[Chelito23]

Wow, this forum is really touching. I felt so good reading some of your posts about the Florida of yesteryear. I second all of the comments. The only people who tend to defend what Florida has become are the speculators (who helped ruin it) and the monied northerners. They are like talking heads that will endlessly compare Florida to NYC and say how much nicer and cheaper it is than the cesspools they created "back home".
Everything else you try to explain to them goes in one ear and out the other. It is sad. Florida is now the capital of the ME Syndrome. The only people who deny this are the wealthy new residents who can afford to cocoon themselves in their luxery compunds and gated communities. The rich got "Florida", the rest of us got the city data forum. That's all folks.

[spotrod]

My points exactly now that people have to say "how long they have been here" in Florida. Some will say yea I have been here # years made some $$ I sold my house for 7ook to Million because I lived in #### most of my life or wherever and I came to Florida and built my Dream Mcmansion on or near the beach for 1/2 that and invested the rest life is good for some but for the old time folks or those just trying to make a living they tend to see things not through rose colored glasses but as they are. The Old Florida was beautiful hardly any traffic, land was inexpensive, beaches were clean and beautiful and Florida was a terrific vacation spot. I came to Florida when I was 3 years old (1973) my parents moved to Brooksville north of Tampa. They paid a total of (hold on to your hats) 2k for 20 acres and we had a little house on it till 1980 then sold it for 65k we thought that was alot for 20 acres and a house then. Today it would go for probably a million. We still lived in Florida but lived in a subdivion in Land O' lakes paid 75K for a 3/2 on a lake with a good size back yard. Today it would cost $500k. I agree things have gotten expensive but the pay rates for common jobs just did not go up for Floridians and I feel for some of the Old timers that sold their property not knowing that this plethora of migration was coming. Most have moved on to other areas as cow pastures and orange groves are now 3000 home subdivisions everywhere. For awhile there developers and home builders were coming as far away as California to build here. Land was inexpensive and demand was high. The poor old timers had to watch as big $$ rolled in and gobbled up the areas around them along with it the habitats for the animals has diminished. The trees were cut down maybe that is why is is so darn hot around the bigger metro areas and everybody knows tempers and other problems seem to magnify when it gets to broiling point during July and August. I had to work several jobs to keep up and my skin is now sun damaged permantly due to being outdoors in the Florida sun. I knew better having grown up here all my life but there was nothing I could do but do my best to survive and I guess that is all anyone can do these days. Good luck to all.

[spotrod]

Est Florida Population in 1960 = 300,000
Est Florida Population in 2060 = 36 million
See TBO.com article for reference to this.

[summergal]

Originally Posted by spotrod

Est Florida Population in 1960 = 300,000
Est Florida Population in 2060 = 36 million
See TBO.com article for reference to this.

wow! That's scary!

[sunrico90]

We received an assigment to Patrick AFB @ Satellite Beach in 1988 and the begining of our Florida experience. Due to military assigments I departed in 1992 and returned in 1998 to Hurlburd Field (Home of USAF Special Operations) and retired after 22 years in the military.

I do like better the old FLorida that welcome my family back in 1988. Less population, less traffic, affordable, friendly, and a great place to vacation. The tourism machine and the lack of human touch has made parts of Florida a robot. Is all about money in central and south Florida. Many people live with the "Jones", must have a better car, house, SUV, boat, regarless of cost and consequenses.

Today I reside in Navarre, great place, small town, not affected by the tourism like central and south Florida. Just a place that you an truely enjoy life, raise a family and be part of a community.

[DeLaSalle]

Originally Posted by Mark My Word

I have read alot of the posts on here and see both sides, but it seems that the people that have lived in Florida a long time maybe born and raised have not liked what Florida has become on the other hand people that have lived in Florida less than 10 years think its great. I would like to know how long people have lived here with their opinions to see who really is telling the truth before I can make up my mind. Thanks.

Hello,
I've lived in Tampa metro for 5 years and I think it's great considering all.
I moved from Palm Springs, CA.,and just returned from a trip there. Temp in Palm Springs were in the 40's while here they are 70's.

I miss the A+ customer service of Palm Springs but am very happy here!
Don't listen to all the whining cheap-skates bad-mouthing FL, They need to buy a bus/train/plane ticket and check out the rest of the world and they will be crying to get back imho...

[Christian11]

Originally Posted by Mark My Word

I have read alot of the posts on here and see both sides, but it seems that the people that have lived in Florida a long time maybe born and raised have not liked what Florida has become on the other hand people that have lived in Florida less than 10 years think its great. I would like to know how long people have lived here with their opinions to see who really is telling the truth before I can make up my mind. Thanks.

After 11 years in South and then Central Florida (Orlando), this is highly overrated and overpriced for what you get. It USED TO be affordabler, clean, and safe. Now it is massive urban sprawl, very crowded, the "nice areas" are under siege by the crack neighborhhods, ghettos, and trailer parks.

Crime is literally out of control, the Guardian Angels are coming down to Orlando to help keep the city from becoming "Crack Town USA" by next year. Criminals commit heinous crimes and by the time cops arrive it's already too late.

Cost of living is astronomical (specially property taxes, home owner's insurance, car insurance, rent), wages are stagnant. Illegal aliens have no license/insurance and will hit and run all the time. My rent on a 2/1 apt in a simple neighborhood is $1,100... in Orlando the same rent would be something like $1,300/mo. Houses in the ghetto start at $180k, $190k. I am talking homes next to murder scenes or next to a house where prostitution is enaged (no exageration).

