[LA19499]

Hello All, First time poster here. Excuse potential misspellings autocorrect is a pain.

I’m desperately trying to find the best place to move to. As a Midwesterner who hasn’t traveled much it’s overwhelming.

I’m in northwest Indiana and hate it. The cold weather drones on to eternity. Crime is out of control. The communities are stuck in a forever rut and I’m getting out! It’s April and it was snowing yesterday, depressing.

It’s cheap living here and I grew up near the lakes so I am looking for a place that is near water and reasonably priced...at least for the first few years as far as the price part goes. I have an online retail business and am in the retail and handmade garden decor industry so being able to garden is important to me. Being near an art community, farmers markets, craft fairs... all ideal for my profession. I’ve read a lot about excessive heat, insects, and sharks when doing my research on Florida. I welcome warmth but not the unbearable kind. Not a fan at all of the latter (giant insects and alligators) but I guess there’s good and bad everywhere right? I just don’t want to freeze my a** off on top of everything else. I’ll also mention I’m a bit torn between North Carolina and Florida.

I’m a slightly right leaning libertarian which seems to be an important factor these days when moving. I don’t care for either extreme. Single female, friendly, in my thirties big nature person. Love the outdoors and outdoor activities. Prefer that to night life, not a drinker, although a Little night life is okay. I guess I mean to say not a big fan of big city atmosphere. Medium to small size is good.

Any suggestions? I know I can’t have it all but somewhere with most of these things?

Thanks

[kyle19125]

Given that so many tend to pick the extreme of FL when moving from depressing winter weather only to find out the opposite extreme doesn't suit them would given the outcome for most recommend either North Carolina or South Carolina if looking for the warmer climates with milder four season climates (minus bad winters), yet not nine months of summer which is too relentless for many. There is an actual phenomenon of transplants called "halfbackers" who move to the extreme of FL only to realize it's not what was expected and years later move halfway back to where they're from and find it completely suitable. Given my knowledge of the Carolinas and similar criteria for living I would recommend checking out medium sized cities in NC like Greensboro or Winston Salem...or Columbia in SC.

[Ragnar]

LA19499, it sounds like Greenville, SC may be right up your alley. It's been "discovered," so not as cheap as it once was, but is still affordable by national standards. It's a growing area with a lot of amenities and space, but still convenient to many different places (North Carolina mountains, lakes, Atlanta, Atlantic Ocean, etc.). The SC upstate has a very moderate 4-season climate with typically short winters. Greenville has a small airport with direct flights to Chicago O'Hare if you need to easily get back to Northwest IN to see family. Make sure to check it out!

[cjairo191]

If you like Lakes maybe try the communities in Lake County, Florida. Its outside of Orlando so not too busy, but you are close to a lot of action and a busy airport that can get you directly back to Indiana if needed. If you dont like heat, all of Florida will annoy you. The above suggestion of Greenville is nice, but is on the conservative side.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by LA19499

Hello All, First time poster here. Excuse potential misspellings autocorrect is a pain.

I’m desperately trying to find the best place to move to. As a Midwesterner who hasn’t traveled much it’s overwhelming.

I’m in northwest Indiana and hate it. The cold weather drones on to eternity. Crime is out of control. The communities are stuck in a forever rut and I’m getting out! It’s April and it was snowing yesterday, depressing.

It’s cheap living here and I grew up near the lakes so I am looking for a place that is near water and reasonably priced...at least for the first few years as far as the price part goes. I have an online retail business and am in the retail and handmade garden decor industry so being able to garden is important to me. Being near an art community, farmers markets, craft fairs... all ideal for my profession. I’ve read a lot about excessive heat, insects, and sharks when doing my research on Florida. I welcome warmth but not the unbearable kind. Not a fan at all of the latter (giant insects and alligators) but I guess there’s good and bad everywhere right? I just don’t want to freeze my a** off on top of everything else. I’ll also mention I’m a bit torn between North Carolina and Florida.

