A cold hating Pennsylvania man in Florida

[marko]

I also know of one guard gated where you just say you are going to the country club to golf and they let you right in without even calling the starter to check.

We've been wintering in Fort Lauderdale for decades. Traffic is a pain but not as bad as when we have a snowstorm up north! We get out before the summer humidity comes around.

Visited my old boss for lunch at a guard gated in Palm Beach. OMG. Not only do they need picture ID (and yes, they really did check my photo), you must be on a daily list and THEN they call the person to tell them you're on your way up.

Of course these are houses in the $15MM range with a lot of high-end/famous residents; saw a big time retired baseball player just walking down the street. The whole place was beyond impressive.

 

[48Fire]

I appreciate "messy" creative living. Not one for groomed perfection where everything is orderly and manicured. Seems unnatural.

You would like our Florida neighborhood No HOA, people do what they want (or don't want) to their yard and house

 

[strobot]

But about age 35, something about my metabolism changed and I found high heat to be debilitating.

+1 DW and I really enjoy a good snow, I guess that's just the NE in us that we can't shake. I suppose once the bones really start to creak and ache from even a nip of cold, then a warmer environment will be nice to escape the harshness; but it needs to be a drier heat like Arizona. Any place that can pull down 100 degrees F with 100% humidity on a regular basis seems...well as you said, debilitating.

Additionally, as gardening is a hobby, not sure how vegetable plants would make it very long in Southern FL. Maybe tomatoes and watermelon? Even if plants survived, how anyone could tend to the garden during daylight hours is beyond me.

 

[marko]

OTOH, I could never live in FL. Too hot for too long. Plus everything there wants to eat you, from mosquitoes in the air to ticks on the ground to gators in the lakes to sharks in the ocean. And now I hear they have giant anacondas or pythons or something slithering all over the state. Danger lurking behind every palm tree!

As noted above my family has spent their winters in Florida since the 1940's.

My take has always been that there are 'two' Floridas.

There's the Florida that's within 2-3 miles of the beaches --plus the Orlando area, and then there's the Florida beyond that.

Within 2-3 miles of the beaches there is extreme wealth, great restaurants, $40MM yachts and good living. We haven't seen a mosquito in Lauderdale in years, let alone snakes or gators...ok, maybe a shark or two from time to time.

Go inland a few miles however there is all that and more! And lots of folks who you just wouldn't want to meet even in daylight. It can get pretty sketchy pretty fast in some places.

 

[socca]

I am struggling with the crime thing...

Try one of the crime mapping websites. Some of them are well-designed and informative. I check Sarasota every 3 months or so. Some areas are like a war zone while others are relatively crime-free (no area is completely crime-free). It's all there - burglary, assault (including sexual), illegal drugs, ID theft, fraud, etc.

 

[48Fire]

How about Winter Springs? I'm staying there in an AirBnb in July (heat tolerance test). Far enough north not to crowd you out?

I am struggling with the crime thing - considering Ocala and Winter Springs, crime statistic opposites. But no town is 100%. Last week here a kid got stuck by a discarded needle at a grade school playground.

Have you spent much time in either place? Florida is so diverse in some areas - or not. I think Ocala is a pretty area, but we would have trouble blending in there.

 

[MichaelB]

And lots of folks who you just wouldn't want to meet even in daylight. It can get pretty sketchy pretty fast in some places.

This describes just about every place I’ve ever lived or visited.

Once we make other planets habitable and space travel affordable, people on Mars will be complaining about something and dissing other locations.

“Mars? Forget it. Too humid. Not enough water. People everywhere, The traffic is crazy - we got clipped in the 500 ft lane by some kid on an air scooter. He didn’t even apologize! And the restaurants suck - they all make the same old dishes from earth rations, nothing creative,or locally grown. I read Alpha Delta 2 is the place to go. Anyone been there and can tell us about it?”

 

[target2019]

I agree that the heat is the key issue.
My DGF loves the heat. Had on a little heater last week, as the overnight low was in the low 50's outside.
For me, I will still go outside and play sports in 90 degree heat, but we would stay inside in 25 degrees in winter in the North. So would rather have major heat than major cold but of course YMMV.

Homo Sapiens is probably split evenly on heat vs. cold. To some extent you can adjust, and where you're born plays a factor. However, nothing's for certain.

I've never enjoyed heat, and grew up in the Delaware Valley. So I've always had the change of seasons being pretty much equal, and do enjoy it that way. 25 and sunny is acceptable to us, just wear layers. 90 is when you can't peel off enough layers. Drive naked in your SUV? Maybe that will work.

 

[Dtail]

Homo Sapiens is probably split evenly on heat vs. cold. To some extent you can adjust, and where you're born plays a factor. However, nothing's for certain.

