[JimKing]

People are flat out making up crime stats. Check the city data crime stats and Chicago has a higher crime index than any large city in Florida except Miami.

Crime is "everywhere in Florida"? Nonsense. Jupiter, Juno Beach, Tequesta, Boca Raton, much of the pan handle, Gainesville, Sarasota, and most other Florida locales....all have lower crime indexes than Chicago.

I lived in Chicago for 2 years, the weather stinks 7 months out of the year. People are so pale they look sickly.

Florida is for happy, active people who like to exercise and know that sweating is a healthy thing. Anyone who would rather live in Chicago certainly should go there.

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by JimKing

People are flat out making up crime stats. Check the city data crime stats and Chicago has a higher crime index than any large city in Florida except Miami.

Crime is "everywhere in Florida"? Nonsense. Jupiter, Juno Beach, Tequesta, Boca Raton, much of the pan handle, Gainesville, Sarasota, and most other Florida locales....all have lower crime indexes than Chicago.

I lived in Chicago for 2 years, the weather stinks 7 months out of the year. People are so pale they look sickly.

Florida is for happy, active people who like to exercise and know that sweating is a healthy thing. Anyone who would rather live in Chicago certainly should go there.

Keep in mind that the crime stats for City Data are from the last census in the year 2000. If you check more recent crime stats, you will discover that Chicago and Miami both have the same amount of violent crime and Miami has more property crime then Chicago does.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by JimKing

Florida is for happy, active people who like to exercise and know that sweating is a healthy thing. Anyone who would rather live in Chicago certainly should go there.

I guess you forgot. I'm one of those inactive people that live in Tennessee.

Truth be told, I can't afford to live in Florida or Chicago.

I guess I'll be stuck hiking in the Smoky Mountains, admiring the daffodils.

[FedUpInFtMyers]

For 2005, City-Data reflects that Chicago has a crime rate index of 565.2, and Miami has a crime rate index of 755.7. Chicago has a much higher population than Miami and yet has a crime rate index that is lower. That speaks well of Chicago, in my opinion. City-Data's information for Ft. Myers in 2004 lists the crime rate index as being 933.2, and I don't dispute it as I live here. Ft. Myers has a much smaller population than either of the aforementioned cities. I don't think it is fair or accurate to make blanket statements with regard to Florida as a whole. Every city in Florida - in addition to other states - is different. I lived in St. Petersburg prior to living in Ft. Myers, and going from there to here has been like moving to another country. I also grew up outside of Chicago and lived there until I was 30 years old and never had to watch my back like I have to here.

[Muggy]

Has Mayor Daley ever been burgled?

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=50145 (broken link)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

And I'm sorry about your senior friend getting ripped off, but it's not something peculiar about "Florida" that attracted the crook, but rather the existence of high numbers of old people who are gullible and easier to take advantage of. If the center of retirement switches to another state, those who prey on the elderly will simply turn their attention elsewhere.

But there is a huge retirement community in Florida, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. So the fact of the matter is con artists will still permeate the state.

Then there are the drug addicts that resort to crime, no matter where, as Muggy has pointed out. Gated communities and mayors are not immune.

[shedav]

You could not pay me enough money to move to Chicago, I dont care how much someone offered. The first winter with the blustering winds would send me outa there. I guess you can call me a wuss.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by shedav

You could not pay me enough money to move to Chicago, I dont care how much someone offered. The first winter with the blustering winds would send me outa there. I guess you can call me a wuss.

Unless I lived in Antarctica I wouldn't move for weather reasons. I would take into consideration education, crime and whether I can keep a roof over my eight kid's heads.

[Margel]

I am sorry, but I don't understand the need to defend where you live, or if you moved, or where you live now. Everyone is different with different needs and preferences. If Florida isn't right for you, that is perfectly ok, but you don't need to point out how hot it is or how much crime there is. We all get it. There is crime everywhere and some parts are worse than others. And there is hard to take weather everywhere...you have to live where you are most comfortable and happy. Whether you live in Florida, Tennessee, or the Midwest, live and be happy...but you don't need to constantly go back and forth to make a point of why you don't or won't live in a place where maybe someone else loves. That's all I'm saying...hope I didn't offend anyone...not my intent.

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by JimKing

People are flat out making up crime stats. Check the city data crime stats and Chicago has a higher crime index than any large city in Florida except Miami.

Crime is "everywhere in Florida"? Nonsense. Jupiter, Juno Beach, Tequesta, Boca Raton, much of the pan handle, Gainesville, Sarasota, and most other Florida locales....all have lower crime indexes than Chicago.

That's like taking the Miami crime stats and comparing them to Libertyville, Mundelein, Aurora, etc.... Unfair comparison.... You want to compare Chicago straight up, compare it to Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, etc.... Anything less is unreasonable.

Originally Posted by JimKing

I lived in Chicago for 2 years, the weather stinks 7 months out of the year. People are so pale they look sickly.

Florida is for happy, active people who like to exercise and know that sweating is a healthy thing. Anyone who would rather live in Chicago certainly should go there.

Yeah, because they don't have YMCA's and health clubs for people to go to in the winter......

Don't know about the rest of the world, but I'd rather go jogging in 55 degrees than in 95 degrees.

Oh, and sweating is fine when you intend to do it. Kinda sucks when you're wearing slacks a shirt and a tie to work though (and sweating your a$$ off 10 months out of the year)...... But I'm gonna guess you aren't a suit and tie nine to fiver in Florida so that wouldn't matter to you.....