4 ms·

Which city do you live in? I've been trying to figure out which FL cities are most attractive to the HN crowd and tend to get mixed answers.

souprock 6y ago
You'll get mixed answers because people don't like the same stuff. I like the Melbourne area. I'm to the east, out on the barrier island. I have a coworker out to the west, with canal access to a lake so he can go shoot alligators from his airboat. There was a coworker who got 11 acres. He got sheep, chickens, and goats. He can shoot in his yard. Somebody got a low-rise condo right on the Atlantic Ocean beach. Somebody bought a McMansion. The last time this came up I described the culture a bit: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17271199 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17271199 People who want to walk to work can do that, but road traffic is insignificant. The public transportation here is called SCAT. (supposedly the Space Coast Area Transit) The word "scat" fits it very well. I don't think anybody cares.
- zafka 6y ago
  I live half way between Melbourne and Boca, which are the places with the most "HN type" work. It has been pretty glorious here for quite a while, but development is finally moving in big time.
- mdorazio 6y ago
  Thanks for the insight.
mikem170 6y ago
I can't speak for the HN crowd, I imagine opinions vary, but I can say what has caught my eye. I pay attention to what I can walk to in a neighbourhood (beer? live music? park? supermarket?), location in the city (near other things), and cost (not crazy expensive) I've been mostly around Jacksonville, and there are spots that I like. The three blocks along the beaches if you can swing it! Or on the beach side of the ditch (inter-coastal). Or the hipster neighborhoods near downtown (Riverside, San Marco, Springfield, Murray Hill, maybe uptown proper). I would be impractical to live on the beach and work downtown. Cost of living is a good deal. It's got everything, you just might need to look for it a bit! I've been through St. Pete, and some spots, including some of the small towns on the coast of the peninsula, left a good impression (Tarpon Springs, for example). As long as you avoid the sprawl on 19 and don't have a killer commute off the peninsula. I thought St. Augustine was interesting, I've been there multiple times. It's a small city, and has a lot of tourists - and a lot of the things that tourists like to do. I lived in a similar tourist town, and you find the good stuff and learn you way around. I haven't lived here but know people that do. I've been to Gainesville. It's a college town. The unique and interesting stuff is tied to that. But I do like small cities, it's easy to be close to everything and not have the hassles of a bigger/busier place. I've been around Orlando. Nothing I saw caught my eye. Avoid I4 during rush hour, during the day if you can! I've been though some of the suburbs south of Miami, didn't like the traffic, nothing I saw caught my eye. I've visited Key West and South Beach Miami. Both were interesting and unique in their own way. I'd spend more time in Key West if I had the chance. (and money!) My visit to South Beach was a while ago. Neat place to visit. I stayed at a hostel that had valet parking :-)
paul_f 6y ago
I live in the Flagler Beach/Palm Coast area (between St Augustine and Daytona). Do remote "HN-type" work. Few tourists here. Traffic is non existent. Live on a salt-water canal and can take my boat out to the Intercostal for fishing or cruising. Great weather, low cost of living, plenty of beach bars with live music. Paradise.

souprock 6y ago

You'll get mixed answers because people don't like the same stuff. I like the Melbourne area. I'm to the east, out on the barrier island. I have a coworker out to the west, with canal access to a lake so he can go shoot alligators from his airboat. There was a coworker who got 11 acres. He got sheep, chickens, and goats. He can shoot in his yard. Somebody got a low-rise condo right on the Atlantic Ocean beach. Somebody bought a McMansion. The last time this came up I described the culture a bit: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17271199 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17271199 People who want to walk to work can do that, but road traffic is insignificant. The public transportation here is called SCAT. (supposedly the Space Coast Area Transit) The word "scat" fits it very well. I don't think anybody cares.

zafka 6y ago
I live half way between Melbourne and Boca, which are the places with the most "HN type" work. It has been pretty glorious here for quite a while, but development is finally moving in big time.
mdorazio 6y ago
Thanks for the insight.

mikem170 6y ago

I can't speak for the HN crowd, I imagine opinions vary, but I can say what has caught my eye. I pay attention to what I can walk to in a neighbourhood (beer? live music? park? supermarket?), location in the city (near other things), and cost (not crazy expensive) I've been mostly around Jacksonville, and there are spots that I like. The three blocks along the beaches if you can swing it! Or on the beach side of the ditch (inter-coastal). Or the hipster neighborhoods near downtown (Riverside, San Marco, Springfield, Murray Hill, maybe uptown proper). I would be impractical to live on the beach and work downtown. Cost of living is a good deal. It's got everything, you just might need to look for it a bit! I've been through St. Pete, and some spots, including some of the small towns on the coast of the peninsula, left a good impression (Tarpon Springs, for example). As long as you avoid the sprawl on 19 and don't have a killer commute off the peninsula. I thought St. Augustine was interesting, I've been there multiple times. It's a small city, and has a lot of tourists - and a lot of the things that tourists like to do. I lived in a similar tourist town, and you find the good stuff and learn you way around. I haven't lived here but know people that do. I've been to Gainesville. It's a college town. The unique and interesting stuff is tied to that. But I do like small cities, it's easy to be close to everything and not have the hassles of a bigger/busier place. I've been around Orlando. Nothing I saw caught my eye. Avoid I4 during rush hour, during the day if you can! I've been though some of the suburbs south of Miami, didn't like the traffic, nothing I saw caught my eye. I've visited Key West and South Beach Miami. Both were interesting and unique in their own way. I'd spend more time in Key West if I had the chance. (and money!) My visit to South Beach was a while ago. Neat place to visit. I stayed at a hostel that had valet parking :-)

paul_f 6y ago

I live in the Flagler Beach/Palm Coast area (between St Augustine and Daytona). Do remote "HN-type" work. Few tourists here. Traffic is non existent. Live on a salt-water canal and can take my boat out to the Intercostal for fishing or cruising. Great weather, low cost of living, plenty of beach bars with live music. Paradise.