I've never enjoyed heat, and grew up in the Delaware Valley. So I've always had the change of seasons being pretty much equal, and do enjoy it that way. 25 and sunny is acceptable to us, just wear layers. 90 is when you can't peel off enough layers. Drive naked in your SUV? Maybe that will work.

The demographics in FLA driving naked in SUV's would be some sight.
Perhaps this concept already exists in the Villages.

 

[aja8888]

When going through an old box of photos recently, I found some pictures of me at age 20 while in the Air Force at Orlando AFB (1965 - 1966). That was a missle training base back then and I was being trained as a nuclear missile launch specialist for a soon to be assigned tour overseas.

Orlando AFB is no longer there....it's now the International Airport. Last time I was in Orlando, I did not recognize anything like I saw in my old photos. What was missing was the grass, open spaces, empty roads, orange groves, and a few people.

I guess after I left Orlando AFB in 1966, the concrete and people arrived. LOL!

 

[braumeister]

When going through an old box of photos recently, I found some pictures of me at age 20 while in the Air Force at Orlando AFB (1965 - 1966).

It was called McCoy AFB then, which is why Orlando's airport still carries the designator MCO. I remember stopping there to refuel a couple of times around 1969-70. Really nice base.

ETA: No, on second thought I looked it up. Orlando AFB was a separate facility, but just a minor one today. McCoy AFB is the present Orlando International Airport.

 

[Freedom56]

In Florida it's better if you live near the coast. Things go bad pretty fast a couple of miles inland. This is why they have gated communities inland. We have a place in downtown West Palm Beach in a high rise condo. It's pretty safe and secure. The Brightline train is pretty nice and convenient and links you to Downtown Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. It only gets rowdy downtown on the 4th of July, New Years Eve, and during Sunfest. But Florida has a significant homeless problem. Many of them move around like zombies. When you go out for a run or walk in the morning it sometimes feels like your are walking into the set of the Walking Dead.

 

[REWahoo]

It was called McCoy AFB then, which is why Orlando's airport still carries the designator MCO. I remember stopping there to refuel a couple of times around 1969-70. Really nice base.

ETA: No, on second thought I looked it up. Orlando AFB was a separate facility, but just a minor one today. McCoy AFB is the present Orlando International Airport.

+1

I was stationed at McCoy AFB in 1973 when it the DoD announced it would be closed, which was completed in early 1975.

 

[Dtail]

In Florida it's better if you live near the coast. Things go bad pretty fast a couple of miles inland. This is why they have gated communities inland. We have a place in downtown West Palm Beach in a high rise condo. It's pretty safe and secure. The Brightline train is pretty nice and convenient and links you to Downtown Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. It only gets rowdy downtown on the 4th of July, New Years Eve, and during Sunfest. But Florida has a significant homeless problem. Many of them move around like zombies. When you go out for a run or walk in the morning it sometimes feels like your are walking into the set of the Walking Dead.

Not sure how much inland you mean.
We are 1 hour from the beaches and while we hear and read about crime, we haven't heard of anyone who has been victimized in our 20 months here. Small sample acknowledged.
Additionally, we have not run into any homeless in the New Tampa area suburbs. Downtown in Ybor City yes.

 

[friar1610]

I lived in Pensacola for 2 years on a Navy assignment a long time ago. I sure thought it was HOT in the summer. I imagine it's worse in "real" Florida. As an aging New Englander, though, the thought of spending a month or two of winter in a warmer climate is starting to sound appealing. Not having been to Florida (except for passing through Miami Airport) since 1984 I would have no idea where to start looking for an area I would enjoy.

Edited to add: a lot of Navy retirees seem to love P'cola but it wasn't my cup of tea.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I would have no idea where to start looking for an area I would enjoy.

Edited to add: a lot of Navy retirees seem to love P'cola but it wasn't my cup of tea.

Pensacola is also a potential target for all the whirly Winds that make their way North across the Gulf.

 

[RAE]

Ray, just so you know, I've been back from Florida for 72 hours. Still waiting to see a glimpse of the sun..I know exactly what you refer to when you mention "the cold gray"...could be like this for weeks.

Actually, right now I'm OK with it because I've been gone for 3 months and am enjoying being back in "my" space, but if I'd been here for Jan-March I'd be a basket case right now.
Enjoy Florida. It is what it is, which is warm, crowded, sunny, warm, buggy, sunny and warm. Did I mention warm? and sunny?

Wow.......we just returned (to Michigan) from our 3-month winter stay in Florida and I could have written your EXACT words! The Michigan winter this year was really nasty, and it's not over yet (at least here in northern Michigan). So next year, we are talking about staying in Florida a little longer.......maybe 4-5 months. We are on the central Gulf coast, so the congestion is not as bad as most of S. Florida, but it is still getting pretty crowded (at least for me). But the weather was great, the people in our little neighborhood were all very friendly and welcoming, and the fishing was good, too. Bugs were only an issue in the late afternoon/evening of very warm days, and even then they were tolerable. And no issues with safety where we were......we felt perfectly safe. After sitting here looking out the window at the snow on the ground and the gray skies, I am already thinking about next winter's trip down there.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Bottom line it is to each his or her own preference. Personally I could not live in a place like Glenn Villeneuve in Chandalar Alaska of life below zero fame does.

