Florida revisited...

[timo2]

Can the florida folks relate the status of the fresh water supply in Florida?

 

[RAE]

Levy county area is still a bargain. I purchased a 2007 house (double wide) on 5 acres for $80K.

I can count on one hand the number of cars that go by in a day.

Yep, I agree. No traffic in much of Levy County, but most folks want to head further south, where all the congestion is. Levy County will be discovered by the hoards eventually (and probably sooner now that we've advertised it), but right now it's still very livable. And the fishing is great.

 

[Senator]

Can the florida folks relate the status of the fresh water supply in Florida?

My water comes from a well in North Central FL. It's 100% safe. I also use a water softener.

Plenty of water in FL. Water near Kissimmee has a slight sulphur smell, but it is 100% safe too.

 

[RobbieB]

I like FL for stone crabs, grouper, conch fritters, alligator appetizers, gulf shrimp and oysters, Miami Beach warm Atlantic swim.

A week is more than enough.

 

[street]

RobbieB, you have all that FL offers right there in CA right?

 

[Senator]

RobbieB, you have all that FL offers right there in CA right?

State income taxes? I think they are more in CA...

 

[misshathaway]

Actually I'm glad to see a few more, now that I live here again, and can comment as a resident instead of a lived-there-once-long-ago.

OTOH, I am supremely bored by any and all references to bacon. Do people stop posting about bacon because of this? They do not!

I devoured the Florida posts when I was looking for an area to live in. There are probably people in the forum now doing the same thing.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I devoured the Florida posts when I was looking for an area to live in. There are probably people in the forum now doing the same thing.

Why don't we Floridians help them out. Perhaps start a thread about "The 10 things you like about where you live in Florida, and some you don't"?

May make for good reading, we are wanting to downsize so it will help us in case we want to change location.

Some folk here are funny about giving away their location, (as if we are going to invade their towns) , personally it does not bother us.

 

[Sunset]

Why don't we Floridians help them out. Perhaps start a thread about "The 10 things you like about where you live in Florida, and some you don't"?

May make for good reading, we are wanting to downsize so it will help us in case we want to change location.

Some folk here are funny about giving away their location, (as if we are going to invade their towns) , personally it does not bother us.

Great Idea, as I'm still thinking we need to move out of IL.

 

[misshathaway]

Why don't we Floridians help them out. Perhaps start a thread about "The 10 things you like about where you live in Florida, and some you don't"?

I've only been here 6 weeks. Mine would be all sunshine and rosebuds, except for driving. My porch is on a boulevard. I was sitting out there and somebody beeped on the boulevard and I actually thought for a second, "What did I do now?"

 

[Gearhead Jim]

For seven years we drove down from Chicago to the Bonita Beach area and rented a condo for several months during the winter. I had also traveled to Florida many times throughout the year on my job.


We stopped going there several years ago. Our reasons may or may not be significant to others, but here's what we noticed:


The weather is of course much nicer than Chicago during the winter. But Jan-Feb-Mar are often not beach weather, you can go outside but may not want to stay out. Summer, of course, is about as bad as Chicago winter.
Red tide can be annoying.

Near the ocean is "gouge the tourists" land. You can wait long hours to get expensive but mediocre food in a crowded noisy restaurant served by snooty staff.


Traffic is maddening, especially near the water. I can recall many times where it took us over an hour to travel two miles.


Florida is infested, especially in winter, by "Fog People"- old folks who walk and drive around in a fog, not knowing what they are doing, where they are, where they are going, or how to get there. Annoying and dangerous. And that's coming from me in my 70's.

The dividing line between high class/expensive areas and low class/dumpy areas, is sometimes rather abrupt. The transition from "gated community" to "broken washing machine in the front yard" can be surprising.

You can avoid some of that by going further north in the state and inland, but then the weather is chillier in winter but still mighty hot & humid in summer.

DW and I had expected to move somewhere in Florida after I retired, but finally decided it just wasn't for us.
Your mileage may vary.

 

[harley]

For seven years we drove down from Chicago to the Bonita Beach area and rented a condo for several months during the winter. I had also traveled to Florida many times throughout the year on my job....

Traffic is maddening, especially near the water. I can recall many times where it took us over an hour to travel two miles.

