Please help, RE: difference between Sarasota side and Jacksonville. (Miami: home, schools)

[angelagardner]

OK, I have been posting in the Sarasota thread since it seems like a great area but don't want to rule out any other areas. We are relocating next year but coming down in December to check things out. Although 2 full time jobs would be great we do have a source of incoming income to help supplement so not super concerned with high wages at this time, even part-time work will be good. Maybe hoping to sometime later on open our own business such as a bakery, etc. But to the point, suggestions on areas that include the following: decent sized town but not over-populated (we live in an area of around 70K and don't want much more than say 100K but might be ok with larger if it is nice enough), decent schools (we looked at Savannah, GA but the schools were horrible so ruled it out right away--I don't need perfect but at least 7/10 is nice), 30-45 minutes from the beach (a nice beach that has swimmable--playable water), nothing to marshy/swampy as I am trying not to be neighbors with an over abundance of snakes , great community with a lot of things to do but yet still great for families and people in their early 30's and nothing too party crazy like Miami area but we still do like a good night out at a club or bar with friends as well. Please, PLEASE help with names of cities, towns, areas, etc so we can research and find the right place to call home.
Thank you to all that post with helpful feedback, and please if you are just complaining don't bother--I am looking for helpful people (in other threads for other states I get a lot of people whining about personal downfalls--that is not what I am looking for). :P

[projectmaximus]

well, you know Jax is wayyy over 100K, right? I mean, it doesn't necessarily feel overcrowded but based strictly on your population criteria it wouldn't work.

Anyway, you may want to look into Southside or Mandarin, or suburbs to the southeast and southwest. I don't think it'll feel too big for you, but that's all relative. Probably much larger than Bellingham, but still quite a bit smaller than Seattle or Vancouver.

[Peter the Brit]

I have a home in Sarasota and plan to move to St Augustine when I sell here (if ever) I would say the weather is coller in the NE at least by 10 degrees most of the time ocean colder, people younger and friendlier and prices cheaper
I do not like the inflow and outflow of snowbirds here and the influx of old people clogging the roads. Give me NE Fl any day