[PaulieM]

Originally Posted by vaughnwilliams

I agree. Florida has a growing dark side and ugliness to it. I'm not talking about the scenery (though the effects of uncontrolled development are pretty ugly), it reminds me of the proverbial creepy neighbor or something dead and rotting. Maybe it's because Florida is becoming more like Disney World and less like a real place. I see more and more of these "gated communities" and to me that just breeds more isolation, almost like an escape from the problems that others face.
I'm probably over thinking it-Florida just attracts an inordinate amount of losers, thugs and con men. Probably have an easier time of it here.

I don't think you're overthinking it at all. What you said is a good start at what should be a conversation not only in many Florida communities but all those places where the "gated community" has become such an obnoxious presence. Am I tipping my hand here? I'm not a fan
Community's in a community. You have five, six, seven of these in an incorporated city, town, or village you get what? A very fragmented city, town, village imho. Where'd this "I want to be gated" concept come from. Marketers who utilize the great motivator, fear, fear and more fear. "You'll be safe behind those gates, yep, that $9.00 an hour retired guy is gonna lay it all down for you". Those thugs and con guys don't understand it themselves, they just know it's an environment (they travel the seams of all that fragmentation) they are comfortable in hence all are less secure as a result.

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by PaulieM

I don't think you're overthinking it at all. What you said is a good start at what should be a conversation not only in many Florida communities but all those places where the "gated community" has become such an obnoxious presence. Am I tipping my hand here? I'm not a fan
Community's in a community. You have five, six, seven of these in an incorporated city, town, or village you get what? A very fragmented city, town, village imho. Where'd this "I want to be gated" concept come from. Marketers who utilize the great motivator, fear, fear and more fear. "You'll be safe behind those gates, yep, that $9.00 an hour retired guy is gonna lay it all down for you". Those thugs and con guys don't understand it themselves, they just know it's an environment (they travel the seams of all that fragmentation) they are comfortable in hence all are less secure as a result.

In North Pinellas County, there's an area called East Lake that is nothing but gated communities. I'm talking miles of them ( all with ironic names like Eagles Nest or Whispering Pines or something). These gated communities have gated communities within gated communities within gated communities. I have a friend who was an EMS in that area and literally had to carry a shoe box full of swipe cards in case he had a call to one of these places and the guard wasn't there.

[JohnVosilla]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Exactly. I like weird. I'm weird. Of course, I prefer to say "eccentric."

And eccentric can be very charming. There is a lot of that in New England, NYC and of course, here, in The South. But Florida's weirdos have a different vibe to them. It's the opposite of charming.

I would tend to agree with that. Way too many transient, fly by night types with too many beach towns to chose from. And we don't have institutions of higher learning combined with great cities and corporate presence to attract and keep the eccentric types.

[Nomadicus]

I'd pack right up and move to the FL panhandle.

[StreetSmarts]

I live in a gated community, but to be honest, I could care less. Those who want to get in and break into cars and so forth are gonna get in here and do it anyhow. Perhaps it does deter some a bit though, and for that reason, I like it. But I have noticed that going back to Asheville NC on visits, that even though there are some really nice expensive communties that are far better than those around my neighborhood in Central FL, hardly any of them are gated.

[hiknapster]

Do you know what a gated community is? An easy target. Heck, here we have a bunch of people with money and all in one place! And they have their guard down because Harold is up at the front booth reading his newspaper. Splendid!

Florida also attracts more than its fair share of dreamers; folks looking for the way things used to be that never were.

On vacation, they marvel at Disney's Main Street and wish they could live in a place that recreates life in America, back when life was simpler. Of course that Main Street never existed. It's based on an actual Main Street in The Heartland where Walt Disney lived, for a short time. But it wasn't an utopia for Disney. In fact, Disney had a horrible childhood. He spent his entire life chasing it and it was a fool's errand.

When Celebration was created it was based on Norman Rockwell's vision of America. But of course, Rockwell was a city boy. All those quaint, folksy paintings came from his head.

And there was a dark side to Celebration and all of those planned communities, such as Ave Maria. The biggest problem is that when you are trying to create perfection you need total control and democracy goes right out the window.

