I just got back from spending a week in the area...liked it a lot!!!

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by 8635angelvalley

Is the a lot of crime on Singer Isalnd?I used to love to go there back in the 80s. I hear the Ocean Mall has been torn down. What about Johnny Longboats?

Singer Island, no. Riviera Beach (of which Singer Island is technically a part of), no. I really like the town of Palm Beach Shores.

[LushTrees]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

The worst part about living in Florida, quite honestly, are the people who have left or want to leave.

OK, I get the part where you say that the worst part of living in FL is/are the people who want to leave...

But what do you mean when you say the worst part is about the people who have *left*?... Are you missing them, or what?? ('Just wondering...)

One thing I know for sure is that it takes a bunch of effort to try to figure out people who love [southeastern] Florida. Unless it's a satellite for them to visit when their homes in other regions are frozen-solid, not too many intelligent folk live in the area year-round. I'm not surprised that permanent residents would have trouble articulating their preferences...

[Native51]

LushTrees,

You're probably trolling, but I'm assuming TriMT7 is speaking in regards to those on this board who have left but continue to post on this board. I too am at a loss on why anyone would do this. Are there not better things to do? Move on with your life...

My family has been in Palm Beach County since the 1930's, and permanently since '52. The only constant in this area is change. Some folks can adapt, others can't and leave. And if it takes a bunch of effort to see why people love this area, then you probably did not belong down here in the first place.

This place isn't Valhalla by any means, but is sure beats most of the country.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by LushTrees

OK, I get the part where you say that the worst part of living in FL is/are the people who want to leave...

But what do you mean when you say the worst part is about the people who have *left*?... Are you missing them, or what?? ('Just wondering...)

No. There's a large sect of people who have left South Florida, who, like those currently in Florida who want to leave, seem to be unable to leave and or stay gone quietly. They frequent boards in a seeming attempt to recruit people to leave, or reassure themselves that they're not the only ones feeling a certain way, or make themselves feel better about leaving by assuming anyone who hasn't left must be crazy. Case in point:

Originally Posted by LushTrees

One thing I know for sure is that it takes a bunch of effort to try to figure out people who love [southeastern] Florida. Unless it's a satellite for them to visit when their homes in other regions are frozen-solid, not too many intelligent folk live in the area year-round. I'm not surprised that permanent residents would have trouble articulating their preferences...

What I find funny are people who consider themselves intelligent find it hard to find like minded intelligent individuals in South Florida. They're here. Not being able to find them may say more about the person making the claim that they don't exist than the particular area itself.

[TiredOfSFL]

Originally Posted by Native51

LushTrees,

You're probably trolling, but I'm assuming TriMT7 is speaking in regards to those on this board who have left but continue to post on this board. I too am at a loss on why anyone would do this. Are there not better things to do? Move on with your life...

My family has been in Palm Beach County since the 1930's, and permanently since '52. The only constant in this area is change. Some folks can adapt, others can't and leave. And if it takes a bunch of effort to see why people love this area, then you probably did not belong down here in the first place.

This place isn't Valhalla by any means, but is sure beats most of the country.

I don't think it would have to do with that. I'm researching other places and want to hear every side, not only the good. How about if some people feel they would actually be helping someone to make a more informed choice? Why does everything we read about a potential place to live hve to be "rosy"??? That's not realistic and would definitely set people for great disappointment later, whereas if they already know and to them it's not so important as to deter them from giving the place a try, when/if they see it with their own eyes it will not be an unpleasant surprise, maybe just one of those things one has to trade off for the majority of what one wants.

And btw, to all of you 'geniuses' who say only those of us who want to leave post here, well, duh! The few who are truly happy won't, those who may dislike a lot of things about FL but know they cannot leave or at not at that point yet have NO reason to come to a relocation forum like this and others couldn't care less to try to help others, for good or bad. I originally only went to the boards of the places I'm researching but when others asked me questions I decided to come here and offer my 2 cents. Anyone knows that you don't have to take the opinion of perfect strangers to heart, everyone is totally free to pick and choose what they want to believe, but by the same token if you hear the same things over and over it would be WISE to at least question oneself about whether there could possibly be any truth to what you read.

