[girlsayvoid]

I'm not worried about weather, i'm a little curious about traffic and commuting and public transit. I only live anywhere a couple of years and I love change...

First question: bugs. I know thanks to the heat and general ecosystem you have bugs and they're big and whatnot but what a person really needs to know is how to tolerate the ones you can't avoid and how to avoid the ones that are unpleasant and otherwise intolerable.

Second question: baked goods. I'm a pastry chef and baker. I'm well versed in all the things we like to eat up in the northlands but what about down south...? I'm not sure what to brush up on.

Third question: ok i'm gonna own my ignorance, I've never spent a lot of time in the Daytona beach area...what's the typical genre if people who live there? I'm pretty adaptable so i'm not overly concerned about not fitting in but I'd like to know if tattoos and gauges are gonna be an issue...if i'm walking into a good ol' boy town, a hippie commune, beach bum central, or what exactly...?

Last but not least: groceries. I love fresh veggies, fresh fruit, wine, organic grains ...etc. etc. and honestly not a lot of meat. How's the fresh produce section look in your average grocery store....and off the average store doesn't cover me, how far and few between are specialty stores?

I have till August to pick where I'll be for the next couple years, I just need info to make the decision. Thanks for your reply.

[vaughanwilliams]

1.-Florida has a lot of of bugs pretty much year round. Roaches are gross but you can spray for them. If you have pets, fleas are a year round problem. Spiders, wasps, fire ants, stinging no-see-ums, snakes-you get my point.

2.-Just like anywhere, we like baked goods (I know I do-especially fresh bread). IMO, there can't be too many good bakers.

3.-I live in St. Petersburg so I can't comment on Daytona.

4.- I've found the chain grocers kind of lame when it comes to fresh produce but Farmer's Markets and independent fruit/vegetable stores are quite plentiful where I live. Because of the lack of cool weather, some of the local grown produce doesn't have as good a taste of those grown in cooler climates.

[FlyMIA]

You really need to get over to Daytona Beach. You talk about public transit, Daytona Beach has a bus system I think. Don't worry about the bugs not much you can do about them and they are not a huge problem.

Have you ever been to Daytona Beach? I want to know what you expect from it

[girlsayvoid]

What am I expecting from it? I dunno, a job a place to live, I suppose I expect some sort of large body of water nearby...nothing too excessive. Living across the country it's hard to pop in and just visit places. My parents live in Groveland so I'll be able to spend a bit of time there to allow for getting settled. I guess I'm just open to the possibility of what a new place holds. Nothing's forever is it?

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by girlsayvoid

What am I expecting from it? I dunno, a job a place to live, I suppose I expect some sort of large body of water nearby...nothing too excessive. Living across the country it's hard to pop in and just visit places. My parents live in Groveland so I'll be able to spend a bit of time there to allow for getting settled. I guess I'm just open to the possibility of what a new place holds. Nothing's forever is it?

I'm not sure that coming from Portland you would like the vibe of Daytona - doesn't seem like what you are looking for. Daytona is big into the biker/Nascar scene, and has a bit of a carny vibe to it. Is there a reason why you chose Daytona? If you do a search on these forums you will see that the majority here do not care for the town. If you are a someone who is into Nascar or a biker this might be your heaven, however.

I guess it also depends on what type of job you expect to get.

[daytonadewd]

I spend a lot of time annually in PDX, SEA + YVR and for me, believe the best quality of life is to live in Daytona Beach in the Winter months and PDX/PacNWest for the Summer!

I'm amazed at the strange responses posted from people who DON'T live here!

Originally Posted by girlsayvoid

I'm not worried about weather, i'm a little curious about traffic and commuting and public transit. I only live anywhere a couple of years and I love change...

Daytona Beach has a population of 61K and is fairly easy to get around, even during Special Events (as you learn the back roads). It's also a great pedestrian and bicycle friendly town in the downtown neighborhoods. There is a reliable bus/trolley service, however there are issues of infrequent service on some routes, i.e. an hour till the next bus if you missed yours. I also love that we have an airport (DAB), and are expecting our own Amtrak Station within a year or so, even though service is now available (you just have to take a shuttle coach).

First question: bugs. I know thanks to the heat and general ecosystem you have bugs and they're big and whatnot but what a person really needs to know is how to tolerate the ones you can't avoid and how to avoid the ones that are unpleasant and otherwise intolerable.

Bugs become more of an issue if you're an avid hiker and become more exotic (and frequent), the further South you travel down the State. Banana Spiders are huge, nasty things that like to spin large webs in the early fall. Brown Recluse Spiders are related to Black Widows and nest under the soffits of homes and in tree limbs during the Summer. Palmetto Bugs are large roaches that swarm around May/June and can be controlled w/ Boric Acid (Borax) and of course, FL is FAMOUS for mosquitos during the Summer months, esp. w/ high humidity! There can also be sand fleas (no-seeums) near the coast fronts as well that bite/itch like mosquitos. And finally, the ugliest bug I know of in FL is a huge freshwater beetle that has enormous pinchers and loves eaves or filter channels of large swimming pools! (They are great for boys to show to tween girls while in the pool! )

Second question: baked goods. I'm a pastry chef and baker. I'm well versed in all the things we like to eat up in the northlands but what about down south...? I'm not sure what to brush up on.

This should be your biggest concern! Will you expect to find a job here? If so, you'd probably have better luck in St Augustine or Orlando area. Also, culinary schools are churning out pastry chefs daily, so you might be prepared at accepting a job in the bakery of a Supermarket chain, till you can find something else.

Southern favorites you need to master would be: Peach or Strawberry/Rhubarb Cobblers; Chess, Sweet Potato and Pecan Pies; Peanut Butter, Molasses and Ginger Snap Cookies; Banana Nut, Mango and Lemon Poppyseed Breads; Lemon Squares and Date Nut Bars; and of course, Key Lime Pie! (I'll be glad to test them for you! )

Third question: ok i'm gonna own my ignorance, I've never spent a lot of time in the Daytona beach area...what's the typical genre if people who live there? I'm pretty adaptable so i'm not overly concerned about not fitting in but I'd like to know if tattoos and gauges are gonna be an issue...if i'm walking into a good ol' boy town, a hippie commune, beach bum central, or what exactly...?

All of the above! Instead of an oasis PDX is to OR, prep yourself that you're moving to a combination of Seaside, Medford and Astoria (with a significantly larger senior population!) You'll find your own niche if you get out and about.

Last but not least: groceries. I love fresh veggies, fresh fruit, wine, organic grains ...etc. etc. and honestly not a lot of meat. How's the fresh produce section look in your average grocery store....and off the average store doesn't cover me, how far and few between are specialty stores?

While not as developed as what you have available in PDX, there is a strong focus for locally produced foods, community gardens and farmer's markets. There are not any Whole Foods (yet) and the local health food stores are basic, and will reinforce how lucky you had it (for now).

I have till August to pick where I'll be for the next couple years, I just need info to make the decision. Thanks for your reply.

Good Luck!

[mateo384]

did you move to Daytona yet?