[OrlandoTruth]

I was born and raised in Orlando, and my dream is to someday be able to move to a major Northern City. Although I can not regret moving here since I was born here, I sure wish I was born in one of those major northern cities.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by OrlandoTruth

I was born and raised in Orlando, and my dream is to someday be able to move to a major Northern City. Although I can not regret moving here since I was born here, I sure wish I was born in one of those major northern cities.

She was 17, born in Florida, and a 2nd generation American (grandparents from Mexico). She told me the same thing. One Halloween, when it was 89 degrees, she stopped me and went on and on and on about the heat and how she couldn't take it. She said her goal was to move "someplace up North" to get away from all the heat. l never saw her in the pool or outside. Mostly, she sat in the AC lobby reading a book.

We aren't all created "equal".

[Lucy2010]

I have no regrets because coming here was my choice, and I have learned many things with the experience. We moved from California to Florida ten years ago and we really miss over there. I believe is our time to go back home. We were planning to go back last year but we were afraid because CA is not in good shape right now. However, we feel sad and homesick, and I would really like to spend the rest of my days over there with my family and old friends. At first I loved Orlando where I live right now. I loved the palms, the Florida beaches, the sun, the idea that I could go to the theme parks. The idea that I was "escaping" the crime from L.A After so many years and a couple of hurricanes (and the experience of having my car stolen in bright day) in my "resume", I don't think I really like Florida as much. I don't like the summers, the humid days when I feel enclosed in a box and I can't even breath, the snakes, the alligators, the mosquitoes. I hate the fact that I have to pay for the roads I use every time I go to work. All of a sudden, Orlando was too small for me and with the economy hitting us so bad, it is not a pretty sight.

Don't take me wrong, I have met nice people over here and have enjoyed really good times. It is just that, it's time to go back.

[luvthatmouse]

Well here is my pro/cons list from a while ago Added to a bit.

I am from NY and DH is from the Boston area. I have also lived in MD while going to college. We have lived in the Orlando area for a little over 5 years now. We have friends here from all over (CT, NJ, NY, CA, MA, etc..)

Pros Florida:
Nice weather from November-April
Lots to do (beaches, Disney, Universal, Sea World, boating, scuba, snorkeling, etc..)
Many restaurants to choose from (and yes some very good ones)
Many events going on year round
Many cruise ports close by
Good airports-clean!
Beautiful skys
Beautiful beaches
Many birds
Wildlife
Great/many golf courses
Flat for biking
No state tax (I love that NH has no state tax AND no sales tax though-miss that)
Homestead exemptition
Good seafood
Cleaner than up north but getting worse every day
Hour more of sunlight


Pros Northeast:
Better pay (big pro for life quality!)
Better benefits packages
More unions to protect workers
Much more culture (Broadway, Boston Pops, lectures at great colleges, ethnic restaurants, etc..)
Change of seasons
Lots to do
Better sports teams/venues
Better concert venues/more choice
Good seafood
Great restaurants
Better hospitals/doctors (FL Health is pretty good)
Older, quality homes and buildings (what has happened to building!? It
is all crap now)
Sking/snowshoeing
Great hiking
Close to many staes/Canada (can drive easily)
Wonderful schools (Harvard, Boston U, Fordham U, NY U, Johns Hopkins, Bronx Science, St Johns, Queens College, RISD, etc..)
Better public transportation

Cons Florida:
Awful pay!
Right to work state
High insurance
High property taxes and sales tax
Expensive electric (bad in the summer)
Expensive groceries
Awful produce, meat and fruit (yes I was shocked too-they must ship it all to other places)
Hurricanes
Weather from May-October
Many bugs
Humidity all the time
Poorly, quickly built homes (many issues with mold, roofs, Chinese drywall, etc..)
Strip mall sqwall
Drivers are God awful and scary
Red Tide-we are ruining the beaches- one of the states strong points
Awful schools
Crime getting very bad
Many pedefiles in the theme park area
Drug/gang problems
Bad public transportation
Some have lazy outlooks/attitudes towards work, etc..
Still a lot of racial prejudice in the south

Cons Northeast:
Weather from January-April (too long, too gray and dead)
Ice storms
Expensive to live
Expensive homes
Expensive rent
Dirtier
More people crowded into smaller spaces (not true in the more rural areas)
High taxes
Oil and gas very expensive to heat in the winter (use a wood stove?)
Pot holes/bumpy/older roads
Faster pased (have to be a quicker, smarter person)
Shorter days/sunlight

[Shoegal1075]

My question about pay is - even though you get paid more up north isn't it relative since you have to pay more to live?

[**NoodLes**]

Originally Posted by luvthatmouse

Cons Florida:
Awful pay!

Some have lazy outlooks/attitudes towards work, etc..

So with the godawful wages you really expect people to be hardworking? If businesses pay stupidly low wages they will get lazy, unprofessional people, no matter which way you look at it.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

My question about pay is - even though you get paid more up north isn't it relative since you have to pay more to live?

You don't even have to go very far. Take Ft. Myers versus Naples. The salaries are higher in Naples, but the cost of living, specifically housing and taxes, is more expensive than Ft. Myers.

I suppose that is why so many teachers, as an example, work in Naples but live in Bonita.

[luvthatmouse]

Originally Posted by **noodles**

so with the godawful wages you really expect people to be hardworking? If businesses pay stupidly low wages they will get lazy, unprofessional people, no matter which way you look at it.

ita.

[luvthatmouse]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

My question about pay is - even though you get paid more up north isn't it relative since you have to pay more to live?

Well, everything for us in FL is more expensive than MA, yet we are making about $30k less a year! We were paying $740/month for rent (on the train line into Boston) when we left in 2004. Moved here and paid $950/month in rent then $930/month + condo fees + HOA + taxes after we bought the place we were living in. Same size place. Parents moved from NYC to FL and their property taxes jumped from $3,000/yr to $7,000/yr! Our taxes is $2,500/yr on an 800 sf condo. Electric is twice as much, groceries are much more expensive. MIL sends the grocery store fliers from MA/NH so we can compare prices and FL is WAY more expensive. At our local Publix milk is $3.50/gallon, ground beef usually $3.99/lb., bread $3.99+ for a loaf, pack of 3 pepper $5.99-crazy prices. Housing is much cheaper and that is one of the reasons we moved, but it is also much more cheaply made. Not the same types of neighborhoods either. People come and go all the time. We are in a nice area and it is even turning into all vacation homes since no one can afford to live here year round.

[chaotix]

Originally Posted by luvthatmouse

Well, everything for us in FL is more expensive than MA, yet we are making about $30k less a year! We were paying $740/month for rent (on the train line into Boston) when we left in 2004. Moved here and paid $950/month in rent then $930/month + condo fees + HOA + taxes after we bought the place we were living in. Same size place. Parents moved from NYC to FL and their property taxes jumped from $3,000/yr to $7,000/yr! Our taxes is $2,500/yr on an 800 sf condo. Electric is twice as much, groceries are much more expensive. MIL sends the grocery store fliers from MA/NH so we can compare prices and FL is WAY more expensive. At our local Publix milk is $3.50/gallon, ground beef usually $3.99/lb., bread $3.99+ for a loaf, pack of 3 pepper $5.99-crazy prices. Housing is much cheaper and that is one of the reasons we moved, but it is also much more cheaply made. Not the same types of neighborhoods either. People come and go all the time. We are in a nice area and it is even turning into all vacation homes since no one can afford to live here year round.

Thanks for posting this information, the expenses you have outlined are the most important factors to consider when one is deciding on relocation and a great guide for comparisons to COL with other areas.