[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

What are you talking about? I live in NYC and I hardly see any real locals. It's people from all over the world or country.

I wasn't talking about the city in particular. Yes, I know it makes up half the population but outside the city all you have is some immigrant enclaves, and they are enclaves, little self sufficient communities. Florida doesn't segment itself like that, so the "natives" are more likely to get mixed in with the "transplants". It's a totally different dynamic and can't be compared. So lets end this from here.

[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by 121804

That was what we did our last few months in SWFL, Nonative...we took our son to Sanibel every Sunday & stopped at a local deli to get sandwiches. We were beyond miserable in SWFL, but at the same time we just couldn't pack up & leave in a moment's notice...so, there were little things we did to get through it & to make the best of it. My complaining & unhappiness was taking a toll on my husband & my husband's unhappiness was taking a toll on me...so,we figured out what we needed to do. If anything, we learned a lot about communication & each other. I wouldn't go back there if someone paid me to move back there, but I also cannot say I didn't learn from the experience & that yes, there were a few good experiences

Great post. This is exactly what we did when we we stuck in the northeast on business for a year.

The calendar was marked counting down the days until we could return to S. Florida. But at the same time when it snowed, we all built snowmen and played every game we could outside...while the permanent residents hibernated.

We made the very best we could out of the northeast even though we totally hated it.

[Petertherock]

The northeast is dangerous...and it has nothing to do with crime...after all, it's one of the safest places in regards to crime...it has to do with the fact it's going to go well below zero tonight and the complex I live at just had a propane line rupture and now on the coldest night of the year we have no heat. At least in the warmer climates you don't have the fluctuation between the warm and freezing cold weather that causes stress on the gas and propane lines (and water for that matter) that causes the pipes to burst. We are damn lucky someone caught the leak because all it would have taken is someone to walk by with a cigarette and you would have been reading about us on the news when all 150+ apartments went boom.

[novanative75]

Originally Posted by Petertherock

The northeast is dangerous...and it has nothing to do with crime...after all, it's one of the safest places in regards to crime...it has to do with the fact it's going to go well below zero tonight and the complex I live at just had a propane line rupture and now on the coldest night of the year we have no heat. At least in the warmer climates you don't have the fluctuation between the warm and freezing cold weather that causes stress on the gas and propane lines (and water for that matter) that causes the pipes to burst. We are damn lucky someone caught the leak because all it would have taken is someone to walk by with a cigarette and you would have been reading about us on the news when all 150+ apartments went boom.

Wow, I am sorry that is happening to you. I am glad you are safe and stay warm!!
However, there are dangers everywhere. Ours do not have to do with heat or propane, usually, but there are dangers here as well.

[Petertherock]

I do realize that the dangers in Florida are real...crime is worse, hurricanes and tornadoes happen. I do have an electric heater so I am not going to freeze anyway...and I believe all the apartments do have electric heaters as an alternative to the gas. Otherwise management will have to find a shelter especially for the elderly we have here.

[SirenSong71]

Originally Posted by novanative75

Good post, Siren!! I am one who does not like it in Florida, and have also done my share of complaining, however I am trying to make it better. We found out that we are staying for another year and we are trying to do things like fixing up our home, etc. that will make it better for us here. Yesterday we bought a new flat screen for the lanai! We have promised ourselves that we are going to travel more to other places in Florida and take a cruise since we are so close!
So, despite the things about it that will not change in the near future (weather, schools, snowbirds, illegal imigrants) I have a new attitude about making life better for us here.

Thanks for your compliment! nova, I really am glad for you and admire what you're doing. I know what it's like to be in a state of flux, don't want to stay/can't go kind of thing. It's like limbo and it really sucks. So I guess the best thing for any of us to do (whatever side of it we're on, wanting to get TO Florida or wanting to get OUT of Florida) is to find some peace where we are right now and try to enjoy life. I know how you feel though, and it's NOT fun. I guess if we try we can at least make it bearable, like what you're doing. What else can we do, right? My brother is going through this right now in Arizona. He likes it there well enough but he's just not making the money he thought he'd make (he was just a wee bit reckless in his move and sort of went through it with blinders on). He can't go and he's having a hard time staying. A lot of people are in this boat right now.

