PLEASE stop moving here! (Miami, Tampa: transplants, 2014, apartment)

[mph101]

Originally Posted by bobandsherry

Based on this information (Google as source), the population in Miami in the years after Andrew were largely unchanged.

1990 - 361,746
1991 - 358,224
1992 - 360,765
1993 - 357,896
1994 - 360,404
1995 - 365,527

Andrew was a small storm and did not effect Miami as a major hurricane. Had Andrew been larger or center moved 25 miles NW Miami as we know it today would still be recovering. It is correct that Homestead was a ghost town and scarred still to this day as it recovers from Andrew. I had several close friends on the eastern edge of the glades and they never recovered. There is no Air force base anymore.
Homestead is not coconut Grove or Cutler Ridge.

A City Leveled By Hurricane Andrew Rebuilds, Again : NPR

[BucFan]

Spent 6 weeks on the road to New England and back and didn't notice the fast, aggressive weaving in, out, unpredictable driving until I reached Wesley Chapel area going South on I75. Unfortunately, the population increase in this area will bring negatives of the big city with it........

[lavender]

Forbes Welcome

[ipkl07]

Originally Posted by WinterK

It's so very crowded already and when the snowbirds come back and spring breakers show up, the traffic is awful. They've done some nice improvements to some of our roads, like U.S. 19 between Countryside and Pinellas Park, but i can see they should have put in an extra lane already. People fly down this road at 60 to 70 mph.

Other than Orlando, from what I hear, you couldn't pick a worse area to get around in. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'm beginning to hate the commuting and just plain driving, period! I'd leave, but kind of hard to do after 40+ years. Coming down here just to be "near the beach" can be accomplished pretty much anywhere on Florida's coast.

Yeah, I could see it coming when I lived in Florida back in 1998 to 2001 and left in 2001 and never been back to south Florida. I had better things to do with my time than wait in the endless traffic and lines everywhere I went. Next, it also only has a couple interstates for all those people, so unless they make those interstates about 15 lanes in each direction your roads down their will never keep up. Don't miss it and won't be back.

[paradiselost]

Drove from Brandon Florida to lexington kentucky on i75 the worst part of my 840 mile journey
was guess what Getting out of the Tampa Area!

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by paradiselost

Drove from Brandon Florida to lexington kentucky on i75 the worst part of my 840 mile journey
was guess what Getting out of the Tampa Area!

sounds like my experience only my experience was returning back to the TB area

[DUNNDFRNT]

Originally Posted by BucFan

sounds like my experience only my experience was returning back to the TB area

Its timing I drove to NO once and it took me 1.5hrs to get out of tampa, but I left at 515pm. Other times is a breeze, the same goes for any city that you are driving through if you hit it on rush hour you are hurting.

[hashtagusername]

Originally Posted by North_Pinellas_Guy

I detest mass transit. I would never use it. However, I realize limited mass transit could be a good thing for the area.

+1 ... Detest.

[OuttahereID]

Why is it that all the haters find their way to the city data forums? It's very hard sometimes to get solid information because someone inevitably comes on here and talks about what an awful place it is. It's not going to stop people from moving there. We've been to Tampa and the number one reason for moving is clean air. Nice weather and beaches are great but mainly it's a white state, nice change from deep red, clean, large enough to have all the amenities and has a growing IT presence.
Traffic is a dream compared to my city and cost of living is the same. Something awful could be said about any city but it would be nice to have more of a balance.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by OuttahereID

Why is it that all the haters find their way to the city data forums? It's very hard sometimes to get solid information because someone inevitably comes on here and talks about what an awful place it is. It's not going to stop people from moving there. We've been to Tampa and the number one reason for moving is clean air. Nice weather and beaches are great but mainly it's a white state, nice change from deep red, clean, large enough to have all the amenities and has a growing IT presence.
Traffic is a dream compared to my city and cost of living is the same. Something awful could be said about any city but it would be nice to have more of a balance.

I think it is due to people who had visions of grandeur, sunny days, whiling away the days at the beach, living in shorts and sandals, view of the waters and all that dreamy stuff. Of course it is there to be done, but there is also a job, traffic, storms, bills, etc that take the forefront. Many who come from places other than the NE find it is expensive to live here compared to where they were. Lack of research. You have to know the waters before navigating them but seems a lot of people would rather jump right in. They fail to take into account a lower salary and get very discouraged.