Observations on life in Florida so far (Jacksonville, Palm Bay: real estate, house)

[SeaLark7]

How odd about the Kroger "ghost location" ! Since they are one of the nation's biggest grocery chains, I'm surprised they aren't anywhere in Florida.
Service really is great at Publix, and if price was no object we would buy all our groceries there. Thanks for all the tips on shopping there ! Now I will be on the lookout for that granola bark...uh oh.. and I do like granola cereal. We may try the fried chicken at a different Publix just to see if it is less "peppery".
We drove past the miniature golf course on Oslo a few days ago. Yep, it is still open. Looks a bit overgrown, though !

[newred5]

Pretty much love Publix as I've said before ..... Was there today ... Spent 19.45 for @ 77.00 worth of groceries ... Coupons, BOGO and matchups ......

[DanielAvery]

Really? I asked to have four pieces of chicken at the Publix in North Stuart--even pointed to the sign indicating prices of various sizes--and the girl at the counter said they stopped offering chicken in anything other than the eight-piece box. No idea why she said that, but I'll try again. I refuse to be one of "those" people who pitch a fit for something that isn't normally done, embarrassing themselves and the poor service worker, but if other stores do it....maybe I just got someone who doesn't like Southern boys.

I'd love to have a Kroger around here. Or a Piggly Wiggly. Food Lion. BI-LO. Oh, lord, I'm babbling...

[Nomadicus]

Originally Posted by Bava13

Never a Kroger at US 1 and Oslo. The Publix that is there (South Vero) wasn't there until the mid 80's or so.

I believe the miniature golf place is still open. It's called safari mini golf or safari putt putt or something like that.

Vero is improving and there are many new places opening up recently. Palm Bay has grown a ton in the same time.

It was Safari Put Put when it opened. I got to play the pre opening night for contractors. Never had played before and got a hole in one first time. Only twice after that after many many games. I need to stop in just for the memory of the construction time.

[SCPJP]

I live in CT but go to Florida every year. Usually rent a condo for vacation and I have gone to both Publix and Winn Dixie. In comparison to here in CT, the prices are much cheaper. Things like tooth paste and shampoo are a little more expensive in CT but relatively close in price. However, meats, produce, fruits, seafood, etc is much cheaper in FL (at least at the stores I've shopped at). I find the food to be much fresher in FL than CT.

Another observation of mine, comparing FL to CT, is that the people are just much much nicer in FL. In CT, MOST of the people here are very snobby and selfish. Don't get me wrong, we have some very nice people here, but in general, I find most to be very rude. For example, kids doing car washes for some money for a school fundraiser or something of that nature, people here just don't care to help. Even holding the door open for you is too much of a task for most people. I find the people in FL to be just friendlier than people here. I know there are a lot of rude people in FL too, but I'm just stating my experiences.

[DanielAvery]

Another observation of mine, comparing FL to CT, is that the people are just
much much nicer in FL.

I'll co-sign that one. Folks seem to be surprised when I hold a door for them, wait or let them enter a door first, and especially when I say "ma'am" and "sir" to older folks. One lady even said "You must be from the south, because you actually say 'yes, ma'am' and 'no ma'am'!"

Then again, with my accent, it's pretty obvious where I'm from the minute I open my mouth.

[RuFFy08]

I've been living in Florida for 5 years now and have really come to love it. It's by no means perfect and I could sit here and compare it to NY or LA where I come from all day long.. but why would I do that? I'm here, there are plenty of virtues that make FL different than either NY or CA and I appreciate them for what they are. NY and LA have great and perhaps even enviable virtues, but so does FL. They're just different. I'm not sure that pointing out or making comparisons is effective use of my time. And if I go as far as to spew negatives in the comparison it's not a reflection of LA, NY, OR Florida. It'd be a reflection of myself. I am happy to live here and continue to discover what Florida is all about. Plusses of living in Florida for me:

- Weather. I love the heat and summer since moving to Florida. I really don't understand why snowbirds leave Florida in what I think is the best time of the year.
- Publix. Cuz I can't see myself at Walmart buying their inferior stuff. It also helps to keep the money we spend right here in Florida.
- Cruising. It's so convenient for Floridians and all day, everyday, I have the cruise fever.
- Increasing culture and changing demographics in both age and ethnicity. Port St. Lucians are very lucky compared to other mid sized cities in Florida because not everyone is old. And that's not a stab at old people because they have their virtues too, it's just unique to PSL and something I appreciate.
- Beaches. Visit any of the Inlet State Park beaches and you'll know exactly what I mean.
- Potential. This place is evolving and in full speed growth. It's not always easy to see but the many things lacking present a giant opportunity to set up shop and start a new business here. Forge something new for our community.

