Melbourne FL

[sweetnerd]

We are thinking of moving to the area, can anyone give me some ins and outs of the area, good areas to live and the not so good... we are thinking about going somehwere between Palm bay and viera area.. we have only been there to visit so i need to know as much as possible. Looking for a house neear good schools, an air port, decent shopping, a military installation, and some nice attractions for when visitors come to see us...not too much to ask, right?

Thanks!

 

[mom2d&b]

Sorry I can't give you specifics but I love Viera. My parents moved there a few years ago and I try to visit about once a month. I love the area so much better than West Palm Beach. The people are all very friendly and nice. When we are out and about in Viera we continue to be amazed at the people who say hello to strangers, hold doors, smile, etc. We do not see much of that just a couple of hours south where we live. The only down side is the wages in the area. I do know they pay less than where I am. Good Luck with your search

 

[tmarquez]

You'll want to stay away from Palm Bay...definately.

Viera is nice and pretty much covers all your requirements. The only thing between Palm Bay and Viera is Melbourne. I'd pick Viera over Melbourne. Melbourne is an older area and the traffic is bad.

 

[3boymthr]

My Grandfather used to live in Palm Bay but moved in with my Cousin in TX a few years ago so I can't tell you too much about the neighborhoods as they are currently. I can say that I always used to think the original neighborhood he lived in was nice - never any problems, well maintained homes, friendly people. His wife died and left the house to her son so he moved into the elderly housing which was in the same area as the low income housing projects. Of the two years he lived there his apartment was broken into three times and he was held up at gun-point as he was getting into his car - this was the driving factor in his leaving the area.

I can also say that you are very close to Cape Canaveral if you are looking for something to do when people come to visit. There are also some really nice beaches near there.

There is an airport in Melbourne but it is a regional airport so not a ton of direct flights.

 

[sweetnerd]

thanks for all the replies, keep 'em coming!

 

[Disney845]

I live slightly south of this area (Indian River County as opposed to Brevard), but will chime in.

Viera is the "newest" city and would be the closest to a Military Base (Patrick AFB). They have decent shopping and restaurants as well as many newer housing communities (no idea about schools). The "Shoppes at Viera" is right off of I-95 and has a large outdoor shopping/dining district.

Both Palm Bay and Melbourne are older cities.

In the very south end of Palm Bay (Bayside area) they are doing the majority of the new schools and housing communities. They have recently constructed a new shopping area in Palm Bay just off of the Palm Bay Rd I-95 exit. Also the Malabar Rd. I-95 exit seems to be growing as well.

The major shopping in Melbourne is located along the US192 corridore, the far east end of which is the older Downtown area with antique shops and cafes. BTW, by travelling directly west on US192 you will eventually end up in St. Cloud and then Kissimmee. Melbourne has an airport, however it is small as another poster mentioned. Most flights are commuter sized and transfer in ATL. I ocassionally fly out of there on business, when work is covering the flight, but will drive to Orlando for a much better flight selection/pricing if it is personal.

Not sure what work industries you may be in but MIMA (Melbourne Internal Medical Associates) dominates the medical community in the area and aerospace, engineering, and government contracting companies (such as Harris) make up the bulk of the technical job opportunities.

Hope that helps a bit.