We went to St. Augustine on Feb 21, 2023 since it looked wonderful on the Today Show last week. the Mayor forget to say that there are dozens of Homeless/Drug/Drunks lying all along St George street where the tourists have to step over to get to the fancy shops and restaurants. (At 1pm). Will never go back.

While the restaurant and the history were great to experience, the plight of the homeless was evident everywhere. St. George street and near by park had homeless sleeping everywhere and panhandling. Unfortunately, for a city that is making money on tourism, you think they could help the homeless in their own city. The smell of body order and urine at some corners was pretty pungent. Other cities, such as Cocoa Beach provide showers and laundry facilities once a month for the homeless. For a college town, it is pretty concerning in the evenings.

Interesting half-day activity walking among centuries-old buildings. Better appreciated if a person has some historical context. Ancient city gate to the north (so small by today's standards). Lots of shops, restaurants/bars in historic buildings (recommend the specialty popsicles!) It's worth an investigation.

This is not our first and certainly not our last visit. Im now 48 and have been here many times from the time I turned 14. However, the homeless problem was very obvious and definitely changed the aesthetic, but we had no problems from it. I feel as though the negative reviews are as all negative reviews are, from people that just like to bitch and you cant make happy. I love St. Augustine, its beautiful and I love just being there.