[On-da-Beach]

Originally Posted by Ladywithafan

Living in Florida is not like vacationing in Florida.

We feel like we're one vacation...every...day!



Yes...that's a farmer's tan with a flip-flop tan to go with it

Please note the "FLXC" hat (Florida LX Club) That's our car club.

Oh yeah...we love living here!!

[Sunny-Days-in-Florida]

Originally Posted by On-da-Beach

We feel like we're one vacation...every...day!



Yes...that's a farmer's tan with a flip-flop tan to go with it

Please note the "FLXC" hat (Florida LX Club) That's our car club.

Oh yeah...we love living here!!

Awesome pictures!

Looks like you are having fun and enjoying your vacation all day every day 365 days a year!

Flip Flop tan-----lol

[Js81]

Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90

Treasure Island is nice you need to stay in a newer hotel if you are going there for vacation. Some of the older hotels are run down a bit.

Best thing you have going is St Pete and Clearwater Beaches are close by also.

If you get a chance make sure you take a morning and run down to Anna Maria Island just over the bridge from you. You will be very glad you did.

Thanks for the advice, sunny! We've actually already got our reservations for a week at a new (couple years old or so) condo. I'll definitely have to go to Anna Maria Island - looks great!

I've done the Google Street View for the area we're staying (in Treasure Island) and it really looks like there is NOTHING there, though. How close are restaurants, etc., going to be? Are we going to have to go to St. Pete/Clearwater every time we want to eat or do anything?

[Sunny-Days-in-Florida]

Originally Posted by Js81

Thanks for the advice, sunny! We've actually already got our reservations for a week at a new (couple years old or so) condo. I'll definitely have to go to Anna Maria Island - looks great!

I've done the Google Street View for the area we're staying (in Treasure Island) and it really looks like there is NOTHING there, though. How close are restaurants, etc., going to be? Are we going to have to go to St. Pete/Clearwater every time we want to eat or do anything?

TI does not have a ton of nicer restaurants but do have some decent local type places to eat. Someone else can chime in but if I remember there is a buffet on 693 that was very good and a steak house in TI that we liked very well.

And a short drive north in Madeira Beach is the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

You are not that far from St Pete or even going north to find all kinds of seafood places etc.

Yes, it will be well worth your time to go to Anna Maria Island. Do not miss it! Since you are that close you might as well see it. Just make sure you do not hit that bridge during rush hours.

If you have some time left once you leave Anna Maria drive down Gulf Drive to Sarasota, amazing and beautiful driving along that route. Then you can jump on 780 to get back out to 75 to get back to TI.

Have fun!

[may2304]

Js81- we went to Treasure Island in 2006 for a friend's wedding and loved it! look up John's Pass-a shopping and dining village that was alot of fun! we went to the Pier in St. Pete, too. that area is beautiful! hope you have fun!

[RVlover]

Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90

This thread is for those who moved to Florida and like it there.

When did you move to Florida?

Where are you located?

What do you like about living in Florida?

What advice do you give for those of us who want to move to Florida, because if you moved their and like it, you must have made some great decisions along the way.

Answers : 2 months ago. Located in Crestview, Fl...the Panhandle. Most of all, i like the people down south, easier going, super cheap homes for sale incl. property taxes compared to Chicagoland , no more snow and ice and -10 f. winter temps, being close to the super beaches, driving my classic car year round, living way out in the woods with the peace and quiet that comes with that, and my sister living just a mile from me. The advice i would have is : Visit various parts of Florida and see where you fit in the best ; examine the crime rates and demographics for the various areas using C.D. ; try to secure a job here before you uproot if at all possible ; have a healthy nestegg of money saved in case you need to tap into it . Regards.

[SunBug]

This thread is for those who moved to Florida and like it there.

When did you move to Florida?
March 2009 (newbies!) Moved from upstate NY.

Where are you located?
Lakeland, right by Lake Gibson

What do you like about living in Florida?
#1- People are friendly compaired to NY
#2- It cost a little less, but I'm making the same money, so it seems like more.
#3- No snow, and weekends seem like a vacation.
#4- The kids can go out and play! No being couped up for 6 months or waiting for a 2 month swimming season. No shoveling, just lawn mowing (and that's fun anyway) I can hang out outside all day too.
#5- Better gas mileage, it's pretty flat here
#6- A million places to shop!
#7- Disney! Water Parks! Beaches! Lakes! (do I have to go on...)
#8- Great food! Everywhere!
#9- I can drive my convertible at night. Couldn't do that in upstate NY, even in the summer.
#10- Although she don't think so, my wife looks pretty good in a bikini!
I'm stopping at 10, I could just go on and on...

What advice do you give for those of us who want to move to Florida, because if you moved their and like it, you must have made some great decisions along the way.
Have a job lined up. (That's a tough one, I know, but it's number 1) Make a pre-trip a few weeks prior to moving to check out potential areas to rent, and do rent before buying. Check out schools too if you've got kids. Supportive friends and family are a huge help. Make sure you're got enough money to cover the move and settling expenses. It was more than we thought. We figured about $6000 and it ended up over $10,000 with ALL the initial bills. Check out what contracts you're going to break by moving (cell phones, DirecTV, Propane, etc.) Some companies, like DirecTV, are going to bend-you-over-the-counter and you already agreed to it. Plan for it, and it will go smooth. Get a place with a pool if you can. It's a cheap place to hang out after school or work.

Oh and BTW, if you bought your vehicle less than 6 months ago outside of FL, keep proof that you already paid sales tax. We got charged again, on book value, because we threw that paperwork away! Live and learn.

