[ashclaire]

Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa or Palm Beach. These are the places I am looking at moving with my husband and 9month old daughter. Yes we are centered around our family and would like a good area for her but we are also young and want to live in a hip and trendy area.

I want to work in the retail industry at a nice clothing store. My husband can do a little of everything. I think he is really thinking of car sales or a mechanic. But he also shoes horses so maybe an area with a lot of horses.

My grandmother and mother live in Ocala but I have heard there isn't much but retirement people there. True?

We were looking at moving to LA so price is somewhat important but obviously almost anywhere is cheaper than LA.

Also, daycare. The number one reason we decided to live somewhere else besides LA was the cost of daycare. I don't want to be paying a college tuition for my 9 month old. Then again, I want her in a very good daycare.

Thank you so much for any advice or help you can give me

[mquintana]

WHOA! How the heck could you add Gainesville in that mix? lol-Ii would mark off Gainesville, that would be a HUGE mistake since it is infested with college kids that are attending UF. YOU WILL NEVER GET HIP AND TRENDY IN GAINESVILLE!

Orlando is nice. I really like that area. It seems to be growing, but I heard the job market is really bad (like it is everywhere you go now). I think the houses are priced pretty reasonably...

I live in Tampa Bay. I don't mind it, although since I am from Miami I am more partial to Miami. Regardless, it's not bad at all, has good schools here and there and houses are priced decently right now. Call Tampa trendy?? I wouldn't say hip or trendy, but it's not as bad as Gainesville.

Palm Beach is nice. It has really grown so much since the 80's and they have majorly cleaned up. I would say Palm Beach is more hip and trendy than all of these places you are asking about. Not only that but it's not too entirely far from Miami, which is hip and trendy.

This is just my outlook on things, but if I were you, steer clear of Gainesville-the schools are crap, the area is crap, and there's nothing to do there. The other 3 places are your better bet!

Hope this helps!

[Wilshire81182]

If you want hip and trendy, I am thinking South Tampa, Dr Phillips or Winter Park in Orlando, or Palm Beach. Gainesville is not trendy and does not have the same type of upscale shopping that the other areas have. What made me laugh is that you do not want Ocala but you said your husband can shoe horses. Ocala is horse country so you may want to look there anyway given that jobs are hard to come by in Florida right now. You can also probably get a good deal on homes right now, but the homes have not quite bottomed out by experts opinions.

[goofykid]

Theirs a big horse community out in Wellington, Loxahatchee and the Acreage all within 20 min of West Palm Beach. It's a good place to raise kids out there lots of families.

[psouth]

Palm Beach County is full of high end retail and other stores where you could work. There are car dealerships and auto repair shops everywhere. It is also very close to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami if you want more action. As someone else mentioned Wellington is home to the U.S. Open Polo Championship and attracts horses and owners, trainers, etc. from all over the world year round. Wellington is world class when it comes to horses. I don't think the other areas you mentioned can offer this.

[Gatornation]

Gainesville is completely different than all of the others. It's a typical college town with the cultural and liberal aspects that come with a college town.

[kevinkagy]

Palm Beach is the trendiest of all those places really, but Tampa's not bad either. Gainesville's the worst option on the list by far, it's a small Southern town, not hip at all lol. I actually think you're missing one of the trendiest cities in the country- Miami. Miami's got Miami Fashion Week, Art Basel, tons of art festivals and galleries, a big fashion scene, lots of great architecture, lots of quaint interesting neighborhoods like the Design District, Midtown, South Beach, Grove, etc. I'd look into Miami if I were you.

[matchpoint]

Originally Posted by Gatornation

Gainesville is completely different than all of the others. It's a typical college town with the cultural and liberal aspects that come with a college town.

Those aspects might make it the best option to raise kids in...

[gypsystar]

I've lived in almost every major city in Florida (I now live in L.A), and would recommend either Orlando, Gainesville or Palm Beach for you. Although Miami has a lot going on and is pretty, I never felt at "home" there after four years, and my husband and I felt VERY out of place because we don't speak Spanish. I lived in Tampa for two years, and although the city has some nice areas (and beautiful Gulf beaches nearby), I feel like it has a lot of "ghetto" and dirty areas, and the surrounding towns are very rural and um..."redneck."

Check out Winter Park in Orlando - lots of upscale, trendy boutiques and cafes. There are some gorgeous parks in the area, where you could take your daughter. We even lived in Gainesville, and although it has a much slower pace than the other cities, it really does have its charm. It is a very "green" town and it does have some cultural options. It is an easy drive to Orlando if you want to spend the day at the outlet malls or whatever. You can't beat the natural attractions - I think the rural areas outside of Gainesville are gorgeous. After living all over, I would have to say that central/north central Florida is my favorite. Just my two cents.