And perhaps one of the biggest virtues of Florida are born and raised Floridians themselves. They're a giant gateway for coming to understand this place. They're increasingly a rare sight but they know this place in ways I could only hope to one day know too. And I can certainly understand the disdain many of them might have for people who wipe the FL virtue slate clean to impose what they use to do or how they did it before while living in a place that quite frankly doesn't care about that, and continues to be exactly what it should be. Itself. I still love LA and NY but that doesn't mean I can't love FL too. And to be frank, I do. This is a fantastic place to live.

[SeaLark7]

Nicely said, Ruffy ! I am pleasantly surprised that the Florida summer heat and humidity are not as awful as most Northerners make them out to be. You just learn to do outside stuff in the early morning or evening. Ohio can be just as hot and humid, without the benefit of ocean breezes!

Now, another Florida experience that is new to me is shopping at Bealls. First off, is it pronounced "Bells" or "Beels" ? I am assuming the former, since the logo has a bell shape for the "a". We have gone there twice because of a good sales coupon, $10 off a $25 purchase, and today paid $15 for a pair of trousers on sale for $25 that had a "suggested retail price" of $50. My question is, does Bealls have most things "on sale" because their full prices are marked up to accommodate the sales price ? We had a store like that in Ohio, Elder-Beerman. What sort of reputation does Bealls have for good value and prices ?

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by SeaLark7

Nicely said, Ruffy ! I am pleasantly surprised that the Florida summer heat and humidity are not as awful as most Northerners make them out to be. You just learn to do outside stuff in the early morning or evening. Ohio can be just as hot and humid, without the benefit of ocean breezes!

Now, another Florida experience that is new to me is shopping at Bealls. First off, is it pronounced "Bells" or "Beels" ? I am assuming the former, since the logo has a bell shape for the "a". We have gone there twice because of a good sales coupon, $10 off a $25 purchase, and today paid $15 for a pair of trousers on sale for $25 that had a "suggested retail price" of $50. My question is, does Bealls have most things "on sale" because their full prices are marked up to accommodate the sales price ? We had a store like that in Ohio, Elder-Beerman. What sort of reputation does Bealls have for good value and prices ?

Yes, Bells. But after 5 years I still say BEEELS. What a dumb logo LOL.

No, I think their prices are honest they just have decent sales often. Stein Mart is more of a discount store with several clothing brands I never heard of so you really can't tell if they're telling the truth about "suggested retail" on those items if you don't know the name...you just have to go by your instinct. Other stuff like bedding at Stein Mart IS discounted on name brands like Tommy Bahama but selection is SMALL.

I buy Columbia clothing at Bealls and it's priced normally not fake marked up. People know what those names cost like Dockers, Columbia, Bandolino, etc. YES, I may be able to find it online cheaper on maybe eBay but their sizes are weird and I want to try it on. I never noticed them lying about the "suggested retail price". I LOVE when you randomly buy something then they hand you a coupon valid for the next day that is a great discount even on sale items. I just bought a pant that was something like: 49.00 on sale at 29 and got a coupon that took that pant down to about 19 or 15 - I forget- by going back the next day. The coupon was good on the entire purchase not just the one item.

I'm sure there's some methodology with their pricing/coupons etc but I don't shop enough to know it. Like, I think they sell things with a senior discount one day of the week? But I have no real clue about that.

BTW the best way to avoid spending a FORTUNE on sunscreen here is the sunscreen clothing and Columbia brand has that, which is why I buy it there. But you have to read the tag because not every article has that fabric.

Also both stores often have cute Florida type summer dresses and Dillards is really great for that, too. Stuff you don't see up North. OTOH, you'd expect more tropical bedding etc here, but not really - although Beals has a tropical Florida brand identification. Most of the people I know don't "do tropical" here all that much. And it's virtually IMPOSSIBLE to find old school bedspreads in ANY store which is DUMB because so many older people have spare twin beds or twin beds in general. Which is why I keep mentioning BEDDING LOL. So I bought all my stuff like that online. http://www.tropicallinens.com/

I worked for a Stein Mart executive and complained to her alll the time about it. haha.

[SeaLark7]

Thanks for the info on Bealls ! It seems similar to Kohls, which frequently runs good coupons. Glad to hear the prices are not inflated. To give you an example of what Elder-Beerman would do: They had Boyds cotton throws priced at $100, but almost always "on sale" at half price. Um, the regular price that other stores charged was, you guessed it, $50.

One of the items we were looking for at Bealls was men's wallets. We couldn't find them, and it turns out they only carry them at Christmas time ! I thought that was odd.

I also lament the difficulty in finding old-fashioned bedspreads - not the thick duvet style that most stores sell. Here in Florida we do NOT need a heavy duvet ! (I couldn't find them in Ohio either, by the way). I love tropical patterns too. One of the prettiest tropical patterns I have seen in Florida is the carpet at the Melbourne Airport ! I would love to have that pattern as a bedspread.