[tonyff67]

Miami Beach ! big city lifestyle, on the ocean. Best of both worlds.

[hiknapster]

I lived near The Gulf and almost never went. Probably twice in ten years, and I didn't bother to swim. Fort Myers Beach was kind of honky tonk and not worth getting stuck on the bridge. Swam at Captiva once. That was pretty but I just wasn't into it.

I suspect that if I had lived on the other coast it would have been a different story. I love the Atlantic.

What I am saying is carefully pick your beach. Make sure that it is one that you really love and that it is not a major hassle to get to it. Then, it probably will be worth it.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I lived near The Gulf and almost never went. Probably twice in ten years, and I didn't bother to swim. Fort Myers Beach was kind of honky tonk and not worth getting stuck on the bridge. Swam at Captiva once. That was pretty but I just wasn't into it.

I suspect that if I had lived on the other coast it would have been a different story. I love the Atlantic.

What I am saying is carefully pick your beach. Make sure that it is one that you really love and that it is not a major hassle to get to it. Then, it probably will be worth it.

This is good advice. For me personally, I love the Gulf, and the beaches here in Sarasota/Bradenton/Venice are the nicest and most beautiful I have ever seen. I like the Gulf because it is calm with super white sand beaches and I enjoy walking on the beach, I don't surf or swim in the water. Others like the Atlantic because it has more waves for surfing, etc.

I may not "go" to the beach (as in spending the day) that often, but I love living near it, driving by it, and eating at the various little beach shacks (nothing like that "salty smell!) And it is easy for me to get to several of the beaches here, so if I do want to go it's no problem. There is nothing more relaxing to me than a sunset on the Gulf, especially during our nice weather months!

[daytonadewd]

Originally Posted by susanra

compensate for other things you might find lacking in the town or city?
In other words, are the beach and ocean large enough draws and loves that it makes other things that might be lacking not a burden?

Absolutely -- but to a point! There are many choices for beach communities in Florida to live off the grid. But sooner or later, doing all of your shopping at the mini-mart will get dull (not to mention the bad food choices) !


Seriously, at some point you will crave some human interaction or socializing. So here are some ideas for minimal comforts:

1. Would you be comfortable going to the local beach hut for a meal or drink by yourself and striking up a conversation with some of the regular patrons there (most likely your new neighbors)?
2. Is the food/drink at the beach hut satisfactory?
3. Is there a nearby library you can get books or DVDs?
4. Does the area offer Adult Ed classes?
5. What are your other important interests/hobbies besides the beach?
6. Is there a nearby walk-in clinic or emergency room?
7. Where is the closest supermarket or drug store?
8. What are your choices for fresh produce?
9. Do you have spiritual needs such as attending a church or temple?

[BlueWillowPlate]

Daytona, those are all important questions, and they underline just how much we went *without* when we lived in northwest Florida, on the Gulf.

There was a fun bar in town, but no beach hut. There was not much at all on the beach (which suited me just fine).
We did have good friends and very nice neighbors. The library was surprisingly excellent.
There were a zillion churches, no temples. I did all of my of spiritual reflection on the beach. Still do.
There was a clinic, but the nearest ER was 40 minutes away, and I did once have to drive there at 4am.
We had a PigglyWiggly. For consistently decent fresh produce, I had to drive either 20 minutes east or 40 minutes west.
My hobbies are gardening and travel and music. I gardened, I traveled. (The nearest airport was, once again, 40 minutes away.)
There was some fun live music there, but for a major concert, it was time for a road trip.
That's a lot of driving.

Where we are now, all of those amenities are much closer together, many of them within walking distance. But for a major concert, it's back in the car again.

This is a helpful thread for anyone considering any beach town. It is interesting to think about what really matters and how adaptable you are, or are not.

[seeriously]

I love big city amenities but I hate big city crowds. As a resident of Vero Beach, I've gotten used to smaller versions of Macy's and Dillards where I walk in one entrance and see the far end wall, I've gotten used to restaurants saying they don't have draft beer because their draft lines were taken out with Frances & Jeanne (5 years ago) and most times a morning flight out of Orlando means a hotel stay the night before. We have tickets next month for a concert in the Lauderdale area which will mean a hotel stay and if we want any level of sophistication we drive 90 miles to West Palm Beach. Is it worth it? I'm not sure yet because like I said, if we had all these amenities then we'd have throngs of people here.

[Memphis1979]

Just what are you missing?

Live music, comedy shows, plays, art, shopping, food, what? All of those things I've found in my community here, or within an hours drive.

About the only thing I'm missing, is having a pro sports team within an hours drive. I did like having pro football, pro baseball, and NASCAR racing venues within an hour or two from where I used to live.

However, no snow, and the beaches more than make up for that to me.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by susanra

compensate for other things you might find lacking in the town or city?
In other words, are the beach and ocean large enough draws and loves that it makes other things that might be lacking not a burden?

YES! Living close to the beach is sort of a laid back kind of life. I didn't live in the city up North so it was an hour+ to go see a play or go to a concert. Choose the right beach town and you can do the same thing here. Add in the local theater groups, festivals, etc. and you can find plenty of things to do. It is not the same, but almost better because the beach is always there to take away the stress from work, family, etc. The theme parks are day trips that give you the feel of vacation without the huge expense .