[ArtNocturne]

Hi everyone! My wife and I are considering moving to Florida in the next 6 months or so. We decided this after vacationing, and discovering that the climate in Florida was essentially miraculous for my health (severe chronic back pain). The problem is that we really don't have a clue where to move to, and it's driving us crazy. To us, an ideal community would have all the benefits of a larger city (art, music, and other cultural activities) without the large city problems (crime, traffic congestion, etc.). The area we live in now (northern Virginia) is nearly the exact opposite of that... lots of big city problems with none of the benefits. Could anyone recommend any places in Florida which fit the following criteria, and might be a good fit for a couple in their very early 40s?

-Active arts community
-Low crime rate
-Near the beach
-Good professional job market
-Good shopping
-Friendly & safe neighborhoods
-Affordable homes
-Museums
-Good music scene

ANY help and input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all in advance!

[RMD3819]

What is your housing budget?

Do you have kids in school?

What type of employment do you want?

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by ArtNocturne

Hi everyone! My wife and I are considering moving to Florida in the next 6 months or so. We decided this after vacationing, and discovering that the climate in Florida was essentially miraculous for my health (severe chronic back pain). The problem is that we really don't have a clue where to move to, and it's driving us crazy. To us, an ideal community would have all the benefits of a larger city (art, music, and other cultural activities) without the large city problems (crime, traffic congestion, etc.). The area we live in now (northern Virginia) is nearly the exact opposite of that... lots of big city problems with none of the benefits. Could anyone recommend any places in Florida which fit the following criteria, and might be a good fit for a couple in their very early 40s?

-Active arts community
-Low crime rate
-Near the beach
-Good professional job market
-Good shopping
-Friendly & safe neighborhoods
-Affordable homes
-Museums
-Good music scene

ANY help and input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all in advance!

Sorry to tell you, but as a Florida native you just can't get everything on your list in one place. There are places which could meet MOST of your criteria - you will have to prioritize. Also depends on your profession, and what do you consider "affordable?

Basically you are describing and idyllic town we would all love to find, but really doesn't exist here. Beware of the many realtors here who will pop up and recommend the town they are in whether it meets your criteria or not. There are only a couple realtors on this forum who give realistic info, IMO.

Good luck.

[luvthatmouse]

My husband's back pain was awful here in the heat. He finally just had to go get VAX-D and that worked wonders! (The pool made it feel better when it was cool though.)

[SoFLGal]

-Active arts community-Sarasota
-Low crime rate-Check City-Data
-Near the beach-Sarasota
-Good professional job market-No place in Florida has a great job market-unless you are in the medical field
-Good shopping-Sarasota/Tampa
-Friendly neighborhoods-Sarasota/North Port
-Affordable homes-North Port (average age 38, close to Sarasota)/Cape Coral
-Museums-Sarasota/Tampa
-Good music scene-Sarasota/Tampa

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by ArtNocturne

Hi everyone! My wife and I are considering moving to Florida in the next 6 months or so. We decided this after vacationing, and discovering that the climate in Florida was essentially miraculous for my health (severe chronic back pain). The problem is that we really don't have a clue where to move to, and it's driving us crazy. To us, an ideal community would have all the benefits of a larger city (art, music, and other cultural activities) without the large city problems (crime, traffic congestion, etc.). The area we live in now (northern Virginia) is nearly the exact opposite of that... lots of big city problems with none of the benefits. Could anyone recommend any places in Florida which fit the following criteria, and might be a good fit for a couple in their very early 40s?

-Active arts community
-Low crime rate
-Near the beach
-Good professional job market
-Good shopping
-Friendly & safe neighborhoods
-Affordable homes
-Museums
-Good music scene

ANY help and input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all in advance!

I'm thinking somewhere in Pinellas County. You won't get it all right next to each other, but you can definitely get all of that within the span of the county. Well, except the good music scene part. Really only Gainesville has a music scene in Florida, and most independent/underground artists generally perform in/around the Ft. Laud area nowadays (hey, they used to not come to FL at all!), but you aren't far from there.

[Nanclee53]

Originally Posted by ArtNocturne

Hi everyone! My wife and I are considering moving to Florida in the next 6 months or so. We decided this after vacationing, and discovering that the climate in Florida was essentially miraculous for my health (severe chronic back pain). The problem is that we really don't have a clue where to move to, and it's driving us crazy. To us, an ideal community would have all the benefits of a larger city (art, music, and other cultural activities) without the large city problems (crime, traffic congestion, etc.). The area we live in now (northern Virginia) is nearly the exact opposite of that... lots of big city problems with none of the benefits. Could anyone recommend any places in Florida which fit the following criteria, and might be a good fit for a couple in their very early 40s?

-Active arts community
-Low crime rate
-Near the beach
-Good professional job market
-Good shopping
-Friendly & safe neighborhoods
-Affordable homes
-Museums
-Good music scene

ANY help and input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all in advance!

We too are contemplating a move to Florida but we are looking more to SW Florida anywhere from Engelwood down to Naples. WE have done some vacationing in that area as well..My husband and I are of retirement age so night life is not an issue for us. 8) I feel there is no better way to find out the reality of an area than to talk to life experience people... We originally were looking in the Cape Coral area but after reading many of the postings here I am no longer sure.. Any suggestions and info would be a great help. Thanks.

[121804]

Originally Posted by Nanclee53

My husband and I are of retirement age

Punta Gorda.

[Nanclee53]

Originally Posted by 121804

Punta Gorda.

Thanks for the reply can you tell me why punta gorda is preferable and is housing there affordable for retirees?

[121804]

Originally Posted by Nanclee53

Thanks for the reply can you tell me why punta gorda is preferable and is housing there affordable for retirees?

First off, we did live there & not just vacation there; big difference

It's in Charlotte County which actually has the highest percentage of 65 & older in FL. Put the zip code 33950 in the box on the main page of city-data & you can see a very accurate breakdown of ages.

It's a smaller city that is located about 45 minutes north of Fort Myers & about 60-75 minutes south of Sarasota.

The best area for retirees is Punta Gorda Isles, Burnt Store Isles & specific areas of Punta Gorda...which is almost all of Punta Gorda. I do not suggest anything north of Charlotte Harbor; definitely not Deep Creek.

It is very heavily geared towards those who boat & fish. Most of the homes have direct access to canals to get to the gulf. There is a very small "downtown" area that has a few decent restaurants. The Publix is great. There are also numerous doctors & a hospital in downtown PG.

PG's homes & condos are still very overpriced & it is part of the major housing bust in SWFL. There is just way too much inventory to ever meet the demand. Also, there is no real industry or business other than medical in PG. Most people who live there are retired or snowbirds.

Condo rentals are a great deal right now & I cannot even begin to tell you just how many of those there are right now & the variety. A new development called Vivante opened & while quite lovely found the location to be out of the way.

There is Fishermans Village & a very active civic association that is geared towards the retirement lifestyle (tennis in the AM, RV trips, poker games, & knitting classes). There is a dog park, historical society, & small library.

You will not see many young children or teenagers except for the Deep Creek area.

It is pretty for those who find SWFL pretty... lots of palm trees & sun.

People are pretty laid back & keep to themselves. There are several retirement homes in the area.

Back in '97 PG was named the #1 place to retire to. It just has that vibe & design to it.

It's worth taking a look at if you are looking for a retirement lifestyle without necessarily living in a planned 55+community.