People who moved from Connecticut......please! (Orlando, Fort Lauderdale: wedding, schools, to live)

[onegreatnurse]

Originally Posted by max's mama

That's the thing about Florida - there are many months out of the year (not including extremely hot and humid summers) when I would WANT to walk everywhere, but I can't because everything is too spread out. That just shows, there is no perfect place.

Oh agreed, no place is perfect. The above is why I'm looking at living in downtown Fort Lauderdale so that some things at least are walkable. I just find the majority of the year it's not nice enough to be outside. You wouldn't want to walk around here in the summer either, but I want to be able to go diving during those times, which I can't do here, and boating is pretty limited here too because of the cold weather.

I find that I'm inside a lot in the winter, and even when it's nice I'm so far into a depression that I can't bring myself to go outside the house. I almost get to feeling like an agoraphobic. I'm praying that sunshine and nice weather will help me overcome this. We'll see!!

[hat456]

Ruski: What do you mean "water is different?" Drinking water, or ocean water?

max's mama: Going by the cons you mentioned, transportation is no big deal because I am now in CT, where you need a car, and everything is 10-20 min. drive. It's very spread out. Crazy driver comment taken. I spent a summer in Orlando, and felt the same. There was an urgency there that I didn't think would exist in such a sunny place. I own my businesses, so hopefully the salary will not be too much lower, and even if it is, the cost of living seems to be 1/3 of where I am now. The numbers may work for me. The friends thing I'm not worried about. I work a lot, and we have some friends here, but are not big party/get together people because of my odd schedule. Just as long as people aren't downright rude, its fine with me. I am pretty friendly so I never really have a problem with people in general. When my wife was pregnant, the neighbor across the street didn't even know until she saw her with the stroller! That is how isolated it is where we are!

Onegreatnurse: We know how you feel. By the time summer rolls around, it takes us a good month to get used to the change in lifestyle, come out of our shell. Then when we're comfortable again, we see the leaves changing and are like, "It's over. Here comes winter." For us, there are only two seasons: warm summer, and cold rest of the year. The change in seasons doesn't really suit us well. And seeing my kids inside drives me crazy. My wife started taking a SAM-E supplement, and thinks it's helping her a bit.


ctlaw1: I will look at those areas, for sure. Thanks.

[CTGirlNoMore]

Let's not forget about the horrible roads here caused by the winter weather. There are huge potholes everywhere.

[onegreatnurse]

Originally Posted by hat456

Ruski: What do you mean "water is different?" Drinking water, or ocean water?

max's mama: Going by the cons you mentioned, transportation is no big deal because I am now in CT, where you need a car, and everything is 10-20 min. drive. It's very spread out. Crazy driver comment taken. I spent a summer in Orlando, and felt the same. There was an urgency there that I didn't think would exist in such a sunny place. I own my businesses, so hopefully the salary will not be too much lower, and even if it is, the cost of living seems to be 1/3 of where I am now. The numbers may work for me. The friends thing I'm not worried about. I work a lot, and we have some friends here, but are not big party/get together people because of my odd schedule. Just as long as people aren't downright rude, its fine with me. I am pretty friendly so I never really have a problem with people in general. When my wife was pregnant, the neighbor across the street didn't even know until she saw her with the stroller! That is how isolated it is where we are!

Onegreatnurse: We know how you feel. By the time summer rolls around, it takes us a good month to get used to the change in lifestyle, come out of our shell. Then when we're comfortable again, we see the leaves changing and are like, "It's over. Here comes winter." For us, there are only two seasons: warm summer, and cold rest of the year. The change in seasons doesn't really suit us well. And seeing my kids inside drives me crazy. My wife started taking a SAM-E supplement, and thinks it's helping her a bit.


ctlaw1: I will look at those areas, for sure. Thanks.

