[ex-floridian]

Let 'em all come in, I say! IT 'S ALREADY RUINED! Just keep tipping New York up and let the garbage pour on out! I'm out now, THANK GOD!

I debated whether or not I should advertise that Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA is a FABULOUS place with kind people, natural beauty and temperate weather. I would HATE to see this place devastated by an infestation of northeast attitude.

Then I realized it won't be a problem because of the SHEEPLE FACTOR. Keep the cattle migration flowing so I can continue MY life in peace.....

[SunShell]

At least in Florida, they have more than 2 lane roads. In TN, the population might be less but the roads are two lanes with 35 mph. So it still takes you just as long to get from point A to point B in both states. I do not recommend TN to those of you use to the quality of living in FL. We researched for over a year but until you LIVE here you would be amazed at how OLD SCHOOL and good ole boy system that have here. Sometimes the locals make you feel like you don't know what your talking about, when in all reality THEY ARE CLUELESS!!!! Truly clueless to keeping up with growth. It took over 3 weeks to get our mail daily. The mail carrier told us, "Sometimes you get your mail, sometimes you don't". I also went through the same issues with our newspaper. If we pay a service, do we deserserve service. You don't get any QUALITY here at all. I was born and raised in Tampa Bay, Florida and let me tell you there is NOOOOO comparison to service and quality. Look up what the requirements are to become any of the service positions (police officers, ambulance, correctional officers, etc.) and then look up the requirements in Florida. I would feel much safer in Florida to get help than in TN. I am highly disappointed in TN. I could write a book at the little things that have really disheartened me. The funny thing is the locals have no idea nor do they care.

[backtofla]

tn police = need a spit cup and a high school education

fla = 4 yr degree required at many places in fla

[backtofla]

to tn, it's just that fla has much more (it seems) of a strict hiring policy than many other states...

btw, if a policeman is considering a move to upstate sc, the pay with yrs of experience is in the mid to high 20k's

[Muggy]

Originally Posted by backtofla

Fla has much more (it seems) of a strict hiring policy than many other states...

They have to. It's they only state where bails of cocaine and wads of cash routinely fall from the sky or drift by in the water.

[chocomom]

Originally Posted by backtofla

tn police = need a spit cup and a high school education

fla = 4 yr degree required at many places in fla

I can't speak for TN, but you are incorrect about FL. Most police forces require you to be 19 with a high school diploma/GED. They don't require nor do they really compensate extra for a 4-year degree. My husband is in law enforcement and this is one of the #1 reasons we're relocating. FL does not pay for professionalism in law enforcement.

[robivi3]

backto, I figured it out. You don't live in Florida, but you don't want us moving where you are, good psychology. I don't think you are an idiot, but if you are actually believing what you say, then, you have to be one. I think you are actually smart and you don't want a bunch of Fla. A-holes messing in NC.
BTW, Know MANY Cops. Golden Beach, wealty town, pays worse than Wackenhut for Police. Know afew folks there. Miami Dade and City of Miami, the most unproffessional agencies imaginable. The main requirement for thsoe agencies promotionally, be a black female. I know several Officers who quit and left in shear frustration. To claim that Miami Cops are proffessional makes you a complete moron, I DO NOT believe you are, I can not take what you say seriously. I think you are not a "backtofla", I think you are a "neverbentofla". The fact is, you still aren't here. You want us to stay away from you, good ploy, but I figured it out.

If you seriously knew the requirements for the State Certification you would know that the requirements are VERY low. Straight from HS to the Academy, no College required at all. That statement ranks up there with your "hurricanes are supposed to be moving north" statement. that's why Insurance companies are quadrupling rates here because we all know they don't forecast or plan. You cannot really be this stupid, it has to be the former explanation, to discourage Floridians from moving to NC, smart.

[stargazer]

Choco, does that explain why I saw such mean cops? Not everyone was mean. I had a good friend whose husband was a cop and they were a nice couple, I also met a policewoman who pulled me over for going 45 in a 35. I had no clue because i had never gone down that street. She was nice enough to give me a warning and extremly nice. However I can't forget how those 2 cops harrassed the elderly disabled woman after the hurricanes. SHe did not have the strength to go out her front door and make a pile. Also too when my husband came home shaking and not believeing what had happened with the constable coming head on. It was bad. I can tell you a related story, I might pm you. It deals with a woman in my neighborhood whose husband is a cop and some treatment I got once.

[Tjam]

Originally Posted by smokytbear

elfum,

What I mentioned about the "natural places" was not an insult.

Why should'nt you pay to visit state parks?t It takes money to run state parks, therefore people who use them should pay. Some people just like everything for free.

I am in Philly, lots of murders lately, but my little neck of the woods is quiet and crime-free. These are solid working people who will call the cops if you disturb their peace. I am planning to move to the Miami area (Fl), and I look on Apartmentguide.com and see very nice apartments in the Kendal, Coral Gables and Coconut Grove areas. They all have swimming pools and lush foilage, and some of them are gated. Just the way I like it.
Further north, Boca Raton has nice apartments also.
The apartments listed for Aventura are priced higher but worth every penny from looking at the features.
Further south in Homestead rent is much less.
All the apartments listed are clean and seem to be well kept.
A search of North Miami - East (NE 23rd St, zip 33137) shows 3br apartments at $487-$778. I know immediately that is a low income, high crime area. Not somewhere I'd live.
Right now I'm focused on East Kendal/Coral Gables/Coconut Grove/South Miami. I don't expect to find 0 crime in those areas. There are the car thieves, and isolated serious crime. Like recently in Coconut Grove, a guy stopped to ask directions on a not too nice street in the area, and got robbed. He resisted the robber (bad idea) and got shot and killed. The first Coconut Grove murder in nearly a year, they say. But I expect to find areas there where the drug dealers and other criminals do not hang out in, because they would stick out like a sore thumb. Plus, there is nothing for them to do there, but maybe get shot by a homeowner.

Originally Posted by stargazer

What I saw that chilled me and disturbs me

I saw 3rd world poverty on the fringes of the city I lived in.

What area are you in?

[calculus]

I have been here 20 years. That is enough. It used to be great. Not anymore. Many people are looking for a place to move to and thats why they come to the forums. After looking around, I think the best place to live is where it is stable. That means the population doesn't change much,slow growth over time, people know many of the townfolk because they have all lived there so long and so have their children. This is NOT Florida. It's a constant revolving door anymore. As one book comparing different areas said "Florida's climate is undoubtedly their best resource" . If you move to get away from the cold winters, that is not a good enough reason. Quality of life is most important to me. I will no longer give some of that up for a warm winter. Also followed by a very humid summer that lasts 5 months. If you are thinking about coming here, do yourself a favor, take the climate out of the picture for a minute and seriously do research without considering that. Consider populations, schools, crime, income, homeowners insurance, property taxes, roads, etc. Don't fall into the trap of many information sites that post the year 2000 census data. This place had its biggest changes since then. Make sure your data is up to date. I can afford to stay if I want to. But No way would I be stupid enough to do that anymore. If you need me or someone else to detail why it is bad here it's because you haven't done your homework. Are there some good places here? Of course there are. But you still have the quality of life issues. I will no doubt be selling my house at a great profit to someone with rose colored glasses. That will be their informed choice.....