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St. Augustine, Florida
Profile
St. Augustine was discovered by Ponce de Leon in1513 and claimed
for Spain. He named it La Florida. Over the next 150 years the area
was first occupied by the French, then the Spanish. It was plundered
by pirates, and clashes between the Spanish and British became more
frequent after the English had colonized Georgia and the Carolinas.
Hostilities ended in 1763 when Spain gave Florida to Great Britain
in exchange for newly discovered Havana. But only 20 years later
a second treaty returned it to the Spanish. Then, in 1821, Spain
sold Florida to the United States. http://www.staugustinegovernment.com/
The
state was occupied by the Seminole Indians at that time, and as
settlers began to encroach onto the land, Indian wars ensued. By
1845 the area was finally safe for visitors, and Florida became
the 27th state.
During
the Civil War, St. Augustine was occupied by the Union Navy as part
of its blockade of southern ports. In the late 1800s oil and railroad
tycoon, Henry Flagler bought and made large investments in three
of its grand hotels. Soon St. Augustine attracted the wealthy and
became known as "Southern Newport."
St.
Augustine today is an historic city of 12,000 residents, with tourism
as the mainstay of it's economy. Its many historical sites, miles
of Atlantic coast beaches, amenities, excellent fishing, and location
along the Intracoastal Waterway all contribute to bringing nearly
2 million visitors each year. Much of its rich history has been
preserved and is the foundation for tours, boat cruises, and museums.
There are more than 50 attractions and historic sites.
St.
Augustine offers eateries from cafes and pubs to four-star dining,
and many boutiques and gift shops. There are established neighborhoods
in the downtown area, with a number of buildings on the National
Register of Historic Places. On the edge of town there are malls,
retail centers and a mile-long St. Augustine Outlet Center.
St.
Johns County, of which St. Augustine is a part, is as varied as
it is beautiful. It is comprised of Historic St. Augustine, St.
Augustine Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Hastings, and Northwest. St.
Augustine Beach is just across the Intracoastal Waterway from Old
St. Augustine, on Anastasia Island. It is a beach resort community
with camping accommodations, natural dunes, sandy beaches, and the
St. Johns County Fishing Pier.
Ponte
Vedra Beach is 20 miles north of St. Augustine, not far from Jacksonville.
It is a beautiful golf and tennis resort area stretching five miles
along the oceanfront and lagoons. It is known for the Tournament
Players Club, Sawgrass County Club, Marsh Landing, The Ponte Vedra
Club, and as headquarters of both the PGA Tour, and the ATP (Association
of Tennis Professionals). It features top-rated visitor accommodations
and upscale residential neighborhoods.
The
community of Hastings, 18 miles southwest of St. Augustine, is an
agricultural center with 21,000 acres under cultivation. Northwest
is a 30-minute drive from St. Augustine, and an equal distance from
the city of Jacksonville. It is located along the St. Johns River
and its tributaries, Julington Creek and Durbin Creek. It offers
excellent schools, and many outdoor recreation opportunities, including
boating, sailing, canoeing, bass fishing, golf, tennis and other
sports.
Arts
& Culture
St Augustine is a great center for the arts. It hosts many live
music events and is home to theater and film organizations. The
area has a very wide and varied music scene. http://www.oldcity.com/music-and-media-information.cfm
The
EMMA Concert Association offers a rich variety of performances at
Flagler Auditorium. It features talents such as Charleston Ballet
Theater, Budapest Strings, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Jacksonville
Symphony, pianist Oleg Marshev, and violinist Corey Cerovesk. http://www.staugustine.com/yournews/emma/
The
Limelight Theatre offers year-round professional quality live stage
productions in an intimate setting of just 110 seats. http://limelight-theatre.org/
There
are a great many historic sites and museums in the area. Among them
are Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a stately old stone
fort, the Spanish Quarter Village, which is a living history museum,
Fountain of Youth Discovery Park, and Lightner Museum -- a Victorian
collectibles museum.
Recreation
St. Johns County Recreation & Parks Department offers an abundance
of choices for outdoor activities). There are 30 parks that offer,
swimming and aquatics, picnic grounds, canoeing, hiking and biking
trails, boat ramps, lighted tennis and paddle tennis courts, community
centers, municipal golf course, and more. There are also adult athletic
programs, including softball, volleyball, and basketball. Other
senior programs are planned. http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/BCC/Recreation/Default.htm
Golfers
will find this area of northeast Florida to be ideal. It is the
home of the PGA Tour and more than 50 courses. Among them are layouts
designed by Donald Ross, Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer,
Jerry Pate, and Robert Trent Jones and other outstanding architects.
There are famous courses like the TPC at Sawgrass, The King and
The Bear, and numerous other championship layouts. There are exquisite
clubs, resort courses, and numerous semi-private and public courses.
Ponte Vedra Beach's tennis facilities for both players and fans
rank among the finest found anywhere in the world! The best players
in the world come to the ATP Tour International Headquarters to
sharpen their games, and the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club has been named
as the third best tennis resort in America. The St. Augustine area
is geared for more casual players and offers 24 lighted courts in
various area.
There
is an abundance of water sports with a 42-mile stretch of sand beach
shoreline, with state parks and public recreation areas. There is
also a wide variety of both inland and offshore fishing.
For
sports fans, there is The Tournament Players Championship of golf
at Sawgrass in March
(http://www.golfflorida.com/departments/
coursereviews/sawgrass-stadium-course.htm) big-time college football
at the Gator Bowl or The Jacksonville Jaguars professional football
team at Jaguar Stadium in Jacksonville (http://www.jaguars.com/).
And famous Daytona International Speedway is just an hour and 15
minutes from St. Augustine. (http://www.daytonaintlspeedway.com/).
Education
Flagler College, founded in 1968 and named for one of St. Augustine's
best known citizens, is a liberal arts college located in the historic
district of the city. It has an enrollment of about 2,000 students
and offers degree in 20 majors. http://www.flagler.edu/ .
Senior
Programs
St. Johns Recreation & Parks Department offers a number of adult
athletic programs and plan to announce others. It also offer free
tennis lessons for seniors. http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/BCC/Recreation/Default.htm
Hospitals
Flagler Hospital is a 230-bed community hospital offering full patient
services. http://www.flaglerhospital.com/
Mayo
Clinic Primary Care Center provides onsite laboratory and X-ray
services, as well as a range of diagnostic and surgical procedures.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/cim-jax/index.html
Airports
St. Augustine/St. Johns County Airport - http://www.staugustineairport.com/airport/aboutsta.htm
Jacksonville
International Airport is about 18 miles north of downtown Jacksonville.
http://www.jaxairports.org/.
Weather
Temperatures in January average a high of 70 and a low of 47 degrees.
July averages a high of 89 and a low of 71 degrees. http://www.wunderground.com/US/FL/Saint_Augustine.html
Chamber
of Commerce
http://www.staugustinechamber.com/
Newspaper
St. Augustine Record - http://staugustine.com/
Property
Taxes
http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/Const-Officers/Tax-Collector/
State
Taxes
http://www.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/
State
Aging Agency
http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/
More
information is available at Retirement
Living. This site has a vast resource of information for people
retiring.
