Relocate to FL from NYC? (Tampa, Orlando: apartment, rent, car insurance) - Tampa Bay - Florida -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

nycac · 05-12-2010, 06:16 PM

Paradise in FL???My fiance and I are considering moving to Florida. We have family on the west coast and family planning on moving to the east coast. My fiance is a teacher and I am a carpenter. We have always loved FL when we have visited and can't imagine wanting to come back to Staten Island. We may $1200 for a small one bedroom apartment, we have definetely outgrown. I have been laid off as a carpenter for over a year and would be looking for a construction, maintenance or CDL job in Fl, while I complete my degree in nursing. Is the cost of living truly less in FL?

My fiance however would have to leave her job. She hopes to find a job as an elementary school teacher. She has her masters degree and has taught for 4 years. Anyone have any advice for her on the outlook for teachers? Is it a huge mistake to move to Florida? We hear many mixed reviews? What are the pros and cons of teaching in FL? Could the schools possible be a more stressful place to work than a NYC middle school? I'm terrified she might regret the decision to give up the stability she has worked so hard to achieve.

Has anyone out there successfully relocated to Fl from SI at age 30? What are the major pros and cons of living there in comparison to NYC? How could it not be considered paradise in comparison to SI?
My brother lives in pinnellas. But I have always preferred the east coast. If I chose the east it would be to live near family and the relaxed lifestyle he seems to live. Is pinnellas county a bad choice of a place to move and possible buy a 3 bedroom house in a safe neighborhood to start a family? We would like to settle down in a newer home, in a safe neighborhood. Of course the thought of having a pool in our backyard, that could be used year round is very convincing in comparison to the homes we have seen our friends buy here. What counties would you recommend to relocate to, purchase a house and plan to start a family? We plan on renting first to explore the surrounding areas.

What are the benefits of living on the east coast of Fl vs. the west coast? Should we just take a risk and move to the east coast instead but be 3 hours from our familiy there? So many questions...seems like such a huge move? Would we love it or regret the decision to leave SI? HELP!!!

lavender · 05-13-2010, 09:26 AM

Lower East coast very busy
Upper East Coast not very exciting IMO, Jax is a big city but I would not want to live there particularly. St Augustine is lovely but small.
Tampa Bay area offers a great deal to families
Not sure how you will fare jobwise, but teaching jobs for Masters degree candidates should be easier.
Pay is a lot less I think.
I love the safe family environment where we live, near to beach and shady pool in yard.

antinene · 05-13-2010, 09:32 AM

Lavender,
What town do you live in?

sistajane · 05-13-2010, 12:41 PM

My parents live on the east coast and they love it. However, I think for a teacher anywhere in the US right now its going to be tough to find a job. I work for a major hospital system in SC and they are starting layoffs in June. That is unheard of!
People in SC are trying to sugar coat everything though, not sure about how Floridians respond.

annaegel · 05-13-2010, 02:07 PM

I know someone who left SI as a 3rd grade teacher with a masters. She found a job that paid $20k less than what she was being paid in SI. You can go on this website for Hillsborough County (Tampa area): Teacher Recruitment. You can probably go on any Florida counties school website and search for jobs. Teaching jobs are kind of hard to find right now. Florida also has a very good virtual school (www.flvs.net). They were doing a bunch of hiring last year. I don't know about this year. This virtual school is for middle and high school.

Construction workers were the hardest hit here in Florida. You are probably going to have the hardest time finding work. However, I think there is a slight hint that things are improving.

As far as cost of living, housing is about the only thing that is cheaper. You can get a nice 2 bedroom apartment for $900 that has a pool and exercise room on the premises. Gas for your car, utilities, etc. are about the same. I spent less for groceries in NJ than I do down here. Car insurance will be less.

I would suggest you rent a place. That way you won't feel stuck if you find Florida is just not for you.

Dino1 · 05-14-2010, 08:16 AM

I would not leave a job to come to Florida unless I had a job waiting for me. Wait until the economy bounces back if you want to do that. That is my advice.

Spring Hillian · 05-14-2010, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dino1

I would not leave a job to come to Florida unless I had a job waiting for me. Wait until the economy bounces back if you want to do that. That is my advice.

I agree with Dino. Stick it out in NYC for now if you are working.
Maybe a couple of more years. Biggest thing: No matter when you do it, have cash in the bank to tide you over. We did the NYC (Brooklyn) to Florida (Orlando) thing 20+ years ago. It worked.

Plan. Plan well. Did I say have cash in the bank? As much as possible.

lavender · 05-14-2010, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antinene

Lavender,
What town do you live in?

Seminole, good school district, lots of private schools in and around pinellas and hillsborough.

Dino1 · 05-14-2010, 02:43 PM

Start sending out resumes now and see what kind of response you get. Test the waters before you up and quit your job. Don't give up a steady job in this economy.

nycac · 05-15-2010, 05:56 AM

Thank you for all of your helpful advice. We definetely plan on renting first and then will start looking for a house once we are settled. I started to send out resumes to see if I get any responses. My brother may be able to get me a job in the hospital he works in.
The bad news is my fiance found out she might not be able to take a leave. Does anyone know if a NYC teacher can take a leave of absence if their partner is offerred a career in another part of the country? One union rep told her yes and another said they have become very strict and would only approve it for medical or maternity. If not, would it be a terrible mistake for her to leave her job and wait her turn in Florida to become an elementary school teacher? Right now she teaches middle school and had a very hard time managing the class. She feels very overwhelmed on most days and feels like she is trapped in SI only due to the position. If she couldn't find a teaching job right away down there, would she be able to find a job that made a decent salary down there with her masters in elementary education, to work at while she waits for a teaching position? She is waiting for her license to be processed before she can even start to apply. We are just so eager to get settled somewhere and get ready to start a family. Waiting a couple more years seems like it would only postpone the uncertainty. Should we just do it and do whatever we can down there to make it work?
Does anyone have any recommendations on the types of jobs I might be able to find down there with construction, maintenance, medical assistant and emt background and experience? I currently have 42 college credits toward my nursing degree. Do you think I would lose a lot of those credits if I transfer to a school down there before I earn my assiciates here? I would like to find a job down there that I can work, pay our bills and plan to go back to school to finish my degree. Are there any entry level state, county or federal jobs you recommend? In addition to those jobs are there any other companies anyone recommends in FL?