So you have a lot of folks that took a ride on "It's a Small World" and now have this expectation that if they can just get to Florida a lot of their problems will be solved. Things will be oh, so much better.

No wonder a lot of people hate Florida. It never was what they expected.

[TANaples]

[quote=ComSense;12180337]I live in a gated community, but to be honest, I could care less. Those who want to get in and break into cars and so forth are gonna get in here and do it anyhow. Perhaps it does deter some a bit though, and for that reason, I like it. But I have noticed that going back to Asheville NC on visits, that even though there are some really nice expensive communties that are far better than those around my neighborhood in Central FL, hardly any of them are gated.[/

even though the back of our development is gated too, there are just bushes next to the gates. Anybody could just walk through the bushes if they wanted to get inside.

[lilred0005]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

What do I expect? How about something more than the same, unoriginal, veiled bigotry, unsubstantied, constant whining and moping, and cheerleading for Shangrilas that exist elsewhere than here?

I'm able to ignore it for the most part, but every couple of months it gets on my nerves to the point where I have to speak out.

Because, newsflash!!! Not everyone is as MISERABLE as the malcontents on this Florida board --- meaning not everyone is unable to thrive, unable to make connections with friends and intelligent people, unable to enjoy cultural and entertainment pursuits, or unable to function in hot weather.

Those that are may suffer from personal defects and malfunctions unrelated to the state of Florida.

I don't understand why some ppl insist on declaring that because someone doesn't "love" South Florida they are somehow defective or a racist. How do you even draw that conclusion? Racism? Give me a break! I LOATHE South Florida. Yes(gasp!), I said it. I highly resent the implication that I'm a racist or a loser with no life just because I want to leave this state. My family is from the Midwest and they never intended on staying here but due to a death and other family issues, they got stuck down here. Financially, they did quite well and do acknowledge that no place is 100% positive or negative. There is no utopia. That said, for me at least, Fla is just not the place I want to be any longer. The reasons are frankly too numerous to mention but many of them are already covered on here. It all boils down to personal choice but not everyone who dislikes an area is inherently broken. Judging by the responses from my fellow Fla natives, I'm not alone in my low opinion of Fla.

[TampaKaren]

To answer the OP, I'd move to the Englewood/Manasota Key area.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by lilred0005

I don't understand why some ppl insist on declaring that because someone doesn't "love" South Florida they are somehow defective or a racist. How do you even draw that conclusion? Racism? Give me a break! I LOATHE South Florida. Yes(gasp!), I said it. I highly resent the implication that I'm a racist or a loser with no life just because I want to leave this state.

First of all, I find it highly amusing that you choose to "resent" a statement and assertion from an old post that wasn't even directed towards you, but the others on this board who ARE demonstrably defective and racist (and, yes, losers on a certain level).

Around here, and for some people, "native" has become code word for Euro-white people with good Southern Christian values.

Originally Posted by lilred0005

The reasons are frankly too numerous to mention but many of them are already covered on here. It all boils down to personal choice but not everyone who dislikes an area is inherently broken. Judging by the responses from my fellow Fla natives, I'm not alone in my low opinion of Fla.

It does boil down to personal choice, and if you're reasons HAVEN'T been the veiled xenophobia and ethnicism/racism, then you should not have gotten offended.

I've lived here since I was 7, which is when most people can relate and be conscious of their surroundings. I consider myself just as qualified as a "native' to discuss Florida and the changes that it has gone through. Most of my intimate circle of friends are also "natives" or "very young Florida transplants." Again, YOUR sentiments are NOT universally held. Not by a long shot. The sooner you and others understand that, the better we will be able to help people who DO want to give living here a try.

Everything that the "Natives" want to preserve, is what "outsiders" loathe about FLorida. Everything the "outsiders" want, the Natives consider intrusions and awful. In that respect, Florida gets a double whammy of negativity coming AND going! Can't please everyone.


Personally, I don't know if I'll stay in Florida forever. I may want a change of scenery years from now. I actually suffer from a kind of wanderlust, but I think no matter what, I'll probably always try to keep a little condo or something in the area I am now. Maybe I'd go to Europe, where they all say, "Good god, how coudl anyone live in VIOLENT, UNEDUCATED, America?!