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USFL5097

St. Augustine, USA

Here is our house and two cars: a Prius hybrid and a Mustang convertible.

Here is our house and two cars: a Prius hybrid and a Mustang convertible.

Here is the living room.  The TV is a 4K.  The cabinet to the right holds the electronics ( Wii, satellite box, DVD player...)

Here is the living room. The TV is a 4K. The cabinet to the right holds the electronics ( Wii, satellite box, DVD player...)

Half of the living room.

Half of the living room.

The other half of the living room

The other half of the living room

Photo from the living room showing the stairs to 2 bedrooms and a 1/2 bath.  The kitchen and office are in the background.

Photo from the living room showing the stairs to 2 bedrooms and a 1/2 bath. The kitchen and office are in the background.

This is the master bedroom...there is a HD TV with satellite.  There is a king-sized mattress and lots of soft down pillows.

This is the master bedroom...there is a HD TV with satellite. There is a king-sized mattress and lots of soft down pillows.

Our daughter's bed, a queen sized memory foam. We'll leave the stuffed animals if you want them.

Our daughter's bed, a queen sized memory foam. We'll leave the stuffed animals if you want them.

The dining room

The dining room

The office with High Speed Internet.

The office with High Speed Internet.

The screened porch with a grill in the back for BBQ.

The screened porch with a grill in the back for BBQ.

This is the spare bedroom downstairs.  It has a queen-sized bed.

This is the spare bedroom downstairs. It has a queen-sized bed.

Another angle of the downstairs spare bedroom with the queen.

Another angle of the downstairs spare bedroom with the queen.

The main downstairs bath. (There's a 1/2 bath upstairs.)  It was renovated 2 years ago.  The shower walls are marble.

The main downstairs bath. (There's a 1/2 bath upstairs.) It was renovated 2 years ago. The shower walls are marble.

Our glamorous downstairs toilet and granite floors.

Our glamorous downstairs toilet and granite floors.

Our little cherubic daughter who is now 15.  If you have a 15 y.o. daughter, you know "cherubic" no longer applies.

Our little cherubic daughter who is now 15. If you have a 15 y.o. daughter, you know "cherubic" no longer applies.

Downtown basillica.  St. Augustine had the first Catholic mass in the US.

Downtown basillica. St. Augustine had the first Catholic mass in the US.

The fort a 5 minute walk away.

The fort a 5 minute walk away.

Gold

Member since

2010


Unavailable for exchange at the moment
Exchange dates Duration
June 28, 2023 - August 10, 2023 3 weeks

Open for an exchange between 3-4 weeks; the longer the better

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House in St. Augustine, USA

St. Augustine is often recognized for its beauty, charm and history. Here is a list of recent awards the city has received, including its very beautiful beach:

https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/news/accolades/

Here are some other awards is received before Co-vid.

In 2019, Southern Living Magazine awarded St. Augustine as the best small town in the nation for food, and the best small town in Florida!
Also in 2019, AARP ranked St. Augustine as the #2 best historic downtown in the United States.
St. Augustine was selected by National Geographic as one of the 20 best places IN THE WORLD to visit in 2013! To read the magazine's article, go to http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-2013/#/castillo-de-san-marcos-saint-augustine_61095_600x450.jpg
In the past 6 years, St. Augustine has enjoyed the following recognition:
1) Parent Magazine- One of the top 12 destinations in the US for family fun.
2) USA Today- Castillo de San Marcos- One of the top 10 monuments in the US.
3) TripAdvisor- St. Augustine Beach- One of the top 10 beaches in the US.
4) Printaholic.com- One of the top 10 best cities for photographers.
5) Today Show- No. 2 Best City to celebrate Christmas
6) Newsweek- One of the best hidden European cities in the US
7) Budget Travel- Top 25 most beautiful cities in the US.
8) ConventionSouth Magazine- Best Southern Hospitality City
9) Coastal Living Magazine- Number 4 Happiest Seaside Town.
10) In 2017, Money Magazine recognized St. Augustine as the best town to see at the lowest price.
11) In 2018, Money Magazine called St. Augustine the best town to live in all of Florida.

My wife, daughter, and I did a home exchange in France in 2010 (3 weeks) and 4 weeks in Sweden in 2012 and then we did a month on Paris in 2014, and three weeks in Ireland in 2017.  We have loved them so we're coming back for more.  We live 2 blocks north of the downtown fort, and within easy walking distance of all St. Augustine attractions. We often walk to the restraurants, children's parks, nightclubs, and the historic attractions of St. Augustine. 

