Punta Gorda (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota: loft, big house, job market)

[Pattig]

So I"m in the medical field and one of my patients yesterday was a snowbird just returning from Florida(Naples) for the summer in New England. I told him that I was planning on the move to Florida very soon and that we were going next month to check out places. He asked me where we were looking and when I said Punta Gorda I thought he was going to jump off the table. He said he didn't know why I would want to live in such a "desolate " place. I was shocked. I asked him if he had been recently and he said yes last week I went to visit a relative there. He said unless you boat and that's all you want to do there is nothing there. He said it takes 45 minutes to get to the beach. Now I've heard it takes 25 or 30 minutes to get to the beach. I have to admit I love the beach but I won't drive almost an hour every time I want to go- 30 minutes is acceptable. He said you have to drive quite a distance just to buy a pair of slacks if you need some. Just need some insight as we will be there in one month, Is this guy off his rocker??
Patty

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by Pattig

So I"m in the medical field and one of my patients yesterday was a snowbird just returning from Florida(Naples) for the summer in New England. I told him that I was planning on the move to Florida very soon and that we were going next month to check out places. He asked me where we were looking and when I said Punta Gorda I thought he was going to jump off the table. He said he didn't know why I would want to live in such a "desolate " place. I was shocked. I asked him if he had been recently and he said yes last week I went to visit a relative there. He said unless you boat and that's all you want to do there is nothing there. He said it takes 45 minutes to get to the beach. Now I've heard it takes 25 or 30 minutes to get to the beach. I have to admit I love the beach but I won't drive almost an hour every time I want to go- 30 minutes is acceptable. He said you have to drive quite a distance just to buy a pair of slacks if you need some. Just need some insight as we will be there in one month, Is this guy off his rocker??
Patty

I guess it's a matter of opinion. If you're used to Miami, then yes this might seem desolate but if you like a great community that always has something goes on, then you'll like PG.

Punta Gorda has many great restaurants, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. If you're looking for more shopping you can drive 25 minutes to Port Charlotte Town Center Mall where there's Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenny's, Sears, Starbucks, etc. The same driving distance is Marshall's, Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Chili's, etc.

I personally prefer the non-chain restaurants of the Punta Gorda area. If you want even more restaurants you could drive to Sarasota which is an hour drive or down to Ft. Myers which is a half hour drive. Now, the beaches are about 35-40 minutes away.

One thing about Punta Gorda is that there's ALWAYS something going on down there. For instance this weekend is the Punta Gorda Block Party- http://www.puntagordablockparty.org/

A few weekends ago they had the Peace River Art Festival, then right before that Punta Gorda Seafood Festival.

Punta Gorda was voted one of the best places to retire by US News:
Punta Gorda, Florida: Best Places to Retire - USNews.com

Best Healthy Places to Retire: Punta Gorda, Florida - US News and World Report

I think you should come and check it out for yourself.

[rusty78]

There is a big call for people in the medical field in Florida...several of my friends have moved down to Florida and had a job waiting for them upon their arrival...they all mailed down resumes and all were flown down for several days at the hospital's expense...some offered assistance with the purchase of a home, move down expenses and other perks...

Many years ago my daughter and her friends graduated from nursing school here in NY...five of them went to Fort Lauderdale for an extended weekend...and only two came back...all were offered jobs...and the three that stayed did not even have to go back to NY to pick up their stuff...their new employer hired a moving company to pack and move everything down for them....

[jvelte]

Originally Posted by rusty78

There is a big call for people in the medical field in Florida...several of my friends have moved down to Florida and had a job waiting for them upon their arrival...they all mailed down resumes and all were flown down for several days at the hospital's expense...some offered assistance with the purchase of a home, move down expenses and other perks...

Many years ago my daughter and her friends graduated from nursing school here in NY...five of them went to Fort Lauderdale for an extended weekend...and only two came back...all were offered jobs...and the three that stayed did not even have to go back to NY to pick up their stuff...their new employer hired a moving company to pack and move everything down for them....

