How welcoming is Boise? (Meridian, Caldwell: rentals, car insurance, crime)
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I am glad you are happy with your area of Florida. You are correct, there are many places in Florida that are beautiful and really nice. Part of the issue for me is the heat. Yes, I was born here, but I never got use to the heat and humidity. We sleep with the AC set to 67 degrees, so you can see we are in the wrong state.
Also, I am so over the fun and thrills of hurricane season. I volunteered with the Red Cross during Hurricane Andrew and saw the damage a real hurricane can do, and it was frightening. A decade ago Hurricane Wilmer knocked out our power for two weeks. Cold showers every day wasn't fun.
But the heat and humidity I am so very over.
Miami - fort Lauderdale is insane. Three years ago I was almost in the middle of a gun battle on the Florida Turnpike in the middle of rush hour. Took me hours to get home from work. The street in Miami Shores where I work was closed for another gun battle just a few months ago. Had to detour around. In fact, gun battles or drive by shootings in Miami-Fort Lauderdale are so common these days they hardly make the news.
Miami/Fort Lauderdale is stuck between the Everglades and the ocean, and developers are pouring concrete into this area daily, I think in an attempt to convert the entire area into one giant strip mall.
The politicians in Miami and Fort Lauderdale do not even hide their past convictions, they tout them when they run for office. They are as corrupt and dishonest as came be. If they were in a third world country they would be arrested! Yet here they thrive!
The Florida Department of Transportation is about as evil as can be. The roads in this area are worst than third world country roads, but we pay money to ride on all of them. Instead of working on a mass transit system or improved roads, they develop sophisticated toll systems where money is snapped out of your wallet as you drive over the potholes. It used to take me 22 minutes to drive my 12 miles to work, back about 20 years ago. Now it takes 55 minutes if I am lucky, and I am charged $40 a month in tolls for that, and my car's alignment gets knocked out of whack from the potholes.
I could go on.
There are parts of Florida that are really nice and beautiful and who knows, we may return one day. The west oast around Fort Myes and up toward Tampa is nice, place sin central Florida or north Florida too. However, I will never return to the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. Not in a hundred years.
Good luck with your own adventures, and I wish there were more people like you in South Florida!
Dart Humeston
Quote:
Originally Posted by PBGFL
I don't feel that way AT ALL about my area of Florida and I am not too far from you. I'm in Palm Beach County and everything you said is completely opposite from what you've experienced. I'm best friends with all our neighbors. We celebrate all the holidays together too since most people in Florida are not originally from this part. I'm involved with the HOA (on the board) and volunteer at the food bank, Boys & Girls Club and the Taylor Fund locally. We have terrific neighbors!
I'm really sorry you are having such a horrible time of it where you are. Fort Lauderdale and Miami are much more urban than many parts of Florida, so you will have those types of problems to deal with no matter what.
When I get bored around here, I go to the store and end up talking to people for hours it seems! Everyone is so friendly around here! I'm near PGA National and there is a lot to do here and the people are SUPER friendly and talkative. I have noticed the driving in Miami as I went to Miami University although I grew up in NY. People do use their horns a lot! Fort Lauderdale and Miami are very busy, crowded places. It's like that in every urban area. That's why I live where I do! Even when we move to Idaho (Boise) when our house is completed, we will still keep this house here because this is where we would like to retire. No snow shoveling for me thank you! LOL
Other than hearing a horn go off often in Miami, I have not had any of the problems you have experienced. I think you are a nice person in a very busy, crowded area, those two things don't mix (nice and busy/crowded) so I do feel for you. It's very difficult to be stuck in a place you do not want to be. Not every area is a good fit for all. Different stokes, right?
I too wish you the best of luck in finding your dream home in Idaho. You seem like a very kind, sincere person and I think you will be a true asset to the Boise area.
I was concerned about rainbow flags waving in the middle of the downtown.... I did not expect that... We are pro-traditional as for a family. It was sad for us to see... I hope it is not too wide spread...(As we put an offer on the house and .the order was accepted today! Yay! So we are moving to Idaho Boise area very soon!)
