[Floridaherbgirl]

What do you know about Miconopy?
Have you lived in Miconopy?

The good, the bad, the ugly Please share!

Thanks!

[Chester Foster]

Good ol Boy Network ............ if you're not of them - you're on the outside.

[gypsychic]

It's a cute town that is fun to visit once, and then you've seen it. Pretty and shady, but I'd be bored out of my mind there if I had to live there.

[crazynip]

There is nothing in Micanopy that would make anyone want to live there. At all. Are there worse places? Sure. But nothing compelling there.

Just out of curiosity how did you even come to find out about it or decide you may want to live there. Of all places in FLA.

[chopchop0]

It's just a town on the way to gainesville, for those of us who take the 441 to get there from the east coast lol. Micanopy looks pokey and boring.

[Floridaherbgirl]

Wellllll....there isn't a short answer.
I have two almost grown sons; recently divorced. I have been attending school; expect to get into a nursing program at either a college in Ocala or Gainesville. My dream for 20 years has been to open a holistic shop and education center with alternative therapies. It'll take 3 years b/f I actually get my RN, but then I plan to work and go on for my BSN then Nurse practitioner (I can then have my own practice and hope to donate part of my practice in the community I live in).

I am conservative but I love organics, artsy type areas.

Micanopy has some very upscale shops, organic coffee shops, a bbq place that smelled better than any I have ever smelled (I stopped into go to the bathroom and it was truly intoxicating!)

I financially tanked in the 07-08 crisis and with the divorce am coming up with a new dream and a plan to support myself as I am technically now middle aged.

Micanopy is half way between Ocala and Gainesville, has a very low crime rate, is very clean and quaint with a variety of shops and stores. I have talked to a couple of people who had a property there, sold and moved to NW Gainesville (the more desireable area) and wish they had not left. There are $2M homes down to a few (very few foreclosures). So, this morning I am looking at a completely renovated house on 3+ acres for $100k and a foreclosed, very small house, for $50K.

The first one, if I am not a chicken to live in the country and can have a business permit, in three years I can renovate the pole barn that already has electric, open my store and my practice (in six years) or I can move into the foreclosed, save a bunch of money, build my dream home and rent this one out (I have owned rental properties before).

Just want to stop paying a fortune for rent, want low crime, friendly community, and affordable WITH being not more than half an hour from a university. UF is half an hour away.

It wouldnt bother me to live in a slow community if it is on the upscale side and then I can travel to the Keys or other areas of the country on vacation a couple of times of year; just sounds like the best of both worlds.

But now that I have shared pretty much my life story....keep the opinions coming! =D

[gypsychic]

I'd think long and hard about doing what you plan in Micanopy. I haven't been for a few years, but to me, it is not really an "artsy and organic" type of place. It was full of musty antique shops that had the same things each time I went back year to year. And very few restaurants. And pretty far from anywhere. It just seems a little "out there" if you want to get business.

Have you investigated other places? If you like rural, have you checked out Dade City/San Antonio? This area is GORGEOUS and only 30-40 minutes to USF/Tampa. If it were me, I would pick this area - we used to live there and it's beautiful with rolling hills and very convenient to the city.

[Floridaherbgirl]

Thanks; will have to check out those areas sometime in the future. Right now I am trying to get between Ocala and Gainesville for Santa Fe College, College of Central Florida and UF. The property I looked at in Micanopy turned out to be awful and there wasn't anything in my price range; least expensive was $180k, with one $450k. You might want to go back and check it out sometime. Literally every person I talked to who "lived" there and has moved, wish they hadn't. I met a new woman at church and she said the same thing after selling her home and moving to Ocala. As far as restaurants; check this link out: Micanopy Restaurants - Best Food and Dining in Micanopy, FL - Uptake.com. For the exception of Cafe Risque they all sound good, look good in person and smell wonderful when you walk in (Pearl's) =)

With being in between two decent size cities and easy to commute from I 75 if I can ever get to my degree I think it would be a good location...it is six years down the road so I am just working and hoping at this point =). I have covered from Ocala, through Micanopy, over to Alachua, back through Newberry, Archer, Williston, Dunellon .....

[wacahootaman]

I live in the Micanopy Zip Code area and have lived in the area for over 40 years


Here are some positives.

Micanopy, McIntosh, Evinston are very scenic old Florida towns although I would not want to live in the city limits of either as I like my privacy. If you can get a nice place outside of town with a little acreage then go for it. I would consider renting to get to know the area before I bought.

Another option might be to buy some land and put a small double wide on it. They are built a lot better these days, some built to wind zone 3 hurricane standards.

I bought a new 900 sq ft, factory built, double wide in 2008 with tongue and groove plywood floors, extra insulation package, wind zone 3 specs, front and back steps, central heat and air, kitchen appliances, delivered, set up, tied down and skirted for 42K. Add another 10K for well, septic, power pole and hookups.

I have since put a 16 by 40 screen back porch on it. Me and the Missus spend a lot of time on that back porch watching the cows, turkeys, coyotes, and deer in the back pasture, listening to the wind chimes, and hanging with our seven 4 legged children.

If your sons are handy they can help you put up pole barns and out buildings.

Also acreage prices are way down in the area. So it might be a good time to buy. If inflation ever does come back Micanopy land prices will jump back up. Just dont buy land unless you can move on to it.

Micanopy has good access to both Gainesville and Ocala via US highway 441 and I 75. The south side of Gainesville is only 15 minutes away with big box stores,supermarkets and restaurants and Shands and VA hospitals. Both of those hospitals have good reputations attracting patients from all over.

Micanopy has a good hardware store and the family that runs it has a ton of old John Deere tractors. and other interesting stuff. Lots of interesting people live in the area, most are friendly.

While there is not that much violent crime in Micanopy, I hear there can be a lot of break ins for some folks. I used to rent out some trailers I had on acreage 5 miles outside Micanopy and one renter told me that when he lived in Micanopy some black kids would break into his place when he was gone quite often. He loved living outside town though with the increased privacy and security that it offered.

Negatives are the cost of commuting to Gainesville or Ocala for shopping and work. Also the local shops depend on tourists or day trippers from Gainesville and Ocala. The locals dont usually buy that much from those specialized antique stores.

A holistic shop may fly when times are good. The market may be better for one in Gainesville, but there would probably be more competition.
So do your research before you commit.

Good luck

[Floridaherbgirl]

Thank you for all the great information; I have given up on finding anything in Micanopy that would work for my family. And, I did check with putting a mobile on some land. That is incredibly difficult unless you have the land or the money to pay outright for the mobile. The mobile companies will want to be paid and you can't close until the home is set up with well and septic if you need a loan so that door was shut. I have since migrated over to the Alachua to Newberry area; another great area but having a very hard time finding anything in my price range either renting or buying and if I am buying because of resale values I would like a stick built home if possible. Thanks again though!