We’ve had a place near Tampa and now have a condo just south of Boca Raton. I much prefer the east coast of Florida because of nicer water and coastline and I believe the traffic isn’t as bad as the west coast. When we decided back in 2016 to move closer to the water, we drove around the west coast to check it out. Traffic in Sarasota and Bradenton scared me away. Tampa and Pasco county were much worse than before we originally bought there.
We now have a condo in a sleepy little town on the A1A with uncrowded beaches. However the public beaches down the road are busy. We love our little place and can watch the ocean from our living room or balcony, or go down to it whenever we like.
Sounds like heaven! We lived in a beachfront condo in CA for many years, and there is definitely something to be said for being able to easily access the beach and watch the ocean. I’m curious why some beaches aren’t crowded while others are mobbed. One concern I have about a beach condo is that I don’t want to be surrounded by tourists all the time or live in a building that is a ghost town for a good chunk of the year. Does your building have a good sense of community among the residents?