 

[HadEnuff]

Wow.......we just returned (to Michigan) from our 3-month winter stay in Florida and I could have written your EXACT words! The Michigan winter this year was really nasty, and it's not over yet (at least here in northern Michigan). So next year, we are talking about staying in Florida a little longer.......maybe 4-5 months. We are on the central Gulf coast, so the congestion is not as bad as most of S. Florida, but it is still getting pretty crowded (at least for me). But the weather was great, the people in our little neighborhood were all very friendly and welcoming, and the fishing was good, too. Bugs were only an issue in the late afternoon/evening of very warm days, and even then they were tolerable. And no issues with safety where we were......we felt perfectly safe. After sitting here looking out the window at the snow on the ground and the gray skies, I am already thinking about next winter's trip down there.

I'm hoping DW will say something like "maybe we should stay in Florida through April next year"....but I don't think she's going to do that.

 

[youbet]

I was aware of the traffic, the congestion and crime but somehow I now am a bit put off by it. Before retirement I was a casual observer now it is all too real. Today it will hit the low 80s with the humidity matching - the a/c is on.

Every place has its ups and downs........

We spent about two months (mid-Jan to mid-March) in Fla the past few years. We enter via the Panhandle and move downstate along the Gulf Coast, then inland towards Orlando, and back to the Panhandle to head back home. It's a combination of rentals, visiting friends/relatives and staying in our little RV. Quite inexpensive.

We've learned to customize our stay to our liking. We're definitely not hot weather fans and hate, hate, hate crowds, so the Panhandle beaches often suit us well. At Top Sail Preserve, for example, there is a 3.5 mile beach which we are generally only sharing with a dozen or so other folks, sometimes literally no one else. The locals and many snow birds think it's way too cold, but we're happy to be almost alone beach walking even if it means being in a sweatshirt or jacket because the temp is hovering around 60f.

But, for many of the reasons you mentioned, we can't quite convince ourselves to buy a place down there preferring to move around to wherever calls us at the moment. You might think along those same lines. There are lots of ways to head south for a break in the winter without buying a place and locking yourself in.

 

[Retire52]

YMMV. My experience living about a decade in Miami a few years ago, then moving back to FL last year, this time to Gainesville has been overwhelmingly positive. I grew up in Colo Spgs, CO so the heat and humidity is my biggest challenge here. Not much difference between Mia and Gaines where that's concerned--misery index is high about 5 months a year from May-Oct IMO.

Moved back to FL to help my DW's brother take of aging Mother. I LOVE the weather for 7 months, low taxes, LCOL and high energy and atmosphere in Gainesville--a big college town. Never worried about congestion or crime other than be sensible with risk, which applies anywhere you live. The real challenge for me is to get out of the sauna a few months during the peak summer period and I'll be fine. DW grew up in New Orleans so her tolerance is much higher. It just gives me some motivation to do some longer term travel to explore Canada and Northwrn US.

Like the OP says there is always a trade off no matter where you live, and I'll add, to each his or her own tastes and preferences...I just got back from a nice jog outside where the temp was in the low 70s, one of many I was able to enjoy during this past winter wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

 

[RAE]

I'm hoping DW will say something like "maybe we should stay in Florida through April next year"....but I don't think she's going to do that.

Yeah, we will probably be returning back to Michigan by about April 1 again next year also. The issue with us is our two grandsons..........ages 7 and 9. We are pretty attached to those little guys, and their spring break is usually around the first week of April, so they usually stay at our house that whole week, if we are home. I doubt that we will want to miss that. But November and December are not great weather months here in northern Michigan, so my current thinking is that perhaps we can head south sometime in November (rather than around early January, as we have been doing). That would work for me, and hopefully for DW also.

 

[Elbata]

I'd move to FL for one reason only--Pollo Tropical. Man, I love that place.

Make that 2 reasons--Palacio De Jugos. Oh man, best restaurants in the world.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I can handle cold better than heat but we live in a mild 4 seasons. I used to live in the Midwest and upstate New York and both would be too cold now. I also have a really hard time with humidity. It didn’t bother me when I was young.

 

[aja8888]

It was called McCoy AFB then, which is why Orlando's airport still carries the designator MCO. I remember stopping there to refuel a couple of times around 1969-70. Really nice base.

ETA: No, on second thought I looked it up. Orlando AFB was a separate facility, but just a minor one today. McCoy AFB is the present Orlando International Airport.

I wonder what happened to the old Orlando AFB? Maybe they just closed it and levelled the place? It was really just a training facility and it didn't have an airstrip that I can remember.