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I'm contemplating moving to Fort Myers with a friend, we are both college graduates (from Michigan) and we are looking to relocate. Both degrees are in business, I'm worried we'll get there and be stranded, although we both have waitress experience, and I am bartender. I do want to use my degree, probably something administrative in the beginning, since I have five years experience in that area. She wants to move here because she knows someone, well Id rather pick a place where we wont struggle entirely, any ideas besides Ft Myers? I keep hearing such bad things =(
I'm contemplating moving to Fort Myers with a friend, we are both college graduates (from Michigan) and we are looking to relocate. Both degrees are in business, I'm worried we'll get there and be stranded, although we both have waitress experience, and I am bartender. I do want to use my degree, probably something administrative in the beginning, since I have five years experience in that area. She wants to move here because she knows someone, well Id rather pick a place where we wont struggle entirely, any ideas besides Ft Myers? I keep hearing such bad things =(
ksclark: Do your "homework" (LOTS OF RESEARCH) before moving anywhere. Research the job market (secure a job before moving), visit the towns/cities as much as you can and the neighborhoods in order to identify an area that meets your needs/wants. Good luck!
OP: IMO; one can only speak from one's experiences, etc.....granted it is no shock that certain geographic areas are more challenging in terms of jobs, etc...but overall it all starts with one's attitude on things/life and how we address them.
Hi Everyone,
I am new to this forum. DH and I (no kids) moved from NYC to Downtown Ft Lauderdale several months ago to escape the winters. We are originally from a warm weather location with great beaches, but are finding that despite spending 10 long winters in NYC we are missing the city desperately and want to go back. We miss the culture, mass transit, diversity, food, walkability, liberal politics, stimulation etc of the city but hate winters.
Has anyone else been the same situation wanting to go back to NYC but concerned about the weather? Unfortunately, living here is not the same as vacationing. We even moved here for three months one summer but feel very differently now. It's very pretty, the weather is great as are the beaches, which we enjoy every weekend but that's all it seems that this place has to offer us. It seems to lack soul, life and energy.
We don't like the lack of stimulation, the fact that there here are very few people to be seen on the street (and we live right near Las Olas), having to drive everywhere, dreadful mass transit, the sad dried out people one sees on the street (they seem to be the only ones out), the politics, the lack of intellectual stimulation (and we've really tried to find like-minded people), amongst other things.
I'm concerned that we came down here too early (50). Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated?
Thanks.
I was born and raised in South Florida. I was always kind of a half happy kid. Meaning I had my fun with people, partied etc. but I always knew there was more you know? There had to be more. People were too simple, the conversations were meaningless. Ignorance runs rampant.
Then I traveled.
Oh boy. Florida is by far one of the most INSANE states in the nation. People here are actually crazy. Loads of idiots. Ignorance, anything intelligent is "lame"
I had no idea that I grew up around such ignorance and I'm so lucky I was born with built in intelligence and awareness, otherwise I'd be as lost as these poor souls. I lived in San Diego last year for half a year (drove out there on a whim, just utterly sick of FL and made it work for half a year until finally the lack of jobs and one of our roommates screwing us all over finally did me in and forced me to come back to Florida to stay with my parents again.)
But what a breath of fresh air. So much more awareness, intelligence, culture, soul, actual living there. People CARED. Ignorance WASN'T celebrated. Here in So. Fla ignorance grants you laughs across the board and "a shot on the house!"
I also stayed in Portland, OR for 2 weeks. Amazing, again. So green too. Beautiful. And I LOVE rain (growing up in hell humid So. Fla u gotta love it) so it was a great change of pace.
Put the biggest thing besides everything else first and foremost with me is the PEOPLE. I felt that stimulation like you said. I felt progress. Hope. In Florida it just feels like nothingness. Dead. Over. Throw in the towel when you get to So. Fla because it's over. And I truly believe this.
So. Fla is strictly for the older demographic. Can't believe my parents subjected me to these horrible public school systems and insanity my whole life. But then again, that's because they aren't that sharp themselves I'm afraid to say. So they didn't know any better.
I've got around 4k saved up and I'm pin pointing where in North Cali or maybe Austin, TX (I also stayed in TX where i knew people on the way out to Cali) I would want to move to. As there are like minded people there. Here I want to choke everyone to death for the sheer stupidity. And I was born and raised here. Everyone else I know born and raised here blindly defends their city not knowing how horrible it really is. This place is a zoo. and the Crime! jesus.
