does it suck to live in florida?

[sflcowboy78]

I lived in Florida for 28 years before moving to Texas. Like others have already said you have the heat, humdity, and bugs. Also a very high cost of living, rude a-holes, and cheap snowbirds druuing the winter months. A hous will cost you not only an arm and a leg but a kidney and a liver also. The traffic sucks and your car will either have dents and scratches all over it or it will rust out or both. And finally your employer will pay you less than you are work in anyother state ( same job in Texas pays $5/hr more than in Florida). I personally think of Florida as a nice place to visit but I will never live there again.

 

[CBBaron]

One mans paradise is another mans nightmare

+1
Year round in florida would be a nightmare for me. I wouldn't even consider FL for a winter home.

Cleveland is a little heavy on the winter snow, but otherwise not a bad place to live. Boston area was nice also. I particularly don't do well with summer heat and don't mind cold so a temperate climate suits me best. And weather does matter because I like to be outside. I'm a year round bicycle commuter for one.

For the OP sounds like you should move. What others consider negatives you see as positive.

Craig

 

[-Dan-]

... and also orlando area, and lastly the space coast, like around cocoa beach

Orlando? Hmm ... well ... I dk. Do you research again when it comes crime, etc. Space Coast? I live here. Oh well... Cocoa is trailer park, Cocoa Beach is close to a trailer park, just at the beach. Depends what job you are into... hard times are coming with KSC loosing a lot of jobs and construction ind. still down. Crime? Could be worse, but plenty in Northern Brevard and Southern Palm Bay area. Roads in BRevard are horrible everywhere. They are in the process of getting improved and expanded but its still far from anything decent. etc etc etc ... could go on and on. I hope to get out of Florida in the near future (next 2-4 years) or at least move to the Gulf

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Research Property taxes- My dad is getting killed

 

[cclloyd]

I've been here for 28 years minus a tour in the Air Force (Texas and Central California) and a two year stint in Minneapolis in '87-'88. It is hot, it is humid, there are a ton of tourists, and rude transplants from all over to compliment the rude natives who hate the transplants, but another thing it is - home. I have travelled extensively and I really like a lot of other places I've been, but I would not trade the hurricanes, lovebugs, tourists and tediously monotone heat and humidity for anywhere else. The best beaches I have ever seen are a half hour drive away, we have competitive pro sports franchises, world class concert venues, no state income tax, great fishing, year round golf - the list goes on. It's not for everyone, but based on the crowds at the Bucs and Rays games there's a whole bunch of transplants who may bitch about all the bad parts but stay here anyway. If you don't like it - leave, just come back and spend your money for vacation.

 

[user 574]

FL 15+ years (?) ago was the land of inexpensive housing and low property taxes and a big reason for the migration but that is a no-moh. Problem is their wages haven't increased proportionately to cost of living like a CA. AZ is similar except for the property taxes are still pretty low around here. Both housing markets sux now but inflated exponentially beyond their true worth.

 

[MikeFlynn74]

. Both housing markets sux now but inflated exponentially beyond their true worth.

So true- My pops said if someone offered 500K for his house hed sold it long ago. However he'd be lucky to get 190 in this market.

He still gets Taxed on 500K, which is convenient

 

[DUCCCC]

Whatever you do, remember that the Carolinas suck bad, and be sure to tell everyone else that too. Florida rocks, go for it!

 

[cclloyd]

Whatever you do, remember that the Carolinas suck bad, and be sure to tell everyone else that too. Florida rocks, go for it!

what's the matter ma2? - don't like the halfback invasion??

 

[DUCCCC]

what's the matter ma2? - don't like the halfback invasion??

I'm amazed there's anyone left in Brooklyn or Queens at all. It seems like they all sold out up there and moved to NC

( I have to admit, though, that I don't get the "halfback" reference...)

 

[nyer]

Research Property taxes- My dad is getting killed

My relatives in Florida pay 1/10th the property taxes on their home in Florida compaired to the one in NY.

 

[shecky]

My mother gets killed in property taxes and her insurance, because of hurricanes, is actually slightly more than I pay in property tax in CT. Her house is half the size of mine and twice the money drain for her.

I wouldn't live there, but that's me. I can't stand the place for more than a few days.

 

[FishinDave07]

I wouldn't live there, but that's me. I can't stand the place for more than a few days.

It's all about being close to this :

 

[-Dan-]

I'm amazed there's anyone left in Brooklyn or Queens at all. It seems like they all sold out up there and moved to NC

If you think the Carolinas are full of ppl from Brooklyn and Queens, just wait till you get to FL. The further south you get the more northerners you meet. LOL. Florida is the North south of the South.

 

[Beards Brews]

I'm amazed there's anyone left in Brooklyn or Queens at all. It seems like they all sold out up there and moved to NC

( I have to admit, though, that I don't get the "halfback" reference...)

Halfbacks are folks (yankees) who moved to Florida and didn't like it because of the taxes, bugs, heat, hurricanes, etc. and then moved half way back...halfbacks

We have a ton of them here too.

 

[DUCCCC]

Halfbacks are folks (yankees) who moved to Florida and didn't like it because of the taxes, bugs, heat, hurricanes, etc. and then moved half way back...halfbacks

We have a ton of them here too.

Maybe we need to start callin' 'em halfways here. They only got halfway to FL and stalled.

 

[Chris_Dog]

I grew up in Atlanta and have lived in Florida for 10 years. I can say with absolute certainty that is get hotter in Atl. than where I live in Orlando. It very seldom gets hotter than 94 here. Why, most every day in the summer we have a sea breeze across the entire state. The afternoon T-Storms cool things down too. With that said it does stay hot for about 9 months and then we have winter on January 15th.

