Young NYC couple moving to FL. HELP PLEASE!! (Jacksonville, Tampa: relocating, debt)

[flappergirl]

Hello all!

This is my first post int he forum. I would love your opinions and feedback.

My boyfriend and I are in our late 30s, and planning on relocating from Manhattan to Florida. We both want to be closer to some of our families in Florida. His folks retired to Boynton Beach area, and I have family in St. Pete.

Here is the thing: though I am from upstate NY, we have both been living in NYC for 15 years. We are considering marrying and starting a family of our own, and FLorida is the place we have chosen. We are fed up with the cold, winters, pollution, rat race, expense, subways, unfriendliness, etc.

That said, and as sick of the city as I am, I do NOT want to live in a "red neck" kind of town. We also obviously don't want gangs, crimes, violent, aggressive neighborhood. ESSENTIAL: we want access to culture, diversity and open-mindedness. We are artistic people. We want access to the arts, nightlife, concerts, museums, activities and fun things to do and to be around intersting, free-thinking people.

I was thinking the Fort Lauderdale area might be a decent choice for us, as we are pretty liberal-minded, free-thinking typ, high gay population (the most open-minded, creative people I know and love to be around). We are both very much into the arts, music, performances, rock concerts, shows, nature, dancing, beach and waterfront activities, etc. We want to eventually raise a family in a nice, safe, not-too-expensive place, but we don't want to live in the middle of nowhere.

He is looking for college or highschool teaching work and I am a musician and editor. We are not wealthy-typical middle class income -- we are trying to live someplace we can grow in, not accumulate debt as we do in NYC!

What are your thoughts? WE ARE OPEN TO THE ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA, so let me know what you think-- but really love the climate and look of the Southern part of the state.

Thanks!

[Lilybeans]

You should consider Sarasota. Nice, low crime, big arts community, great museums.

[flappergirl]

Thanks Lilybeans! I saw in the Sarasota forum, someone wrote to another poster, "Sarasota is a great place to VISIT. Oh but if you do move there, you better be a Republican who goes to church every Sunday."

If it is as conservative as that, I don't think we would like it very much. We are looking for a liberal, open-minded, artistic place for people on a middle income with hopes to have a kid.

Any other thoughts?

[Lilybeans]

My sister in law, a former resident of NYC, who is a liberal a person that ever existed, lives in Sarasota and absolutely loves it. Don't buy all the hogwash about Republicans and Democrats. Florida is evenly split. Plenty of liberals and conservatives. Everyone gets along fine.

[AJGIANTS]

My Wife and I are in a somewhat similar situation. We are in our late 20s and early 30's. We Live in Hoboken. We are sick of winter but love all the NYC area has to offer. We are hopefully headed for Las Olas blvd in Fort Lauderdale. It has all the nightlife, culture, and fun stuff and the people are mostly like Northeasterners.
Our ideology is mainly Conservative, but not "Bible Belt" Conservative so South Florida we feel is a better fit for us.

[flappergirl]

very interesting. from all i've read, Las Olas seems like a great place!

Any other opinions?

[SoFLGal]

I would have to agree with LillyBeans on the suggestion of Sarasota. It has most of the things you are looking for-museums, quaint downtown, big artsy population. I definitely disagree about Sarasota being mostly Republican. Actually, there are a ton of Ron Paul signs everywhere. Like Lillybeans, I would think it's pretty evenly split though.

I think the poster AnotherDayInParadise said that she checked the Sarasota County School Board website and they are hiring.

[sail_cat22]

I think you'd like some of the areas in St. Pete--Gulfport is very artsy, as is Safety Harbor, and Tampa (Davis Island, SoHo) has some great areas as well. I find Sarasota to be a bit high-end touristy, and is much more expensive than Pinellas County, although the water down there is really beautiful!

[AJGIANTS]

Originally Posted by flappergirl

very interesting. from all i've read, Las Olas seems like a great place!

Any other opinions?

I cant tell you how much my wife and I love it. We are counting down the seconds.

[outsider1]

Originally Posted by flappergirl

Thanks Lilybeans! I saw in the Sarasota forum, someone wrote to another poster, "Sarasota is a great place to VISIT. Oh but if you do move there, you better be a Republican who goes to church every Sunday."

If it is as conservative as that, I don't think we would like it very much. We are looking for a liberal, open-minded, artistic place for people on a middle income with hopes to have a kid.

Any other thoughts?

The church thing doesn't apply. Many residents are better off financially than an average Joe, so they tend to be fiscal conservatives which leaves them little choice but to vote Republican due to the two-party political system. In this regard Sarasota somewhat resembles Orange county, CA, some well off areas of western CT or Chicago's north shore suburbs. But it's a loooong way from Jacksonville, and even further away from bible belt.

Based on your criteria Sarasota would suit you just fine(maybe even perfectly) as long as you can secure the employment that would provide you with the middle income that you've mentioned. Unfortunately it's becoming the most difficult part in the process of moving there as of late.