[steve1077]

I really like Florida for a number of reasons but the key is the warm weather from Nov. to May when I'm there. The average high/low on Siesta Key during that period is around 76/58. Hard to beat. I ride my '62 Schwinn 5 to 10 miles/day. Go to the fabulous beach several times/wk. Go to the dog track on Fridays when beer and dogs are fifty cents. Farmers Market downtown Sarasota on Sat. is fun. Free wings/cheap beer here and there--Speakeasy on SK, Sam Snead's on Hillview--plus other nice freebies. $1.50 movies on University. Health fairs. Great gyro at Max's on Clark Rd. Great burritos right up the street from there. Great Kung Pao Chicken at the Chinese place just up from there. The ''Drum Circle'' on Siesta Key beach on Sunday nights. Lots of stuff to make you happy but it all comes back to the warm weather.....

[Artsywoman]

Originally Posted by steve1077

I really like Florida for a number of reasons but the key is the warm weather from Nov. to May when I'm there. The average high/low on Siesta Key during that period is around 76/58. Hard to beat. I ride my '62 Schwinn 5 to 10 miles/day. Go to the fabulous beach several times/wk. Go to the dog track on Fridays when beer and dogs are fifty cents. Farmers Market downtown Sarasota on Sat. is fun. Free wings/cheap beer here and there--Speakeasy on SK, Sam Snead's on Hillview--plus other nice freebies. $1.50 movies on University. Health fairs. Great gyro at Max's on Clark Rd. Great burritos right up the street from there. Great Kung Pao Chicken at the Chinese place just up from there. The ''Drum Circle'' on Siesta Key beach on Sunday nights. Lots of stuff to make you happy but it all comes back to the warm weather.....

Sounds good to me, I am moving to Sarasota!

[LovesNorthPort34289]

I moved here 5 years ago to South Sarasota County in beautiful North Port from The Philly-Atlantic City area. I go back to visit and party and enjoy the beautiful culture of Philadelphia but in 3 days I am ready to head home to North Port I love seeing RSW Airport I know I am back in Floridahhhhh...I am not a retiree by any means. Oh and BTW I am so Happy The Phillies WON!! Rays next year. If you don't live here think about it I couldn't think of a more beautiful place to reside. NORTH PORT Florida's 50th Birthday Celebration 1959-2009.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by steve1077

I really like Florida for a number of reasons but the key is the warm weather from Nov. to May when I'm there. The average high/low on Siesta Key during that period is around 76/58. Hard to beat. I ride my '62 Schwinn 5 to 10 miles/day. Go to the fabulous beach several times/wk. Go to the dog track on Fridays when beer and dogs are fifty cents. Farmers Market downtown Sarasota on Sat. is fun. Free wings/cheap beer here and there--Speakeasy on SK, Sam Snead's on Hillview--plus other nice freebies. $1.50 movies on University. Health fairs. Great gyro at Max's on Clark Rd. Great burritos right up the street from there. Great Kung Pao Chicken at the Chinese place just up from there. The ''Drum Circle'' on Siesta Key beach on Sunday nights. Lots of stuff to make you happy but it all comes back to the warm weather.....

Oh, Yea, I've never seen a dog race. I bet that will be a cool experience.
My neice adopted a racing greyhound that was retired. I'd love to see them run all out.

[HowDeDo]

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 just got back from northern Florida today, and i miss it alot. Im in the Midwest for the time being. Just bought a house in the Panhandle though, and am looking forward to leaving the Midwest for good. I love Florida, the people, the climate, being in the Bible Belt, the house im going to be living in way out in the woods, going to the beach in the winter, never seeing snow/ice again on the roads, never having to wear anything heavier than a sweatshirt for Floridas 'cold' months, being able to drive my sports car year round, experiencing a much lower cost of living compared to where im at now, and eating the juciest Oranges on the planet. To me, Florida is a slice of heaven. I have a sneeky suspicion that alot of native Floridians take what they have for granted (?).

[floridaorbust]

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.

My husband and I visited the Adirondacks last year. For Americade. That is a beatiful area. It was amazing to ride our motorcycle through the mountains. It was still chilly for early June. But nothing a sweatshirt couldn't fix.

