NSB: A CHARMING, FUN, LAID BACK, BEACH TOWN!
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9/1/2021
I am originally from CT. I moved to Estero ( near Naples, FL) in 2002. It was nice but there was barely any cool weather in the Winter. I was 40 when I moved there and people were calling me Sonny and Kid. Yep a lot of retires. 41 is basically the main road other than highway and off season it's a quick ride from Ft Myers to Naples. In season a five minute ride can turn into a 30 minute ride. I left and then moved to Lake Mary / Sanford FL. It was a great place to live. A lot of major companies have their headquarters there so I worked in Insurance, then moved into wealth management. It's located basically 30min between Orlando, Disney and Universal and Daytona Beach. Again traffic and be relative. I have made it to Downtown Disney in under 22 mins on a good day. One a bad day 60 to 90mins. The biggest problem with FL and traffic is while people are looking at billboards, attractions etc. they get into really bad accidents. Keep in mind many foreigners drive when the visit and it's not for the feint of heart. When there is an accident FHP Florida Highway Patrol shut the entire highway down. Sometimes in both directions. One time there was a really bad accident that caused the highway to be closed for 5hrs. The traffic jam effected 95 from Jacksonville almost to Cape Canaveral. Back to Sanford / Lake Mary. It's about 35 min from New Smyrna Beach, Cape Canaveral and 50 min from Cocoa beach. Lake Mary is the more expensive of the towns but Sanford has a beautiful river walk along Lake Monroe and a gentrified city although small which offers a lot. While I lived there I was always visiting New Smyrna Beach on the weekends and one day decided why not move there. NSB is a beach town. Unlike Daytona they don't have a homeless population problem yet. NSB although small has most of what you need. Their is a distinction between beach side and in town. People will ask you if you live beach side, even though Beach side and in town are separated by a bridge which you could walk over in about 12 min. What I like about NSB. For me I am currently a renter and was able to find a rent under 1000 a month. It's small but I am single and it's 4 min from the beach. The people are nicer because the locals don't know who is from out of town. Service people often go out of their way to help you. I have a bit of a NY accent so people automatically assume I am visiting from New England. When I tell them I am a local, they are even nicer. I think just being so close to the beach and so many vacationers people in general are just happy. The weather is beautiful, hot and humid in the summer just as you would think but not quite as hot as inland areas. The beach can actually be cool after sundown, even in the summer. The beaches are clean. You can get a pass to drive on them. They have great restaurants and if you are a drinker, they have many beach bars. Over all It's one of the nicest places I have lived. Ok what I don't like. We have an average size Walmart but the vacationers arrive in town during vacation season and often wipe it out so it might be hard to pick up something you need. Most of the time I drive 10 min north to go to the Walmart in Port Orange. Chiropractors and other doctors. I have insurance and use a chiropractor but I can't find one who takes insurance. They all take cash for adjustments. One place voted 1# on YELP takes 27 dollars per adjustment and will not accept insurance. I was told it's difficult for doctors in NSB to get into insurance networks. Possibly because there are so many people visiting. Other types of doctors have not presented a problem. Driving. 44 is the main road from I-4 to the beaches of NSB. It can get a bit crowded. No where near as crowded as inland cities. People from out of town who are in a hurry. Those people present some of the biggest issues. They are in vacation mode and are in a hurry for some reason. People in NSB are definitely more chill and take their time. I have slowed down a lot since moving to FL but more so now I live in NSB. I can't tell you about the schools I don't have school age kids but I have yet to see any gangs roaming around, other a high rate of delinquency. NSB is a great place to live if you want to slow down, enjoy beautiful beaches and have everything close to where you live. If you are looking for museums, extreme cultural event's over the top night life, this is not the place. It's a charming beach town and a laid back vibe. If you are going to move here I suggest visiting and see if it's a good fit. It's small enough to get a feel for in during a weeks vacation.
Jake | New Smyrna Beach, FL