I Want To Move To Florida. Does anyone live there?

#1

Hi! That’s it. I am done with the north. I want to move to florida.
I’ve lived in New York city since the 1970’s and enough is enough.

I’ve been looking at real estate sites. My mother-in-law lives in Ft. Lauderdale so I’m sort of liking it there but it may be too crowded.
I’m also considering the Charleston area but all I know is, my bones need to SWIM or I’m not going to be able to walk in a few years.

Just wondering if anyone lives down there, moved down there, has any pros or cons to mention. Oh, and the really weird thing is we now have 4 cats so no condos.

#2

Just wondering if anyone lives down there…
No, it’s one of the completely empty states. Your MIL must be a figment of your imagination. :lol:

Just kidding! I’m sure there are a lot of members there. I’m sure you’ll get a few responses at least so be patient. You can also do an advanced member search so you might give that a try. Some people are probably not active anymore, but I know a few are. :thumbsup:

I just did a quick search and found quite a few using Florida as the location.
aprilbetty
Breezed
cindycactus
daylilydayzed
Debbie

#3

We live in Orlando, about 5ish hours from Ft Lauderdale. There are lots of small towns in Florida, several close to Ft. Lauderdale. The big problem would be finding a job that pays well.
Ft. Lauderdale, like most large Florida cities tends to "GROW’ by thousands and thousands of people during tourist seasons.

#4

I live in Fort Myers, FL. I LOVE Florida. I came here on vacation almost 9 years ago, and well…I seriously just never left. I had all my stuff boxed up and delivered to me. Fort Myers is not a bad location. It doesn’t have as much tourist appeal as say Orlando/Tampa or Miami, yet it is no more than a 2-3 hour drive north, south, or east to get somewhere to do larger scale events, sites, etc.

As for cats, you’d be surprised how pet-friendly most places are now. I have always had 2-3 pets, dog and cats, and I have never had a problem renting anywhere.

The only con to Florida is the obvious…hurricanes. I’ve been through a few, and even lost my house in Hur. Andrew, but that’s still not enough to make me leave. I love the beach, the almost non-stop sunshine, and everything is just so clear out here.

#5

That’s sweet of you jan! thanks, appreciate it!

#6

Thanks Debbie! I’ve never been to Orlando. Drove through Titusville 2 Christmas’ ago.

Breezed! Yeah, you’re making me drool. We got close to Ft. Myers a couple years ago when we were in Naples. It looked pretty impressive. Not all the big crowds around Ft. lauderdale and Miami. (I do not want to be too near to Miami!)

That is so funny you had all your stuff boxed up and sent down! Ha.
You know, I never thought I’d want to live in florida. Have been going down to visit for 20 years or more, just short little stays. It’s finally come round, and I think of it everyday. It’s so gray here and just, not good for when you are entering your 60s. (well, I’m not there yet, but getting close)

I want to be around all that lush foliage and sun, yes yes yes.

Last night on the news was the announcement we will have many more rats this summer because they cut back on pest control.
:roll:

Thanks for posting!

#7

I lived in the West Palm Beach area for 6 years and Orlando for a few months. I liked it and believe that you will enjoy living in Florida.

A couple of things to consider, Florida is a long state and North Florida is similar but different from the far south. From Orlando down the center of the state is about swamp (generalization yes) and very humid. As you get closer to the beach area the humidity is offset by an almost constant breeze.

The East coast is more of the tourist attraction then the west coast but that is changing. The Ocean on the East coast has waves and the West Gulf coast has less or no waves. I can remember walking about 1/4 mile off the beach on the Gulf side before the water came to my waist.

#8

Thanks Cris. Interesting about the breezes and waves. Never thought about that. Much better than humidity!

#9

I live in Lakeland in Polk County which is in the middle of the state. I am half way between Tampa on the West coast and Orlando in the east along the I 4 corridor. It is closer to Tampa by about 10-15 miles . Our industries are agriculture (oranges and cattle ) I was born in Ohio but my parents moved to FL before I turned @ years old. I have been here most of my life(52 years ) .

#10

HI…This is sooo funny, cuz I had a visit with (last week) some relatives who live in Hudson (umm somewhere in the general vicinity of Tampa) and I came home (to Ohio/snow) wondering if I would like to live in Florida…although I have been in Orlando middle of July and think NO WAY…but I didn’t consider areas with “ocean breezes”…honestly, I thought Tarpin Springs was rather nice with a very nice ocean beach. Although the day after I got home, Tampa had a severe storm, tornadoes!!!