Our home (140 square meters; 1,460 square feet) is in a shady and secluded neighborhood, so it is quiet at night, but it is within easy walking distance to all activities.   The home was built in 1882 and has been renovated.  It has all of the luxuries...HD TV, satellite, free high speed Internet and wireless internet, air conditioning and heating, clothes washer and dryer, dishwasher, a full bath downstairs and a toliet and sink upstairs.  The attic has been converted into 2 bedrooms, a day bed, and a half bathroom. There are a couple of quiet air conditioners upstairs to ensure comfortable sleeping and playing.
We offer our cars in an exchange, so you can easily drive to Walt Disney World (about 2 hrs. drive) as well as to the beach (7 minutes drive).  We live 2 blocks from the water (there is the inlet to the ocean, but no beach) in a beautiful and very safe neighborhood.  There are large children's parks both 3 and 8 blocks away, and large fields are at both ends of our neighborhood. As is true in many American cities, there are no grocery stores downtown, but you can find a large food store about 1.5 miles away. There is a small market 1.5 blocks away for small items at a convenience store.

St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by the Spanish and is the oldest continuously occupied European city in the United States.  It has a European flavor to it and the tropical coastal breeze during the summer keeps the town more enjoyable and cooler than the state's interior. It is very pretty and many tourists visit it.  To learn more about the city, go to http://www.oldcity.com/.  Our home is centrally located.

During the summer there are outdoor concerts held every Thursday evening in the downtown Plaza de la Constitucion (considered the oldest public space in the United States since Europeans arrived) where one can hear anything from jazz to acoustic to Polynesian music. There is also a farmer’s market about 2.5 miles away on Saturdays which is on the way to the beach (within biking range).  St. Augustine is also an artistic community in that there is a First Friday Art Walk held every month (go to http://artgalleriesofstaugustine.com/ to learn more), as well as the Uptown Saturday Night event which happens on the last Saturday of the month. The uptown area is 1 block west of our home. We have 2 bikes.

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Our Family

  • 2 Adults
  • 1 Children
  • 7 Exchanges made

Occupation

  • We are both college professors
  • We are both college professors

Our Home

  • House Type: House
  • Floor: 2
  • Environment: In the city
  • Bedrooms: 3
  • Bathrooms: 2
  • Sleeping Capacity: 6

References

In my house

  • Pets - Not allowed
  • Small children - Allowed

Exchange Types

  • Home exchange

Indoor

  • Free internet access
  • Computer available
  • Air conditioning
  • Central heating
  • Fireplace
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Clothes dryer
  • Television

Outdoor

  • Terrace or deck
  • Park / playground
  • BBQ
  • Garage
  • Bicycles: 4

Facilities

  • No smoking
  • Car necessary
  • Use/Exchange of car

Our Destination Wish List

  • Open for all offers
  • Japan
  • Italy
  • France
  • Switzerland
  • England, UK
  • Spain
  • Czechia
  • Canada
  • United States
  • Ireland
  • Germany

Spoken Languages

  • English
  • Français

Our Neighbourhood

St. Augustine is along the Atlantic coast and it has retained its Old World Spanish charm.  The town was founded in 1565 by the Spanish and many of the town's Spanish influences remain. The fort is 2 blocks from our home and the bridge is a short 15 minute walk away.

Sadly, most American towns lack a vibrant center. Due to the rise of suburbs in the 1950s, there has been much urban decay. That is not true for St. Augustine which is safe and vibrant. It is a lovely city and very celebrated:

https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/news/accolades/

Occupation

  • We are both college professors
  • We are both college professors

Children

  • Girl - Age: 19

Pets

  • We have a dog, but we will send her to doggy summer camp while we are away.

Lifestyle

Within the county are many golf courses, in fact, about 10 miles away is the World Golf Hall of Fame and courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Also a short drive from our downtown home is relaxing St. Augustine Beach.  Visitors can easily bring chairs, coolers, umbrellas. We have a truck that allows you to easily carry the beach supplies.

The beach is very famous and recognized, as you can learn from his website:
https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/news/accolades/

References

This member has completed 7 home exchanges. Those referenced below may contain feedback/impression from its exchange partners: