[cmsvmom]

Originally Posted by Nomadicus

For me the old Florida was pre AC. When the schools had windows that opened. ...Orlando was there but not really noticed. It was when Florida ranked third in the national in beef cattle prodution. It was a time when we all carried pocket knives to school and they stayed in our pockets until we went to the lab plot to cut cabbage or broccoli in AG class or we were cutting rope to learn how to make halters for our steers. We won shotguns as prizes at school

Yeah, I remember stuff like this too. Not necessarily pre A/C, but homes were built for cross breezes so that they did not get too hot (ok hot enough). A/C was one room units. And yes, a lot of central florida was dairy country. South florida too. I can remember sneaking into a farmers field at recess from school and helping myself to peppers and cukes. I can also remember mango groves on vacant lots, and my mom telling me to not climb those trees (which were great for climbing) so I didn't get blamed for wrecking the mangos.

And a lot of corny road side attractions. Does anyone remember before the Miccousoukkee built a casino, they had a restaurant and gator wrestling - and they used to sell these post cards for "Flour Dough, the Shoe Shine State"? Sort of a fractured fairy tale type of history.

Really old florida had weird postcards. Still does, actually.

[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by janetvj

I hope not to offend you, but I'm planning to be one of those "retirees". But just so you know, I'm not at all interested in some type of planned over 55 development on a golf course. I just want to find a little affordable place of my own in a climate that I love, where I can enjoy the natural beauty and putter around in the garden, do a little biking, and hopefully enjoy my "golden" years without imposing on anyone else.

Well until you said affordable, I had just the place for you but not all hope is lost. Crystal Springs and that area is one of my favorites. Try a trip to Cedar Key and check out Yankeetown or Inglis.
These are all over on the Gulf side.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Reading through a lot of the posts, it sounds like the "good old Florida" for many people was "whatever Florida was like when I was growing up, where I grew up".

Since it's not mostly teens and young twenty-somethings posting here, and most parts of Florida have changed a lot, it helps explain why many people feel the "good old Florida" is gone.

Heck, even for me, where I grew up, when I grew up there, Florida was a place that was rapidly changing. Maybe that's why I still have my "good old Florida".

[janetvj]

Originally Posted by Kali's Grandma

Well until you said affordable, I had just the place for you but not all hope is lost. Crystal Springs and that area is one of my favorites. Try a trip to Cedar Key and check out Yankeetown or Inglis.
These are all over on the Gulf side.

Thanks for the advice! I'm planning another trip down after the 1st of the year. I'll definitely check these locations - they're in the area where I'm looking anyway.

[BornInFL]

Oh yeah, remembering me some good old florida from back in the day... man it was nice back then wasnt it?

[grapico]

You can still find pockets of it (some places around Tampa, some places in some of the keys)... in the northern areas that haven't changed, Gainesville and south is totally different though. I grew up in Florida in the 80s and spent about 20+ years of my life there in contrast now it is more like Southern California and I hate it, though the areas are nice, the culture has totally changed. That being said I am moving back for awhile for the next 5-6 years then probably outta there. I hope the rest of the North Florida coast never gets developed, (going to Tallahassee for Grad School)
That being said ...the whole country is facing problems like this...the suburbanation and homogenation of america.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by janetvj

I hope not to offend you, but I'm planning to be one of those "retirees". But just so you know, I'm not at all interested in some type of planned over 55 development on a golf course. I just want to find a little affordable place of my own in a climate that I love, where I can enjoy the natural beauty and putter around in the garden, do a little biking, and hopefully enjoy my "golden" years without imposing on anyone else.

Sounds fine to me!

Mainly what offends me are hundreds of square miles of identical zero-lot-line houses full of disagreeable old farts that think they are too old to pay taxes to fund schools.

[verobeach]

There is an old and a new to any place. Old Boston, Old Brooklyn; everyone thinks it was better in the old days. Florida is no different. The key is to preserve the old while we embrace the new and go forward.

[verobeach]

Originally Posted by Strel

Sounds fine to me!

Mainly what offends me are hundreds of square miles of identical zero-lot-line houses full of disagreeable old farts that think they are too old to pay taxes to fund schools.

Quite a generalization there, strel.

[ChrisA70]

Heck old Florida to me is from 1994-1997 when I first went there, from then it has changed a lot, and not for the better in many ways. I can imagine how good it was in the 70's 80's... I have heard it was good, my mother in law grew up in Miami, and it is not even recognizable to her anymore she said...