[PitBullMommie1206]

Originally Posted by redsynner

I have been reading all of the posts from Palm Beach County on up to Jacksonville-east coast to west coast and everyone seems to be saying that all of the towns we've been looking at-Palm Beach, Palm Coast, Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, St. Augustine... the gamut.... are all not safe to live in, raise a child, walk on the street, etc.

Is there a community for a couple looking to rent a home, NOT BUY ONE, to enjoy the sun and snow-free winter while living on a modest salary and be able to not hear their neighbors blasting bass-based noise or beer bottles breaking with profanities shouted?

People who know about Florida and live there and are not completely biased against living there... can you please answer...

Thank you.

Florida is very safe! Every single state is going to have crime! Every single city is going to have crime! Especially larger cities, period!..

I was born in raised in Jacksonville (I even lived in a bad neighborhood in downtown Jacksonville for the first 10 years of my life), I have lived in Orange Park, St. Augustine, Ft. Myers, Plantation, Daytona Beach and Palm Coast as well. In that order. And, out of my whole life, the ONLY time something criminal, I guess you could say, has happened to me or my family, was when I was around 5 years old, my parents car got stolen. The police found it a few days later with minimum damage done to it. And that was in a bad neighborhood in downtown Jacksonville. I even had times when I was growing up and going through my party stage where I got abandoned in random neighborhoods in Jacksonville, never had anything bad happen to me!

My grandparents and a great-aunt still live in that neighborhood in downtown that I grew up in. My little brother, my little sister, my parents and my husband and I all go visit my grandparents and my great-aunt pretty regularly, and never have any problems. My husband and I will just walk when we are there and need something. There's no point in us driving when everything is within a couple blocks. We do not feel unsafe walking around there. I have no problem walking around there one my own at night! I love Jacksonville, it's my homes city, and Jacksonville is where my husband and I are going to raise our children.

I have never had any problems in Orange Park, St. Augustine, Ft. Myers, Plantation, Daytona Beach or Palm Coast either! I do have to say that in Palm Coast we did hear about a lot of bad things happening, but I always just thought that that was pretty normal. Palm Coast is so small, you are going to hear about every little thing that happens, so I just thought that because of that, it just seemed like there was a good amount of crime there. I do know that tiny little Palm Coast has quite a bit of gang activity, etc. But, I have never ever felt unsafe walking around Palm Coast! In fact, I probably would even feel safer walking around Palm Coast, at night, by myself, than I would in Jacksonville! When I think of Palm Coast I think of a retirement community, not an unsafe city!

Out of everywhere I have lived, I guess I'd have to say Orange Park is where I have always felt the safest. Again though, I never felt unsafe in any of the other cities I've lived in. When we lived in Orange Park we lived in a neighborhood called Eagle Harbor on Fleming Island. Welcome To Eagle Harbor Online You can rent nice homes in Eagle Harbor, or really anywhere else on Fleming Island, and it is a safe, more suburban area.

[PitBullMommie1206]

Originally Posted by tercel95

Here in Jacksonville it is a serious issue because of the transient nature of the city... We get every other states bad driving habits...

We cover the whole spectrum of bad drivers... No turn signals, getting over at the last minute, driving aggressively, driving too fast, driving to slow, people who just generally cannot operate a machine, we have it all in spades...

I couldn't agree more! The rode-rage in Jacksonville is amazing at times! And, there's constantly construction going on, so that makes everything that much worse!

[hiknapster]

"GMAC for the past five years has surveyed 5,000 people across the country with 20 test questions taken from various state driving tests."

VERY scientific test. They queried 100 people per state.

And I was talking about a very small segment of Florida. Lee and Collier Counties, actually.

My dad lives in Melbourne and I have more relatives in Palm Bay. I really like that area. It's nothing like swFlorida.

[jghorton]

We moved to Florida in 1973 and have lived in Tampa (suburbs), Kissimmee and Satellite Beach (Melbourne) for the past 25 years. We've always been careful to choose quiet, residential, kid-friendly areas ... instead of dangerous, problem-prone inner-city areas (particularly Lauderdale, Miami and related). Even when I extensively traveled throughout the state, I simply kept my eyes open and stayed out of problem areas. As a result, we've never had a problem with crime or any of the other problems you mentioned. For the most part, I believe the problems you are referring to are more statistical, than common sense. The latter is far more reliable.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

"GMAC for the past five years has surveyed 5,000 people across the country with 20 test questions taken from various state driving tests."

VERY scientific test. They queried 100 people per state.

And I was talking about a very small segment of Florida. Lee and Collier Counties, actually.

My dad lives in Melbourne and I have more relatives in Palm Bay. I really like that area. It's nothing like swFlorida.

The drivers suck twice as bad in Ft. Lauderdale as the next worst place. End of discussion.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

"GMAC for the past five years has surveyed 5,000 people across the country with 20 test questions taken from various state driving tests."

VERY scientific test. They queried 100 people per state.

Lol, a LOT more scientific than, :"I lived in California for twenty years (when i was younger and more tolerant) and it's nothing like Florida! (now that I'm old and crotchety and look at former places of residence with rose colored fondness).