[fluffyd]

Originally Posted by LMMEGNA

I loved it BEFORE I moved there, wasn't happy with it WHILE I lived there and CAN'T WAIT TO MOVE BACK, now that I moved away AGAIN! My poor husband!! Luckily he has the option of where to work. Please believe that famous and true statement "the grass isn't always greener.....yada....yada....." I agree with FLBOB, Florida is not perfect,(where is?) but it offers so many wonderful things, that when I FINALLY get back(planning for 8/09), I will never leave and never complain about it (a promise made to my very flexible husband). Best of luck wherever you finally call home.

IM NEW TO THIS SITE, i would like to ask where you lived last lime and where you recomend to go, as im desperate to move there as soon as poss, i also live near you now north devon (how funny)

[fluffyd]

Originally Posted by steve1077

I really like Florida for a number of reasons but the key is the warm weather from Nov. to May when I'm there. The average high/low on Siesta Key during that period is around 76/58. Hard to beat. I ride my '62 Schwinn 5 to 10 miles/day. Go to the fabulous beach several times/wk. Go to the dog track on Fridays when beer and dogs are fifty cents. Farmers Market downtown Sarasota on Sat. is fun. Free wings/cheap beer here and there--Speakeasy on SK, Sam Snead's on Hillview--plus other nice freebies. $1.50 movies on University. Health fairs. Great gyro at Max's on Clark Rd. Great burritos right up the street from there. Great Kung Pao Chicken at the Chinese place just up from there. The ''Drum Circle'' on Siesta Key beach on Sunday nights. Lots of stuff to make you happy but it all comes back to the warm weather.....

i am sooooo jelous, you are so lucky, i will be there one day!!!!

[Suncoaster]

Originally Posted by fluffyd

i am sooooo jelous, you are so lucky, i will be there one day!!!!

I used to live in South FL back in the late 70's, and kind of wish I still did. But I love St. Pete, where my husband I have lived since 1980. Also in the early 70's.

Like S. FL, the Tampa Bay area has so much to offer! Whatever you enjoy, you'll probably find it here. Concerts, art galleries, beaches, parks, boating - there's so much to do. Speaking of beaches, Fort DeSoto has won awards for Best Beach. Personally, although I love being outside, I'm not the beach type, haven't been in many years.

I will say that one of my favorite things is that, compared to up north, daylight lasts longer here - there's more light! (This is wonderful for me as I have serious Seasonal Affective Disorder. The less seasonal change, the better.)

I cannot imagine not living in FL. We tried once over 30 years ago - 2 miserable years up north - and it was a fiasco! Couldn't get back here fast enough. Yes, the heat can be a bit much in the summer, but it's not so bad that you can't enjoy being outdoors - and if you're an "outdoor-sy" type, you'll love it here.

So good luck, fluffyd - I hope you will find your way to whatever part of FL appeals to you. It's a wonderful state.

[southgeorgia]

i'm not from florida, so i can't speak to the costs of living there, but as an outsider, i absolutely love florida.

i live 10 minutes off the florida line. extreme south ga/ north fl is a naturally beautiful place. lots of rolling hills, massive oaks, and palm trees here and there. we have a weekend retreat on the gulf coast where we do a lot of flats fishing and hanging outside at night enjoying the ocean breeze and watching the stars. its a 1/hr drive from my front door to our beach property. its a very peaceful place on the nature coast. it gets busy during scallop season, but usually its a very laid back place.

I'm 45 minutes from tallahassee. its a great small city that offers a lot of shopping amenities for my wife. and FSU games are a lot of fun.

my mother is from tampa, and i have a lot of family still there. i don't visit as much as i used to, but honestly i'm not crazy about tampa. i always feel uncomfortable there, but i'm not a big-city type of guy. i can't keep up with the pace down there. too many people moving too fast! . south florida is a beautiful place though; we go to disney world a lot, and i was in west palm a few weeks ago. the native floridians are great people; its the transplants that can be downright nasty.

my favorite city in florida is jacksonville, which is a two-hour drive from my house down I-10. Its a large city, but it always feels like a small town to me; which is what i like. and its on the st. johns river (i really like water). my wife and i like to go down and have a nice dinner downtown and maybe catch a concert at the jax arena.

my brother and his wife live on the opposite side of GA on the state line, and spend their weekends on amelia island, which is a very nice place if you like the condo on the beach lifestyle.

in closing, i think florida is an awesome place with a lot to offer. it seems no matter what part of the state you are in, there is something great to do.