The quality of life that people seek is no longer here. To drive 13 miles each way, it takes us between 1 and 1 1/2 hours EACH WAY!! I-4 (Interstate 4) is absulte chaos. They don't plan growth here, they just build and build and worry about roads, schools, hospitals, etc later. People experience road rage very often. Underpaid folk in older cars don't have A/C and littlke things seems to tick them off. We have "Walking time bombs" here, specially when they are in traffic.



Honestly, after 11 years, we are leaving in March 2007. Just waiting for my rent lease expire!! We have had enough!!

Is all this hassle worth the 3 months of winter w/o snow??? I think not.... South Florida is ALREADY southern California. Central Florida is becoming souther California at an alarming rate of speed!!

[blauskies]

Originally Posted by Christian11

After 11 years in South and then Central Florida (Orlando), this is highly overrated and overpriced for what you get. It USED TO be affordabler, clean, and safe. Now it is massive urban sprawl, very crowded, the "nice areas" are under siege by the crack neighborhhods, ghettos, and trailer parks.

Crime is literally out of control, the Guardian Angels are coming down to Orlando to help keep the city from becoming "Crack Town USA" by next year. Criminals commit heinous crimes and by the time cops arrive it's already too late.

Cost of living is astronomical (specially property taxes, home owner's insurance, car insurance, rent), wages are stagnant. Illegal aliens have no license/insurance and will hit and run all the time. My rent on a 2/1 apt in a simple neighborhood is $1,100... in Orlando the same rent would be something like $1,300/mo. Houses in the ghetto start at $180k, $190k. I am talking homes next to murder scenes or next to a house where prostitution is enaged (no exageration).

The quality of life that people seek is no longer here. To drive 13 miles each way, it takes us between 1 and 1 1/2 hours EACH WAY!! I-4 (Interstate 4) is absulte chaos. They don't plan growth here, they just build and build and worry about roads, schools, hospitals, etc later. People experience road rage very often. Underpaid folk in older cars don't have A/C and littlke things seems to tick them off. We have "Walking time bombs" here, specially when they are in traffic.



Honestly, after 11 years, we are leaving in March 2007. Just waiting for my rent lease expire!! We have had enough!!

Is all this hassle worth the 3 months of winter w/o snow??? I think not.... South Florida is ALREADY southern California. Central Florida is becoming souther California at an alarming rate of speed!!

I couldn't agree anymore, I-4 is crazy on a weekend little alone during rush hour. Orlando's road system is like Atlanta, dated and not well thought out. I've seen plenty of improvements in South Florida but I don't think it will help in the coming years.

Where are you moving to?

[sunrico90]

Found this article appropiate for this post:

Prior to June 11, 1945, Florida used a system of highways with designations assigned by the Florida legislature. The earliest evidence I have seen of the numbering system is from a 1917 State Road map, listing old FL 1 though old FL 12. It is possible that the route numbers were not actually posted until 1923. The actual practice of assigning routes by legislation started in 1923. The lower numbers were the primary routes of the early 1920's. Other numbers were added later, every two years, up to Florida Road 601. You can track the political power shifts by what county had it's road systems added to the state road network. The old Florida state highway sign was a blue diamond. This type of sign was also retired in 1945 in favor of a square sign with a state outline, similar to the style in use today. Few vestiges of the 1917-1945 highway numbering system remain: Portions of Old SR 1 marked along US 90 notably near Milton, FL, or Old SR 8 along US 27. There is a CR 3 along US 17, the former SR 3.

Every two years from 1923 to 1943 routes were added and deleted by the Florida legislature. Older numbers were re-used as they became available. A notable exception was FL 19, which had been renumbered FL 500 and its prior number not re-used. Sometimes the routes were named by the legislature. Those names have been listed on the route pages. The US route system was signed in additon to the existing Florida numbers. Unlike modern Florida practice, both numbers were usually posted in a manner similar to that of modern Georgia.

Routes listed as (spur) were not signed as spurs, but were spurs in practice. A proliferation of confusing spurs is one of the reasons Florida changed over to the grid system in use today.

Florida also had a plethora of routes that were never built, many of the numbers below only represent the gleam in a legislator's eye. Other route numbers did not survive the transition of 1945 as state highways. Many reverted to unnumbered county roads.

[pianogal]

My husband's family history in Florida goes back to the turn of the 20th century. His mother's grandparents moved down from Ohio in a covered wagon in 1908. His grandmother who was 8 at the time remembered walking beside the wagon much of the trip. His mother grew up in the Sarasota area but they were a poor family who eaked out a living as fishermen - netting and selling smoked mullet. She has horror stories to tell of the depression when there was no food in the house and an especially entertaining (funny now, but not funny then) story about how her mother saved a little out of the pennies she made from doing other people's laundry and bought an apple for each of the 7 children for Christmas. She hid them in the attic. On Christmas morning, she went to the attic to get the apples and all that was left were the cores! It seems the oldest boy (who was later killed in the Pacific in WWII) had discovered them and helped himself. My mother in law has incredible stories to tell of growing up in Sarasota when the beaches were pure and pristine and Sarasota Bay was so clear you could pick up clams.

His father's family moved to Orlando from Pittsburgh in the late 30's because his grandfather and one of his older brothers had already developed emphysema and lung disease. Some of the brothers became very successful business men in Orlando. One worked as an engineer for the city for years. My husband's dad decided not to join the family company because family time was his priority. Today the business is almost gone and so are most of the brothers. But Orlando was good to a family that come broken and sick and were able to make a new life for themself. They did not all become rich (my husband's dad was far from rich) - but none of them ever regretted their move.