White City - Fort Pierce, FL

People started to settle in the Fort Pierce area in the early 1800s. It changed in the late 1800s when the railroad arrived and a group of Danish people living in the Midwest heard about opportunities for development in Florida. They created White City, naming it after the recreational area of Chicago. At the end of the century, a tough winter pushed many farmers out of White City, but the neighborhood eventually thrived with the help of credit from the railroad and canal companies and the creation of the White City Improvement Club.

For arts, visit the Pineapple Playhouse to see locally run plays. Travel outside of White City to experience St. Lucie's Ballet Company, Fort Pierce's A.E. Backus Museum and Gallery, and the nearby St. Lucie County Regional History Center museum. Downtown Fort Pierce hosts annual events, which include the Taste of the Sea and Sandy Shoes Seafood Festival.

The Towne South Plaza and its surrounding area by the intersection of State Road 712 and U.S. Route 1 house most of White City’s restaurants. The neighborhood contains a few chain fast food restaurants, in addition to diners with casual eating and the Asian and Italian Ethnic cuisine choices every neighborhood needs.

Satisfy your hankering for a good diner breakfast or lunch at JJ Plum’s II. When you become a regular here, which many residents do, the staff greets you by name when you arrive. You get a great value at this diner, since you receive large portions at a low price. Breakfasts have a Southern distinction with choices such as biscuits and gravy and grits added to the egg and toast combos and gravy mixed into egg and potato scrambles.

Locals go to Frank and Al’s Pizza for a New York-style pie and some wings. Choose from different flavorful sauces for your wings, such as Goldrush with its hot barbecue flavor. Generous with the portions and the ingredients, this pizzeria doesn't skimp on cheese and your favorite toppings.

Instead of the usual Chinese food, White City provides Thai instead at Samunprai Thai. Order from an extensive menu of meats and vegetables cooked in sauces of coconut milk, green curry, red curry and other Asian flavors. Stir-fry, teriyaki and tempura options also fill the menu. In addition to Thai cuisine, this restaurant serves sushi choices, such as a lobster snow roll and a volcano roll with conch and crab.

For a fun time at night, White City has The Gin Mill, a strip mall pub with craft beer choices, other drinks, and entertainment that varies between karaoke, pool, poker and darts. Some of the restaurants, such as Samunprai Thai, serve alcohol as well. This area doesn’t cater to the night club crowd, and you need to go to a neighboring city, such as Port St. Lucie or Fort Pierce, for more bars. Pineapple Joe's Grill and Raw Bar in Fort Pierce has a fun atmosphere with a full bar, quality food and pool.

You need a car to get around White City and to take care of errands. The large area makes it difficult to walk, although you can walk small sections of it. While many residential areas don't have sidewalks, U.S. Route 1 does include them for safer walking along this busy highway.

U.S. Route 1 provides dedicated bike lanes, making this road safer for cyclists. Also, State Road 615 proves to be a safe road for biking. Take leisurely bike rides without worrying by traveling on residential roads.

White City doesn't offer public transportation or public parking, although establishments offer parking to their customers. If you need a ride, options include calling a Fort Pierce or Port St. Lucie cab company to pick you up or using Uber, which services this area. This neighborhood has U.S. Route 1 and State Roads 615 and 712 going through it, plus it sits right near State Road 70, I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike.

This neighborhood provides an extensive park to its residents, and neighboring cities have additional ones you can enjoy with your family. White City Park features 17 acres of land that allow area residents to spend some time outdoors at no charge. While not an exercise-centric park, it gives views of the St. Lucie River and piers for fishing, as well as a playground for your children and picnic areas.

For another option near this neighborhood, try Savannas Preserve State Park, which has pristine wilderness with trails, fishing spots, and areas to canoe or kayak. Bring your kids and pets as well. To enjoy annual events in the parks, head to Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, which hosts the Party in the Park and Kid's Fishing Clinic yearly events.

One-bedroom residences in this neighborhood cost an average of $596 per month, which sits significantly below the average rental costs in nearby Fort Pierce. White City's cost of living is slightly higher than Port St. Lucie and quite a bit higher than nearby Fort Pierce. Expect to pay 2 percent more than the national average on a gallon of gas in White City and $2 to $3 for a beer at your neighborhood bar.

You find the bulk of White City's shops along State Road 712, with the majority at its intersection with U.S. Route 1 at Towne South Plaza and nearby shopping centers. Instead of an onslaught of big box stores or malls in this area, you find a mix of specialty shops with both high-end and high-value options. Head to The Feathered Nest to find special gifts, such as Trollbeads and other jewelry, Woodwick Candles and other home decor items, and gourmet food gifts. Urban Appeal sells clothing, shoes and accessories with an urban feel to them; you find lots of choices here with whole walls of baseball hats and trendy shoes and the latest styles in clothing for men and women. Winn-Dixie services this neighborhood's grocery needs, with Publix close by as well. Nutrition World sells some specialty health foods here. For fresh fruits and vegetables, you have a variety of farmers markets to choose from with Nelson Family Farms, Fort Pierce Farmer's Market, Fruit and Vegetable Division, and Garden-Eden Farmers Market all nearby.