[willowsmom]

I'm a Florida resident, but I'm considering a move to a smaller community where I can continue to work in a government field. Most important to me are a reasonable cost of living, clean environment, good educational opportunities, good health care, and friendly people. I'm leaning toward Tallahassee or Gainesville (which is best?), but would consider the smaller communities of Deland or Brooksville. Anybody got any preferences?

[BlueWillowPlate]

Willowsmom
(BTW. I have a cat named Willow)
I posted a query about Tallahassee a few days ago and it went unanswered.
I did a search on Tallahassee and did not come up with much.
Both Tally and Gainesville are university towns and both appeal to me, Tally more because it is close to where I am now, on the beach.
I have driven through Tally three times and it seems like a beautiful, nice-sized town, full of oaks. Not sure about the job market but its newspaper, the Tallahassee Democrat, is online and you can peruse the classifieds.

[BUP41800]

I currently live in Gainesville, and have lived here for decades. I also lived in DeLand for many years. And I'm a little familiar with Tallahassee.
Gainesville is a nice place to live, but it's very expensive. I'm paying $6,500 per year in property taxes for a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath house. The cost of homes seem outrageous here in Alachua County compared to other areas of north Florida. We have an unattractive downtown that's full of bars and nightclubs. There's a vagrant problem downtown--I never go there. The town caters towards college students--we have 65,000, counting UF and SFCC. The traffic is hideous on some of the major arteries on the west side of town . And it's very hot here from mid/April to late Sept. as we have no seabreezes. On the plus side, Gainesville has good schools and wonderful hospitals. There are a lot of recreational activities--bike trails, many hiking trails, nature parks, lakes, etc.
There are also museums and the performing arts center.

DeLand is much smaller, but has a beautifully restored, functional downtown (take note, Gainesville!!). They have many antique stores, cafes, and shops. Stetson University is there, and you're 25 miles from the beach. And if one needs a big-city fix, Orlando is nearby. The schools and hospitals seemed good, when I was living there. The area is a huge retiree magnet, but there are also many families moving there. The cost of living seems reasonable. The people were very friendly.

I personally like Tally, although I've never lived there. They also have the large student influx, like G-ville. They have FSU, FAMU, and a community college. I love the rolling hills, and large moss-draped oak trees. There are many museums and historic sites around. And there are a number of outdoor recreational spots for hiking and biking. It's not too far from some of the most beautiful beaches in Florida, but Tally is far enough from the coast to avoid major damage. I don't know what the schools and health care are like, though.

[iluvflorida]

I lived in Tallahassee for 3 years and it really is a great place to raise a family. It is a college town with FSU being located there, but there are many things to do. If you like the outdoors there is Wakulla Springs which is a beautiful place to go fishing, boating etc. Saint George Island is about an hour's drive away, but the ride there is refreshing and relaxing if you like the country life with trees and land. There are museums in Tallahassee and a Farmer's Market opens on Saturdays. There is also Maclay Gardens if you like flowers and being out in the open. One of my favorite places though is a park called Lake Ella. It has a jogging, walking path and the lake has a pretty fountain and is always surrounded by beautiful ducks; very relaxing place to go. All in all, Tallahassee has a little bit of everything and it is a great family town. Hope this helps in anyone's decision to move to Tally. Also the cost of living isn't that bad, especially if you want to rent.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Thank you Bup and ILuvflorida, very helpful and insightful.
And thank you for posting your question, Willowsmom--it's helping me too.

[iluvflorida]

You're welcome Cil...glad to help

[Prichard]

If you're looking for a government job, that narrows it down to Tallahassee. Gainseville is not an option.