#11

Yes we here in Lakeland got that same weather that Tampa did. A small tornado went through the elementary school’ behind my house, went through the playground and parents pickup driveway where it took down one of the trees on the end on the other side of the school from my crossing area.I am the school crossing guard for that school and I had just gotten off duty about 30 minutes before it hit here.

#12

I grew up in Tampa and have relatives living there now. I now live in North Florida along the coast. Small fishing town. I think I love it here more. We do get cold weather in the winter months but “NO SNOW”!! We get the breezes from the water in the summer and are some days 10 degrees cooler than Tallahassee. We do get tourists but ours come in the summer. It all just depends on what you like.

#13

I also live in Lakeland. A really nice community. There are lots of smaller communities (towns) in this part of the state as well as elsewhere. I love it here. We moved from Michigan almost 20 years ago and have never regretted it. Hubby’s job moved us here. We are both now retired.

Finding jobs here, as well as anywhere else is tough. In the winter we have ‘snowbirds’ - those that come down just for the winter months every year. In the summer we have lots of tourist but that’s not so bad because it creates jobs in the tourist industry.

There are only two other things to think about - hurricanes and bugs. Florida has lots of bugs everything from Palmetto Bugs (looks like a Roach only bigger), Fireants (the bite really stings), etc.

But we love living here. As with any other state we have our issues but we learn to live with or around them.

flhusker

#14

Don’t forget the Geckos, the little lizards. When DSWMBO&A (Dear She Who Must Be Obeyed & Adored = wife) and I first moved to Florida she did the neatest little gecko dance. The nearest ATM was on the side of the bank and not a drive up. There were overhead trees and bushes around the walk. Picture a pretty lady putting her ATM card in the machine while at the same time trying to look in all directions at one time. Look left, look right, look up, look down, check the ground, glance to the railing on the left, now the bush on the right all in one fluid motion.

She knew the geckos were ganging up and ready to attack her. After about a year she forgot about the little lizards.

However, while she was dancing I could barely stop laughing.

#15

cacunn, that is hilarious! I love that picture of her dancing, the gecko dance! Strangely enough, I think they’re cute, they don’t bother me. Now those big bugs yuk. And I’ve seen the line of ants too, boy do they come out quick if you leave cat food on the floor

FLhusker… I was born in Michigan. Owosso, near Flint & Lansing.
My parents and sisters moved down there also, but then they moved on to Arizona.

Thanks for replying, cindycactus too… funny, I don’t mind snow I just hate the long grayness of Jan/Feb/March. Even now it’s still gray although yesterday was so beautiful people were practically dancing, 75 degrees. Then right back to cold wet today.

#16

Another thing I remember from South Florida is the rains. During the rainy season you could almost set your clock by the start of the afternoon rain. It would not last long but every day at about the same time you would get some rain. It was also fun to be driving on one of the flat straight roads and see the wall of rain up ahead. It was as if someone had drawn a line on the road and said that it could only rain on that side of the line and not the other.

I’ve seen this in other places but with the flatness of south Florida it is easier to see.

#17

The last really raining season we had was in the late 1970’s and early 80’s then a 4 year drought happened. Since then we do not get the really rainy days that you could set your watch by.

#18

I live in South Florida! north of Ft Laurderdale though. I live up in Palm Beach, which is a lot less crowded than down there, but even I want to get a bit farther north! It’s not that bad down here really, as long as you can handle the ridiculous heat, and when its raining it will only rain on one side of the road while it’s still sunny and all on the other. (Not even kidding haha) But it hasn’t been that bad rain or storm wise in yeeeears. We have gotten quite lucky really.

#19

[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]i’m in west palm! (and <3 FMA). We don’t get the afternoon rain so much as several days of rain after a drought. Damned global climate change.

It is really hot, but most places are air conditioned (ICY sometimes) so it’s better. I lived in NY with NO AC in my house and it was pretty dreadful.

But the bugs! I HATE palmetto bugs with a passion. They’re dreadful and huge and the females fly! I’m allergic to fire ants so if I get a bit, it gets red and huge and itchy and burny. Just avoid the hills.

Has anyone noticed the invasion of the golden orb weavers? They’re everywhere![/COLOR]