[Forumuser0123]

Hey all,


My wife and I are considering a move from Washington state to Florida. Just getting started in looking at different areas and learning which areas to research more.


We are mid and late 40's, no kids, no pets. We assume that we can find jobs in any of the population centers, some are undoubtedly better than others.



Some of the reasons we are looking at moving: tired of the cold and wet in WA, some family in the Miami area, easier access to latin america.


Now, on to what we might try to look for. We like walkable streets with restaurants. Don't necessarily need to live within an area like that, but like to be able to access some. Not just the suburban strip mall type places. We'd want to be near the water. We like beaches, boating, diving, etc, all water activities. We like the idea of getting a house on a canal with open water access, not sure what kind of budget that takes in the different cities.


We're not too keen on the Miami area, it's a bit too busy/flashy. I've thought of looking at the west coast, Tampa to Ft Myers/Naples, but have never been there. Anyone have a quick rundown on what those areas are like?



I'd be grateful for any suggestions of where to start the research. Pros/cons of the different cities? Insights to differences in local culture?


Thanks!

[Arcenal813]

Pinellas County fits all your desires.
St-Pete might just have the most walkable core in Florida, in my opinion surpassing Brickell in Miami.

I was looking for something similar to what you are looking for, and moved to the area recently. No regrets whatsoever. I can bike to the beach, I have a short 10-20 minute drive to the walkable, busy areas… Love it.

[Forumuser0123]

Yep, St Pete is on the list. Hoping to get down for a long weekend soon and check it out in person.


There's quite a bit of info available on St. Pete. I'd be interested to hear about how some of the other areas compare to it, then I can dive into the specific sub forums for detailed questions. Ft Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte? What about the east coast like Port St Lucie, Palm Bay? Any lesser known gems out there?


Thanks again!

[Shredder907]

I myself just moved to central Florida from the west coast (Burbank,CA) and I’m currently staying at an Airbnb in Winter Garden for a month.
With plans to actually get an apartment in southside of Orlando close to mall millennia where I’ll be working.

Me personally I love this part of Florida. Orlando is a big city with a lot to do.
Downtown Orlando has many bars, restaurants, clubs, enough to do on the weekends.
And if you get bored of that Universal city and downtown Disney aren’t to far away.
I’ve been here for two weeks now, and I feel like I’m still learning something new everyday here lol.
Another thing I was happy about is that back on the west coast I do downhill longboarding as a hobby.
Although I do enter contest from time to time.
I heard about Florida being a flat state.
Then I found out about places like Clermont, Minneola, Mount Dora, Sorrento, Deland, which are places flood with rolling hills and beautiful scenic drives thru hills and massive lakes and springs.
Most of these towns are only a 30 to 45 drive
north west of the city.
Nice weekend gateway. Or drive 45mins east to New Smyrna beach.

I mean personally central is a much better spot than south Florida.
I’ve been to Naples, And Miami when I was 17.
My experience With Miami is it’s great for the fact it’s a big city, if you live within downtown or dare I say even like 5 miles outside of downtown. you wouldn’t really need to use your car as often, because they do have a pretty decent mass transit there.
Idk how many Latin cultures are in Miami but I know Cuban is definitely the most dominant. As well as Haitians, and Brazilians too.
Cost living is very expensive, and Florida’s wages don’t match the cost of living in Miami.
I personally haven’t experienced it, but I’ve heard Miami traffic is quite dreadful as well.

Naples, not a fan of at all.
The beaches are beautiful, but it’s a city for mostly retirees.

One of my employees is originally from West Palm Beach, FL and he’s currently going to UCF ( university In Orlando). He saids West Palm is great place to live in south Florida.
Maybe look into West Palm Beach.

[manny118]

Originally Posted by Shredder907

One of my employees is originally from West Palm Beach, FL and he’s currently going to UCF ( university In Orlando). He saids West Palm is great place to live in south Florida.
Maybe look into West Palm Beach.

It's the communities to the north of West Palm that are perfect. Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, and Jupiter have all the tropical beauty of South Florida and the upscale amenities without the congestion.

[FL_Expert]

Since you’re mostly looking at the west coast, here are some pros and cons for various areas:

Tampa

Pros:
- It has by far the most jobs on the west coast.
- Lightning and Bucs are here, if you like either.
- Great shopping and dining options.
- Great neighborhoods in S Tampa and NW Hillsborough.

Cons:
- S Tampa real estate is expensive relative to most of FL.
- Has by far the worst traffic on the west coast.
- Fast paced, hectic.
- Downtown still hasn’t quite come together yet.
- Several parts of town are very industrial.
- Sinkholes are a problem in some areas, and it’s hard to know what those areas are.
- S Tampa has problems with flooding.
- Not very close to a good beach. Upper Tampa Bay isn’t particularly nice either.

