Palm Coast on Fortune List of 5 Great Places to Retire
‘We wanted to get away from the cold Midwestern weather for our second home. Palm Coast fell right in our price range, with the charm and amenities we were looking for.’
Palm Coast, FL – June 6, 2010 – In its June 12 issue, Fortune Magazine’s CNN Money.com lists 5 great places to retire. Not surprising to those who have already found it, Palm Coast makes the list. The report cites Palm Coast’s several golf courses, biking and hiking trails, attractions like Washington Oaks Garden State Park, low vehicle registration fees, and zero state income tax. It quotes Moody’s Analytics which show that Palm Coast’s real estate market has become more stable than the markets in more traditional Florida retirement spots such as Miami and Naples.
Are you kidding me !!!!!
Golf Courses, we live on Matanzas Woods Golg Couse, defined as the best course in palm Course, it is deplorable and by the way closed.
Tennis, we once had championship tennis tournaments in Palm Coast, but no more, a private developer bought up that facility and Palm Coast lost that attraction.
Oh yes, we have a Home Depot, Lowes home Improvewment, Belks, 3 Bealles Stores one discount and one, and one outlet store), a McDonalds, not even Burger King want to venture into this city. Our hospital – my cardiologist does not even consider our hospital as a hospital.
In case you have not noticed, I am very happy with the operation of Palm Coast as a city. It was unincorporated when we purchased and hence became incorporated, I ask for what, I ask for what, so elected officials can reap some benefit.
Proud to be in Palm Coast!
Bill, if you don’t like living in Palm Coast, let me be the first to wish you well in your future place of residence- we don’t need you here, my friend! Palm Coast is a FANTASTIC place to live. We’re on the water, don’t have crowding, enjoy great weather year-round, and MOST of the residents are thankful to be here and not shovelling snow in New Jersey. Bill, please catch the next train to Hoboken- in fact, I’ll pay for the ticket!
No Kidding!
I think Bill Wynn lives in a different Palm Coast than we do. There are at least two public tennis courts in different places in the city. There are at least three golf courses other than Matanzas Woods in the city. When I was hospitalized, I was thankful that I was so near a modern hospital with such knowledgeable doctors and dedicated nurses. For shopping, there are all sorts of grocery, drug, hardware, department and specialty stores too numerable to list. When we want to go out to eat, there are many, many restaurants to choose from – from four-star fine dining to fast food to everything in between. There are hotels, hair salons, car dealers, banks, doctors, dentists, clinics, a bowling alley … in other words, we can find almost anything we need or want right here in the city. There’s even a small airport! We are ten minutes from the Atlantic beaches, and thirty minutes from Daytona Beach and St. Augustine. There are two international airports within driving distance – Jacksonville and Orlando. We are far enough north to have seasonal changes – but only three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. Palm Coast is a planned city, with lovely neighborhoods and tree-lined streets, bike and hiking paths, and parks and recreation facilities. I would also mention that Palm Coast is not just a retirement community – it is a thriving city with young working people and families whose children attend excellent public schools. We "discovered" Palm Coast when it was in its infancy and watched it grow, and we have never regretted our decision to retire here.
More PR is needed!!!
Palm Coast, Flagler County and surrounding area is a beautiful location and I’m glad that I found it over 10 years ago. Given all that this area has gone through(hurricanes, growth spurt, high unemployment and precipitous drops in home values etc)we that live here are blessed with great weather and a great location, much better than most places across the USA. I know first-hand as I spent many years traveling to and exploring places to locate to. Yes, we have problems, but, no more so than most other places. If we pull together and address the issues facing us, we can make this place very special. In order to reduce our high unemployment, we need more economic development with employers moving here to provide a variety of good-paying jobs. We first must address how we promote this place and the current set-up with Enterprise Flagler contolled by the PC City Manager is a joke and must be corrected. We need an independent ED arm that is not influenced by politics, even though it is supported by public dollars. The Chamber of Commerce has been trying it’s best, but, needs more private financial support and the support of the public to be the go-to organization to promote and recruit new employers to Flagler County. The public needs educated on how this works and decide the best way to promote this great county of ours!! We need to continually promote ourselves with on-going pr campaigns, like this Fortune article, and look for other opportunities with other media to let people know what a great community we have. Let your public officials know how important this is to all of us by voting for the right candidates who support economic development with a definite plan and not just lipservice to the concept.
Glass Half Empty?
Bill, you sound like a real pleasure! Perhaps you should be glad that Palm Coast is getting some good press rather than going out of your way to trash it. I’ll chip in for the ticket to Hoboken.
Don’t be my neighbor
Bill, if you’re not happy, it’s time for a change of scenery. No offense; but, I’ll take Mike and Judy for my neighbors anyday over somebody with a negative attitude like yours. I’ve never read or heard anything bad about Palm Coast’s hospital. There’s so much to enjoy here – golfing, walking, boating, fishing, etc. Maybe you’re just homesick for some snow!