Hopefully, we'll all find some peace soon enough.

[flburgos]

Originally Posted by Petertherock

I do realize that the dangers in Florida are real...crime is worse, hurricanes and tornadoes happen. I do have an electric heater so I am not going to freeze anyway...and I believe all the apartments do have electric heaters as an alternative to the gas. Otherwise management will have to find a shelter especially for the elderly we have here.

it's been freezing here in boston for the last 2 days.i work in a dealership and have to walk people outside knowing some will be wasting my time.

[EternalNomad]

i read through this thread and just wanted to add my opinion (can remember the name of the originator of the thread).

i grew up in PA. i lived outside of philly, and then hershey pa, and then washington dc.

after getting married was in florida (first jacksonville, then the panhandle near pensacola) for about 9 years.

at first, it was a refreshing change from the northeast. within a few years, i was ready to head north. didnt have to be back to PA necessarily (although i do love PA), but just somewhere a little cooler.

i couldnt take not having 4 seasons. before i moved to florida, i had a vision of what it would look like and that was beaches, palm trees etc. i was surprised to find that most of florida (with the exception of the coast) does NOT look like that. Instead it would look more like how you would picture the deep south -- tall sticky pines, kudzu, etc. i realize it does appeal to a lot of people. One of those people is not me.

i do not like being hot all the time. i do not like sweating profusely from may to oct and changing my clothes several times a day (my first case of real honest to goodness BO was during my stint in florida).

i do not like the bugs. (fireants are really annoying). i do not like the topography (mostly flat). i do not like the lack of city planning which results in houses adjacent to strip malls adjacent to a double wide adjacent to a gas station.
sure, the taxes are lower, but what i found was that you get what you pay for, and sometimes...you dont even get what you paid for! they dont hire the A team for city planning in florida. They just dont.

the school my daughter went to was decent, but overall the public education system in the north is far better.

i would just caution any northeasterner who is thinking about moving to florida or the deep south that you may miss home. i didnt realize how much i had associated holidays with weather (ie sitting around the christmas tree in shorts just seems wrong). you never get to snuggle under a wool blanket and drink hot chocolate. i dont think i ever used one wool item in 9 years of being there. i used to go to abercrombie and fitch just to be surrounded by plaid flannel.

the northeast is more culturally diverse and i missed that too. in the NE, you can go to an italian restaurant run by a genuine italian family that makes genuine italian food. you can visit chinatown in philadelphia. you can go to PA dutch country and see genuine dutch people.

In florida, you can go to a chinese place and it is run by mexicans. you go to a mexican place and it is owed by indians. there is no "roots", no "authenticity", it is just people opening up chains to make a buck. something is missing...i cant put my finger on what. you can drive and drive and drive...go 3 hours in any direction and guess where you are? still in the DEEP SOUTH. there is no "getting out of dodge" because it is a huge region and it is simply not as diverse as the north.

if you think that running the a/c on christmas eve, and buying your christmas tree off of a truck in a walmart parking lot will elevate your holiday spirit...by all means..florida is your spot.
if you want to drive down the highway and look at people with the rebel flag waving in the wind (they have a very limited and somewhat incorrect view of what the rebel flag actually means) go to florida.

if you want to become extremely intimate with your sweat glands and just how much perspiration you are able to manufacture in 101 degree heat with 99% humidity...florida is your spot.

if you want to go to the beach and see the locals fishing for shark with bloody meat right next to where your family is swimming...the panhandle of florida is definitely for you! cause and effect is not the region's strong suit! 2+2 does not always equal 4.

i did enjoy disneyworld...and the sweet tea is also good. but that is about it!

