SperlingViews - New_Smyrna_Beach, Florida

Houses are more here because of the coastline (beechside very expensive). Inlanf Florida offers better deals and lower taxes[read more...]

My wife and i are relocating the the east central coast of Florida very soon, most likely somewhere between Port Orange and Vero Beach. I just find it incredible that one person calls New Smyrna Beach a horrible place to live(evidently never experiencing what life is like in a truly horrible place), and other call it a wonderful place to live, commenting within a month of each other. I can understand some difference of opinion, but horrible to wonderful? Very strange.[read more...]

New Smyrna Beach is a real gem. that is if you don't mind rain every day in the summer for atleast an hour. it is a very humid town so expect to run your AC every season except winter. over all everyone is pretty nice. it is a fairly right winged and religion is a big issue with people and can seem to be rather narrow minded at times. moving from santa cruz ca to nsb fl while in high school i noticed a change. nsb is a good place to raise a family although i would rate the education system as poor, they are safe schools and you can learn good social skills.there is high crime among kids. and a lot of locals feel that the drug use is very high in this town. i think that's a joke coming from santa cruz. And if your not from the south you will be shocked at how old fashion new smyrna trys to stay. but its paradise that doesn't come at as high of a price then California... i mean there are no parking meters in town. all paring is free![read more...]

My wife and I moved here in 1999 after looking for a community to relocate to from Miami where I was a long time resident. Our search took 5-years and fortunately paid off. New Smyrna was the perfect match for our interests and desires. Highlights include great opportunities for outdoor recreation including cycling, golf, surfing and fishing; easy access to the local government and its services; cheap good food; and a sizeable liberal artsy-fartsy community to play with. Downsides are high real estate values (we moved down when real estate was relatively cheap), limited opportunities for employment, and the lack of adequate local health care.[read more...]

The town is extremely supportive of the arts. And anywhere in town is just minutes away from a beautiful beach.[read more...]

I have lived here for 6 years now, moving from the midwest and east coast. Things have been on a rapid decline even since I have moved here. This city is so expensive that unless you are from the upper east coast (ny, pa, nj) and just come down as a retiree, there is no good paying jobs. This is also one of the LOWEST paying counties in the state. Most are "snowbirds" who come down for a few months and live in their second homes or RV's. The city makes a good show to them that this town is active with holding art shows, a car show, and various lame fests. (if you have been to one...that is plenty). Then the rest of the year, they do NOTHING for the locals, except overcharge us for everything. Not to mention that the grocery stores, gas prices, etc go up conveniently when the tourist season begins, so the locals have to once again suffer for their greed. The police and fire department greatly abuse their power. I see the fire trucks using their fire vehicles 3 TIMES A DAY to run errands and get food. Also, unless you are into partying 24/7 forget about getting any sleep. this town is mostly filled with people who work in the service industry, so most people stay up late and party. When trying to get any help or assistance from the local police department, they just turn their heads and say...."sorry, this isnt a police matter". ????? The utilities are a sham, they charge you for insane fees that I have NEVER heard of a utility company charging for, and since they are as corrupt as the police and fire department, dont expect to get a break anytime soon. The beach is all but gone. After the few hurricanes we had a few years back, all the sand washed away, leaving nothing to do on the beach but just sit if you can during the open window between tides. There is no beachside dining worthwhile (Virgina Beach has the best dining/shopping/boardwalk/beach). Not to mention they spent millions of of taxpayers dollars filling the beach back up with sand after the storms....only to have it all washed away. No, I honestly cannot say one positive thing about New Smyrna Beach. As soon as I can find a nice town that respects the people who live in it that is not going to put me into poverty level just to rent an apartment.....my family plans on moving. This town shows exactly what happens when the greedy bureaucracies take over the city. I cannot stress enough, do not move here.[read more...]