice parks, places to bring your kids to(zoos, museums, theaters).NO SNOW! Love the weather, I'd rather be a little hot than be cold. We don't[read more...]

Contrary to belief. . . - 7/26/2007

I grew up in West Palm Beach my whole life, Crime has actually gone down. You generally know where to not travel if you want to stay away from the crime. Obviously, you don't want to be caught on a[read more...]

Run, don't walk to get out of Florida - 5/24/2007

"It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there". Ever heard that saying? Well, don't say you haven't been warned. This place is the most rediculous of places I've ever lived. South[read more...]

Perception vs reality - 5/10/2007

Like every City and County in the US, there are certain places in Palm Beach County that you probably would not go unless you are looking for trouble - outside of those areas, I feel completely safe[read more...]

I am trying to get out. - 5/6/2007

The crime has gotten pretty bad. Not a place to raise children, unless you want them to become a drug[read more...]

Sunny South Florida at a high price - 3/29/2007

You pay a price living in South Florida. Even though the cost of house is declining now, prices are still high. Home, wind, and flood insurance price are through the roof (hope there isn't another[read more...]

Only the Wealthy can Survive Here - 3/14/2007

Palm Beach County, in general has become a place for only the very wealthy to live. The average cost of a home in West Palm Beach is 430K. I never imagined this area getting so expensive, but it[read more...]

west palm beach is heaven - 1/17/2007

just moved recently from Michigan, and i think west palm beach area is the nicest place on god's earth to live. people keep saying that housing is getting expensive...the reason why its getting[read more...]

Look both ways and never make eye contact! - 12/29/2006

No, I am not kidding. The violent crime in this county (Palm Beach) is worse than when I lived in NY. Pick any day of the week, any time of year, and read any local article in the Post at[read more...]

Beautiful West Palm Beach - 12/29/2006

Yes, the palm trees blowing in the wind make West Palm a lovely place to visit. BUT for those of us living here, it's another story entirely. West Palm Beach is the place to live if you want to be[read more...]

Moved here from Miami, Same poor quality of life. - 12/13/2006

I moved here after having all of Miami I could stand. Same place, differnet zip codes. I have now decided that south Florida is just a terrible place to live. I do not recomend living here(south[read more...]

I don't recommend living here - 10/26/2006

I've lived in West Palm Beach for 9 years and it's only because my fiance didn't want to move until now. The crime is horrible, everyone I know has had either their house broken into or their car[read more...]

wpb is good for some - 9/13/2006

Ive lived in West Palm Beach/palm Beach County 38 years and seen alot of changes. I miss the smaller town feel. Now with over a million in county, high traffic, increasing crime, crazy home prices,[read more...]

West Palm Beach - 7/30/2006

I plan to move to this city but I hear the home insurance is really expensive.[read more...]

pricing is getting way too high - 7/21/2006

The cost of housing in West Palm has nearly doubled in 3[read more...]

Too expensive - 7/15/2006

I am looking for a safe place to raise my infant daughter on a single-mother's salary. WPB is NOT the place to do that, although it is a shame as I grew up[read more...]

Family Oriented City - 6/23/2006

There are lots of stuff to do for families, parks, museums, shopping districts they're all great entertainment. I also like the city's proximity to other happening places such as Delray, Ft.[read more...]

Goodbye So FL -- hello Pensacola... - 6/22/2006

I've called South Florida home for over 16 years and for me it's always spelled fun and diversity. Fourteen of those years were spent in Ft. Lauderdale, which long ago shed its spring break identity[read more...]

Hope you like it HOT! - 6/6/2006

Despite a few short months of rain, the heat is the defining factor here. August is by far the[read more...]