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I am unemployed after almost 15 years. My severance ran out and now Im on unemployment- -I wont get into the long ,sad story of how we had to save 1 million worth of salaries and benefits- - but I did get caught up in a numbers game and "badda bing" - "Jack, do ya need a box to clean out your desk.- -Un-Freaking believable
Anyway after about 6 months with no prospects in site, I get a call from a very close friend of mine in Tampa. He works in a different type of business and offered me a terrific position ,that Im sure Id like and be motivated all over again
Here's the thing- -I think I have too much NY/NJ in me to be forever comfortable anywhere else. When I was much younger, I moved far and often- no kids, no responsibilities , you might say I was "a ramblin man"
Now at 52- with a g/f of 16yrs and a 23 yr old son ,I'm very hesitant about pulling up the stakes. Ma is 75 and lives downstairs- and I have a big Italian family all over North Jersey and NewYork
Im going down to Tampa in July for the Interview & to check out the scene- it should be around 170 degrees at that time ,so Im really looking forward to that.
So- I have a huge decision to make. My question is -How many NJ folks thought they were going to Florida forever -maybe even to retire- only to turn around in a year or so and come back.
I am unemployed after almost 15 years. My severance ran out and now Im on unemployment- -I wont get into the long ,sad story of how we had to save 1 million worth of salaries and benefits- - but I did get caught up in a numbers game and "badda bing" - "Jack, do ya need a box to clean out your desk.- -Un-Freaking believable
Anyway after about 6 months with no prospects in site, I get a call from a very close friend of mine in Tampa. He works in a different type of business and offered me a terrific position ,that Im sure Id like and be motivated all over again
Here's the thing- -I think I have too much NY/NJ in me to be forever comfortable anywhere else. When I was much younger, I moved far and often- no kids, no responsibilities , you might say I was "a ramblin man"
Now at 52- with a g/f of 16yrs and a 23 yr old son ,I'm very hesitant about pulling up the stakes. Ma is 75 and lives downstairs- and I have a big Italian family all over North Jersey and NewYork
Im going down to Tampa in July for the Interview & to check out the scene- it should be around 170 degrees at that time ,so Im really looking forward to that.
So- I have a huge decision to make. My question is -How many NJ folks thought they were going to Florida forever -maybe even to retire- only to turn around in a year or so and come back.
Justwondering?
ceffo
No, No it won't be 170 degrees in July - the hurricane force winds will force the temps down to about 100. LOL Seriously, some can hack the change & some can't. I was in a similar situation & moved for a job opportunity which didn't work out, the company went under 1 week after I moved here. Trouble was I bought a house & am now kind of stuck; the bottom fell out of real estate here more then in Jersey. Renting sure makes it easier to move back if necessary. I'm finding the change very hard but it may be due to location. Not all of Florida is the other side of hell.
you have nothing to lose by looking. I would go with an open mind and see if you could see yourself living in that area. Tampa has grown alot and is not the worst area that I could think of moving too. It may be one of the best thing you may have ever done. If its a job that is a career I would consider it but it has to be a career and not some shlock job.
I grew up in NJ, lived there for 23 years, and then moved to Florida for a job opportunity. The place ended up getting bought out by another company and having major layoffs 8 months later, and I lost my job. Since then, I have found it impossible to find a good job, and after over a year of working a crappy retail job and a crappy part-time tutoring job (I have a BA, btw), I finally decided to move back to NJ. I haven't even moved back yet, and I already have several interviews lined up--something I never managed to do in Florida
Florida may or may not be the right place for you given your situation. I lived in Orlando, which may be worse than Tampa (I honestly have no idea). So let me try to be as objective as possible in giving you the positives and negatives of the Sunshine State:
Pros:
- Weather is gorgeous. Even if you don't like the heat, you'll find that you almost never get sick down there.
- Taxes are low.
- Cost of living is VERY low, especially compared to NJ. I rented a 2-bedroom house with a friend in a wonderful part of town and it was only $850/month.
Cons:
- Florida is in the top three states worst-affected by the economic crisis (it actually might be the top). Good jobs are SIGNIFICANTLY harder to come by than in NJ, and if anything falls through with the job in Tampa, you will find yourself in a much worse situation than the one you're in now.
- The lower taxes and lower cost of living come with some disadvantages: the jobs pay less, the schools are among the worst in the country (probably not an issue for you), the roads are poorly-maintained, and the police take forever to respond to anything
- Hurricanes and tropical storms really, really suck.