You nailed that one. Bonita Beach Rd from Tamiami Trail west and north to Fort Myers Beach is one of the worst stretches in the country, narrowing from 3 lanes to one just where it gets really busy. I don't know if it was going on when you were here but they're doing construction on it in Fort Myer's Beach, which makes it even worse.

So everybody stay away.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Some Parts of Florida are very tedious from a traffic, and population perspective, even us Floridians leave those areas to the Snowbirds. Personally we avoid them like a plague.

Honestly, those were the 2 main reasons we left SoCal. Fed up of lining up to eat and spending ages getting from A to B. SW Florida is the same.

 

[Dtail]

Some Parts of Florida are very tedious from a traffic, and population perspective, even us Floridians leave those areas to the Snowbirds. Personally we avoid them like a plague.

Same here SWR.
It was one of our decision factors in moving inland a little. I know you have the best of both worlds being near the beach.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Same here SWR.
It was one of our decision factors in moving inland a little. I know you have the best of both worlds being near the beach.

Hopefully we will be spared a few years of relative peace.

 

[RAE]

The weather is of course much nicer than Chicago during the winter. But Jan-Feb-Mar are often not beach weather, you can go outside but may not want to stay out. Summer, of course, is about as bad as Chicago winter.
Red tide can be annoying.

I agree completely that the Florida summers can be brutal, but that is why a lot of people split their time between Florida in the winter, and someplace up north for the rest of the year. We've spent a few winters in Florida (Jan/Feb/March) and I personally thought the weather was great for what I wanted to do outside (fish, kayak, etc.......I'm not a beach person). I know I could not live in Florida year-round, but I sure as heck plan to keep going down there in the winters, for as long as I can.

 

[meleana]

We are retiring from NY to New Hampshire (Lakes Region). People are always shocked to hear we are not going south.

 

[hopeisconstant]

I recently checked out Florida. Sarasota, Naples, Boca Raton areas. I liked the Gulf side best. Traffic less busy, layout of streets and towns & cities more low key & inviting. Housing was great. We went in summer to see if wife & I could handle the heat. We understood its really pretty hot, to put it mildly, 6 months out of the year, particularly these areas. We live in Northern California and were thinking of leaving, primarily for tax reasons. BUT we decided against Florida. Why? Well, we could handle the heat & figured we'd do some traveling during those months. But really how much can you travel?? And, of course, as you get older. But we still thought we could handle the heat. But I'll tell you what we couldn't handle. The sun was so hot! I'm not talking about temperature now. Just the burning rays of the sun. I wasn't even directly in the sun a lot. Lots of driving though and my face felt burned all the time. I looked into it. Florida has some of the highest skin cancer numbers in the country. The UV levels are very high or even extreme at least 7 months out of the year. You see skin care specialists and dermatologists everywhere you go. No thanks.

 

[Cassius King]

I have a bit of trouble understanding the summer comments, so please help. We're in Florida yearly in August. Yes it will hit the 90's, possibly stay there.
But, is it that much different than anywhere else in August? I know here in Cincy, it will be in the 90's and humid. All areas around here the same. Just seems that the difference in weather in the winter, makes up for the minimal/if any difference in the summer.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I recently checked out Florida. Sarasota, Naples, Boca Raton areas. I liked the Gulf side best. Traffic less busy, layout of streets and towns & cities more low key & inviting. No thanks.

Less Traffic on the Gulf side from Sarasota South? When were you there, during a Hurricane?

As a resident who travelled in FLA throughout the year and all over the state. Everywhere below the Sarasota and Palm Bay Parallel within 10 miles from the coast is pretty much wall to wall traffic during the season, may as well be in Southern California. It does lighten up (a little) during the summer months. The I4 corridor from Tampa to Daytona and visa versa within 10 miles either side of Orlando is always a challenge.

As far as the sun is concerned, We would rather put sunscreen on than a big woolly coat.

If the Sun was an issue people would not flock to the Med, USVI, UKVI, Spain and Portugal to name but a few places for their holidays.

We understand you do not like Florida, that is OK. Each to their own. But we would not be caught dead anywhere for a long period of time where there is even a hint of snow or prolonged sub zero temps. That does not mean they are not great places for some.

