looking to move from Ohio to the panhandle area..need help please! (Jacksonville: houses, construction)

meganb19 · 11-30-2009, 07:53 PM

Hey all I'm Megan from Cleveland, Ohio. My fiance and I are looking to move in about a year and I was scoping out Florida since half of my family lives there. We're a younger couple and we do like to occasionally go to the bar to meet with friends but our "nightlife" isn't too crazy. Lived in Ohio all my life and I have to say, I love the four seasons, but I can do without the cold. Looking to move to a city somewhere in the panhandle. Was looking at other posts and saw people referencing Gulf Breeze and Navarre as being nice places. My friend from Mobile, AL suggested Fort Walton Beach. She's been there numerous times and loved it. No children yet so were really just looking for a smaller city/town with friendly people and activities to do. I'm finishing school to become an LPN and he's going into computers. Also heard the panhandle was very conservative which may be a problem for me because I am liberal but not too extreme. Any beaches around that allow dogs? We have a chocolate lab and he loves the water so we would def. need something for him and well for me too (im a beach bum/water baby). Not sure what activities you can really do in Florida because of the heat sometimes, but we are outdoor people and I just wanted to know what you guys do down there for fun? hobbies? activities? Any input would help thanks for taking your time to read this!

On-da-Beach · 11-30-2009, 11:21 PM

Hi Megan!
I moved to Fl. from Toledo in '82 and don't regret it at all. I'm now on the beach (On-da-Beach) lol, and Walton County allows dogs on the beach if they have a license. Lots of dogs here and most places are dog friendly. Boating is big in Destin and you'll see why when you visit. Start in Pensacola and drive east through the towns along the coast. Find out what makes you warm & fuzzy inside. I love the beaches and coastal dune lakes here.
Walton Coast:

Destin:

Our neighbor's (McGraw-Hill) beach house under construction:

Seacrest Beach:

Rosemary Beach:

I hope you find your slice of paradise!

meganb19 · 12-01-2009, 12:31 AM

oh man your killing me with those pics!! it started snowing here and i wanna move NOW! soo tired of crappy weather

i haven't visited my family that lives in florida for a year and i miss it soo much! speed limit 12 haha i just noticed that...soo funny!

beachmouse · 12-01-2009, 08:41 AM

There are a fair number of tech/computer jobs in the Panhandle, but they almost always are Department of Defense projects. The job postings tend to show at company-specific websites ranging from places like Boeing and Lockheed-Martin to KBR. An LPN will get you hired in these parts, but the pay is going to be less than what you'll make Up North.

Outdoor activities are pretty much what you'd expect for a beach area- August will always be miserable but you do build up enough of a heat resistance that June, July, and September are relatively tolerable most years. Winters can be kind of cool- we're supposed to get an overnight hard freeze later this week, but the daytime winter highs are generally in the 50s and low 60s.

In terms of outdoor activities, I tend to split the warmer months into triathlon and swimming seasons and the winter months into distance running season. Good boating in these parts- everything from the big ships to kayaks. The surfers, bless their hearts, generally have o go to Jacksonville for decent waves unless a tropical storm or winter storm is wandering the Gulf.

It's a conservative area, but the hard core right wing talk show fiends are a small percentage of that and are easily enough ignored. Most of the conservatives are pretty respectful of other viewpoints- lots of military folks who have lived all over the world and the classic 'travel broadens minds' deal.

southernnaturelover · 12-01-2009, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meganb19

oh man your killing me with those pics!! it started snowing here and i wanna move NOW! soo tired of crappy weather

i haven't visited my family that lives in florida for a year and i miss it soo much! speed limit 12 haha i just noticed that...soo funny!

If it makes you feel better the weather down here is crappy today too... cold, cloudy, and wet.

southernnaturelover · 12-01-2009, 11:04 AM

From Wiki...

Quote:

Okaloosa County is one of the most conservative counties in Florida. Incumbent George W. Bush won the county in 2004 with 78% of the popular vote and in 2008 the Republican candidate John McCain polled 72%

Only you can decide if this will bother you or not.

TD* · 12-01-2009, 11:57 AM

Tallahassee is a liberal hole in a sea of red.

007.5 · 12-01-2009, 02:49 PM

I moved to the Panhandle (Crestview, Fl) 9 months ago from far northern Illinois . Id never go back to Illinois now. Ive been in shorts and a T shirt till just recently . Last Christmas I was here scoping things out and spent a few hours on a Ft. Walton beach cause it was 70 f. --- very easy to take. I love the southern people ... nearly all are very hospitable, courteous, friendly, non abrasive, etc... and I find the biggest reason is because this area is distinctly Christian and with high values ; so , I wouldnt let 'conservative right wing' labels throw you off .... its what America used to be made of which much of the Deep South has still retained . None of the local churches Ive visited would sprinkle a Liberals home with holy water and stick a sign in the ground announcing youre on a fast road to Hell....but they might drop off a brochure to invite you to attend their church for an upcoming Christmas event if you so desire whereby you can deepen your relationship to God and at the same time enjoy the festivities . It is far cheaper to live here than near a major city in the Midwest , as house and land prices are nearly silly cheap especially if you live inland 45 min. or so . Theres TONS of things to do around Destin/Ft. Walton year round but especially April thru October --- water sports galore, live music outside along the coast several times per week, nightclubs, restaurants , outstanding fishing , big entertainer music concerts, festivals , nature walks, et al... This has been like one long vacation for me since i moved down here. I know you would like it. Its fun being 'a Panhandler' !

meganb19 · 12-02-2009, 02:03 PM

thanks for all the input everybody! does the panhandle cities have a diversity of food? My family lives in Miami and I have had the best Cuban and Thai food down there. I know I don't have children yet, but before I settle somewhere I need to know if any of the cities in the panhandle have reputable schools? Or would I have to send them to private schools? (something I absolutely don't want to do)

007.5 · 12-02-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meganb19

thanks for all the input everybody! does the panhandle cities have a diversity of food? My family lives in Miami and I have had the best Cuban and Thai food down there. I know I don't have children yet, but before I settle somewhere I need to know if any of the cities in the panhandle have reputable schools? Or would I have to send them to private schools? (something I absolutely don't want to do)

Cant help you with info on schools in the Panhandle but given the choice, I sure would choose a private school over the zoo and moral degradation found in your typical public school among students. As for diversity of food...you can find some chinese, thai , japanese, mexican, and italian...but the great majority of specialty restaurants here are seafood plus some steakhouses.