The amount of rainbow flags you saw is not typical for Boise . A man and his wife were trying to show they were inclusive so they put a "Rainbow" flag on their front porch in Boise's north end. Within a very short period of time, someone burned it. Instead of stopping one flag, that act was countered with a permit to temporarily install rainbow flags along Harrison Boulevard and others too.
Boise is pretty accepting of other lifestyles, cultures, religions; but when it is too blatant (look at me - I'm different/special), it can get met with some resistance.
I am glad you are happy with your area of Florida. You are correct, there are many places in Florida that are beautiful and really nice. Part of the issue for me is the heat. Yes, I was born here, but I never got use to the heat and humidity. We sleep with the AC set to 67 degrees, so you can see we are in the wrong state.
Ahhhh! I can surely understand that! Since I'm used to colder weather having grown up in the northeast, I too sleep with it cold. 65 for me. I wouldn't be able to sleep in the hot weather. Thank goodness for air conditioning!
Also, I am so over the fun and thrills of hurricane season. I volunteered with the Red Cross during Hurricane Andrew and saw the damage a real hurricane can do, and it was frightening. A decade ago Hurricane Wilmer knocked out our power for two weeks. Cold showers every day wasn't fun.
Oh man, I hear ya! We haven't been living here nearly as long as you, but I will tell you -- even the tiny hurricane that just barely passed us (It was heading straight for us and then about 10 minutes before it was supposed to hit, it suddenly changed direction back toward the ocean. It hit north of us and really did some awful damage. You are right - I do NOT want to be around for a big one! We were really scared. Not to mention we don't have hurricane shutters and we were in NYC until 2 days before it hit! Oh, AND we didn't have any wood - so you know the drill - wait in Home Depot for the delivery truck full of ply-wood to arrive and 'hope' to get enough wood to cover your windows! I have to admit, you are right - hurricanes are insanely scary and I hope I am not around to ever have to live through another one!
But the heat and humidity I am so very over.
Yeah, you're further south. I'm close to the ocean, and for some reason, we have little humidity (unless it's right before it rains) to speak of and I am used to the heat. (We brought our kids up in Scottsdale, Arizona, so to us - this is a piece of cake!) That said, my husband is not a fan of the super hot days here at all. But I miss the 4 seasons (especially the ones we had in Nashville, TN - Beautiful and warm autumns and springs!)
Miami - fort Lauderdale is insane. Three years ago I was almost in the middle of a gun battle on the Florida Turnpike in the middle of rush hour. Took me hours to get home from work. The street in Miami Shores where I work was closed for another gun battle just a few months ago. Had to detour around. In fact, gun battles or drive by shootings in Miami-Fort Lauderdale are so common these days they hardly make the news.
I think you definitely have me beat on this one too. I don't think I could live in that area full time either. It's too urban for me. TOO MUCH TRAFFIC! Oh gosh, when we lived in Los Angeles, I used to cry when I had to visit my daughter who lived in West Hollywood. She lived 2 miles away and (I swear I am not exaggerating) it could take me up to 2.5 HOURS to get to her home if I dared get on the 405 at 5PM. I never really minded the traffic near University of Miami, but that was more in Coral Gables so it was a bit more suburban. I'm with you on this one, I'm a hater of traffic too!
Miami/Fort Lauderdale is stuck between the Everglades and the ocean, and developers are pouring concrete into this area daily, I think in an attempt to convert the entire area into one giant strip mall.
Yeah, again, I'm in an area that is very conservative as far as land use is concerned. Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, all of those area have tons of green space. Our beaches barely have a hotel on them. WAY less built up than down where you are. But you do have some nice beaches out that way.
The politicians in Miami and Fort Lauderdale do not even hide their past convictions, they tout them when they run for office. They are as corrupt and dishonest as came be. If they were in a third world country they would be arrested! Yet here they thrive!
I can't even discuss Florida politics... enough said.
