[paleo99]

Well after living in Orlando for about a year, the great "Florida" lifestyle involves being a fat glutton eating your all you can eat buffet with a large pick up truck with a gator's logo on the back, not using your turning signals, being completely apathetic about anything, and living in/by some generic sounding subdivision called "Boardwalk", "Eastbrook", or "Cypress Lake". And your really on top if you have a 30k boat that you can't afford or a wife with those fake boobs she really wish she never got because she outgrew them to say the least ).

[ChrisA70]

The Florida lifestyle... Love the weather in January and February. Want to die all of the other months of heat stroke, or pray for a day in the 80's. Enjoy the beautiful beaches. Deal with awful traffic getting to them. Get paid almost nothing, but work hard or get booted. Lots of sun, skin cancer. Occasional thunderstorms are ok, but, dodge hurricanes that will kill you, or ruin everything you pay for(home, car). Count for sale or foreclosure signs on the way to work, or on a sunday drive. Sit on the computer and complain about being here...

[TNRyan23]

Florida lifestyle depends on where you live.

I've found by my living and visiting in Florida ( lived in Tampa, Orlando, and Ft. Myers ) That the most " Florida " city I've been to ( Atleast what the state tourism puts out, would be the Ft. Myers area.

I found the Ft. Myers area to be really peaceful and tropical. VERY laid-back attitude. Unfortunatly, It was also the most expensive place to live that I experienced as well as having the lowest amount of employment oppty's.

I grew up in Tampa and it's an animal all itself. There are so many diffrent areas and ways of life in the Bay Area. It's grown so much since the days when I was growing up in the Brandon area. Honestly, Tampa didn't have a " Florida " vibe to it, atleast IMO. Tampa had the vibe of a typical American working class city. It got hot as hell and the typical person from my neighborhood rarley went to a beach. I noticed while living in the Bay Area for 16 years that once you got East of Brandon, It was mostly rural, white, and majority " country folks " Although there were pockets in Polk County that had/has large ethnic neighborhoods.

I lived in Orlando and Orlando is Orlando I was born and spent the first 3 years of my life there. My father and Grandparents still live in the area and really, All I can say is damn.

Orlando is so crowded and overpopulated and has so many non-residents on any given day all year long. People are very rude but there is ALOT of diversity. I've also found there were no jobs in Orlando when I tried to move back in 2004 but found no luck and moved back to TN within 2-3 months.

There is no typical " Florida Lifestyle " There may have been one pre-1990 but it's long gone. Maybe the Florida lifestyle left the state with MANY of it's former residents ?

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by BacktoMA4good

The Florida lifestyle... Sit on the computer and complain about being here...

Yeah, pretty much. Check out most Florida newspaper comment boxes.

[ChrisA70]

Are they pretty bad? You know me, I try my best at positive posts, but I can't resist sometimes.... I just fall off the turnip truck and go negative crazy.

I have 3 weeks left here, so I am enjoying the things I will miss down here right now.

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

Yeah, pretty much. Check out most Florida newspaper comment boxes.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by BacktoMA4good

Are they pretty bad? You know me, I try my best at positive posts, but I can't resist sometimes.... I just fall off the turnip truck and go negative crazy.

I have 3 weeks left here, so I am enjoying the things I will miss down here right now.

BacktoMA - I'm kinda going to miss you around here, even though I couldn't feel more opposite than you do about living here. Maybe once you get settled up there, you can start to remember some of the things you did like about this place - believe me, it happens, but sometimes takes time. Hope it all works out for you.

Anyway, I agree the "Florida lifestyle" does depend on where you live. I also agree with the post that Tampa does not have that Florida vibe - it really is and always has been a typical working class city, with ethnic diversity.

We now live in Lakeland, (a very nice little city) but recently purchased our second home in Sarasota (due to prices being down) and that is truly the Florida lifestyle to me - gorgeous beaches, tropical palms and landscaping and a really nice laid back feeling to the whole place. We sold our vacation home in Asheville to have the place in Sarasota, and we love it because it's only one and a half hours from Lakeland, we can have "vacation" all the time; rather than drive 10 hours to spend a two-day weekend every now and then.

Anyway, we discovered that we are really "Florida" people through and through - we prefer the weather, landscape, beaches and architecture here, so for us, it's a "fit" and are living the lifestyle to the full. Nothing like being on vacation year round, and that is exactly how we feel.

[compelled to reply]

I think we all are going to miss our favorite malcontent .

But really, I wish you happiness back in Massachusetts. It really is a great state.

[ChrisA70]

Gypsychic no wonder you love it here....! You got a place in Sarasota! I really like Sarasota. That is for sure a favorite for me. Bradenton was nice where I was, but not nearly as nice as Sarasota. Are you moving there permanently from Lakeland? I was out in Lake Wales too, just past Lakeland, I liked the way Lake Wales was small, and rural. And there were HILLS!!!

I know there will be things to miss here, I admit that all the time. If I could be a snowbird I would do it in a second. Except I would HAVE to be up there during the Thanksgiving until New Years time period. Maybe half of January, I like cross country skiing. I actually just bought a set last week from a dealer in Wisconsin. I can't wait to use them. Boy was it funny to open a box of skis in Florida...

I think things will be better this time for me, I'm sure of it. Thanks.

Originally Posted by gypsychic

BacktoMA - I'm kinda going to miss you around here, even though I couldn't feel more opposite than you do about living here. Maybe once you get settled up there, you can start to remember some of the things you did like about this place - believe me, it happens, but sometimes takes time. Hope it all works out for you.

Anyway, I agree the "Florida lifestyle" does depend on where you live. I also agree with the post that Tampa does not have that Florida vibe - it really is and always has been a typical working class city, with ethnic diversity.

We now live in Lakeland, (a very nice little city) but recently purchased our second home in Sarasota (due to prices being down) and that is truly the Florida lifestyle to me - gorgeous beaches, tropical palms and landscaping and a really nice laid back feeling to the whole place. We sold our vacation home in Asheville to have the place in Sarasota, and we love it because it's only one and a half hours from Lakeland, we can have "vacation" all the time; rather than drive 10 hours to spend a two-day weekend every now and then.

Anyway, we discovered that we are really "Florida" people through and through - we prefer the weather, landscape, beaches and architecture here, so for us, it's a "fit" and are living the lifestyle to the full. Nothing like being on vacation year round, and that is exactly how we feel.

[ChrisA70]

Awwwww thanks... That's Mr. Malcontent to you!!! LOL!!! Don't worry, I will post still, and yes I will be POSITIVE.

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

I think we all are going to miss our favorite malcontent .

But really, I wish you happiness back in Massachusetts. It really is a great state.

[ChrisA70]

I will miss rolling my windows down in my Saab with no AC(broke 3 months ago) year round down here... Can't do that up there when it's 10 degrees, unless it's to stay awake!

I'll miss the barbecue restaurants down here, none up there. Very rare to see one.