[movingsoon22]

I am moving to Florida soon and this is probably the one and only time in my life I can move exactly where I want to in Florida. I have loved Florida since I was young and have lived here before for a few years. I need some help deciding where in Florida would be perfect for me. Here are some things I'm looking for and not looking for in Florida:

1. I love the heat and humidity (as long as I can escape to AC, haha!) I don't like colder winters so I'm not sure if the panhandle or N. Florida is for me but I'm open to suggestions.
2. I love thunderstorms. I know these are all over Florida but I thought I'd mention it anyways.
3. I love the ocean so I'd like to be not too far from the ocean. (45 min maybe?)
4. I'm 27 years old so I don't want a retirement community and I want things to do but I'm not into clubbing or any of that anymore. Just good food and some entertainment.
5. I will be starting a family soon so I want somewhere relatively safe, where I won't have to worry anymore than normal about my family's safety. I know all cities have bad parts but the more you can avoid it the better, right?
6. Traffic is bad in many parts of Florida I know. This is lower on my priority list than safety/weather/jobs.
7. I need a place where I can find work now and in the future. I have a business degree and I'm currently a business analyst so I need a place with some time of office jobs.

I know the perfect place doesn't exist but I'd like this thread to be an open discussion with the people of Florida who can offer advice. Let me know if you have questions for me to help me out. And please don't come here trying to convince me not to come, I know Florida is where my home is.

Thanks in advance

[SoFLGal]

Hi Moving,

You might want to look into North Port. It is located between Ft Myers and Sarasota and is about 25 minutes from the beaches. The average age in North Port is 38. I would say that it definitely gets hot here in the summer, even in the winter generally stays pretty warm. There is not a lot going on here but you could go to Ft Myers or Sarasota for more action.

Good luck with your search!

[Racelady88]

There are no jobs in North Port. While it does fit with most of your criteria if you need to work outside of the home you will be looking at a miserable commute.

[movingsoon22]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I do need a larger job market. I cannot afford a huge commute every morning (hours)..

[SoFLGal]

The commute would be about 35-40 minutes.

[movingsoon22]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

The commute would be about 35-40 minutes.

To where? And are there tons of jobs there?

[gypsychic]

I would not recommend Northport - there are no jobs, and the long commute would be to Sarasota where there are also NO jobs for you. You need to be nearer to Tampa/St. Pete, where there is a job market.

You might want to check into some of the St. Pete areas, there are many on this board who live there and love it and can steer you more specifically to a possible area for your family.

Good luck

[movingsoon22]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I would not recommend Northport - there are no jobs, and the long commute would be to Sarasota where there are also NO jobs for you. You need to be nearer to Tampa/St. Pete, where there is a job market.

You might want to check into some of the St. Pete areas, there are many on this board who live there and love it and can steer you more specifically to a possible area for your family.

Good luck

Thanks for the reply! I'll definitely look into the St. Pete Area.

How about Fort Myers or Fort Lauderdale? I don't know much about these areas but I know I love the climate of Southern Florida

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by movingsoon22

Thanks for the reply! I'll definitely look into the St. Pete Area.

How about Fort Myers or Fort Lauderdale? I don't know much about these areas but I know I love the climate of Southern Florida

Fort Myers is great if your 60.

Fort Lauderdale is pretty nightlife intensive, but you have suburban areas that might have what you are looking for, but they are expensive. Coral Springs, Boca Raton and Weston might be good choices. Downtown Hollywood is pretty weird and nightlife centered but there is tons of great ethnic dining and the nightlife is more mature than other areas, if you wanted to take the less family oriented route. They are trying to attract the arts to that area as well. So far they are having some success but only time will tell if the strip goes 180. As of now it has made about a 90 degree turn from 5 years ago, and very heavy police presence makes it safe.

Up towards Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Gardens is starting to boom with young professionals, and definitely fits the "Good food and some entertainment" requirement with a bit of an upscale vibe. I would look heavily into that area, and possibly into the Jupiter area.

In Tampa, there are parts of South Tampa you should look into, where there are historic and semi-historic neighborhoods with an active cultural scene. In St. Petersburg I'm thinking either downtown or maybe the Gulfport area. Then you have the village-y areas like Dunedin and Safety Harbor that can even be walkable.

[BeenAroundTheBlock]

I was going to suggest the Melbourne area. Harris is winning a lot of government contracts and doing a lot of hiring. You're close to Orlando for all the activities.