The Florida Department of Transportation is about as evil as can be. The roads in this area are worst than third world country roads, but we pay money to ride on all of them. Instead of working on a mass transit system or improved roads, they develop sophisticated toll systems where money is snapped out of your wallet as you drive over the potholes. It used to take me 22 minutes to drive my 12 miles to work, back about 20 years ago. Now it takes 55 minutes if I am lucky, and I am charged $40 a month in tolls for that, and my car's alignment gets knocked out of whack from the potholes.
Man, I'm really glad I never stayed down that way. It's way more peaceful up here. I sure do hope you get to Boise sooner rather than later, you sound like you are ready for a change. Good for you! That is the right attitude to have. You are going to have a BLAST when you get to Idaho! If you need any help in Florida before you move, send me a PM and I'll see if my hubby and I can lend you a hand. Otherwise, safe travels man, you are going to have the time of your life!
I could go on.
There are parts of Florida that are really nice and beautiful and who knows, we may return one day. The west oast around Fort Myes and up toward Tampa is nice, place sin central Florida or north Florida too. However, I will never return to the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. Not in a hundred years.
Good luck with your own adventures, and I wish there were more people like you in South Florida!
Dart Humeston
Florida is a beautiful state. And even Miami-Fort Lauderdale is beautiful to some people.
I think after I spend a few years in Idaho I may return to Florida, but it won't be South Florida.
Usually the people that get the most hassle are those that move in from California and typically it is from other Californian's that moved in a few years ago. I drove about 200 miles around the valley this weekend visiting wineries and looking at real estate and I only heard one car honk at another car and it was someone with California license plates honking at someone from Oregon on the interstate as the Californian wanted to go even further before merging into the single lane due to road repairs.
Here in Idaho, you can tell what county most people live in based on their license plates since they start with the first letter of the county you live in. For example, Boise is Ada County - and since alphabetically, that is the first county that starts with the letter A - they are designated as 1A ____ plates; Adams County is 2A ____; Canyon County is 2C; etc. One thing you can do to even remove that descriptor is to get customized license plates since they don't designate counties.
The best thing people can do to fit and and be liked here is SMILE. It is contagious.
Iluvia, I think you might stand our here more in your lounge pants instead of jeans than due to your South American wife. However, in today's world so many people try to stand out that nobody does anymore. (grin).
So is it worse to have Canyon County plates or California plates???
I called to change the utilities over on the house and every one I talked to welcomed me to Idaho. I even told them I was coming up from SoCal. Most said not to worry, you will fit right in.
Florida is a beautiful state. And even Miami-Fort Lauderdale is beautiful to some people.
I think after I spend a few years in Idaho I may return to Florida, but it won't be South Florida.
I just need a break from the concrete and heat.
Dart Humeston
Better cross off central Florida, too unless you consider smaller towns off the beaten path.
That photo you posted could have easily been Tampa or Orlando.
I was concerned about rainbow flags waving in the middle of the downtown.... I did not expect that... We are pro-traditional as for a family. It was sad for us to see... I hope it is not too wide spread...(As we put an offer on the house and .the order was accepted today! Yay! So we are moving to Idaho Boise area very soon!)
Wow!
Did it, perhaps, not occur to you that LGBT people are part of many other people's families too? Or have families of their own?
I was concerned about rainbow flags waving in the middle of the downtown.... I did not expect that... We are pro-traditional as for a family. It was sad for us to see....
I am afraid that you are going to find the people of Idaho to be rather "live and let live". It's quite possible to be both conservative and tolerant, and I suspect that you will run into a lot of tolerant conservatives.
It's not like homosexuality is contagious. You won't catch it just because one of them shops in the same grocery store that you shop at.
One of the nice things about Idaho is the freedom to be an individual, even when that means that someone else's freedom wouldn't be what you would choose for yourself.
Sorry, but you don't get too much more conservative than I am and my reaction is "why is it any of your business how someone else wants to live his life? He's certainly not interfering with your life." Also, I hope you aren't thinking you can openly disapprove of the way I live my life, because, again, it isn't really any of your business. You aren't going to endear yourself to your new neighbors if you start right out trying to dictate how they live.
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Refugee from CA
