Arizona vs Florida...what's YOUR opinion

[Jame22]

I lived in the Deland/Daytona Beach, Florida for 3 months while doing a project. Was one of the worst places I've ever lived- lots of people chain smoking with their shirts off, lots of Nascar, just overall it was pretty depressing for the sunshine state. Even my hotel room smelled like smoke which has never happened before and I used to be 100% travel, meaning I stayed in hotels for over a year straight. I'd even go back to my home in Ohio before thinking about Florida. I've never really been to Arizona before, but I'd just have to guess that I'd much prefer it.

[elchevere]

Good point—because Daytona is representative of the entire state of FL whereas Winslow, Tolleson, Chino Valley, Page, Apache Junction, etc are world class, cosmopolitan areas on par with Miami....maybe opine after going there or Palm Beach or Naples or St Pete? ...lol.

Originally Posted by Jame22

I lived in the Deland/Daytona Beach, Florida for 3 months while doing a project. Was one of the worst places I've ever lived- lots of drugs, lot of people chainsmoking with their shirts off, lots of Nascar. Even my hotel room smelled like smoke which has never happened before and I used to be 100% travel, meaning I stayed in hotels for over a year straight. I'd even go back to my home in Ohio before thinking about Florida. I've never really been to Arizona before, but I'd just have to guess that I'd much prefer it.

[NDak15]

Neither for me. Too damn hot!

[Jame22]

Originally Posted by elchevere

Good point—because Daytona is representative of the entire state of FL whereas Winslow, Tolleson, Chino Valley, Page, Apache Junction, etc are world class, cosmopolitan areas on par with Miami....maybe opine after going there or Palm Beach or Naples or St Pete? ...lol.

Neither is Miami. There's no city that is an all encompassing representation of anywhere. I'm sure New York City has some awesome neighborhoods but that doesn't mean I have any desire to live anywhere in the state. I'm sure Miami has some awesome neighborhoods but that doesn't mean I have any desire to live in Florida. I did go to Orlando and Fort Myers- I saw enough of the state to know that Florida isn't for me. I'm not a beach person and I find the flatness suffocating.

[Bert_from_back_East]

Outside of Miami-Dade County and select areas of Greater Orlando (e.g., Kissimmee), Spanish is not a widely spoken language in Florida. In fact, there are many areas of South Florida where the percentage of Hispanic residents is surprisingly low, considering the region’s interconnectedness with and proximity to Latin America. Therefore, there are many areas of Florida where it is uncommon to hear Spanish and other foreign languages being spoken on a daily basis. Although Hispanic-Americans are better assimilated in Arizona relative to their counterparts in neighboring California and Nevada, I perceived the state of Arizona to cater to Hispanics/Spanish speakers more so than Florida. For example, it seemed more common to observe directional signs in Spanish or hear Spanish-language overhead announcements in stores in Arizona than Florida. For the record, I have not lived in Florida for many years at this point, so things may be different these days. And of course, your mileage may vary.

[jd433]

Originally Posted by AzXd

Arizona doesn't have the humidity. No hurricanes or tropical depressions. Skies are blue and you can play on the golf course just about every day. It gets hot for like 3 months but you have A/C to deal with that. Florida also has aligators that will eat your cat, dog or grandchild. They are host to some of the most exotic species of animals that ruin entire ecosystems in North America. Access to the ocean is overrated with all the nastyness and polution. If you want that kind of access my uncle has a septic tank, just add salt water and its pratically the gulf of mexico.

I lived there in Phoenix for 11 years. I disagree with the 3 months statement. I would say it gets hot for at least 5 months.

[Firedad820]

I've spent much time in both states. I currently live in Buffalo, NY. I love Az, although it's kind of quiet at night. The only town I can see myself living in Fla is the Punta Gorda area.

[iLoveFashion]

Florida not even close but I might choose to retire in AZ only because Florida is filled with too many former New Yorkers might end up living next to a former co worker lol.


Well I got like 30-40 years to decide .

[mborner]

I was born and raised in California (San Diego). I was a Navy brat, so for two years, we lived in Key West, Florida. I was 15/16 at the time. We moved back to SD when my Dad retired. Always loved Florida. As an adult, life in California got very expensive and in an attempt to chase the American dream, we realized that we just couldn't do it, even though we were making a very good living. After my Mom/Dad retired, thye moved to south Florida (Broward). We visited them in 2017 and my Wife and I decided that we could realize our dream there. So, in 2000, we moved from San Diego to south Florida. We love it here. We both prefer the tropics to the desert. Yes, we have 6 or 7 months of brutal heat and humidity. Yes, hurricanes can be a pain, but at least you see them coming. Yes, bugs can be problematic. Yes, you can't check your mail box in the summer without breaking a sweat.

Every state has it's pluses and minus's. I do miss California. I miss the San Diego Bay, Seaport Village, Old Town, Coronado and downtown Gaslamp District. If San Diego wasn't so expensive, and if California wasn't in such a financial mess, I could see myself living there.

At this point in our lives, We're enjoying Florida. To my Wife and I it's paradise. We are looking to retire to the west coast of Florida. The quality of the people here, though, is not great, and that can make one think twice about where they live. I personally believe that the quality of the people where you live make all the difference in the world.