Fort Walton Beach Florida Living - Pros and Cons

Are you thinking about living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida? Well, I'm going to give you my top five pros and cons of living in Fort Walton Beach, so stay tuned.

Alright. Now let's get into the top five cons of living in Fort Walton Beach.

CONS

5. LACK OF SHOPPING OPTIONS

Fort Walton does have some retail stores, but nothing major. If you're the ones that like to spend hours and hours out shopping, fortunately, Destin is just down the road, maybe about half an hour or so. They have the Destin Commons, it's a beautiful outdoor shopping mall. It also has movie theaters, restaurants, bars. If you want to just take break in between your shopping spree, a little further down towards Miramar Beach, there's also the Silver Sands Premium Outlets. So, if you just need a day of shopping, fortunately, those shopping outlets are just a short drive away from Fort Walton Beach.

4. TRAFFIC

The morning and evening traffic. Fort Walton Beach is located right between two military bases. So, a lot of people are on the same work schedule. So, even if you don't work on the base, but you have a similar schedule to base hours, you might get caught up in at that mad traffic jam. But as long as you have the patience or if you have the time, it should work out for you.

3. NO MAJOR VENUES

There are no major venues around. So, if you want to enjoy your favorite musician in concert or see your favorite comedian or attend a major sporting event, you're more than likely going to have to pack a bag and prepare for a road trip because Fort Walton Beach isn't really located near any of those big venues. Might have to head out to Atlanta or Jacksonville or wherever your favorite team is as far as sports or wherever your favorite artist is at, but not a big old show.

2. FLOOD ZONES

Obviously, we're right here on the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast. So, once hurricane season comes around, it can be a bit of a concern. So, if there is a major storm that's projected to head towards Fort Walton Beach, be prepared for that evacuation if it's mandatory.

1. TRAFFIC DURING TOURIST SEASON

Alright! My number one con for living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida is the traffic during tourist season. So, spring break in the summertime, the roads can be jam packed with everyone trying to reach the same destination, the beaches. So, there's plenty of beach for everyone, but like I said, those roads can be jam packed. You just have to be patient with those tourists and just try and make them feel welcome and join them on the beach.

PROS

Well, let me go ahead and dive into the top five PROS of Fort Walton Beach.

5. GREAT SCHOOLS

I grew up here, so I did attend school. I went to middle school and high school here, never had any problems. Loved my teachers. There's great ratings here. My children are going to these schools out here in Fort Walton Beach. They're enjoying it. Don't have any issues. Teachers are great and they do provide your children with the necessary tools in order for them to be successful.

4. LOW CRIME RATE

The crime rate, not too bad. I've lived in a city before where every time I looked at the news in the morning, there was always stories about somebody being murdered, somebody being robbed, or something dramatic like that. It's what I call a big time crime. I don't really hear a much about that here in Fort Walton Beach, which makes me feel safe in this area.

3. LOTS OF ACTIVITIES

Lots of activities and entertainment for you and your family to enjoy. There's miniature golf, there's go carts, arcade. There is the outdoor movie nights that they have at  Uptown Station where you can bring your beach chairs or lawn chairs or towels or blanket, whatever you can sit up on the yard and watch one of your favorite movies on the big screen. The Landing also has lots of festivals for you and your family to enjoy. There's also ratchet throwing downtown. They have events to where you can drink wine and paint. So, whichever one of those two that you enjoy the most or put it together, I'm sure you'll have a great time doing that.

2. PLENTY OF RESTAURANTS

Plenty of restaurants to choose from. You have barbecue, Italian, Mexican, Filipino, Thai food. There's even a Jamaican spot in town. So, whatever your taste bud desireS, Fort Walton Beach has got you covered.

1. BEAUIFUL BEACHES

Finally, my number one pro of living in Fort Walton Beach is the beaches. Obviously, we know how beautiful it is on the Gulf Coast. So, we're on beaches right here on the Panhandle. You can enjoy the beautiful white sands, blue green water, put your feet in there and you could still see your feet while you're in the water. That's how clear it can be. How could you just not enjoy such beautiful scenery?

Well, if you're considering moving to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, make sure you reach out to us here at the Whittemore Group. You can call/text us at 850.320.7757 or email us at Admin@WhittemoreGroupRE.com