[ffire]

What do you reckon the rest of USA's opinion is of Florida? Eg....the place to be, the place to avoid, up and coming, quiet and retired,best kept secret, backwater...etc etc etc (I realise this may vary between actual cities too).

Any ideas would be great. Often a place lives up to the 'opinion' of the rest of the country. I am trying to get an idea of the actual 'culture' of the place before a visit.

AND...which area in FLorida do you think Americans in general are most proud of and why?

We are considering Tampa, Jacksonville and West Palm Beach (perhaps).

Thanks for your help

[Billycat]

ffire, well to sum it up quickly. South Fl is a mix between South America and the North East. West Palm, is more north east and possibly a little bit wealthier. Tampa is great, it is not as crazy as South Florida. Jacksonville is a mix of the old south/Florida and is trying to change and become more cosmopolitan. I hope this helps.

[ffire]

When Americans move to Florida (not retirees - no offense at all) is there a preferred destination?

I am hearing lots of good things about Tampa it seems....a bit more consistently than the others.

Thanks for your help there

[doggiebus]

It depends on what part of the country people are from. For the most part people from the North East prefer the South East Coast, more things to do, more high end restaurants shops, etc. And people from the mid west prefer the west coast, quieter, simpler, slower paced, nicer people, more retires, etc. The Panhandle over to Jacksonville are more like Southern Georgia, if you catch my drift.

[psouth]

Retirees are all over the state. The concentration is higher in certain areas but they are everywhere especially on the west coast. Southeast Florida would probably be the place to be. It has its problems of course but is the most glamorous and probably convenient with Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach all lined up.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by ffire

What do you reckon the rest of USA's opinion is of Florida? Eg....the place to be, the place to avoid, up and coming, quiet and retired,best kept secret, backwater...etc etc etc (I realise this may vary between actual cities too).

Any ideas would be great. Often a place lives up to the 'opinion' of the rest of the country. I am trying to get an idea of the actual 'culture' of the place before a visit.

AND...which area in FLorida do you think Americans in general are most proud of and why?

We are considering Tampa, Jacksonville and West Palm Beach (perhaps).

Thanks for your help

I live in a place that most people either didn't know the capitol of Florida or didn't know existed until the 2000 election debacle, so they probably don;'t have an opinion.

I have definitely seen opinions here from residents of south and central Florida about the Panhandle that are dripping with prejudice and pretty dang ignorant otherwise...Tallahassee would fall into the "quiet, secret, backwater" (somewhat) category.

[flyers29]

I think people see it as either some tropical utopia or some backward hick state. Within that framework, Miami is an awesome vacation spot, but living there would be like living in Mogadishu.

[Not2BIgnored]

FL is pretty much known as the last refuge of the scoundrel.

[Alatex]

What do you reckon the rest of USA's opinion is of Florida?

Well, I'm from Alabama, so I'll give this a shot.

I think Florida is the best "beach state" in the country.
If I ever buy in Florida, that will be why. The actual beaches are great, but the rest is mostly very unappealing.

[On-da-Beach]

Originally Posted by ffire

What do you reckon the rest of USA's opinion is of Florida? Eg....the place to be, the place to avoid, up and coming, quiet and retired,best kept secret, backwater...etc etc etc (I realise this may vary between actual cities too).

Any ideas would be great. Often a place lives up to the 'opinion' of the rest of the country. I am trying to get an idea of the actual 'culture' of the place before a visit.

AND...which area in FLorida do you think Americans in general are most proud of and why?

We are considering Tampa, Jacksonville and West Palm Beach (perhaps).

Thanks for your help

Florida's "best kept secret":


"To find the finest beaches in the world, intrepid Americans might head to Saint Tropez on the French Riviera or perhaps Australia's famed Gold Coast. But the ultimate sun-drenched powder-sand fantasy lies not on some distant shore, but on the coast of Alabama and Northwest Florida."
Coastal Living (May 2008)


But you're only considering Tampa, Jacksonville or WPB...