Tell me about Florida

In My Humble Opinion
1

My wife & I life in CT. We both grew up in New England, but for health reasons, she really wants to go somewhere warmer. Winters here aggravate her fibromyalgia.

We have visited various places in Florida, but there isn’t any place that has seemed like we’d be able to live there year-round. We are going again in a couple of weeks, and are planning on seeing some other places as sort of initial scouting.

We have been to the Tampa/St Pete area, Miami, Orlando, Marco Is., Key Largo, and Sanibel. I could maybe see living on Sanibel or Largo, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of job opportunities in non-tourist industries.

We live currently in the Hartford area. It’s OK here, the social climate suits us, and we can both find the stuff we need: jobs, etc. We have also lived in the Northampton, Ma area and often drive back up there. Other places we liked living or spending time in are Boston, Newport, RI, and DC. We didn’t like Cleveland or Cincinnati that much. I say this in the hopes that it gives you a bead on the kind of place we are looking for.

I guess we are looking for a place that is not stereotypical Florida. A place with some ethnic, political, social and age diversity. Not a snowbird haven, but also not Daytona Beach/party central. It would also have tolerance for outsiders and different viewpoints.

If anyone can give us recommendations on places that we should visit while we are there, I appreciate it. If there’s any experience with Sarasota or Port Charlotte areas, specifically, that would be great, but tell me about any area you want.

2

If you’re looking for tolerance, avoid northeast Florida. I’ve been in the Jacksonville area for more than 17 of the last 20 years. It was after I left and returned that I realized what a narrow-minded, ultra conservative, marginally hateful area it is.

With luck I’ll be gone in 4 months.

I spent a little time in the Pensacola area about 25 years ago. I really liked it there, but it’s been a quarter of a century, so who knows what’s changed.

What sort of jobs market are you seeking?

3

I grew up in the 'burbs south of Miami but left in the early '90’s.

My WAG is that you’d be happiest either in Broward County or the Miami suburbs – either south or north (but in the “nicer” areas, natch). Avoid the particularly congested newer western subdivisions hastily slapped up in the '80’s and '90’s, unless budget dictates or lifestyle (say, working largely from home) mitigates the commuting hassle.

Your OP embodies a fundamental paradox in your approach, though, insofar as it is precisely the more sophisticated, urban, diverse, bustling areas that most attract college students, young people in general (including the thousands of teenagers cruising on Friday and Saturday nights – the bane of Coconut Grove and South Beach when I was there), and retirees. (Although the retiree variety Snowbird Canadianus (the “penny-pincher”) is more generally associated with a strictly seasonal residence at the more staid, affordable, and out-of-the-way condo enclaves of Broward County/Ft. Lauderdale.) So if you want to live amidst the excitement, you’re going to have to resign yourself to the congestion, noise, inconvenience, and lousy driving of the youngsters, rubber-necking tourists, and borderline-competent-driver retirees. So I’d recommend the 'burbs situated near the tourist magnets, where you’d be a weekend daytripper like most of the people there.

4

We’ve lived in the Orlando 'burbs since '89. The traffic sucks only because the local electorate won’t approve taxes to update the highways to keep up with growth. We like it because there’s plenty of jobs outside the tourist industry and there’s always something to do. Plus we’re right in the middle of the state and anything that interests us is not too far. I like being inland enough not to take the brunt of a hurricane.

Sarasota is to me the stereotypical Florida without too much of the crap you’ll find in all of the big cities. Gainesville and Ocala are very nice also if your into smaller towns. The beaches in the panhandle are very nice, but it gets downright cold up there most of the winter. I am also very fond of the Ft Piece/Stuart areas. Naples enjoys the climate of Miami without the crap Miami is famous for. I for one would avoid Miami, Lauderdale and Palm Beaches. It is so crowded and you either live in a seedy area or a very expensive fortified neighborhood. Jacksonville–what FCM said. Naples has a fast growing population of young professionals.

If you’re coming for a warm winter, you’ve got to go south. In the winter, if it’s 85 in Miami, it’s 75 in Orlando and it’s 65 in the north. Anything north of Orlando can get downright chilly. We see at least one frosty morning here every two or three years. Lows in the 20s and 30s in Tallahassee are fairly common. Anything south of Ft Pierce on the Atlantic and Port Charlotte on the Gulf enjoy the winter weather you might be looking for.

Good luck in your search.

5

Orlando traffic sucks relative to the rest of Florida, which is to say coming from Hartford you’ll barely notice there are other road-users.

Try Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach. I lived in that area for 3 years, and loved it. Live in Orlando (well, Oviedo) now.

6

Melbourne-Palm Bay is a nice place to live, though not full of job opportunities unless you are an engineer, computer geek, can pick oranges, or tend bar.

Lots of codgers and rednecks . . but in the middle of it all, an island of artists in Melbourne. 90 min from Orlando . . . 45 from the beaches . . .and 30 from Vero Beach.

I think this is the best way to sum up Florida: move there AFTER you have made your fortune; if you are going there to seek it, there’s a 50-50 chance you’ll end up moving back, because most of the economy is service and tourism.

7

Teehee, another vote for my hometown area as well - Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Satellite Beach.

8

Much thanks for all the great responses so far. It’s actually kind of difficult coming up with honest information for this type of stuff. Mostly what you find is marketing junk from real estate agents. I really don’t care, for instance, how many golf courses are within five miles of Naples.

Please, keep it coming, FL Dopers!

9

And some day I’ll remember to uncheck the “Show your signature” box, sigh…