[TANaples]

Originally Posted by Lulu101

Always remember, it's not just a state--it's a state of mind

Love that Billy Joel song, New York State of Mind. Yep, that is me.

It ain't JUST the weather.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by janetvj

I'm not moving to Florida because of the weather so much as I am moving because it's a state that I'm familiar with, and it has such bargains in real estate right now.

Yeah, that's kinda why I'm working on moving back as my primary residence now, too--adding that a large part of the reason I'm familiar with it is that I grew up there and my immediate blood relatives, including my aging parents, are still living there.

I used to complain about the heat when I was growing up in Florida, and I do prefer slightly cooler weather (paradise, temperature-wise, to me would be mid-50s to high 60s year-round), but I don't mind the heat so much any longer, and as I've gotten older, I think I prefer heat to cold--I'd gladly take an over-90 degree South Florida day over a below freezing New York day at this point. And actually, with global warming and the heat waves we've been having in the New York City area, it's been worse here heat-wise for me than it would be if I lived in Florida. My apartment has no air conditioning. I have a window-unit that doesn't work very well and tends to knock our electricity out. So during heat waves, which have been many weeks per year recently, it can be 105 or so inside our top-floor apartment at 10:00 p.m.! In Florida, we'd have Central A/C. But also, in recent years I've kept hiking more or less regularly regardless of the temperature, so again with the heat waves that's helped me finally get "used to" heat.

What surprised me more is the amount of things other than my family that I've really missed about Florida since I've been gone. Each time I visit again, those missed things become more acute for me . . . but a lot of that is probably related to the fact that I grew up there. My folks moved to Florida from Cleveland, Ohio when I was just 7, and I didn't move away until I was in my late 20s.

I don't figure that I'll stay in Florida as a primary residence for the rest of my life--I really want to live in a Western interior state (UT, NV, ID, WY, etc.) eventually, but at least while my folks are still around I'd like to be closer to them.

My wife and I also have the same problem money-wise as you. It's ridiculous trying to afford a place that's not a dump the size of a broom closet in the New York City metro area. And to even get something just passable, you've got a major hassle and expense to commute to Manhattan. The real estate downturn hasn't affected this area at all--in fact, prices continue to rise here. You can't even get a decent, smallish condo conversion in a not-too-great neighborhood in Jersey City for under about 600k now. That's WAY out of our price range. It's amazing when we look at what we can get in Florida for a third of that or even less.

[janetvj]

Tungsten_Udder:
I sympathize. I can't imagine trying to afford something in NYC.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by janetvj

Tungsten_Udder:
I sympathize. I can't imagine trying to afford something in NYC.

not Manhattan, you can. My daughter rents a 1 bedroom in Queens for $750. It is easily that here in Naples.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by TANaples

not Manhattan, you can. My daughter rents a 1 bedroom in Queens for $750. It is easily that here in Naples.

If it's not a dump and/or tiny, I'd bet she's been there for awhile. The rent control laws help keep things in check if you've been around for awhile. My current apartment, in Jersey City, is $1100 now for a small two bedroom (about 600 square feet). When I move out of it, the landlord will probably charge--and easily get--about $1800 for it. It's just that I've been in this particular apartment since early 1998, so rent control has kept it down a bit (although it was only $900-something when I moved in, so it's not that it hasn't gone up . . . but my downstairs neighbors have been here about 25 years and pay less than $500 per month--their place would also be around $1800 if they moved out). I couldn't find anything comparable in a neighborhood my wife wouldn't be afraid to live in for much less than $1700-$1800 at this point.

In Florida, you can easily find nice places to buy now where your mortgage payment will be around $1000 (or even less if you don't mind it being small and you do not need to be in a specific area for employment). It's much better to buy than rent if you can.

[Jara]

I've lived in Naples now 25 yrs. and it's the same scenario over and over. Do what you have to do when the sun sets, and make sure you have the bug spray. Suck up more A/C, put on something decent on and
hope your favorite restaurant hasn't changed their summer hours again. It's getting to be like the Saragossa Sea. Stag.......net. Got use to the "Rude and Crude." Anymore there the ones in the pastel pink polyester, shirts and pants that took all morning to iron. If you smile they want to know, "Why?" And then give you looks that kill. Now there a big blur, who cares. One cuss was looking at my unshaved legs, and was ready to say something told him it was a "French Thing." Why should he know I worked all morning with my plants, and wanted to get a couple boxes of Italian Ice.

[Rachael84]

Originally Posted by Lulu101

Always remember, it's not just a state--it's a state of mind

Hey, that's a NY thing lol

[ChrisA70]

Well 15 years later, I never got used to the heat and humidity, I just tried to ignore it, and be tolerable to it. Which I think I did pretty well...

ANYHOW. I am in Tampa right now, actually St. Pete, went to the Red Sox/Rays game, and there is a very noticable difference in temp from here to Fort Myers or good old Naples. AND less humid, just like when I was in Melbourne. It's not the same all over FL, trust me. It is actually.... smack me in the head for saying this..... Not bad out, and it wasn't all day.

[DailyJournalist]

Originally Posted by BacktoMA4good

Well 15 years later, I never got used to the heat and humidity, I just tried to ignore it, and be tolerable to it. Which I think I did pretty well...

ANYHOW. I am in Tampa right now, actually St. Pete, went to the Red Sox/Rays game, and there is a very noticable difference in temp from here to Fort Myers or good old Naples. AND less humid, just like when I was in Melbourne. It's not the same all over FL, trust me. It is actually.... smack me in the head for saying this..... Not bad out, and it wasn't all day.

Orlando was a cooker today.

[ChrisA70]

Oh YA, Orlando is always a cooker, until November or so, then it STARTS to cool off. I never liked the heat there at all, that is one of the reasons I moved to Melbourne, at least we had a seabreeze there, not Orlando. I did like living in Winter Park though, it was pretty decent when I was there in 1994-1997, Alphaman says it's still pretty good there. Orlando has much more to do too, Fort Myers, Cape Coma, and Naples are about as boring as it can get...