I was born and raised in South Florida. I was always kind of a half happy kid. Meaning I had my fun with people, partied etc. but I always knew there was more you know? There had to be more. People were too simple, the conversations were meaningless. Ignorance runs rampant.
Then I traveled.
Oh boy. Florida is by far one of the most INSANE states in the nation. People here are actually crazy. Loads of idiots. Ignorance, anything intelligent is "lame"
I had no idea that I grew up around such ignorance and I'm so lucky I was born with built in intelligence and awareness, otherwise I'd be as lost as these poor souls. I lived in San Diego last year for half a year (drove out there on a whim, just utterly sick of FL and made it work for half a year until finally the lack of jobs and one of our roommates screwing us all over finally did me in and forced me to come back to Florida to stay with my parents again.)
But what a breath of fresh air. So much more awareness, intelligence, culture, soul, actual living there. People CARED. Ignorance WASN'T celebrated. Here in So. Fla ignorance grants you laughs across the board and "a shot on the house!"
I also stayed in Portland, OR for 2 weeks. Amazing, again. So green too. Beautiful. And I LOVE rain (growing up in hell humid So. Fla u gotta love it) so it was a great change of pace.
Put the biggest thing besides everything else first and foremost with me is the PEOPLE. I felt that stimulation like you said. I felt progress. Hope. In Florida it just feels like nothingness. Dead. Over. Throw in the towel when you get to So. Fla because it's over. And I truly believe this.
So. Fla is strictly for the older demographic. Can't believe my parents subjected me to these horrible public school systems and insanity my whole life. But then again, that's because they aren't that sharp themselves I'm afraid to say. So they didn't know any better.
I've got around 4k saved up and I'm pin pointing where in North Cali or maybe Austin, TX (I also stayed in TX where i knew people on the way out to Cali) I would want to move to. As there are like minded people there. Here I want to choke everyone to death for the sheer stupidity. And I was born and raised here. Everyone else I know born and raised here blindly defends their city not knowing how horrible it really is. This place is a zoo. and the Crime! jesus.
Wow; that bad and you returned to your parent's home? Whenever I visit City-Data particularly the South Florida forums I am in awe on the negative verbiage in the threads.
I'm trying to "wrap my brain" around this.......
P.S. Hope your parents never visit these Forums/read your post or you may have to relocate again sooner than later! ahaha
actually I tell my mother how much of a hole South Florida is all the time. She's the only person in the world that I trust and love unconditionally. She is relatively intelligent but a tad gullible and lead like most by what others say and not what makes sense to herself in her heart (this is true intelligence IMO not IQ or academics but self awareness, problem solving, etc.) But she always means well. Great person. I know my dad means well but honestly, I am my father's father at this point in the maturity process.
But yeah once the economy blew up into the mountain I was roasted out in Cali not to mention our roommate taking off while owing us money (Me, $300 as this is someone I knew since I was in middle school. Some friend right? Guess where he was born?... South Florida )
Anyone who has very acute awareness sees the situation in South Florida for what it is. I don't get why it's so shocking, this place is just not a good place to live unless you are very wealthy. Especially if you're not a senior citizen. I am baffled at how these people are shocked so many kids in FLA grow up addicted to drugs and crime. All the policies in FLA are aimed at suppressing the kids, and regulating their fun (Example, my neighborhood took down the basketball court by our houses because the old people complained about the noise and instead made another Tennis court... so of course the kids in my neighborhood started just hanging out on the street, smoking cigarettes and making fun of strangers. We couldn't play football either, they would literally chase us in Golf Carts even though it WASN'T their land). So what do they do? React. In a rebellious way.
It's been like this forever in Fla. I'm just lucky I'm not an idiot and I didn't fall into a life of crime and drugs. A lot of my friends weren't as lucky. This is just a horrible place to raise your kids, period.
Not to mention 90% of the nation's illegal painkillers are from this state. Why? So many doctors... so many senior citizens need doctors. So these people find the dirty docs and just release these drugs into the streets making a profit. I know of 6 people personally as friends who have been to rehab for Oxycontin/Roxycontin. It really is an epidemic. Crack proportions.
