[boxus]

Love it here, there is something for everyone that is interested in the place. If you do not like Miami, then you might like St. Pete; if you do not like cities, then there are towns; yuppies, rednecks, and everything in between; got a good mix of it all. Get bored with one scene, then just drive a bit and hang out in another.

The only thing that is not here is mountain climbing and snow skiing.

[marcopolo]

Originally Posted by boxus

Love it here, there is something for everyone that is interested in the place. If you do not like Miami, then you might like St. Pete; if you do not like cities, then there are towns; yuppies, rednecks, and everything in between; got a good mix of it all. Get bored with one scene, then just drive a bit and hang out in another.

The only thing that is not here is mountain climbing and snow skiing.

This is a great post. What do you want? Beach villages, urban core, old suburb, new gated suburbia, quaint small towns, acreage living...and this is available in the greater Tampa Bay area! Add in cosmopolitan South Fla, central lakes region, the panhandle, Atlantic coast...Florida is more things to more people than any other state.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by marcopolo

This is a great post. What do you want? Beach villages, urban core, old suburb, new gated suburbia, quaint small towns, acreage living...and this is available in the greater Tampa Bay area! Add in cosmopolitan South Fla, central lakes region, the panhandle, Atlantic coast...Florida is more things to more people than any other state.

California as well, but much more expensive

[hanswolfgangmercer]

Thank you all for your very helpful replies. One of the things I think I love most about Florida is how varied it can be depending on what part of the state you're in. I don't really know what I want out of the state, but the good thing is that other than being in a place with some hills, Florida offers everything I could want, whether that be an exciting big city or a more rural setting.

I'm really interested in Saint Augustine, since it is obviously a beautiful city and seems to be big enough to be interesting but small enough to leave room for a more relaxed, spacious feel. Does anyone have any input on that area?

[MovedfromFL]

IMO, the "catch" is low wages combined with high cost of living.

Florida used to have a low cost of living, but that has changed. Rents are high. Per kilowatt hour is high (compared to GA). Auto insurance is double from what you would pay in other areas, and homeowner's insurance is also very high.

Sure, home prices have fallen but you get what you pay for, in terms of school zones and crime, etc with some of these "bargain" homes.

[CTC]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

^^^Nicely said, each person is different...We can never tell you if Florida is the right place for you or not. As you can only decide this.

I will say that the humidity in Florida isn't the issue, it is how many months it can be hot and humid. Right now its 80F with 70% humidity outside in February, its one thing to be hot and humid for 3-4 months in the summer but when parts of Florida can be hot and humid for 10 months out of the year it gets old for some of us. My windows are closed and the AC is on, without the invention of the A/C Florida wouldn't have had the development it has had. South Florida has 4 months of nice weather, this is typically the months the snowbirds come down. Now North Florida is different they get a much cooler winters then Southern Florida, which gives them a little break.

The best advice I can say to people right now is make sure you have a job lined up before you move here or have at least one year savings to live off when you come.

You should try and ACCLIMATE-keep a breeze going with your fans and get used to it. Try to wean yourself from the AC when the weather is mild, which 80 deg is for FL. Your body can/will adjust.

[doggiebus]

I have lived in Florida a loooooooooooong time, I grew up in Florida actually... People always say you will acclimate to the heat and humidity, I just don't believe in that everyone can get used to the heat and humidity.

I get headaches if I overheat and am not hydrated properly. As a kid I went home a lot because of headaches all do to the heat and lack of hydration I had after PE in school. I have fainted a few times from the heat and humidity, not fun. Basically I have learned how to live in South Florida so I don't faint or get many headaches anymore. And that means lots of time indoors. November - April I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Because the rest of the year it is just way to hot and humid to be outside for any extended amount of time. So 6 months of nice weather and 6 months of bad weather. This year however is another story, suppose to be 87 tomorrow Already canceled the daily walk with the neighbor because it will be to hot for me.

[jdoty]

Originally Posted by CTC

You should try and ACCLIMATE-keep a breeze going with your fans and get used to it. Try to wean yourself from the AC when the weather is mild, which 80 deg is for FL. Your body can/will adjust.

This. We keep our A/C set to 80 and open windows and run the fans as needed. One sure-fire way to never adjust to the heat is to keep your A/C set to 72! Plus, running the A/C that cold costs a lot.

[sunnyskies1]

Originally Posted by boxus

Love it here, there is something for everyone that is interested in the place. If you do not like Miami, then you might like St. Pete; if you do not like cities, then there are towns; yuppies, rednecks, and everything in between; got a good mix of it all. Get bored with one scene, then just drive a bit and hang out in another.

The only thing that is not here is mountain climbing and snow skiing.

And I hate these two things! See now you've made me want to move to Florida even more. But then I'd miss my family. So I will keep coming on here and do my Florida dreaming. Thanks for the post.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by hanswolfgangmercer

Thank you all for your very helpful replies. One of the things I think I love most about Florida is how varied it can be depending on what part of the state you're in. I don't really know what I want out of the state, but the good thing is that other than being in a place with some hills, Florida offers everything I could want, whether that be an exciting big city or a more rural setting.

I'm really interested in Saint Augustine, since it is obviously a beautiful city and seems to be big enough to be interesting but small enough to leave room for a more relaxed, spacious feel. Does anyone have any input on that area?

I love Saint Augustine and it was at the top of my list to move to when I moved back to the state (Native Floridian myself). Unfortunately other factors played a role in where I wound up.

Saint Augustine has a lot going for it...history, architecture, culture, beautiful beaches and friendly people. It's interesting how the city is rather packed during the day but will quiet down at night, though it's not dead as the restaurants/bars fill up... but it still seems kind of like two different cities within the same day. I find I liked the hustle-bustle of daytime and more, relaxed "Old Florida feel" at night. Saint Augustine itself has most everything you could want yet is close enough to the much larger city of Jacksonville for big city amenities like malls (St Johns Town Center is awesome), pro sports (Jacksonville Jaguars football) and Jacksonville International Airport.