- If you don't like hot weather, you'll be miserable for 4-6 months of the year.
Well, seeing how your job prospects seem pretty grim in NJ, it doesn't sound like you've got much to lose by making the move. Living in a place you're not thrilled with while having a job trumps living in a place you love on unemployment any day, IMO.
I enjoyed living in Florida. I lived in Boca Raton for about 5 years for school and work. Always something to do there, as many of the areas (like Fort Lauderdale) are geared to tourists. Loved the winters and the heat and humidity in the summer didn't bother me. I much rather have heat than the cold of the Northeast.
However, I think NJ is a better place to raise a family. The people in Florida are very transcient and I didn't get any sense of community. The schools don't have the best reputation. Although rent was cheap (I was paying $850 a month for a 1 bedroom in a gated community on a golf course with many amenties), the pay wasn't great down there. No state tax though.
I don't regret moving back to NJ. Florida is a nice place to visit, but for me not, not a place to live.
I enjoyed living in Florida. I lived in Boca Raton for about 5 years for school and work. Always something to do there, as many of the areas (like Fort Lauderdale) are geared to tourists. Loved the winters and the heat and humidity in the summer didn't bother me. I much rather have heat than the cold of the Northeast.
However, I think NJ is a better place to raise a family. The people in Florida are very transcient and I didn't get any sense of community. The schools don't have the best reputation. Although rent was cheap (I was paying $850 a month for a 1 bedroom in a gated community on a golf course with many amenties), the pay wasn't great down there. No state tax though.
I don't regret moving back to NJ. Florida is a nice place to visit, but for me not, not a place to live.
I agree totally. I moved from essex county to ft. Lauderdale when I was 22. I enjoyed tearing up the town and having fun in my early twenties and don't regret it one bit. But broward county started to get to me. The people, the crime, and the prospect of raising my daughter there made me want to move. I'm glad that my parents are happy there but it is no place to raise a child in my opinion. So I moved halfway back. The schools here in charleston are better(though not as good as NJ) and there is a more family atmosphere. I still plan on making my way back to NJ but taking a detour and enjoying southern hospitality.
I am unemployed after almost 15 years. My severance ran out and now Im on unemployment- -I wont get into the long ,sad story of how we had to save 1 million worth of salaries and benefits- - but I did get caught up in a numbers game and "badda bing" - "Jack, do ya need a box to clean out your desk.- -Un-Freaking believable
Anyway after about 6 months with no prospects in site, I get a call from a very close friend of mine in Tampa. He works in a different type of business and offered me a terrific position ,that Im sure Id like and be motivated all over again
Here's the thing- -I think I have too much NY/NJ in me to be forever comfortable anywhere else. When I was much younger, I moved far and often- no kids, no responsibilities , you might say I was "a ramblin man"
Now at 52- with a g/f of 16yrs and a 23 yr old son ,I'm very hesitant about pulling up the stakes. Ma is 75 and lives downstairs- and I have a big Italian family all over North Jersey and NewYork
Im going down to Tampa in July for the Interview & to check out the scene- it should be around 170 degrees at that time ,so Im really looking forward to that.
So- I have a huge decision to make. My question is -How many NJ folks thought they were going to Florida forever -maybe even to retire- only to turn around in a year or so and come back.
Justwondering?
ceffo
Something must be pulling you down there......If you don't at least look around or give it a try someday you'll wish you did...........the bottom line is that New Jersey is not a financially friendly state to retire in !!!
Many people move to FL and other states and love it but if you go with an attitude that you won't be happy, then you won't. It's not easy right now with the job market and this may a be good opportunity but if you go, please go open minded or you're doomed. Try to look at the positive things there not the things that are "not like NJ". I moved to SC and miss NJ as you can read in other threads but if I dwell on it I would be miserable. I do try to look at the positive things about where I live and it has taken some time but I'm starting to like it better. Since you have other people involved in your decision, I guess their opinion will have something to do with what you decide. Think of it this way too...life is short and it's kinda cool to have not lived your whole life in one spot and experience different things. That's boring. Plus you can always come back!
I havn't moved out of NJ ever, but my grandpa moved to Fort Myers, FL and came back in a matter of 3 years.
He moved from Bloomfield, NJ to Florida, and he said he liked it at first, but after a while he was shocked by the crime, weather, and lack of culture Florida had. He moved soon after he discovered the hard core truth and moved back, but to Sparta, NJ which he seems to love.
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Florida sucks
