What is Ocala FL like?

[dumpster56]

My 78 YO father has decided he hates being outside of philly and went and sold a GREAT place this week, is flying to Ocala this weekend, I am thinking of meeting him down there. I never was crazy about florida especially that central part of the state.

Is he crazy for wanting to be there?? Help Please if anyone knows the area.

Thanks

 

[Moemg]

Ocala looks like Pennsylvania,Horse farms and small rolling hills .It looks much nicer than a lot of central Florida .Bad news it's close to were the tornado hit .Good news it's close to the Gators stadium.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

not familiar with ocala but i like gainesville very much and am considering a move there in 3 to 5 years. i think those tornados were just freaks. i lived there for a few years back in college. don't recall any bad weather outside of some cold in winter. i do recall lots of hazy skies though as opposed to our almost constant blue skies.

florida gets interesting up there because the land starts getting some rolling hills instead of the total flat terrain we have in south florida. lots of cypress & pine & old oak trees with spanish moss hanging from them.

not a whole lot of development up there yet though i imagine that will change over the next 20 years. and in 100 years after all the coastlines flood the relatively cheap land around gaineville & ocala just might become prime property.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

While Ocala itself is undistinguished (at least the parts I have driven through), the countryside nearby is gorgeous. Wealthy ranches, gentle hills, and near the nature coast to the west. I am sure there are beautiful neighborhoods that you don't see on a drive through.

Well worth a good look, if a little remote.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, the countryside around Ocala is very, very nice. The town itself - not very interesting - more urban sprawl than anything. Or maybe I missed something - but I sure checked it out.

Audrey

 

[Outtahere]

We just came back from the Ocala area, the others are correct, beautful ranches and farms but the city is just like any other. If I were going to settle somewhere in Fl it would be that area.

 

[Sandy]

I lived in Gainesville for many years and worked with organizations providing services in Ocala and other areas. As Rich and others have said, the city of Ocala is not very distinguished, but the surrounding countryside is beautiful - farms and horse country.

Ocala has a rapidly growing older retiree population, and home prices are more moderate than in south Florida. It is more of a "blue collar" community. Traffic on the main roads is quite congested. There are 2 hospitals literally across the street from one another and a surprisingly well organized community network of social service supports. There are several golf courses, the major chains, and a community college. Because it is inland (for Florida anyway), the summer humity is high and it can be 5 - 10 degrees hotter in Ocala and Gainesville than at the coast. OTOH, while it does get an occaisional winter freeze, the fronts often stop just above or just below Gainesville, so it is often a few degrees warmer than the neighboring northern city.

Gainesvile, just 40 minutes to the north is home to the University of Florida and a major teaching hospital. Thus, some very high quality health care, as well as sports and arts are easily accessible.

 

[CRABBY JERRY]

My grandfather when he was alive lived their in a place called Pine Run if I remember right. It is on state road 200 about 7miles west of Rt75. When I first moved him there in about 1983 or so, Rt200 was a 2 lane road and if we saw another car or two all the way from Rt75 you were lucky. Last time I was there which was 10 years or more, Rt200 was a four lane highway and built up all over. It is definitely horse country there as that was the reason my grandfather moved there.Good luck in your search, Jerry

 

[haha]

My memory is that Ocala is the heart of Florida horse country, as in thorobreds. Rich people own these horses, and take really good care of them. Horses have an eye for beauty. Go where they go.

Ha

 

[bigpalmtrees]

I have lived in Florida for about 8 years. Before settling on a spot we toured all parts of Florida for several years. The other people that responded to your question are correct in there discriptions of the Ocala area. However, there is much more to selecting a spot than its attractiveness, etc. We initially purchased a home in Jupiter Florida (east coast of Florida) and lived there for several years. However, there was not enough to keep us interested. You could either play golf or go to the beach. That was a bit limiting plus I came down with skin cancer (cured now). It is a beautiful town but it was not cosmopolitan enough for us.

We bought a home in Tampa (west coast) which is very close to the University of South Florida. One of the nice things about Forida as a senior is that you can audit any of the regular classes at state universities for free (and use the athletic facilities, get student discounts at various events, etc). In Ocala (or where I live in Tampa) I am not effected by a storm surge from a hurricane as you might on the coast. That is also a plus. However, most will probably agree that you do not want to live anywhere in Florida during the summer unless you really love heat and humidity. Thus plan on taking extensive vacations in the summer, visiting the kids, or buying a second home. Many Floridians like to buy cabins in the mountains of the Carolinas, Georgia, etc. We recently purchased a condo in Morelia Mexico where we will be spending summers. So - in short go where ever you find the most interesting things to do based on your own criteria and try to stay on high ground.

 

[renferme]

Friend retired from the Pittsburgh area to Ocala recently. Had a house built in Top Of The World. Likes it very much. He originally wanted to move to The Villages, but decided it had become too costly.
Yes Ocala is horse farm country, but doesn't remind me at all of Pennsylvania.
Hills ? not really.
Green ? not really, it's a dull drab green, very different from the beautiful lush dark greens of Pa's hillsides.
But, to each his own. At least you won't have to worry about Hurricanes. And unlike southern Florida, there are 3 seasons: spring, summer, and fall.
Tiny bit of winter, I suppose.
Best of all, lots of sunshine, unlike western Pa.

 

[Nords]

Green ? not really, it's a dull drab green, very different from the beautiful lush dark greens of Pa's hillsides.

Yeah, especially the part with the six feet of snow on top!!

Sorry. Apparently I'm still carrying around "Someplace Special" baggage...