My family and I happened upon Ponte Vedra Beach, in northern Florida, when looking for a place to relocate from New Jersey. We had former neighbors who had moved there as a family several years ago, and they raved about this piece of “Paradise”. Unfortunately, at this time, PVB did not meet our needs (the closest high school was in another county, and we have a daughter who still has two more years of high school to complete.) But living in PVB for the month of August was a terrific learning experience; as my older daughter, who is 19, said when we left “I wouldn’t mind living here – in another thirty years!” And that pretty much sums up how the entire family felt about PVB – a fabulous place to retire!
The closest ‘big city’ is Jacksonville, about twenty-five to thirty minutes’ drive away. Jacksonville, having hosted last year’s Super Bowl, is undergoing a cultural renaissance of sorts. Once thought of by most as a blue-collar, backwater town, Jax is raising the bar on attracting new residents, both retirees and families. They now boast their own symphony, philharmonic, zoo, and other lifestyle attractions which make it a very pleasant place in which to live. Not having to pay state income taxes is a huge bonus for all residents of Florida. Jacksonville itself, once thought of mainly as a seaport/navy town, is now developing its own identify as a good place in which to live and raise a family in a wholesome atmosphere. Housing prices in Jacksonville itself are extremely attractive – a four bedroom, 2.5 house in a nice neighborhood will run you in the range of $350,000 to $450,000. Bear in mind that there are also condos galore, as well as oceanfront properties and homes on the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway) that range from $1,000,000 up to $8,000,000 plus.
But the real draw in the Jacksonville area as a retirement community in particular is Ponte Vedra Beach. PVB was named by Monday Magazine in April, 2005 as the top spot in the entire state of Florida in which to live – quite an accomplishment, considering PVB’s competition! Money used such variables as housing costs, standard of living, access to major highways, school systems, and access to recreational and cultural amenities. While PVB does have some extremely nice family neighborhoods and does have a very good elementary and middle school program, it does not yet have its own high school. (One, possibly two, are planned for completion by 2007/08.) Housing prices for family homes in PVB range from $350,000 to the high millions for oceanfront homes.
What would draw a potential retiree family to PVB? Two things about this retirement community come immediately to mind: access to some of the state’s most beautiful beaches, and the almost overwhelming availability of golf and tennis facilities. PVB is composed mainly of gated communites: Sawgrass Country Club, Marsh Landing, The Players Club at Sawgrass, the Plantation, Plantation Oaks, Azalea Point, Sawmill Lakes, and at least a dozen others. (Sawmill Lakes and other communities in ‘southern’ PVB are generally the least expensive, are not gated, and do not have their own golf courses.) The most ‘presitigious’ of the communities is that of Marsh Landing, a gated community located at the northern tip of Ponte Vedra Beach, which has terrific access to major highways and Jacksonville. The homes are stately, beautifully maintained and much sought after. Marsh Landing also has a rather exclusive section called Harbour Lakes, where the community’s most expensive – and largest – homes are located overlooking Marsh Landing’s very impressive marina. The community does not have its own condos, but quite a few of the homes are 3BR, 2BA residences; one must be recommended for membership to the development’s country club, which is one of the best in PVB: tennis, a top notch golf course, country club facilities, and, of course, the marina.
If you’re looking for something a little less pricey or a smaller residence for retirement, Sawgrass Country Club and The Players Club at Sawgrass both offer a range of condo and townhouse opportunites. Prices for 2 to 3 bedroom townhouses start in the $200,000 range; condos start at $150K and up as well. (Because most communities in PVB are gated, it is difficult for folks to sell their homes FSBO. You will need a pass or barcode to get into nearly everyone of these gated communities, unless you all ahead and get permission from the home’s owner to allow you in. The local community weekly, the PVB Recorder, is a great community weekly paper. You, like we did, should get a year’s subscription to follow all of the local social scenese and happenings as well as look for those FSBO advertisements – and there are quite a few listed in the paper. It’s about the only place you will find them! A year’s subscription to the Recorder is only $36, and they do, of course, mail to out of state subscribers.)
The condo in which we stayed was at the Sawgrass Country Club; this section of Sawgrass was called “Spinnaker’s Reach”, and to our way of thinking, was the ideal location for a retiring couple – a wonderful retirement community. The units are set up in horseshoe shaped groups, with each one having two dedicated parking spaces in the underground parking area. Each unit had a covered balcony from which you could view not only gorgeous sunsets but also the Atlantic Ocean! Spinnaker’s Reach had its own pool(s) located in the center of each of its building; it was also a very short walk to the Sawgrass Country Club and its extensive oceanfront beach as well. We would walk along the beach at night (about a 2 minute walk from our condo!), dine at the Club either informally on the deck at lunch or in the dining room for dinner. The Club had a beautiful oceanfront pool for family use; it also had an ‘adults only’ pool, which we found very relaxing. While we encountered some families there, the majority of folks who frequented the Sawgrass Country Club were senior citizens, and active ones too! From Spinnaker’s Reach, you would hop into your car and drive across a two-lane road to the OTHER side of the very large Sawgrass development. There, the tennis courts and pro shop were located. My daughter took lessons there from a very pleasant ‘juniors’ instructor; Sawgrass also had all kinds of divisional tennis programs: beginners, novice, and a very wide range of womens, mens and mixed doubles and singles leagues. The pro shop and the instructors were very impressive.
