[kassie99]

Look at those tans! Bet all those people died of skin cancer.

[Fl1150]

Will the stereotypes ever end ?

[tinytrump]

Well if from the north maybe- ? I never met anyone with melanoma

[Griffis]

Originally Posted by 1insider

I'm in the hippy/surfer/beach bum part of Florida.

Originally Posted by StreetSmarts

that still exists?

Originally Posted by 1insider

Between the north fork of A1A in Cocoa Beach to Patrick Air Force Base. North of the fork, it's just another tourist town.

Ah. I was going to ask. Good to know.

Originally Posted by A1A4

...Florida gets progressively more "Southern" the farther North you go.

I've heard this a lot. How many other states can you say this about?

My family and I are planning to relocate to Florida before the end of the year. We don't expect Paradise; we just hope to be fairly close to beach.

We have lived all over the country and traveled widely, but somehow none of us has ever been to Florida.

My sister moved down there about 25 years ago (first Destin, then Ft. Walton Beach) and says she'd never live anywhere else.

A good friend of mine recently moved his family to Panama City (from Tulsa, OK) and is loving it.

We have been around enough to know that no place is a perfect Eden, but where we are now is ugly, landlocked, every bit as hot and humid as Florida (more so according to most weather/temp aggregates I've looked at), depressing and offers nothing to do.

Who knows, we may not stay there, but I expect to give it a good 2-3 year run to make a go of it and see how we like it.

Please wish us luck. We're cool.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

It depends on the individual person - I live on West Coast near Sarasota -many Midwesterners - some NY/NJ people - some people stay in house - never use pool - some are always out on their lanais welcoming people having parties - its hit or miss

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Griffis

Ah. I was going to ask. Good to know.



I've heard this a lot. How many other states can you say this about?

My family and I are planning to relocate to Florida before the end of the year. We don't expect Paradise; we just hope to be fairly close to beach.

We have lived all over the country and traveled widely, but somehow none of us has ever been to Florida.

My sister moved down there about 25 years ago (first Destin, then Ft. Walton Beach) and says she'd never live anywhere else.

A good friend of mine recently moved his family to Panama City (from Tulsa, OK) and is loving it.

We have been around enough to know that no place is a perfect Eden, but where we are now is ugly, landlocked, every bit as hot and humid as Florida (more so according to most weather/temp aggregates I've looked at), depressing and offers nothing to do.

Who knows, we may not stay there, but I expect to give it a good 2-3 year run to make a go of it and see how we like it.

Please wish us luck. We're cool.

I know what you mean and have been visiting all over FL for years and in all months. Moving to the Mid East Coast of FL next year in a nice area and no a lot of Snow Birds in the Winter and still easy access to the major attractions and cities. Currently in East TN and it is Just as hot and humid, just for a shorter period of time, and then... it gets cold and I hate cold.

We did look at the Panhandle but it can get cold in the Winter and crowded as well and too far from a lot of what FL has to offer. Some people love it, but while we enjoy visiting we did not want to live there.

[SouthSota14]

Originally Posted by tinytrump

No the midwestern people are all closed up indoors- keep windows closed and never sit in the porch or lanais- have pools for looks and are not community minded,,, I'm a native and lived all 3 cities-and have family in the panhandle. keep Florida what it is --open shirts, shorts, bathing suits and a suntan and lots of people mingling

This echoes my sentiments. The midwest people are the worst to deal with and the most passive aggressive. I dont like that about the TB side AT ALL and this comes from a New Englander. Lowell area MA to be exact. I dont relate to these people at all. I'd prefer a southerner even unless of course they're like that snake oil salesman type. The Latin and Northeast cultures are most real, but not as much in the Tampa area. But ya that midwestern element is not very involved or vested in the community typically, they want to live in margaritaville all the time but not really be active like in a community sense.. you never know what they're thinking.. you always have to guess. I bet these are the same lot of transplants, like from Suburban illinois and Suburban Michigan who communicate with you like they're an outback server, like fake you know. Nothing is genuine.

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by espizarro

Florida has kind of four cultures in one state, for what I can see it's, more or less, as follows:

Midwestern Florida: SW Florida and Tampa Bay
Northeastern Florida: Central Florida and all of the east except for Miami-Dade
Southern Florida: The entire panhandle, North Central Florida and the west coast north of Tampa Bay (including Pasco and Hernando counties)
Latin American Florida: Duh... Obvious isn't it?

And then you have the Keys which is kind of unique in Florida.

Agree or disagree?

Yes, on a general level, that looks about right. I lived in North FL (Tallahassee/Panama City) for many years and 1 year in Fort Lauderdale. During that year, I commuted to Miami for 6 months. You could include "Caribbean" into that Latin mix since there are large Haitian and Jamaican communities in Miami.

The FL Panhandle is definitely the "Deep South" - very similar to Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.
That route 20 from Tallahassee to Destin is like a trip through Confederate territory with all the Confederate flags and truck stickers.

The annual FSU-Miami football game is like a clash of cultures.


By contrast, Central FL is very diverse and like an Upper East Coast city. But it also has people from far out west in Pac 12 country. That would be the "I-4" corridor - ideal for a young urban professional (except when hurricanes hit).

[craigiri]

Central (Orlando and areas surrounding it) cannot be defined. Somewhat soulless IMHO, but I'm sure many people live and work there and think otherwise.

Working up the east coast.....
Latin America and now Russian (big time), but also Northeastern (especially jewish folks).
Then
Mixture - still mostly Northeasterners including some very wealthy recluses, etc. (Palms). Still heavily Jewish (in terms of overall percentage).
Then
Anyone and everyone from that point up to Jacksonville. Jacksonville is heavily military influenced (as is the panhandle) due to various reasons.

In the Center - nothing. North of Lake O eventually leads to Orlando - nowhere land.
Inland now has quite a few communities (the Villages are the largest) and many more coming. Seniors, etc.

Heading west or NW you enter what could be called "Alabama in Florida". I know. I have family that lives there. The big attraction in their town is an old "cracker shack" that we all took pictures of...or the BBQ joint.

There is almost nothing west of there - Cedar Key and the Swannee - no beaches or coast you can easily get to. Water World.

The Panhandle is a combination of military, big paper and timber, vacationers from the South and Midwest, etc.

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by craigiri

In the Center - nothing. North of Lake O eventually leads to Orlando - nowhere land.
Inland now has quite a few communities (the Villages are the largest) and many more coming. Seniors, etc.

I'm glad people still think this. It keeps Florida's best kept secret... secret.

Anyways. You apparently haven't heard of the Ridge (Heartland).