The violent crime is down in the entire state. There are areas in Orlando where the violent crime rate is higher.

There are very cool rural areas, swamps, lakes, and of course the beach on either side.

Where I live the tourist are not much of an issue. It seems they are worse in south Florida and in the Disney area.

Traffic sucks! but it is still an improvement from Atlanta!

 

[wild]

I did time in FLA myself. In the Early ‘90s I was in the center of the state; North, South, East, and West. I worked in a little POS town called Dundee as a bartender, lumberyard foreman, and store clerk all because my job with the DOD fell through. I lived in a town at the highest point in the state called Lake Wales. Every town has at least 1 lake and every lake has at least 1 gator.
Yes I live in Phoenix and I’ll take 120°F at 20%RH than 97°F at 97%RH any day of the week. At least here if I walk under a tree I can feel a drop in temp. If there’s grass, it’s even cooler. You can’t walk in FLA grass barefoot because of the sand spurs. You can’t stand in the grass too long due to the fire ants.
If someone throws a glass of water on you in FLA, you just get wetter than you already are if that’s possible but in AZ, no matter what temp the water is, you’ll get a chill down your back. I spent the weekend at Melbourne and after I walked out of the surf, I could not tell the difference other than that I could breathe a little easier.
FLA is much greener than AZ and has a lot of pine trees but you can’t smell them. I guess the air’s too dense.
The love bugs are a pain. You have to like washing you car every day if you want to drive.
Living in FLA was an experience that I’m glad I had but won’t do again.

 

[OldFlaDiver]

North Florida, areound Tallahassee, is really more like South Georgia. People are friendly, weather is great, and some years, so is the football.

 

[Beards Brews]

North Florida, areound Tallahassee, is really more like South Georgia. People are friendly, weather is great, and some years, so is the football.

But not until you guys wise up and give St. Bowden the boot. I'm not complaining b/c it is working marvelously for my beloved Gators.

 

[hoss75]

I'm in retail and season is no fun when some old fart wants respect that they do not deserve.

That's another big cultural difference. Being from the Northeast, when I walk into a retail store... the customer is always right. In places like Florida and the west coast, its no big deal to not attend to a customer immediately.... even if its to finish a cell phone conversation. A buddy of mine got a sweet gig in Miami and ended up packing up and moving back North within 6 months. He said "The place is awesome but the people just don't get it. No common courtesy, no customer service, nothing."
Once I was in a restaurant, we were having a late lunch so there were only 4 tables in the place with people at them. I ordered a beer and 15 minutes later there was no beer. I asked the waitress again about my beer and she said "We are just really busy right now." I responded "Are you kidding me?" She proceeded to go oon about how busy she was, whcih was really time spent she could have been fetching the beer. I waited another 7 minutes or so then left.

 

[Revvy]

It's all about being close to this :

But I get this where I live ...With a lot less 'tude,

(And no sharks either!)

 

[chortly]

I live about 45 min north of Orlando, and went to school at UCF. FYI, Men's Health Magazine rated Orlando the #1 Angriest city in the Country. Others in the top 10 included Jax, Tampa, and Miami... 4 of the top 10 in the COUNTRY are in FL. And I have to agree. The land of the mouse seethes with hatred, esp in "winter." Still, I can't picture myself being anywhere else. Sunset+cold one=good times.

 

[FishinDave07]

But I get this where I live ...With a lot less 'tude,

(And no sharks either!)

It aint the same!!!

And what ever doesn't eat you, makes you...saltier?

 

[niquejim]

That's another big cultural difference. Being from the Northeast, when I walk into a retail store... the customer is always right. In places like Florida and the west coast, its no big deal to not attend to a customer immediately.... even if its to finish a cell phone conversation. A buddy of mine got a sweet gig in Miami and ended up packing up and moving back North within 6 months. He said "The place is awesome but the people just don't get it. No common courtesy, no customer service, nothing."
Once I was in a restaurant, we were having a late lunch so there were only 4 tables in the place with people at them. I ordered a beer and 15 minutes later there was no beer. I asked the waitress again about my beer and she said "We are just really busy right now." I responded "Are you kidding me?" She proceeded to go oon about how busy she was, whcih was really time spent she could have been fetching the beer. I waited another 7 minutes or so then left.

And the northeast has common courtesy, not by the New York and Mass. people I see down here. I was born in Pa. and the service here equals any place I've been. As to the restaurant, I'll bet there is several "chicklet Lobed Morlocks" working up north somewhere that hasn't got a clue as to good service is right now as I type this

 

[Soulive]

Whenever I leave the Northeast, common courtesy seems abundant. I will say the customer service is better here, but I'll take people who are genuinely nice over people who are nice because they want my money. The other thing about the Northeast is that we are used to the faster lifestyle and expect everything to be rushed. Its something that has always been counter-intuitive for me...

 

[bella]

i know this is an old thread & i don't know if your still lookin' to move, but i've lived in miami for the past 6 years & i was in jacksonville for 15 years before that.
weather-wise, south florida sucks. have you ever walked outside and started sweating just 'cause you're breathing? it can get nasty.
crime-wise, it's like anywhere else; there are areas of high crime & areas of low crime. you just have to look around.
jax is a bit better weather-wise. doesn't get quite as nasty in the summer & can get into the 40's-50's in the winter.
personally, i'm moving to the west coast shortly. you don't get the humidity & the temperature doesn't seem to vary as much from summer to winter.
good luck!