Also on this side of the Sawgrass development was its four star golf course, which had an excellent pro shop and its own dining room. We always, always saw folks on the course (again, a significant number of seniors). The tennis facilities (which had at least four courts) and the golf course are the focal point of this side of Sawgrass; hundreds, literally, of townhomes and condos surround the golf course. Another big plus was that a significant number of homes have not only golf course views, but ‘water’ views as well. Lagoons abound in PVB, and most builders took advantage of building homes that had either a golf course or water view, sometimes both. We looked at a dropdead adorable 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath family house that overlooked both the golf course and a wide stretch of lagoon; it had the typical Florida house plan: no basement, a small living room (many houses do not even bother with living rooms), a decently sized dining room, a very large eat in kitchen, and the bedrooms flowing off the family room area, which was generally situation at the rear of the house. The designs for both single family and condo/townhouse living are perfect for retirees: no basements, oversized minimum two car garages, and all rooms located on one floor. (Occasionally you would find a ‘split’ floor plan, which had either the MBR on the first floor and the other bedrooms located up, or all bedrooms on the first floor with a ‘bonus room’ located up. These bonus rooms could be used as an office, extra office, art room, guest room, or just for additional storage.) The house was priced at an incredibly low $600,000. There are some excellent housing buys in PVB, especially in the townhouse and condo communities. Some of the best buys are in condo and townhouse communities that are not affiliated with their own golf course (but do have their own on-site pool). Don’t have or want a golf course in your condo/townhome community, but are tempted by prices as low as $100,000 (or less!) for a 2BR, 2BA totally furnished unit? Then join the club – literally! PVB has several very, very nice private clubs which boast their own ocean frontage, superb golf courses, tennis facilities, and elegant and casual dining rooms. There’s the Ponte Vedra Golf Club itself, located near Marsh Landing, which has topnotch facilities. Your realtor can also direct you to at least three other established clubs which you can join as well. One of the best things we found about PVB was the long list of options from which to choose! For a couple planning to retire, it’s best to sit down with a qualified realtor (Watson Realty is one of the largest and oldest in the area), and map out which features matter the most to you, the buyer. Price range, on site and close access to the ocean, to a golf course, to tennis facilities, size of unit:, access to major highways, these all come into play in narrowing down your list of options.
Private (and public, free!) oceanfront access, low to moderate housing costs, high availability of housing, some of the world’s best golf courses – what else does PVB have to offer for the retiree? The proximitiy to health care is high on the list; the highly rated Baptist Medical facilities are located right in PVB, and Baptist Hospital is a short hop away (about 10 miles from PVB). In addition to Baptist Medical, there are also numerous specialty physicians located right in PVB itself. Shopping is great! PVB has two outstanding ‘designer consignment’ boutiques located right in the heart of PVB, and its own series of strip malls: Talbot’s, Ann Taylor, and at least ten boutique womens’ and mens’ clothing stores. Casual and fine dining abound, and not just at the country clubs. (Al’s Pizza serves some of the best pizza we’ve ever had anywhere.) In addition to gold and tennis, there are cultural enrichment classes (yoga, flower arranging, interior decorating, fitness) offered at free to nominal prices through most of the country clubs (you don’t have to be a member to attend), as well as bridge and card clubs.
What’s the best thing for a retiree to think about when considering living in Ponte Vedra Beach? It has to be the beautiful WEATHER! When we were there during the month of August, it was hot, but not intolerable. Summer starts in PVB in March, and lasts until the end of November. It does get a little chilly during the remaining 3 months, if you consider temperatures in the high 40’s to 60’s ‘chilly’. I have a permanent back condition due to a burst lumbar fracture sustained over five years ago; I have never, ever felt physically better than I did during the time I spent in PVB. The area basically has 2 seasons: summer, and not summer! Another big plus for retirees is that very few people are actually ‘native’ to the area; you are bound to find someone from your home state living there. PVB is comprised of transplants to the area; either business relocation (to Jacksonville), the search for a better climate in which to raise a family, or retirement has brought everyone to PVB. The people are, truly, very friendly and willing to reach out to newcomers.
Ponte Vedra Beach is one of those rare finds for retirees; most folks think of Fort Lauderdale, Naples or Miami when it comes to retiring to the state of Florida. Ponte Vedra Beach is a lively, charming, well-priced place in which to spend your retirement years; I would highly recommend it with absolutely no qualms!
