Florida, the dream and the reality (Spring Hill, Key West: insurance, home, transfer)
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I think there are more negative threads on Floirda than on other states I have been looking at in the midatlantic/southeast/soutg region. I think most of these negative threads fall into 2 categories-
1. I have to move to Florida because a good job/ family is there (my situation, maybe the minority.)
2. I am looking for a change/ running from something/ chasing the Buffett lifestyle 24/7 (aka the "dreamers" that another poster had commented on.)
Being in a place you don't like, but you can't move (job, money,family) - very frustrating. Depressing,
There are positives to living in Florida, especially if you have money. If you live by the beach, in a beautiful house, with a boat- great. The weather Jan to April, very nice. No income tax? Great.
But for me the biggest problem with Florida is this seedy, trashy undercurrent to almost everything. I live in a "great" part of Tampa. I have been to St.pete, Clearwater, Orlando, Miami, Naples, Ft Myers, Palm Beach, the Keys- either longer vacations or visiting friends. There seems to be a common denominator everywhere- this sleazy, ugly side of people who are rude, who are lying, who want to swindle you, people who have real issues.people running from something, or hiding from something. Even the area I live in Tampa- supposedly the greatest part of Tampa!- and it is really hard to meet other families who are nice, honest and open. Families that aren't trying to hide something, that aren't telling the truth. People who are upstanding members of society you quickly find are actually alcoholics, coke heads, popping pain pills, or worse. These are doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, moms and dads. It seems so many people I meet won't give you the time of day unless they think you can do something for them. No one here is nice for the sake of being nice. It seems so many people live in a constant state of suspiciousness and defensiveness. And that's not how I want my kids growing up.
So weather, traffic, crime, schools - all that aside, I think I could live with. But at the end of the day it's the people. I can't live in a place where the moral fiber has grown so thin...
I should add, this is not everyone in Florida, obviously. There are kind, honest wonderful people here as well. But it takes lots of effort to seek them out, as they are NOT the majority. I am talking proportions here. The trash quotient is high over lots of Florida.
I think there are more negative threads on Floirda than on other states I have been looking at in the midatlantic/southeast/soutg region. I think most of these negative threads fall into 2 categories-
1. I have to move to Florida because a good job/ family is there (my situation, maybe the minority.)
2. I am looking for a change/ running from something/ chasing the Buffett lifestyle 24/7 (aka the "dreamers" that another poster had commented on.)
Being in a place you don't like, but you can't move (job, money,family) - very frustrating. Depressing,
There are positives to living in Florida, especially if you have money. If you live by the beach, in a beautiful house, with a boat- great. The weather Jan to April, very nice. No income tax? Great.
But for me the biggest problem with Florida is this seedy, trashy undercurrent to almost everything. I live in a "great" part of Tampa. I have been to St.pete, Clearwater, Orlando, Miami, Naples, Ft Myers, Palm Beach, the Keys- either longer vacations or visiting friends. There seems to be a common denominator everywhere- this sleazy, ugly side of people who are rude, who are lying, who want to swindle you, people who have real issues.people running from something, or hiding from something. Even the area I live in Tampa- supposedly the greatest part of Tampa!- and it is really hard to meet other families who are nice, honest and open. Families that aren't trying to hide something, that aren't telling the truth. People who are upstanding members of society you quickly find are actually alcoholics, coke heads, popping pain pills, or worse. These are doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, moms and dads. It seems so many people I meet won't give you the time of day unless they think you can do something for them. No one here is nice for the sake of being nice. It seems so many people live in a constant state of suspiciousness and defensiveness. And that's not how I want my kids growing up.
So weather, traffic, crime, schools - all that aside, I think I could live with. But at the end of the day it's the people. I can't live in a place where the moral fiber has grown so thin...
I should add, this is not everyone in Florida, obviously. There are kind, honest wonderful people here as well. But it takes lots of effort to seek them out, as they are NOT the majority. I am talking proportions here. The trash quotient is high over lots of Florida.