Maybe it depends on what medical area you're in, but my wife has been doing a lot of research on this subject as well and in this job market, NO hospital is paying for any expenses related to interviews or relocation of new employees. Again, maybe this differs throughout the medical hierarchy, but my wife is a physical therapist and sure, there are some opportunities in SW FL for her, but nobody willing to assist with relocation. Not a deal breaker, we still move anyway

[FLBob]

The characterization of Punta Gorda as desolate is probably over doing it a bit, but living in PGI would put you over 1/2 hour's drive to an area beach. From I75 to the public beach access in Venice you're looking at 35 minutes. From the 41 bridge in Punta Gorda you're looking at 40 minutes to Englewood beach. The further you are from the beach the less likely you will go to the beach.
Punta Gorda is attractive if you are a boater. Many of my friends living in the Isles travel by boat to area beaches and waterfront restaurants.

There is shopping in Punta Gorda but the bulk of retail is along 41 in Port Charlotte and the Town Center Mall in Murdock Circle. There is a WalMart on Jones Loop very near Burnt Store Isles.

There are boutique shops on Sullivan and in Fishermans Village in Punta Gorda. The Sun Loft Center is now open in down town Punta Gorda. If things go as planned there will be plenty of retail and additional restaurants located there.

I have some perspective on where your patient is coming from, I lived in Naples for 8 years and moved because it had become too crowded, but my wife missed the convenience of having great shopping and restaurants a short distance from the house. And we both missed the ability to walk to the beach. After Charlie took our home on the Peace River, we decided to look at Venice which is the closest thing I could find to what Naples was when we moved there. Now I miss the river, but love living in Venice.

[FauxPas]

If you take W Marion off Rt 41, you'll find a beach right there in PG. There is also a boat ramp, rest rooms, and a nature trail through a mangrove forest. I think it is called Ponce de Leon Park. It's small, but clean.

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by dwade954

If you take W Marion off Rt 41, you'll find a beach right there in PG. There is also a boat ramp, rest rooms, and a nature trail through a mangrove forest. I think it is called Ponce de Leon Park. It's small, but clean.

I don't consider that really a beach because it's on the bay. There's also Port Charlotte Beach complex, which is very close but again on the bay. If you want a real gulf beach you're gonna have to travel 35 minutes or so.

[SoFLGal]

I just clocked on Mapquest from Big House's address in PGI to Venice beach and it's 50 minutes or 39 miles. Then I did from his address to Englewood Beach and it's 42 minutes or 28 miles. But Mapquest took the long way on this route. You could probably shave off 15 minutes going down Edgewater Blvd and over to Flamingo to 776 and around so realistically, about 27 minutes.

[Pattig]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

I guess it's a matter of opinion. If you're used to Miami, then yes this might seem desolate but if you like a great community that always has something goes on, then you'll like PG.

Punta Gorda has many great restaurants, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. If you're looking for more shopping you can drive 25 minutes to Port Charlotte Town Center Mall where there's Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenny's, Sears, Starbucks, etc. The same driving distance is Marshall's, Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Chili's, etc.

I personally prefer the non-chain restaurants of the Punta Gorda area. If you want even more restaurants you could drive to Sarasota which is an hour drive or down to Ft. Myers which is a half hour drive. Now, the beaches are about 35-40 minutes away.

One thing about Punta Gorda is that there's ALWAYS something going on down there. For instance this weekend is the Punta Gorda Block Party- Punta Gorda Block Party

A few weekends ago they had the Peace River Art Festival, then right before that Punta Gorda Seafood Festival.

Punta Gorda was voted one of the best places to retire by US News:
Punta Gorda, Florida: Best Places to Retire - USNews.com

Best Healthy Places to Retire: Punta Gorda, Florida - US News and World Report

I think you should come and check it out for yourself.

Sounds nice to me. I'll be there with bells on May 18th.
Patty

[Pattig]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

I just clocked on Mapquest from Big House's address in PGI to Venice beach and it's 50 minutes or 39 miles. Then I did from his address to Englewood Beach and it's 42 minutes or 28 miles. But Mapquest took the long way on this route. You could probably shave off 15 minutes going down Edgewater Blvd and over to Flamingo to 776 and around so realistically, about 27 minutes.

That's very doable for me. I could handle that. Plus I prefer to not live in a crowded metropolitan area. Punta Gorda might be good fit for us. I'll be there soon and can't wait!