 

[Masquernom]

I have a bit of trouble understanding the summer comments, so please help. We're in Florida yearly in August. Yes it will hit the 90's, possibly stay there.
But, is it that much different than anywhere else in August? I know here in Cincy, it will be in the 90's and humid. All areas around here the same. Just seems that the difference in weather in the winter, makes up for the minimal/if any difference in the summer.

I'm wondering the same thing. It gets hot here in Louisville in the summer. My wife doesn't want to go out for a walk if it's hotter than about 82 degrees. If we move to Florida, she'll be inside in the AC all summer the same as now anyway. She's mentioned wanting to move to Virginia or North Carolina instead of Florida. I suspect the summers there aren't much more comfortable than northern Florida. Guess we'll have to visit both areas in the summer and find out.

 

[golfnut]

I have lived in the Chicago area all my life and we have had some real hot summers with very high humidity. That being said, this past August I went on a 5 day golf trip to Myrtle Beach. The weather in Chicago prior to this trip was in low to mid 90s and I figured I would be acclimated to the heat.



Well, Myrtle's heat/humidity was a different animal than Chicago's. Heat index in Myrtle was 100+ for four of the days we were there. Despite drinking alot of water while golfing, one didn't have to go number one (if you what I mean) as we were just soaked to the skin while playing.


There's definitely a difference between Midwest and South heat/humidity imo.

 

[neihn]

We have been snow-birding between Oregon and Florida for the past 3.5 years.

To be honest, I regret the decision to move FL (even though, only staying 7 months in FL). Most of my family members, family friends, work friends are in the NW (Portland, Seattle), therefore, we make two trips / years back to the NW, 3 months in the summer and > 1 month to cover Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year then back to Florida after new year.

I sometimes wish that it is only 2 hrs flight, that would work better. As of now, I am leaning moving back. It sucks, but I rather fix it when I am still healthy and more willing

So if you are close to your family and friends where you are, you may need to consider that.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have moved a lot and it takes time to build a community of good friends. We have lived here 22 years and no way I would give that up. Florida heat is definitely much more intense than Midwest heat.

 

[hopeisconstant]

Less Traffic on the Gulf side from Sarasota South? When were you there, during a Hurricane?

As a resident who travelled in FLA throughout the year and all over the state. Everywhere below the Sarasota and Palm Bay Parallel within 10 miles from the coast is pretty much wall to wall traffic during the season, may as well be in Southern California. It does lighten up (a little) during the summer months. The I4 corridor from Tampa to Daytona and visa versa within 10 miles either side of Orlando is always a challenge.

As far as the sun is concerned, We would rather put sunscreen on than a big woolly coat.

If the Sun was an issue people would not flock to the Med, USVI, UKVI, Spain and Portugal to name but a few places for their holidays.

We understand you do not like Florida, that is OK. Each to their own. But we would not be caught dead anywhere for a long period of time where there is even a hint of snow or prolonged sub zero temps. That does not mean they are not great places for some.

I was just recently there, in September. I realize traffic gets much worse in winter. But wasn’t talking about traffic. I was comparing roads or highways on the Gulf side to the Atlantic Ocean side. The highways on the Boca side were much wider & even in September the traffic was more crazy. You’re wrong about my disliking Florida. I’ve been there many times and we were very seriously considering moving. We actually went down there to decide where in Florida to move. We had narrowed it down to either Sarasota or Naples area. After all these years on planet earth call me naive or just plain dumb but I never really appreciated the impact of high UV levels. It’s not heat that matters, it’s how the sun strikes the earth that determines UV levels and it is much more direct in this part of the hemisphere. In my opinion it’s downright borderline dangerous. Now call me a hypochondriac or just downright paranoid or overblowing this but do your own research. As far as so many people moving there goes well it’s easy to understand the attraction when comparing it to living in harsh winters areas but don’t discount herd mentalities and downright ignorance. Good idea put lots of sun lotion on but if you like being outdoor during the day all the lotion in the world will not counteract such UV levels. My wife, who is not as outdoorsy as me, was perfectly fine with it & told me to just adjust my waking hours & Spend my time outside in the AM or late afternoons when UV levels subside. I seriously considered that but in the end didn’t think it a viable option. Another factor influencing me is I have rosacea and that makes my skin, along w/medication I take, more sensitive to the sun.