Originally Posted by hiknapster

And I was talking about a very small segment of Florida. Lee and Collier Counties, actually.

My dad lives in Melbourne and I have more relatives in Palm Bay. I really like that area. It's nothing like swFlorida.

You were, but other posters still insist on treating a state of 18 million people and varying and distinct climate zones as if it's all the same.

I will venture that Miami, for example, is one of the most awful places to drive in the country... I HATE driving down there... but when I'm cruising the NE I-95 Florida corridor, it's a world of difference!

[P Andrews]

Florida is just like any other state with the exception it can be viewed as being very transient. We are also the melting pot for world wide tourism. So if you are considering moving here there are a lot of things to take under advisement. First many places can be considered safe, but if you are moving from a little country town with one stop light, I don't recommend leaving your car doors or home unlocked. Years ago we did that, but times have changed. Unfortunately we have to change with it and doing things to prevent temptation seems to avoid the complications that arise after a crime has been committed.
Florida is also no different then anywhere else when it comes to you highly populated areas, that offer nearby nightlife amenities. If you look to be close to that atmosphere, you must expect that in today's world you have to not make yourself a target. You just can't go walking the streets alone to go to the store at 11 PM, with your gold jewelery & handbag full of money, and not expect to possibly encounter a problem. (I know that's highly a unlikely example but) In reality all I'm saying, you can only do so much to feel safe. Crime can happen anywhere and it does. As long as you don't make yourself a easy target for it, you've done all you can do. So you go and enjoy life, don't hide under the bed, and live where you feel you and your family will be happiest.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Lol, a LOT more scientific than, :"I lived in California for twenty years (when i was younger and more tolerant) and it's nothing like Florida! (now that I'm old and crotchety and look at former places of residence with rose colored fondness).

That's so true!

You were, but other posters still insist on treating a state of 18 million people and varying and distinct climate zones as if it's all the same.

I will venture that Miami, for example, is one of the most awful places to drive in the country... I HATE driving down there... but when I'm cruising the NE I-95 Florida corridor, it's a world of difference!

Florida has a lot of great places. In fact, every one I've been to has been nice, in my opinion. I even lived in Orlando for awhile and loved it. I had to move to Fort Myers, otherwise I would have never left. I just don't like Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres. That is a tiny segment of the state.

It's like TN. Great state, and most of it is sedate. But you throw Memphis into the mix and our stats go right out the window.

[seogorilla]

Here we have two ways small town cops are on everyone old people kids five show up for a dog being run over , The we have Miami and Ft Lauderdale which is just off the hook.

The small town cops dont see much action so they are stir crazy takes 4 of them and 2 fire trucks at one accident , Martin County is the worse for this cops are on a power trip here.

Here we have very little crime but really no one is here but alot of old people waiting to jump all over you or go to bed by 8pm,

I have been in and out of Fl since 1970 thats 39 years if you listen to me vent I will give all the dirt I have no issue doing it I was brought here at 10 years old and you cant mix rednecks , old people and people from the north .

Rednecks think its there state and really dont like Yankees at all yet they make their living off doing their maintence work Yet hate us really true story.

The rich have little to do with anyone not a few million rich we have some here that have 100's of millions living 1 to 3 miles from trailer parks.

There are a ton of very wealthy people that live here but go to the early bird special and will not spend real money my neighborhood alone has 40 millionaires yet no one really supports the local economy .

You see really no one is from here so they dont really look at it like home , its place to go when it gets to cold up north we call them snow birds .

If you want to drink and golf and wait out your days yes you can enjoy it here otherwise most likey not if you are looking for a real life dont bother .

Look I dont want to be rude but its just to hot and jobs are slim you cant sell your house if you wanted to right now , so heed my waring south florida is like buying into a bad stock .

There are a ton of other places to move , I work on the internet for a living we are planning our escape now and it feels very much like an escape .

You just want to sneek out of town and forget this place besides that all you will need is one nasty hurricane and you will see my point all to well .

So long story short big towns no not really safe , small towns more cops then people and they will be on you trust me .

I had one friend 77 never had any legal issues he went to a home depot in Stuart Florida he is great guy warm friendly , he went it to measure a door he picked up a measuring tape he was going to buy and used it .

He clipped it to his belt after he measured it and ask for help with the door as he is 77 years of age , next thing he is being assrested for shop Lifting by two martin county cops , hand cuffed the whole deal .

I cant say much more but he lives in Sailfish point in a 3.5 million dollar home he asked me to help him find a laywer and to post his bail , this is what you can expect in martin county florida .

I know alot of stories like this from other small towns trust me its nightmare its how they make their money .

Where you come from is not here , its peyton place on mescaline

[TampaKaren]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

No kidding, no one knows what a turn signal is. You also have to remember FL leads the nation in uninsured drivers.

They never impound cars here so there is no incentive to get it.

Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and then Jacksonville are the most deadly cities for pedestrians, what does that tell ya.

Please disclose your sources. I found only one article from an Insurance group in 2007 which was an estimate... Florida was not first (23% estimated uninsured motorists). And a recent media report says that Flint, MI is the worst for pedestrians. I was a database analyst in a former career; I know how to spin numbers to a pre-determined outcome.