A SAM-E supplement? I'll have to look into that. My doctor years ago said I should get a special light to fight the SAD, but I can't find the bottom of the post to use it. I've been taking Wellbutrin to help it but it doesn't seem to be making a dent. And I'm the same way, it takes me a good month to get used to the change in lifestyle and by the time I'm used to it it turns cold again, and it does seem like we end up having only two seasons these days. It goes right from summer to winter and back to summer again. Spring and Fall are seasons that I like (well spring can be rainy and damp so I think I like fall better) but they are so abbreviated these days that it seems as though we have turned into a two-season climate.

As far as driving, I still have to drive to get to most things too since I'm in a suburb and it's not like NYC at all, and drivers here are pretty agressive. Tailgating is very bad around here. And so is traffic. I'm hoping the weather being warmer most of the year will help me get into the habit of being outside like I used to when I was younger. I can't stand seeing my son inside either, it drives me crazy.

I want to move there and introduce him to scuba and water sports and get him loving the outdoors.

[fauve]

Hat, keep in mind that people here don't spend much time outside in the summer. We're all pale really 6 months a year. The only way I am able to tolerate getting only the minimal 10 minutes a day of sunlight in the warm months is to be in the swimming pool (I also take Vit D). Picture the outside being the equivalent of an un-air conditioned NYC subway on the hottest day of the year and the outside feeling like that for a minimum of 6 months per year.

In addition, because we take cars everywhere and walk outside as little as possible during these months, getting enough exercise can be a challenge. Again, I rely heavily on a pool. Just some things to keep in mind. In the NYC area, it cools down in the evening except during heat waves. Here the heat wave lasts months.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by max's mama

Here are some cons:

1)Very limited public transporation. There is like one bus running on Weston Road. Coming from NYC, it's a huge negative for me. You are going to need 2 cars, otherwise, you will feel completely tied up.

2)Drivers are crazy here. I thought New York drivers were reckless, but South Florida beats NY hands down. 595 is one of the deadliest highways in United States....or is it 95? Doesn't matter, they both suck.

3)As you know, salaries are lower.

4) A lot of people complain that it's hard to make friends here. I'm a very friendly and social person so for me that wasn't the problem, but I can see that a lot of people are "stand-offish" and kind of flaky here. I don't want to generalize, I'm talking just from personal experience. And not very social. You don't know your neighbors as much as you would in NY for example. I think it has to do with the way Weston is built.

Otherwise, I think the town is beautiful, lots of things to do for kids, good restaurants, not just in Weston but in surrounding towns. Nightlife is really close, with Hard Rock 15 minutes away, as well as Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Lots of things to do outside all year round, with parks and the ocean and hiking/camping. Public schools in the town of Weston are pretty good in comparison to the rest of Florida, although I hear that in comparison to Connecticut and New York, they are falling behind. I have been happy with my son's school though so far.

I don't think i95 or i595 are the deadliest, although they have some big accidents on these highways almost every day.

However the intersection of Flamingo Rd and Pines Blvd is indeed the deadliest in the USA.



As for neighbors, I had a few good neighbors in Savanna that I used to hang out with or have a couple of beers with.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by ctlaw1

Im in CT and will be moving the family to Florida....also sick of snow, ice, cold, New England. BUT I looked at Weston and all of Ft. Lauderdale and all of the east coast.....and I founf the west coast to be better. Look at Apollo Beach (south of Tampa) in particular check out the Mirabay community.

West Coast is VERY nice, a lot of wealth et al.

But it is soooooooo slooooooow over there. A true vacation land.

I really like Sarasota, Captiva, etc. To visit.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by hat456

Ruski: What do you mean "water is different?" Drinking water, or ocean water?

.

Tap water. Often it has yellowish tint to it and different taste from what you are used to up north.

Some water treatment plants now seem to have figured out a way to get rid of the yellowish tint.

For example you go to a public bathroom and see water in the urinal and it looks like someone didn't flush.

[ruski]

Orlando traffic is something else, with all the roads that Mickey Mouse built. I hate driving around Orlando.

Fort Lauderdale traffic is not THAT bad.

[CTGirlNoMore]

I hear nothing but horror stories of how bad the I-4 traffic is around Orlando.