[StreetSmarts]

Hey everyone...went down to FL for about a week... I've been in FL numerous times since we moved out of Orlando a couple yrs ago, but this time I was able to spend about a week down there, so... wanted to give you all an update on what I observed, etc... see if anything changed much, etc.

I still love my home state, no doubt about it. The weather was really nice. Sunny everyday, lows in the 40s/50s, high around 75/77. It was fantastic. Tons of stuff to do, went to the beach, hung out on I-Drive a lot, so many thigs to do and plenty of places to eat, etc.

The traffic was bad around I-Drive, as can be expected. But not at night or early in the daytime. I feel bad for people that have to get around in the area everyday, what a pain!

Visited some family in East Orlando and went to a few stores in Waterford Lakes, my old stomping ground. Everyone was pretty normal, lol. Some very friendly. My usual complaint for the area had been rude people and crazy drivers. Didnt see anything or hear anything to write about. If the economy is bad in that area, I couldn't tell. Plenty of people out spending money. I didnt drive through too many neighborhoods, but it seemed as if the housing situation was a little better than a few yrs ago.

I'd move back to Central FL, I'd just pick a different area of Orlando than previously where we lived. Oviedo was still the same, Lake Mary, Winter Springs, etc... I may have the opportunity to go back, same type of job, making around $20k more than in NC. Something definitely to think about.

Side note: went thru Jax, still doing construction on 95.

[Robyn55]

And there is more construction to come in this area on I-95:

Project for I-95 south of downtown Jacksonville to begin in January | jacksonville.com

It is luckily a very discretionary area for us to drive in/through - and we tend to avoid it. Robyn

[StreetSmarts]

And...... one other thing I forgot until now. More moving trucks seemed to be heading south than north. So it seemed.

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by ComSense

And...... one other thing I forgot until now. More moving trucks seemed to be heading south than north.

It's that time of year!

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

It's that time of year!

Problem with living in Paradise is sooner or later every one wants to live there, especially when most of the country is waiting for winter in cold temperatures where a simple move could have you on the beach with this kind of weather =
10 Day Weather Forecast for Tampa - weather.com

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Problem with living in Paradise is sooner or later every one wants to live there, especially when most of the country is waiting for winter in cold temperatures where a simple move could have you on the beach with this kind of weather =
10 Day Weather Forecast for Tampa - weather.com

That's a beautiful looking weather forecast.

You are so right, there are way too many people wanting to live here. I have books on, and seen many documentaries on Florida's history, and it almost makes me cry to see what has happened here. Sometimes I hope some of the naysayers can scare a few people off.

Other than Orlando, however, it seems most of the population is on the coasts and southern half of the state. It is amazing how much open land you can still see as you get about 40 miles north of Tampa and inland.

ComSense, do you think you might return?

[StreetSmarts]

Gypsychic- we shall see... I'll definitely let you all know what happens...

[OptimusPrime69]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

That's a beautiful looking weather forecast.

You are so right, there are way too many people wanting to live here. I have books on, and seen many documentaries on Florida's history, and it almost makes me cry to see what has happened here. Sometimes I hope some of the naysayers can scare a few people off.

Other than Orlando, however, it seems most of the population is on the coasts and southern half of the state. It is amazing how much open land you can still see as you get about 40 miles north of Tampa and inland.

ComSense, do you think you might return?

It's funny u mention this. I was flying back to Fort Lauderdale like 3 days ago from Atlanta.... It was a clear day and the pilot came on the speaker thing and happened to mention "if u look to your left (I was sitting window seat on the left) u will see the city of Tampa and pinellas county below"...so naturally, I'm looking and noticing the actual shape of Pinellas county....I could see it looked just like how it would on a map....on a huge scale...it was really something to see. . . It looked completely built out...I could see rows and rows of housing, freeways, bridges, etc....just a alot of development. . as our plane continued on southbound we were kinda stradding the coastline, I assumed I saw Sarasota, Cape Coral , etc. . . and noticed how inland there was so much undeveloped, open land.....just nothingness. . .

as our plane headed east to fort lauderdale, I noticed there was literally NO development for miles and miles and miles...I couldn't get over FL had so much open space! Then I saw the sawgrass expressway and noticed how developed broward county looked. Completely covered in houses, roads, cement, etc. . It looked crowded....and just messy almost. The whole entire southern end of the state looked like that

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

as out plane headed east to fort lauderdale, I noticed there was literally NO development for miles and miles and miles...I couldn't get over FL had so much open space! Then I saw the sawgrass expressway and noticed how developed broward county looked. Completely covered in houses, roads, cement, etc. . It looked crowded....and just messy almost. The whole entire southern end of the state looked like that

It's really quite a sight at night flying into Ft. Lauderdale from the west. You're passing over the Everglades, complete blackness, and then BOOM, an explosion of light at a literal dividing line between civilization and nature.


Another interesting spot to fly over in the day is the city of Rotunda.

[OptimusPrime69]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

It's really quite a sight at night flying into Ft. Lauderdale from the west. You're passing over the Everglades, complete blackness, and then BOOM, an explosion of light at a literal dividing line between civilization and nature.


Another interesting spot to fly over in the day is the city of Rotunda.

yes exactly, I could imagine. You're right tho the sawgrass acts as a dividing line between civilization and nature....a complete cut and dry line.....not like a gradual built up or anything. One side there is absolutely nothing and on the otherside, completely built out.