[AnotherDayInParadise]

I spent my first 25 years in and around Cincinnati... the last 11 in Florida, in Sarasota County (various cities... there are 3 in Sarasota County, you know ).

I do love Florida.

Sure, I get fed up with summer. But today, right now... the tail-end of October... I remember how lovely it is. We are excited about our 65-degree HIGH TEMP tomorrow. It's a fluke for late October, but a welcomed one.

We are living with windows open and air off right now. I'm watching the World Series as I type (RAYS FAN) and I'm pretty sure that Philly folks are going home to central heating and heavy blankets. Oof, and that rain!

I love the beaches on the Gulf Coast... and the variety of cultural activities, too. State parks, museums, etc. Not to mention the laid-back atmosphere. There's give and take no matter where you live, but at least I'm only 20 minutes from the beach if I feel like I'm giving more than I'm taking on any given day.

[Big House]

I knew it! The Gig is Up! You are a Cincinnati Cheerleader! Sorry if I blew your cover! LOL Now everyone knows!

The thing I like best about Florida, is that you can do all the things you do in Summer, all Winter long! Oh, and I'm changing my name to Florida, cuz a lot of people here love Florida! And, I want to be popular! In fact, I'm gonna change my first name to South and my middle name West.

Originally Posted by AnotherDayInParadise

I spent my first 25 years in and around Cincinnati... the last 11 in Florida, in Sarasota County (various cities... there are 3 in Sarasota County, you know ).

I do love Florida.

Sure, I get fed up with summer. But today, right now... the tail-end of October... I remember how lovely it is. We are excited about our 65-degree HIGH TEMP tomorrow. It's a fluke for late October, but a welcomed one.

We are living with windows open and air off right now. I'm watching the World Series as I type (RAYS FAN) and I'm pretty sure that Philly folks are going home to central heating and heavy blankets. Oof, and that rain!

I love the beaches on the Gulf Coast... and the variety of cultural activities, too. State parks, museums, etc. Not to mention the laid-back atmosphere. There's give and take no matter where you live, but at least I'm only 20 minutes from the beach if I feel like I'm giving more than I'm taking on any given day.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by floridaorbust

I have been reading so many threads on how people do not like Florida.
We are planning on moving to the sunshine state. Just curious if anyone out there likes living in Florida? Because so many do not. I have read all the negatives, any positives I have not found an area that is total Utopia. But, we would like to call Florida home

I like Florida a lot more now than I did when I was younger and living there. Not that I hated it then (although I was close to hating the heat in the summer for awhile. . . as I've gotten older, my body seems to have changed so that I prefer heat to cold now), but it took a lot of traveling and living in different places for me to appreciate Florida more--and there's probably a bit of nostalgia and such there too. I did grow up there after all, with my family moving there when I was really too young to remember anywhere else very good, so it's "home" in that sense. I still love a lot of other places, too, but I miss Florida when I'm away from it for too long.

[ucfjtm]

Originally Posted by altamaha

What about N.Fla? Been told its very cold there. Ice,snow etc. Any truth to this.

I grew up in northwest FL. I saw snow flurries twice in 10+ years, and it always melted immediately when hitting the ground. Occasionally there'd be ice, especially if you left the sprinklers on, but I never come across it on the roads.

[Artsywoman]

I love the winter weather and the beautiful beaches!

[floridaorbust]

we noticed some areas in Palm Bay that can be kind of "redneck". But, we use to live in West. PA. They have their share. But, you take the good with the bad. We just know the areas we will not move to. Just trying to learn as much as possilbe conerning the Space Coast area. Time is on our hands. But, we would like to know what areas are better than the rest.
We noticed a house for sale on Massini Ave in Palm Bay. Wondered what the area is like and the crime.

By the way, did I mention the temp will be 28 degrees tonight But, Friday and Saturday it will be 55-60 degrees. We will take it. Beggers can't be choosy 'ya know

[ChrisA70]

That is a good area, right off of Malabar Rd. There is a lot of new homes, businesses over there, a new super Walmart. Not a crime ridden area. I lived about 2 miles from there. It's a good area, worth checking out the house. I would live there for sure. And it's not Rednecky whatsoever. The really redneck area is east of Babcock from the Melbourne line to about Malabar. After that it's more woodsy. Then you get into Grant(also nice). Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by floridaorbust

We noticed a house for sale on Massini Ave in Palm Bay. Wondered what the area is like and the crime.

