Hot Vs Cold (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa: health, home, diversity)

[ejperryman]

OK, I am about to make the big move, after living in the Northeast for many years, back to Florida. Has anyone moved to Florida seeking better weather and ended up hating it? How does your body adjust to Florida climate after living through years and years of dark winters? Seems like the health benefits of living in a warmer climate outweigh the health benefits (are there any?) of living somewhere where there are seasons, but I could be wrong............

Any ex-Northerners out there care to weigh in on how your body changed (for the good or bad) after moving to Fla.?

[Kim918]

Originally Posted by ejperryman

OK, I am about to make the big move, after living in the Northeast for many years, back to Florida. Has anyone moved to Florida seeking better weather and ended up hating it? How does your body adjust to Florida climate after living through years and years of dark winters? Seems like the health benefits of living in a warmer climate outweigh the health benefits (are there any?) of living somewhere where there are seasons, but I could be wrong............

Any ex-Northerners out there care to weigh in on how your body changed (for the good or bad) after moving to Fla.?

Hi ejperryman,

I don't live in Florida right now, I moved to TN last August, but I lived in FL for 30 years. I originally moved from NY, so I can tell you about the weather adjustment and benefits. When I first moved, I had a very hard time dealing with the heat.I was very young, but it was hard. I took a billion showers a day. I just always felt so hot and sweaty. I however, adjusted after a year. I can tell you that if you have any arthritis you will find that you are more mobile in FL. Warm temps naturally will make you feel better. I did have some pain in old injuries (broken knee for example) when it rained. That's about all. My allegies got worse in FL though. Nothing that can't be controlled with meds. I am finding I have to adjust again to winter now that I have moved to TN. I am having problems with my hands here, but I guess that's par for the course in colder weather. I don't think I could ever do full fledged winter again. I would be hurting. I noticed my body feels heavier now, not in weight but movement. It is the only way I can describe it. I'm sure if you have issues with the cold, you will most definetly find relief in FL. You will have to adjust to the heat and humidity. It is hot and humid most months out of the year with August and September being the hottest most humid months. I don't think it would be a great place for asthma sufferes because it is so humid. I could be wrong though.

Hope this info helps. Good Luck with your move!

[Jammie]

Kim, that's interesting to know that you had less pain in Fla. then in the North.

EJ, this wasn't my personal experience since I don't live in Fla., but bro moved there about 10 years ago and had spent his entire life (about 53 years) in the North. His first summer there was rough. He has problems with his lungs so it made it extra hard for him.

After that first summer, you couldn't pay him to move out of Florida.

[Kim918]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Kim, that's interesting to know that you had less pain in Fla. then in the North.

EJ, this wasn't my personal experience since I don't live in Fla., but bro moved there about 10 years ago and had spent his entire life (about 53 years) in the North. His first summer there was rough. He has problems with his lungs so it made it extra hard for him.

After that first summer, you couldn't pay him to move out of Florida.

I think anyone with arthritis issues or any joint problems is going to feel better in FL. Moist heat is good. Breathing on the other hand is not always so easy as your bro found out, but he seems to have adjusted. That's great!

[FLhereIcome]

Since moving back to the Northeast I am miserable. For me rain/cold = pain. My joints and body aches everyday that we have rain or cold. When we first moved to Florida, I did have migraines for about 3 months until I adjusted to the heat. But I found that if I drank plenty of water, the migraines got better. I also have allergies again now that I'm back in the Northeast. Only two months and I'll be back in Florida - I'll take the migraines for a little while, it's sure better than the constant aches and pains.

[Summering]

I get exactly the same thing. the joints, and bones and body aches in the NE.
The rain and cold ......make for the worst days.
Having spent a great deal of time in Florida and SC........the south eliminates most of that.....Warmth and Sun, the heat......are like getting the correct medicine for all of the above.
I am betting you'll do a lot better......for sure.

[AJ1972]

I don't think it would be a great place for asthma sufferes because it is so humid. I could be wrong though.

I've done some extensive research since my 4 year old has Asthma and I live in South Florida.
Here's one of the Asthma Worst Cities list I found (Florida is really low on the list, especially where we are - West Palm area).