[zoomzoom3]

I didn't really notice any difference in the number of "shallow" people in South Florida compared to here in St. Louis. Not all midwesterners are friendly down-to-earth people. Places here like Chesterfield, Ladue, Town and Country are terrible when it comes to that & it didn't seem any worse in Florida.

Today I was really wishing I was back down in S. Florida. We made it to 26 degrees here today. I know the weather isn't the best reson to want to move somewhere, but winters have gotten progressively worse here over the years. It used to be that hard core cold weather would only last from Nov.-March. Then it grew to being Oct.-April, and now it's more like Sept.-May. It's sort of like the reverse of global warming.

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by zoomzoom3

Driving:

It sucked for the most part. I-95 was awful, a lot of traffic & more semis than I've ever seen before. Florida's Turnpike seemed like a much better alternative. Sawgrass expressway was not bad for getting around either.

The # of old people down there also made driving a challenge. I had to laugh at this bumper sticker I saw on a pickup that said "When I get old, I'm going to move north and drive slow."


Culture:

One other thing we noticed is that quite a few people seemed a bit snooty and not too friendly. Oh and all the people with their BMW's and Mercedes seemed to think they were the ***** and they generally drove like they owned the road.


but I could have done without seeing some guys wearing Speedos that looked like they were 2 sizes too small lol.

The beaches were just OK. Some of the days the surf was very high & the waves were brutal. I was knocked down more than once by them. The broken up shells under water were also hard on my feet.
.

It doesn't sound like you had all that much fun based on the snootyness, driving problems, bad beach and old people. Another tip is there's no reason to go to malls on vacation, they are all the same, they're national chains. You would have seen something nicer and different had you visited the TRUE Palm Beach, Worth Ave.

Just to put in perspective, I 95 at it's worst at CHRISTMAS TIME (when you went) is better than I 95 any day of the year in Phila Pa. Miami, Fll and WPB are the most crowded, when you go north after PGA the traffic disappears. Did you remember you were right in the middle of TOURISTS not just residents?

Florida is a very large state that takes hours to drive from North to South and yes there are alot of trucks on I95 that's the major road for commuting from top to bottom of the state. The turnpike charges money so truckers try and avoid it as do regular people.

The driving of "old people" is exaggerated when you see them next to the horrendous drivers generic to Florida especially our friends from other countries. Truckers go 90 mph on I95 jeopardizing everyone, so the "crowd" follows them and everyone is going 90 completely unsafely. This includes truckers carrying CARS and other enormous heavy load vehicles.

AND GUNNING THE CAR as YOU even did to make a light. So by comparison, the old people seem "annoying" to some people. I don't have any problem with that here. I don't have to step on it to make it to work on time after getting up late after partying all night like the 20 something on the road. I have a much greater complaint with people gunning their cars making lefts in front of me trying to beat a light.

Unfriendly in public is generic to all of Florida. I'll take snotty over trashy any day. We have both. I'm not too sure what you found snotty though. Like you spoke to people and they didn't speak back? Maybe you didn't hear them answer, native Floridians mumble LOLOL. I just bought a condo and found the residents there couldn't be any nicer. Everyone has gone out of their way including me in stuff. My complaint about FL residents is there are alot of airheads and bland or actually NO conversations when you're going around different places. It's the SOUTH still.

I haven't noticed BMW and Mercedes drivers "owning the road". I'm not too sure how they do that any worse than the people in junkers and our friends from other countries driving habits.

The Speedo guys are the Canadians.

You picked a bad beach then. Perhaps Singer Island is all that way, I forget. There are miles and miles of gorgeous clean beaches in Florida. From what I remember the water was choppy then, that's how the ocean operates, it can be calm and serene or rough all in the same week. Sorta like wind in Missouri.

Housing is cheap right now as it adjusts to a reasonable level compared to RESIDENT's salaries even in Palm Beach County. Especially compared to the bubble when it was out of control You must have been looking at specific neighborhoods.

Comparing anything in Missouri to Palm Beach is sorta odd, imo. I could go to Missouri and complain about all the puppy mills but ....

[Bobstar]

Amazing how this nice post, which seemed intended to share a pleasant personal experince, has turned so utterly hostile and nasty. Happy new year . . .

[faithfulFrank]

We do the most good here when posts, both negative and positive are presented, resulting in a BALANCED view of a place.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long as it is presented truthfully and respectfully.

I'd say this thread has run it's course........closed.

Frank D.