Before we knew it, we were in FL and we're still saying we can't believe we're here!

[Sunny-Days-in-Florida]

Originally Posted by SunBug

This thread is for those who moved to Florida and like it there.

When did you move to Florida?
March 2009 (newbies!) Moved from upstate NY.

Where are you located?
Lakeland, right by Lake Gibson

What do you like about living in Florida?
#1- People are friendly compaired to NY
#2- It cost a little less, but I'm making the same money, so it seems like more.
#3- No snow, and weekends seem like a vacation.
#4- The kids can go out and play! No being couped up for 6 months or waiting for a 2 month swimming season. No shoveling, just lawn mowing (and that's fun anyway) I can hang out outside all day too.
#5- Better gas mileage, it's pretty flat here
#6- A million places to shop!
#7- Disney! Water Parks! Beaches! Lakes! (do I have to go on...)
#8- Great food! Everywhere!
#9- I can drive my convertible at night. Couldn't do that in upstate NY, even in the summer.
#10- Although she don't think so, my wife looks pretty good in a bikini!
I'm stopping at 10, I could just go on and on...

What advice do you give for those of us who want to move to Florida, because if you moved their and like it, you must have made some great decisions along the way.
Have a job lined up. (That's a tough one, I know, but it's number 1) Make a pre-trip a few weeks prior to moving to check out potential areas to rent, and do rent before buying. Check out schools too if you've got kids. Supportive friends and family are a huge help. Make sure you're got enough money to cover the move and settling expenses. It was more than we thought. We figured about $6000 and it ended up over $10,000 with ALL the initial bills. Check out what contracts you're going to break by moving (cell phones, DirecTV, Propane, etc.) Some companies, like DirecTV, are going to bend-you-over-the-counter and you already agreed to it. Plan for it, and it will go smooth. Get a place with a pool if you can. It's a cheap place to hang out after school or work.

Oh and BTW, if you bought your vehicle less than 6 months ago outside of FL, keep proof that you already paid sales tax. We got charged again, on book value, because we threw that paperwork away! Live and learn.

Before we knew it, we were in FL and we're still saying we can't believe we're here!

Awesome information.

Thanks for sharing. Your list of 10 things looks great!

I like no. 4 real well and it was nice of you to mention no. 10.

People try to get us to believe No. 2 would be false but my comparisons and you and other posting that info shows it is not.

Lakeland is beautiful and just think you can be at Disney in no time.

The info you posted on the contracts etc is super information to other to have, thanks for sharing it.

[Sunny-Days-in-Florida]

Originally Posted by RVlover

Answers : 2 months ago. Located in Crestview, Fl...the Panhandle. Most of all, i like the people down south, easier going, super cheap homes for sale incl. property taxes compared to Chicagoland , no more snow and ice and -10 f. winter temps, being close to the super beaches, driving my classic car year round, living way out in the woods with the peace and quiet that comes with that, and my sister living just a mile from me. The advice i would have is : Visit various parts of Florida and see where you fit in the best ; examine the crime rates and demographics for the various areas using C.D. ; try to secure a job here before you uproot if at all possible ; have a healthy nestegg of money saved in case you need to tap into it . Regards.

Congrats! The panhandle is just so beautiful!

Check out on-da-beach here on this board, he loves his cars and belongs to a car club in your area of the panhandle.

[Sunny-Days-in-Florida]

Originally Posted by SunBug

This thread is for those who moved to Florida and like it there.

When did you move to Florida?
March 2009 (newbies!) Moved from upstate NY.

Where are you located?
Lakeland, right by Lake Gibson

What do you like about living in Florida?
#1- People are friendly compaired to NY
#2- It cost a little less, but I'm making the same money, so it seems like more.
#3- No snow, and weekends seem like a vacation.
#4- The kids can go out and play! No being couped up for 6 months or waiting for a 2 month swimming season. No shoveling, just lawn mowing (and that's fun anyway) I can hang out outside all day too.
#5- Better gas mileage, it's pretty flat here
#6- A million places to shop!
#7- Disney! Water Parks! Beaches! Lakes! (do I have to go on...)
#8- Great food! Everywhere!
#9- I can drive my convertible at night. Couldn't do that in upstate NY, even in the summer.
#10- Although she don't think so, my wife looks pretty good in a bikini!
I'm stopping at 10, I could just go on and on...

What advice do you give for those of us who want to move to Florida, because if you moved their and like it, you must have made some great decisions along the way.
Have a job lined up. (That's a tough one, I know, but it's number 1) Make a pre-trip a few weeks prior to moving to check out potential areas to rent, and do rent before buying. Check out schools too if you've got kids. Supportive friends and family are a huge help. Make sure you're got enough money to cover the move and settling expenses. It was more than we thought. We figured about $6000 and it ended up over $10,000 with ALL the initial bills. Check out what contracts you're going to break by moving (cell phones, DirecTV, Propane, etc.) Some companies, like DirecTV, are going to bend-you-over-the-counter and you already agreed to it. Plan for it, and it will go smooth. Get a place with a pool if you can. It's a cheap place to hang out after school or work.

Oh and BTW, if you bought your vehicle less than 6 months ago outside of FL, keep proof that you already paid sales tax. We got charged again, on book value, because we threw that paperwork away! Live and learn.

Before we knew it, we were in FL and we're still saying we can't believe we're here!

What reason could you give that you ended up in Lakeland if you do not mind sharing. It is nice to know how others picked the towns they moved to.