St. Petersburg

Pros:
- Arguably the most walkable downtown in Florida.
- Growing fast, possibly outpacing Tampa.
- The waterfront is amazing.
- There are numerous great dining options.
- Great arts scene, between great museums and street murals.
- Downtown is about 15 minutes from great beaches.
- Traffic isn’t bad for a city this size.
- Lots of great historic neighborhoods.

Cons:
- Shopping options are somewhat weak. Lots of boutiques, but you’ll need to go to Tampa for a good mall.
- Parts of town (mostly NE St. Pete) have bad flooding problems so just be aware of where they are.
- Somewhat expensive.

Bradenton

Pros:
- It’s a good value.
- Close to great beaches.
- It’s in fairly close proximity to Sarasota and St. Pete.

Cons:
- It generally has a bad reputation and has issues with crime.
- There’s not a ton to do there.

Sarasota

Pros:
- It has a surprisingly good downtown.
- St. Armands Circle is a lot of fun to visit.
- It has some great neighborhoods by the beach and south of downtown.
- It has a significant Amish community, which is a pro considering they’ve got a few very good Amish restaurants.
- It has arguably the best beaches in the US.
- It’s a very clean city overall.
- It has pretty good shopping options in the UTC area.
- Still fairly close to Tampa and St. Pete.

Cons:
- The very best parts of town are very expensive. That said, good parts of town are still very reasonable. Places like Osprey are still a good value in my opinion.
- Some will argue it’s slow and boring. I disagree, but it’s all relative.
- Some areas, like Venice, have a very high median age. This is a con I assume since you’re in your 40s. That said, places like Siesta and Lakewood Ranch are much younger.

Ft. Myers/Cape Coral

Pros:
- I’d argue this area has the best value for real estate in FL.

Cons:
- Cape Coral is basically a giant suburb.
- Lots of retirees.
- Not much to do.
- Their beaches are good, but not as good as points north or south.
- People seem less friendly here.
- Far from any major city.

Naples

Pros:
- Great beaches.
- It has a very charming little downtown.

Cons:
- Extremely expensive for Florida, and a poor value even as an elite community.
- Not a lot to do.
- Far from any major city.


I’m happy to answer any more questions you have. I would personally choose St. Pete or Sarasota depending on the size of community you want.

[wizrap]

Originally Posted by Forumuser0123

Yep, St Pete is on the list. Hoping to get down for a long weekend soon and check it out in person.


There's quite a bit of info available on St. Pete. I'd be interested to hear about how some of the other areas compare to it, then I can dive into the specific sub forums for detailed questions. Ft Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte? What about the east coast like Port St Lucie, Palm Bay? Any lesser known gems out there?


Thanks again!

St. Pete checks off your boxes. Port St. Lucie doesn’t, although it’s far more affordable. What is your budget?

[beach43ofus]

Due to your young age, I'd skip anywhere South of the Skyway Bridge on the SW side of FLA, with the exception of the nicer parts of Ft. Myers....there are some high crime areas you must avoid there however, but its worth the drive down to check it out.

I'd spend most of my time looking at St. Pete, Dunedin, & Palm Harbor, Gulfport, & Clearwater. I think you'll find St. Pete to be #1.

I'm guessing a home with a canal behind it in any of these areas starts at $800k.

Tampa's too far from the beach for beach lovers.

Naples is too old for you...don't waste your time.

In SE FLA, check out Boynton Beach due to its proximity to Atlantic Ave in Delray, which might be the nicest walkable nightlife spot in Florida.

There are no hidden gems left that hit all your boxes, that I know of.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Shredder907

Cost living is very expensive, and Florida’s wages don’t match the cost of living in Miami .

They don't in Orlando either, so not sure how you're making that distinction. Salaries are about the same but the disposable wealth in Miami is much higher (trust fund-types especially), along with wealthy Europeans or South Americans utilizing vacation condos driving the rental market even higher. The average one-bedroom rent in Miami is $1900, in Orlando it's $1600, and a bit more in Tampa at $1650.

[Fredesch]

We moved to Ormond-by-the-sea (zip 32176) 6 years ago. When I analyzed coastal Florida housing prices, this area of Florida had the lowest price houses where you could walk to the beach. Ormond-by-the-sea on a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Halifax River/intercoastal Waterway. On our street the peninsula ia about 1/2 wide and gets great ocean breezes, making summer weather more bearable.

Ormond-by-the-sea is the northern edge of the Daytona Beach area. There are a bunch of walkable areas/entertainment districts. Some of the places they have festivals at are Daytona Beach Main Street (beachside). Daytona Beach Beach Street/downtown and Ormond Beach Rockefeller Gardens. This area has a bunch of bars, restaurants, brew pubs and a couple of entertainment venues. Ormond Beach is about 3 or miles south of us. South of that is Daytona Beach. 8 miles north is Flagler Beach. I prefer to hang out at our local brewpub (Beachside Brewpub). Loggerheads has outdoor seating where you can watch the ocean and listen to free nightly music.

The only downside to this area is low wages. Boston Whaler is looking to hire folks starting at $12 hr.