[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by EternalNomad

i read through this thread and just wanted to add my opinion (can remember the name of the originator of the thread).

i grew up in PA. i lived outside of philly, and then hershey pa, and then washington dc.

after getting married was in florida (first jacksonville, then the panhandle near pensacola) for about 9 years.

at first, it was a refreshing change from the northeast. within a few years, i was ready to head north. didnt have to be back to PA necessarily (although i do love PA), but just somewhere a little cooler.

i couldnt take not having 4 seasons. before i moved to florida, i had a vision of what it would look like and that was beaches, palm trees etc. i was surprised to find that most of florida (with the exception of the coast) does NOT look like that. Instead it would look more like how you would picture the deep south -- tall sticky pines, kudzu, etc. i realize it does appeal to a lot of people. One of those people is not me.

i do not like being hot all the time. i do not like sweating profusely from may to oct and changing my clothes several times a day (my first case of real honest to goodness BO was during my stint in florida).

i do not like the bugs. (fireants are really annoying). i do not like the topography (mostly flat). i do not like the lack of city planning which results in houses adjacent to strip malls adjacent to a double wide adjacent to a gas station.
sure, the taxes are lower, but what i found was that you get what you pay for, and sometimes...you dont even get what you paid for! they dont hire the A team for city planning in florida. They just dont.

the school my daughter went to was decent, but overall the public education system in the north is far better.

i would just caution any northeasterner who is thinking about moving to florida or the deep south that you may miss home. i didnt realize how much i had associated holidays with weather (ie sitting around the christmas tree in shorts just seems wrong). you never get to snuggle under a wool blanket and drink hot chocolate. i dont think i ever used one wool item in 9 years of being there. i used to go to abercrombie and fitch just to be surrounded by plaid flannel.

the northeast is more culturally diverse and i missed that too. in the NE, you can go to an italian restaurant run by a genuine italian family that makes genuine italian food. you can visit chinatown in philadelphia. you can go to PA dutch country and see genuine dutch people.

In florida, you can go to a chinese place and it is run by mexicans. you go to a mexican place and it is owed by indians. there is no "roots", no "authenticity", it is just people opening up chains to make a buck. something is missing...i cant put my finger on what. you can drive and drive and drive...go 3 hours in any direction and guess where you are? still in the DEEP SOUTH. there is no "getting out of dodge" because it is a huge region and it is simply not as diverse as the north.

if you think that running the a/c on christmas eve, and buying your christmas tree off of a truck in a walmart parking lot will elevate your holiday spirit...by all means..florida is your spot.
if you want to drive down the highway and look at people with the rebel flag waving in the wind (they have a very limited and somewhat incorrect view of what the rebel flag actually means) go to florida.

if you want to become extremely intimate with your sweat glands and just how much perspiration you are able to manufacture in 101 degree heat with 99% humidity...florida is your spot.

if you want to go to the beach and see the locals fishing for shark with bloody meat right next to where your family is swimming...the panhandle of florida is definitely for you! cause and effect is not the region's strong suit! 2+2 does not always equal 4.

i did enjoy disneyworld...and the sweet tea is also good. but that is about it!

I have been here 7 years and don't remember any 101 degree days. Nor have I been attacked by sharks fighting for fisherman's bait as of yet even though we swim in the ocean daily.

But I certainly will keep my eyes open for those risks of living down here. Thanks!

[HockeyMom72]

I can remember many days last summer and fall when we had 95 and up. I think the hottest day was when it hit 99. However, that was the actual temperatures and not the Heat Index. I do believe the Heat Index for many, many days was over 100 degrees. Is this what he is talking about? A Heat Index over 100 degrees in SW Florida is apparently not rare.

I assume the SW is probably hotter than other parts of this state.

As an aside, the Pa. Dutch people are not Dutch. That comes from a corruption of the German word for German. Deutsch (?).