[matisse12]

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?

[mango23]

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?

I am not sure of the question. Some people who need to be constantly entertained get board no matter where they are. Another can just look at a sunset or sit and read a book and not be board in the least. Some do volunteer work or paint, write, dance, play music and so on. It comes from within. That obsessive need for outside stimulation I find sad and almost child like. I was in the bar business for many years and I would see people come in who had nothing else to do, they would just sit there lost. Since I was a kid there was never enough hours in the day for me and it is still like that. Today I put up a carport I got yesterday off a trash pile. I had to straighten it out a little because it was damaged in a storm but it came out great, in fact better then when new. I even cut it down a little so the car just fits in it like a glove. It wasn't a job, I could not wait to get up this morning and get going on it. I am not really knocking those who have to go to the movies three times a week or out to dinner every other night. I just kind of question why they do it. Is it just out of boredom? If so that is really sad.

[RVlover]

Theres lots of coastal towns that have everything you could possibly want without going elsewhere to find it. The larger coastal towns would fit the bill nicely. Small coastal towns might be limited on shopping, entertainment , jobs, etc... but usually theres a larger town not too far away for those things. Heres an example : Destin, Fl. is a fairly large town with everything , and, Apalachicola, Fl. is a small coastal town with limited things. Both are in the Panhandle.

[bocamom]

yeah, it does the trick, not nyc, but it has its own charm that makes up for it. . . maybe too much. . . next thing you know the city is "too loud" and "too fast" and you're twice spoiled

[bocamom]

but only if you dutifully pick up other people's trash on the beach when you are there and treat the time you spend on the beach with some reverence.

[BlueWillowPlate]

I agree with all of the previous posts.

As RVlover says, the larger coastal cities have more amenities.

I am more concerned about medical services than movie theaters, but I did spend 20 months in a town that had limited medical and zero movie theaters, and the beauty of the Gulf *so* enchanted me, I know I could have stayed there. I saw and did amazing things there that I had never done before. Even on just a regular day at work, I was outside on the playground and saw bald eagles directly overhead.

I agree that contentment does come from within, and I tend to be fairly adaptable. It is certainly true that many people, often younger people (but not all!), seek more outside stimulation.
Walking along the beach is fine so far as it goes, but they need a bar scene, a movie, a concert, or some other organized event to complement/structure/validate their existence.
I like some of this stuff as well, but I don't need it.
I am the type of person who gets caught up in the moment of watching a grey fox lope along our backyard at sunset. Others would politely note this, and then ask what are we going to do tonight.
However, it is interesting how your supposed "needs" can shift, and your behavior patterns change, when you are in a new environment.

Susanra, if you are already asking this question, that displays the kind of self-knowledge that helps hone your relocation seeking skills.
Good luck!

[FLBob]

I'd have to say that it's great living near the beach. Walking the beach, swimming in the gulf, watching sea and shore birds, looking for signs of fish in the water, watching the sunsets, watching the people, the smell of the salt air, watching the marine biologists investigate the turtle hatch, divers looking for fossilized sharks teeth, seeing the little kids at the waters edge, I could go on and on....but if you live near the beach and don't take advantage of the beach lifestyle, well you'll spend your time thinking about what you might be missing elsewhere.

[seeriously]

Nope, it does not compensate for the things that might be lacking in a town. You can't eat or drink sand and watching the waves roll in is only so entertaining. It's a nice adjunct to have a beach nearby but if you have to drive 45 minutes to a Best Buy or a mall then I'd say no. Vero Beach has pretty much everything but on a small scale and when we need a city fix we head for W. Palm Beach.

[TriMT7]

There aren't very many cities in South or Central Florida that are by the beach but lack even normal town essentials.

[Robineli]

Depends on the person. I lived on the beach for ten years and loved being there. During that time, I worked 60+ hours a week so I could pay for college - one semester at a time (I was trying to avoid student loans). It was a solitary existance and there weren't many people in my age range and situation. Finally had to leave for the "big city," so I could earn a better wage and meet people on my peer group.

I miss the beach.