So. Fla is also segregated as hell. Maybe more than anywhere in America. I know my city (Fort Myers) was the last county to ban segregation in the entire nation. There's a huge class discrepancy. Which leads to paranoia. There is no sense of community in So. Fla. only amongst very specific groups. Kindness is "weakness" here. Seriously.
I know, I mean... this is my home and always will be, I was born and raised in Florida but in all honesty this is just not a nice place at all. It's backwards as hell. I'm one of the VERY RARE South Florida locals. I don't even fit in with my fellow locals who all tend to be sort of redneckish etc. Which I'm not gonna lie I DO have in me... just not mentally. physically? yes. And sometimes when I party I can get in tune with my inner hick haha. But that's just it, I'm tired of partying 24/7 and living paycheck to paycheck. Everyone else I know around here still LOVES IT. And I see their future as the future of the other older locals around here who are sun stained and miserable because they wasted their whole life partying in South Florida and not building up money to live comfortably when they're too old to work. Now all they do is b^tch and moan.
I remember talking sometimes the looks I'd get from people because I was talking through ideas and concepts. It was like I walked in with a penis on my forehead or something. People were literately angry at me.
Either that or they'd laugh, take another swig of beer and call me crazy. You know... the easy way out, dismiss me as insane
the whole time I'm looking at this never ending pattern that these people are subjecting themselves too... and it's sad, it really is. They don't want to hear any different. But then again, it hurts to say but true intelligence is rare to find around here, so I mean... obviously even if some wanted more I don't know if they could even have the capacity to do so... either that or they just truly want to just get by all their life, not have to work hard and just live with what they can. Which is cool, I used to think exactly like this when I was 16-23. I just grew out of it. My peers haven't. Shoot... most of my peers' parents and even my own father haven't.
The lesson to be learned is to move where you are happiest. Don't live somewhere because it is cheap or because family lives there or because your job makes you go there. Otherwise, you'll be miserable. South FL is for some and not others. I am one who likes it, although I recognize a lot of the problems here. There are most certainly rude people, crime, homeless everywhere and other issues. It is also very expensive to live here and the job market is bad. But I've found happyness here.
High cost of living
Rude people
Lack of quality jobs
I am a Miami native and moved back to South Florida 12 years ago (I spent nearly 10.5 of those years in West Palm Beach, a place I am glad I left behind last year.). I understand and accept a lot about this region of the country. However, the rudeness in South Florida is truly unbelievable and I find myself thinking that if/when I leave, RUDE PEOPLE actually would be the most pressing reason to leave. The rudeness only increases as you get closer to Miami and Miami Beach.
South Florida can be exhausting to the soul. Seriously. There are better places and I encourage anyone to find those places. You just need to figure out what it is that makes you happy and go live there.
If there was a perfect place.... then there would be no debate
for all of its flaws, I loved growing up in soflo. The weather, is the biggest draw and one of the reasons the pay is so low. Its the sunshine tax. You want to live somewhere nice you give up certain things. I know a couple people who worked on the Alaskan pipeline And it paid very well but alas there was no sunshine!!
Everything in this world is a tradeoff. Yes the schools were bad which was why my parents put me in private school and struggled with the tuition. I do love vacationing down there but I come with a pocketful of cash I earned in the Snowbelt. And I really think if I could make ¾ of what I make up here I would be down in a flash, but that’s not the case so ill just be that one more car on the road. That one more tourist at the bar in January. That extra order of conch fritters and then back to reality and the daily grind wishing I was back in fla. Except in July and August!!
But I have always said it a place you have to come with cash in hand already and not expect to make it here. To many have come down given up on their dreams and stayed in the sun too long without a floppy hat and become floridiots. It’s the price you pay for paradise, That along with gators, flying roaches and everything else that goes bump in the night!!
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actually I tell my mother how much of a hole South Florida is all the time. She's the only person in the world that I trust and love unconditionally. She is relatively intelligent but a tad gullible and lead like most by what others say and not what makes sense to herself in her heart (this is true intelligence IMO not IQ or academics but self awareness, problem solving, etc.) But she always means well. Great person. I know my dad means well but honestly, I am my father's father at this point in the maturity process.
)
Back in NYC!
ever. Don't miss FL one iota except for some friends we made down there but we'll see them when we go for a weekend or two in winter!