‘Bye ‘Bye
Bill Wynn:
Don’t let the proverbial door hit you on the butt as you leave town. You sound like a chronic complainer who has lost all perspective.Sure Matanzas golf course is closed and that may be your obsession.We all miss it, but there’s half a dozen other private/semi-private and a couple of new public courses to choose from, so get over it already!
Before you get any more bitter and twisted, you better start looking around you and figuring out exactly how well off you are here in Palm Coast.We have much to be thankful for and most of us feel we found a gem of a place. I’m glad I got here in 1995 and have been blessed to watch it grow, blossom and flourish. Nowhere will be perfect, but Palm Coast has much to offer to those who look without a jaundiced eye. If you decide to stay, then fix your attitude and you’ll feel a whole lot better about Palm Coast – and yourself.
Don C.
Knowledge…
We ask before any more
criticism of Bill
occurs, that individuals read about the first era of corruption called by the D.B. N.Journal: ‘The Palm Coast Predicament’ #1., and
Federal Trade Commission ‘Consent Agreement’ : Docket # C-2854, Findings, Opinions, and Orders, Volume #88: Federal Trade Commission Decisions, and also ‘An Approach to a New City: Palm Coast’ by Dr. J. Norman Young and Dr. Stanley Dea.
Nearby International Airports
There are three International Airports within driving distance. Don’t forget Daytona Beach International Airport. It has Customs as well. And, it is only 35-40 minutes away. Palm Coast is a great place to live, to grow old, to raise your children.
Palm Coast
I have read all of your reaction comments. I am here to tell you that I DO NOT have a bad attitude, you all just have your eyes and ears closed or your heads in the sand. I wanted to say something else, but I’ll be polite. Our government cannot take credit for the wonderful weather that we have. Most of you reflected on businesses in neighboring communities, not in Palm Coast. When I have visitors, mostly their comments are adverse, especially with the vacant homes and businesses. Oh right, our government has nothing to do with that either. We have very little industry in this town, of yes, our government has nothing to do with that either. Young families who need employment can only find minimum wage jobs in this area, so they are forced to travel to the larger metroploitan areas. My repliers are satified with the status-quo and have no desire to make our city better. I’m very happy here as you all are a poor judge of character and I don’t want any of you for neighbors. I’m not leaving, no matter what you say or pay. I want it better, better, better.
An Open Letter to Bill
Bill-
The headline of the article was "Palm Coast on Fortune List of 5 Great Places to Retire". Specifically, the writer cited the desirable weather, enjoyable lifestyle, and tremendous real estate values Palm Coast has to offer. I won’t speak for anybody else but I happen to completely agree with that assessment. Somehow you have interpreted that as an endorsement of the local government. Bill, Palm Coast IS a great place to retire. It’s also a great place to vacation or own a seasonal home. Are there things I would do differently if I served in the local government? You bet. But every time I have a friend or relative visit, they tell me how lucky I am to live in a place that is so pristine and beautiful. Last year my in-laws visited from NYC and they are STILL telling everyone up North about how they sat on a friend’s balcony and watched dolphin go by in the Intracoastal. Strangely, they didn’t come away from their trip to Palm Coast with visions of "vacant homes and businesses" dancing in their heads. I’m sorry to hear that local government policies are the focus of vacation for your guests. You must be quite the host, Bill. I suppose you’ll continue to spend your time worrying about how we don’t have a Burger King, but I’ll be kicking my toes in the sand or working on my putter in one of the nation’s Great Places to Retire. Take care.
Response to Mr. Wynn
We also live in the Matanza Woods area and I can only say that for the past two years getting up and down Belle Terre has been nothing short of torture. Matanza Woods Pkwy and Lakeview saw quite a few of overturned vehicles last summer before the lights were placed. The giant snakes etc that come from the golf course are also a real laugh a minute, and looking out at the brown long grass is divine. Mr. Wynn has a beautiful home and lawn, I know this for a fact as I live two blocks over. He is always tending to his yard. I am still working as who can afford to retire, and I just love driving to Daytona every day, as their is no work here, even at McDonalds. For those of you who get to stick your toes in the sand, I say good for you, watch out for the oil slicks, but for those of us who live in the land of Matanza Woods and can not sell our homes, we have no option but to continue living our lives here. So if you are throwing money around to buy Mr. Wynn a ticket out of here, Let me know where the line starts. Your comments were valid, but so is ours. You don’t live in our area, perhaps you are in greener pastures. Nancy
Bill Wynn
Bill, just what are you doing to make Palm Coast a better place? Trashing Palm Coast or its leadership certainly does not help. Are you doing anything positive to make Palm Coast a better place to live? I think we would all like to hear your ideas on how you and we can make our city better.
You make a good point
Bill, and Nancy as well for that matter, you both bring up valid issues. Palm Coast can not survive as a retirement/vacation destination alone. There needs to be decent paying jobs for the community to thrive. I think everyone agrees the weather & location are great; but not everyone lives on the water or is retired to enjoy golfing everyday. Palm Coast needs to be desireable to the working family as well.