I’m a slightly right leaning libertarian which seems to be an important factor these days when moving. I don’t care for either extreme. Single female, friendly, in my thirties big nature person. Love the outdoors and outdoor activities. Prefer that to night life, not a drinker, although a Little night life is okay. I guess I mean to say not a big fan of big city atmosphere. Medium to small size is good.

Any suggestions? I know I can’t have it all but somewhere with most of these things?

Thanks

I grew up in Alaska and hated the cold, which has made me love tropical weather. I'm very happy with the weather in Florida, I actually find winter too cold, but it's the best within the continental US.

Tough to recommend where in Florida with the information given. Maybe check out Delray Beach and Boca Raton... they aren't cheap for Florida, but they aren't West Coast or NE prices either. If you don't have to be on the ocean, there are lots of communities around Orlando that would work.

[Fredesch]

Gardening in Florida is the opposite of gardening in Indiana. Plants die in the summer and we plant annuals in October and February. There are 3 growing seasons, cool, hot and cool. We have a cool dry period during the winter and a warm wet season. Depending where you live, you can avoid frost altogether. Soil and growing conditions varies widely across the state of Florida.

Florida is a purple state and very financially conservative. Old folks have ensured taxes stay low, we don't have an income tax, can homestead our property-lowering our taxes, have no tax on food stuffs. We shift taxes to tourists by having high (hotel) room taxes, taxes on restaurant meals, etc. Wages are low and real estate costs vary by area but are generally less than the East coast.

I recommend experiencing Florida yourself. You can get a cheap flight to Orlando from anywhere. Pick any location that interests you, rent a car and rent a place for a week. Try out some state parks, see what floats your boat. Florida is huge and diverse but rarely cold.

[bmw335xi]

What plants are you doing that die in thr summer? Mine grow crazy fast in the summer and slow in winter.

[Fredesch]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

What plants are you doing that die in thr summer? Mine grow crazy fast in the summer and slow in winter.

Petunias, geraniums, most dianthus (pinks) don't make it through summer. Any plant with an upper growing zone of 7. Bulbs that require cold like paperwhites, daffodils and tulips will croak and never come back. Most of the plants that grow in Chicagoland/NW Indiana will not make it though a Florida summer.

I would guess most of the vegis grown in that area are grown here in the cooler seasons. We moved from zone 7B to 9B by the ocean and we are learning to garden all over again. A master gardener from Indiana/Chicagoland will go into shock as their favorite plants die in the heat and humidity.

[Sunshine Rules]

Depending on where you are located in Florida:

Spring crops would include sweet corn, cucumber, tomato, watermelon, and several kinds of beans. For best results, select varieties recommended for Florida.

A few veggies will survive the summer heat and humidity, such as sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, cherry tomatoes, peppers and okra. Too much heat, humidity and bugs for most vegetable plants.

Fall into winter is the main planting time for vegetables here. Tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, squash, etc.

As we head into winter you'll want to cooler seasonal crops such as radishes, carrots, lettuce, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. And yes, most of FL (except the southern portion) does get at least one or more frosts each January or February.

There are a number of great websites that walk newbie to FL gardeners through the FL growing seasons.


I was really into gardening my first few winters in Florida, but after awhile I found a couple of really good vegetable stands that offered great produce, so my gardening days dwindled into a couple of tomato plants in pots on the lanai.

[LA19499]

I am lovin’ all the gardeners in the forum. I wouldn’t say that I’m attached to any northern flowers. My favorite are daffodils and that’s because they are the first sign that spring is on the way because they’re literally the only thing green growing right now lol. Veggies, a few herbs, and a berry or two are my usual. I like to can my own salsa and tomato sauces.

I also shoot photos for 1,000’s of products and it would be so nice to finally be able to take photos outdoor in natural light. It’s like hunting for treasure trying to find a good day for that up here. Right now I have practically 20 lightboxes set up with artificial plants as back drops and that is no good, no good at all.

I appreciate all the info I will definitely be doing research on this you all brought up points I forgot to look into.