[LINYchick]

can anyone tell me anything on Starke- is it safe, racially diverse, jobs, commuting...

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by LINYchick

can anyone tell me anything on Starke- is it safe, racially diverse, jobs, commuting...

Isn't the state prison there ?

[firemed]

Starke is a speed trap. I think all the income of the town comes from speeding tickets. AAA put up a sign in that area that says SPEED TRAP !

[florigidge]

starke....ewwwwwe.

try gainesville. there's nothing in starke unless you want to retire there and not worry about much of a town.

it's a very very conservative small town.

what kind of town are you looking for?

do some internet searches on the cities you're interested in.

[LINYchick]

YIKES Thanks for the warning everyone. I only picked Starke because it's between Gainesville and Jacksonville
want to know something weird though I have t'il the end of 2007 or 2008 to move out I'm just doing an early search I'm so desperate I called a psychic(for the first time) to tell me where I might be moving she said Jacksonville because of the jobs I'll find there, not too happy about that- Jacksonville has a high crime rate and the population is insane. Maybe I'll go for my first choice: Gainesville, or the "psychic's" : Jacksonville, or look else where...

[Sgoldie]

I though Starke was a cute, quiet little town when driving through (not at all on par with what a LI Chick might like though) till I found out that someone was being electrocuted at the state prison that day.

[florigidge]

LINYchick, have you checked out southwest florida? try some searches on ft. myers area.

i lived in gainesville for 17 yrs (and also as an undergrad in the 70s) and liked it very much but didn't find much opportunity, job wise. if you are not a student, it is very much a "family" town. not a lot of single or older single activity.

you might could also try tallahassee which has a more northern feel to it. might be more state jobs there.

i was reared in miami but felt forced out in the mid80s. it was a paradise to me when i was growing up, but it became this megalopolis and rather scary. anything below ocala, for me, would be a stretch unless i was insanely rich and could afford to live a very high life in miami. forget orlando - talk about a madhouse of traffic and big city!

jacksonville might work but i've never much liked it. it is called "river city" btw. the st pete/tampa area is a growing area and not just for retirees. it is an area i might consider myself.

when you look on the map of florida, anything smaller than the big cities or the college towns is very much "the south" so beware. you'd have a rude awakening if you are used to a diverse and cultured city. there are small cities and towns in florida that are very georgia-like (sorry georgia...)

[wacahootaman]

There is a mythical trailer park in Starke called Armadillo Acres made famous by the Great American Trailer Park Musical, a off broadway show.

http://www.thehipp.org/mainstage/trailer.php

Highway 301, a very busy north, south highway, goes through Starke and traffic is a mess because all the red lights seem to be timed to make the travelers stop at every block.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by florigidge

LINYchick, have you checked out southwest florida? try some searches on ft. myers area.



)

You're sending her to Fort Myers? That would NOT be my choice. Do you live there?

[florigidge]

"hiknapster" i was throwing out suggestions as to where she might live and also find a job. fort myers was one of those suggestions. i don't live in fort myers - but i have been there many times over the years. i am a long time floridian, 1951-2003, presently out of state. i would live in fort myers in heartbeat as compared to jacksonville, which is what she was thinking...and yes, i've been to jacksonville many many times, again, over the years.

btw, where IS your choice? i don't seem to see it. i'm sure it will be the very best place to live in florida because after all, it's YOUR choice and no one else's opinion seems to matter.

these are all just opinions; she's not committed to take anyone's suggestions. i suggested searching on the net instead of just looking on a map and deciding "starke" might be okay since it was between g-ville and jacksonville, which is what she did.