[espizarro]

Ever since I took the Alligator Alley the first time I feel that two worlds are separated by 70 miles of pure nothingness. For those who live in SoFla, perhaps you have never seen more cars going in the direction to Naples than to the direction of Ft. Lauderdale in the I-75/I-595 jct.

I was today in Miami. SUNDAY! Traffic jams everywhere. To Coral Gables and to Miami Beach. There is just too much people packed together over there. I confirmed my preference for the Tampa Bay Area, although I have been stuck in serious traffic jams in I-75 there but mostly because of the construction thing in the segment between Fletcher and Fowler.

[doggiebus]

SoFla and SWFl really are two different worlds, one is a slower paced, smaller towns vacation type lifestyle and the other is a faster paced, bigger city, hectic lifestyle. If you came to Miami this weekend you came during one of the busiest weekend of the year. The International Boat Show and the Coconut Grove Art Festival are going on, on top of the snowbirds that are still in town.

[Sweetbottoms]

Yes ... I refuse to cross that barrier. SWFL is way cleaner a s nicer than what's over that exspanse of highway and it better be a funeral for me to pay that toll to look at that side of the state.

[WhatUpFLA]

Yes, I strongly feel as though SW FL and SE FL are different worlds. I've felt that way since before moving to FL.

SW FL is cleaner, newer, and is more aesthetically-pleasing than SE FL, especially Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. The infrastructure in SW FL is better maintained, and the beaches are far more beautiful. The sand is whiter, the water is clearer, and the skies aren't as cloudy. Also, nature is more accessible in SW FL than it is in SE FL.

However, there is less to do in SW FL overall, especially for young families and singles in their 20's and 30's like me, since that area caters primarily to older tourists, retirees, and snowbirds. The people in SW FL are more laid back than the people in SE FL, and the population is, on average, more mature. Jobs are harder to come by in SW FL, especially well-paying positions, and illegal immigration is more of an issue as there is a much higher proportion of migrant workers living in Lee and Collier Counties than in the SE FL counties.

SW FL has a subhumid tropical climate whereas SE FL has a humid tropical climate which is the reason why SW FL is about 10-11 inches drier annually than SE FL. Also, SW FL doesn't experience all-day rain events like SE FL during the rainy season (May-October, inclusive). In SE FL, it will rain all day long during the summer and you won't see the sun at all; summers in SE FL are somewhat gloomy. SW FL summers are more closely-related to the well-known ideal of a summer day in FL: Hot and sunny in the morning; a sudden 10-minute downpour and/or thunderstorm in the afternoon; and then a clear, mostly sunny late afternoon and evening. I wish SE FL summer days were more like this, especially in May/June and September/October. Additionally, SW FL also has more clear, sunny days; warmer daytime high temperatures; and cooler evening low temperatures.

SW FL is home to fewer people, is less densely populated, and has less diversity than SE FL. It is also much less hectic and much more laid back than SE FL. The coastal communities of SW FL are truly resort communities that cater to tourists and snowbirds whereas the coastal communities of SE FL are suburbs of the major cities (MIA, FTL, & WPB).

As an aside, Naples, Marco Island, Sanibel Island, and Captiva are my favorite places in FL.

Overall, SWFL is much nicer than SE FL, which can feel like Hell on earth sometimes, IMO.