I cant rep you again, but you have had the exact experience we had. We went for job/family reasons and after 6 months I knew this was a no-win situation. At two and a half years, I was on meds. There are some good people there, and you can find stuff to do, as in any state, but it just seems like you have to be a certain type of person to tolerate SE-FL society and lifestyle. Where we lived it was all NY and NJ people. I can see where if you came from those environments, you wouldn't have quite the culture shock of someone coming from the midwest, or Pac-west. We came from Vermont and knew it was going to be bad, but the reality was way worse than the perception. If you are a quiet, mildly thoughtful and peaceable person, having to sort through the scammery and all the uncivil stuff for anything you require, just wears you down after a while. They don't get it, but the people who are pro-florida are making our points precisely. To end my contribution to this thread and all things Florida related, I will say we had a great vacation in Mt Dora and even considered moving there. Also, so much variety and accessibility of wildlife is what helped me keep what little sanity I had left. You can see a 'gator, a bobcat, a turtle, a flock of pelicans, snakes and giant bufo toads on any given day. That is awesome, no matter where it is
Sorry Florida people are offended, but this is my opinion.
Traffic? What city are you in? If you are in a major city, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, et al, you are going to have traffic just like any other like sized city in the world.
Tourists: Do you have to deal with them in your work? If not, how many tourists do you encounter in a week?
Some of the best doctors in the U.S. are in Fl.
Grasshoppers are easily removed with DIATECT® Garden & Floral Killer.
A lot of complaints can easily be rectified.
I have read many of your posts, and I agree completely. As someone who is making the move to Florida from Long Island, your issues with NY are correct. I read the post someone wrote about $2 eggs. I'm paying $3 up here. My property taxes are over $12500 a year. Gas is $3.85 a gallon. Last year I spent over $5000 on oil heat. I will be retiring next year and I can't wait to move down.
But for me the biggest problem with Florida is this seedy, trashy undercurrent to almost everything.
In my opinion very spot on, it is prevalent. Florida isn't the only state like this as I found eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia metro area in particular) quite similar. Again, it's worth a mention for those unfamiliar with cohabitation with that element. A lot of people would prefer to avoid it all together, despite the weather perks.
I have read many of your posts, and I agree completely. As someone who is making the move to Florida from Long Island, your issues with NY are correct. I read the post someone wrote about $2 eggs. I'm paying $3 up here. My property taxes are over $12500 a year. Gas is $3.85 a gallon. Last year I spent over $5000 on oil heat. I will be retiring next year and I can't wait to move down.
It may be the best thing that ever happened to you if you're that conscious of every purchase you make, though bear in mind the lifestyle won't be what you have in NY and isn't likely to change because you think it should be the same.
In my opinion very spot on, it is prevalent. Florida isn't the only state like this as I found eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia metro area in particular) quite similar. Again, it's worth a mention for those unfamiliar with cohabitation with that element. A lot of people would prefer to avoid it all together, despite the weather perks.
NY Lifestyle? Traffic, high taxes, high cost of living, lousy weather, high crime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyle19125
It may be the best thing that ever happened to you if you're that conscious of every purchase you make, though bear in mind the lifestyle won't be what you have in NY and isn't likely to change because you think it should be the same.
Gee the egg price really hit some nerves. It is all relative to where you live now or moved from. I wouldn't base a move based on egg prices lol As far as 3.85 for gas, I sure hope you don't think gas is cheap in Florida, it fluctuates just like everywhere else. In the past year I have paid from 3.02 to 3.98. We haven't purchased a home yet but from the people I talk to, they aren't dancing in the streets at the low price of property taxes in Fl. and they sure aren't praising the price of homeowners insurance. Want to talk about what it is going to cost to transfer your cars??
I did not come on this thread to bash Florida, I love Florida, I was born & raised here and waited years to get back here. The OP wanted negatives, those were mine. I am not going running back up north because eggs are expensive or grasshoppers are eating my plants.
The problem with these forums is no matter what you say it is wrong, oh well it keeps life interesting.
No place is perfect, anyone looking for that utopia of a place isn't going to find it in Florida. Florida may be close enough to utopia for some, and not for others. For those researching Florida, in my opinion I would want to read about the good and the bad sides to Florida. The more information one has the better they are at deciding for themselves whether Florida is worth making a move too.
Everyone has to remember just because one person has this great experience in Florida the next guy might not have that same great experience. So we all need to respect differing views than our own, to help those that are looking for information about Florida.
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