[mrs1885]

I was 5th generation in my family on one SW island. I loved it growing up, but there was a huge population boom that brought with it people that I really don't like being around. I moved to town just off the island and was okay there for about 15 years, but it wound up with the same problem.

I've since moved to the mountains of TN - talk about a culture shock!! But I honestly wouldn't ever go back to FL. I will definitely never, ever go back to the island I was raised on. I just want to remember it like it used to be. It makes me sad thinking of what it's like now.

But there are plenty people that love it. My husband's best friend lives in the Orange County area an is in heaven. My best friend moved away from the island we grew up on when she was in 5th grade. She came back to visit and feels the way I do now, but she fell in love with Ft Myers and is dying to leave NH to move there. I don't get it. I can't imagine living in Ft Myers.

But she came to visit me recently and hated where I live. I think I'm in heaven. The peace and quiet and mountain views to her are horrible. She likes the hustle and bustle of a city and all the culture it has to offer.

It's just a personal choice. It's beyond me why anyone would ever want to live where lots of people are. I hate operas, museums, etc. I like wide open spaces, privacy, friendly God-fearing, country loving rural people. But you're quite possibly the people that would love Florida. And keep in mind, Florida has such a variety of types of places to live. You can be in the big city right on the water. You can be in a little beach community. Small quiet island, big busy island. You can be in a big town in the center of the state or a rural area in the middle of the state.

For me, it's all flat which I hate. And the weather never gets cool enough. It's just not where I want to be anymore. As a matter of fact, we're looking at a home on an island in Maine. I miss the salt air and seagulls, but would never consider going back to Florida to get it. It doesn't offer what I want.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

I was 5th generation in my family on one SW island. I loved it growing up, but there was a huge population boom that brought with it people that I really don't like being around. I moved to town just off the island and was okay there for about 15 years, but it wound up with the same problem.

I've since moved to the mountains of TN - talk about a culture shock!! But I honestly wouldn't ever go back to FL. I will definitely never, ever go back to the island I was raised on. I just want to remember it like it used to be. It makes me sad thinking of what it's like now.

But there are plenty people that love it. My husband's best friend lives in the Orange County area an is in heaven. My best friend moved away from the island we grew up on when she was in 5th grade. She came back to visit and feels the way I do now, but she fell in love with Ft Myers and is dying to leave NH to move there. I don't get it. I can't imagine living in Ft Myers.

But she came to visit me recently and hated where I live. I think I'm in heaven. The peace and quiet and mountain views to her are horrible. She likes the hustle and bustle of a city and all the culture it has to offer.

It's just a personal choice. It's beyond me why anyone would ever want to live where lots of people are. I hate operas, museums, etc. I like wide open spaces, privacy, friendly God-fearing, country loving rural people. But you're quite possibly the people that would love Florida. And keep in mind, Florida has such a variety of types of places to live. You can be in the big city right on the water. You can be in a little beach community. Small quiet island, big busy island. You can be in a big town in the center of the state or a rural area in the middle of the state.

For me, it's all flat which I hate. And the weather never gets cool enough. It's just not where I want to be anymore. As a matter of fact, we're looking at a home on an island in Maine. I miss the salt air and seagulls, but would never consider going back to Florida to get it. It doesn't offer what I want.

That is what I love so much about my home state of NY. It is so diverse. Everything from a major metropolis of NYC to the beaches of LI to the mountains of the Catskills and Adirondacks to the rural farmlands of upstate. No desert, though. Everything else, you can find it.

I do agree with you about Maine though. My daughter went to school for two years at USM. I really loved Maine and the people there. Salt air and seagulls? Absolutely in Maine, but I also had those for 20 years on LI. You don't need Florida for those.

[DailyJournalist]

Originally Posted by TANaples

That is what I love so much about my home state of NY. It is so diverse. Everything from a major metropolis of NYC to the beaches of LI to the mountains of the Catskills and Adirondacks to the rural farmlands of upstate. No desert, though. Everything else, you can find it.

I do agree with you about Maine though. My daughter went to school for two years at USM. I really loved Maine and the people there. Salt air and seagulls? Absolutely in Maine, but I also had those for 20 years on LI. You don't need Florida for those.

I agree, Florida is only good for a vacation. And then I would only consider South Beach.