100 Worst Cities
Here's the complete 2007 AAFA list of the 100 most challenging places to live with asthma:
1. Atlanta
2. Philadelphia
3. Raleigh, N.C.
4. Knoxville, Tenn.
5. Harrisburg, Pa.
6. Grand Rapids, Mich.
7. Milwaukee, Wis.
8. Greensboro, N.C.
9. Scranton, Pa.
10. Little Rock, Ark.
11. San Antonio
12. Los Angeles
13. Chicago
14. Charlotte, N.C.
15. Fresno, Calif.
16. Allentown, Pa.
17. Birmingham, Ala.
18. Baltimore
19. Mobile, Ala.
20. Detroit
21. Lancaster, Pa.
22. Johnson City, Tenn.
23. Pittsburgh
24. Oklahoma City
25. Tulsa, Okla.
26. Chattanooga, Tenn.
27. McAllen, Texas
28. St. Louis
29. Hartford, Conn.
30. Memphis, Tenn.
31. Fort Wayne, Ind.
32. Bakersfield, Calif.
33. Salt Lake City
34. Greenville, S.C.
35. Kalamazoo, Mich.
36. Dallas-Ft. Worth
37. Boston
38. Houston
39. Modesto, Calif.
40. Richmond, Va.
41. Augusta, Ga.
42. El Paso, Texas
43. Indianapolis
44. Phoenix-Mesa
45. Wichita, Kan.
46. Louisville, Ky.
47. Austin, Texas
48. Columbia, S.C.
49. Las Vegas
50. Lansing, Mich.
51. Stockton, Calif.
52. Washington, D.C.
53. Norfolk, Va.
54. Toledo, Ohio
55. Springfield, Mass.
56. Kansas City, Mo.
57. Albuquerque, N.M.
58. Columbus, Ohio
59. Nashville, Tenn.
60. New York
61. Providence, R.I.
62. Youngstown, Ohio
63. San Diego
64. Sacramento, Calif.
65. Buffalo, N.Y.
66. Cleveland
67. Charleston, S.C.
68. Syracuse, N.Y.
69. Cincinnati
70. Dayton, Ohio
71. Albany, N.Y.
72. Des Moines, Iowa
73. Rochester, N.Y.
74. Lexington, Ky.
75. Portland, Ore.
76. Pensacola, Fla.
77. Jackson, Miss.
78. Denver
79. Canton, Ohio
80. Tampa, Fla.
81. Tucson, Ariz.
82. Omaha, Neb.
83. Madison, Wis.
84. New Orleans
85. Jacksonville, Fla.
86. Orlando, Fla.
87. Baton Rouge, La.
88. Boise City, Idaho
89. Spokane, Wash.
90. Lakeland, Fla.
91. San Francisco
92. Daytona Beach, Fla.
93. Fort Myers, Fla.
94. Sarasota, Fla.
95. Colorado Springs, Colo.
96. Melbourne, Fla.
97. West Palm Beach, Fla.
98. Miami
99. Minneapolis
100. Seattle

[daniellefort]

I was born and lived in NH for 18 years and moved to FL when i was 19. Been here 14 years. I remember my first summer here was miserable. I was not used to the heat and humidity at all. Even today, i hate the months of June - August because it's so hard to be outside to do anything. I developed allergies down here to grass and pollen which i never had before. I also get heat rash on my body all the time if i get too hot and sweaty. Hardly heard of using A/C up north in the summer time. Down here, it's a necessity. Believe me, i went 8 days before during a hurricane in Mid August without it and that was the most miserable time ever. I'm finally going back to NH this summer. Believe it or not, i miss those gloomy cool days once in a while and to be able to distinguish what seaon it is i miss. In FL you have summer and spring and that's it. Hard to tell the difference from the 2 sometimes. This past week alone, we've had rain, sunny days, had to use the heat and had to use the A/C all within 6 days time. My plants that normally bloom in April are already sprouting.

[markhunt]

I moved here in 2003 and each year that passes I dred the months of April-November more and more. I was born and lived in Westchester NY the first 13 years of my life and then moved to CT for the next 14 years.

When I lived up north I dreamed of "Greener Pastures", because I hated the cold. I still do hate the cold. But I hate the heat mixed with oppressive humidity even more. It comes down to personal comfort levels for me. I don't like to sweat. In the cold I would rather just throw on an extra sweater underneath my coat, or cotton hat over my head and say to myself there is an end in sight to this cold. Also, now that I have children, I think back to my childhood and want my kids to experience the diversity of the 4 seasons as I did. For me who grew up in this, it means somthing, and I know all the fun I had (as well as friends and family), and I would want my kids to enjoy that as well.

My family and I are not water people, and even if we were I don't think I would want to swim in the ocean because of Red Tide, Sharks, and Jellyfish. I would never swim in any lakes (that goes for up north too). And I don't want to pay 40 G's to have a pool put in when it wouldn't get the use from us to jusify the cost.

I like Florida a lot and whenever I do move back up north to raise my children I would definatley like to have a summer home here. To me the best situation would be spending Jan. 2 - April here in Florida and the rest of the time up north.

[BlueWillowPlate]

I've lived in north Florida since the end of 2005.
I moved here from arid Colorado, which is a beautiful state, but it has no ocean in particular and little water in general. I am a water person (grew up on both coasts before moving to Denver as a teen.)
The Florida heat and humidity, while oppressive in the summer, has been a better trade-off: no longer do I suffer with eczema on my chest and those awful bleeding cracks in my hands and feet.
I do enjoy the change in seasons up here, and the cold that makes its appearance but never lasts too long.
I've had the occasional allergies here, which I never used to get.
OTOH, the spouse, who had terrible allergies in Denver, has had little to none here in Florida.
Overall I have embraced the heat, the bugs, the maritime climate--it feels kinder than the harsh Colorado extremes.