[WhatUpFLA]

I'm searching for Floridians who have either lived or spent a considerable amount in TX.

How do the two states compare? Which state do you prefer and why? Is TX a huge downgrade from FL?

It'd be nice to be around a greater number of young, educated professionals who are ambitious and career-driven like myself. The major cities in FL tend to be lacking in this department compared to the major cities in TX. However, I've been told that if you have an amazing position in FL like I do, there's no need to move to TX. I've also been told that TX is just a place people end up if they can't find a good job in FL, as TX is a lot less desirable than FL from the perspective of a Floridian at least.

Truth be told, I probably won't end up moving to TX anytime soon. I love my job, and I have only been employed with my company for less than three years. Moving within the next year or so is not really an option at this time. However, three to five years down the line is a different story. Who knows how I'll feel about South FL at that point? As an aside, I don't think I'd raise children in South FL.

I'd like to hear the opinions of others, both positive and negative, as I'm simply curious.

[Not_liking_FL]

I've never lived in Texas, but I do travel there fairly often for work. IMO, if you have a good job in Florida you should probably stay where you are. I would only move to Texas if it was a huge promotion.

Cost of living would probably be less in TX, especially compared to S. FL. I've noticed that the people in TX are A LOT friendlier than people in FL. If I did have to pick a place to live in TX, I would look at Houston or Austin.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by WhatUpFLA

I'm searching for Floridians who have either lived or spent a considerable amount in TX.

How do the two states compare? Which state do you prefer and why? Is TX a huge downgrade from FL?

It'd be nice to be around a greater number of young, educated professionals who are ambitious and career-driven like myself. The major cities in FL tend to be lacking in this department compared to the major cities in TX. However, I've been told that if you have an amazing position in FL like I do, there's no need to move to TX. I've also been told that TX is just a place people end up if they can't find a good job in FL, as TX is a lot less desirable than FL from the perspective of a Floridian at least.

Truth be told, I probably won't end up moving to TX anytime soon. I love my job, and I have only been employed with my company for less than three years. Moving within the next year or so is not really an option at this time. However, three to five years down the line is a different story. Who knows how I'll feel about South FL at that point? As an aside, I don't think I'd raise children in South FL.

I'd like to hear the opinions of others, both positive and negative, as I'm simply curious.

I was born & raised in Florida, lived in the Tampa Bay Area, Orlando, and the Ft. Myers area for the better part of 20 years.

June will mark my 4th year of living in Texas. When I moved to Texas, we weren't sure which city we wanted to live/work in, so we tried out each. I originally started in Houston but ended up moving to San Antonio and Dallas before finally settling on Houston.

To be honest, Texas is a much more diverse state than the media or Hollywood would lead you to believe. Most of Texas's larger cities are fairly liberal, or at least a 50/50 split (Houston and Fort Worth are fairly even, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso always learn left, although, Houston elected an openly gay mayor.)

I've always compared Houston to the Tampa Bay Area, It's a work city. Unlike Austin and DFW, Houston is a blue collar town. The Port of Houston is one of the busiest in the world, so we have a lot of truckers, warehouses, distribution centers, energy companies, ect, ect..

The weather is also somewhat similar, I won't lie though, I think in the summer, Tampa is probably a bit cooler but there's a reason why Houston is known as the most air conditioned city in the world. We have palm trees and tropical plants, we have access to beaches too. Granted, Galveston isn't the nicest beach in the world, but we also have access to Corpus Christi, and it's beautiful.

We have several colleges and universities within the city, we have 3 huge community colleges within the city (Lone Star, HCC, and San Jacinto) We're home to the University of Houston, U of H-Clearlake, U of H-Downtown, Texas Southern University, Rice University, Houston Baptist University, St. Thomas University, Texas A&M has a campus in Galveston, and Texas A&M, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and Prairie View A&M all offer classes and programs at the Lone Star College-University Center in Cypress.

We have much more culture than any city in Florida, actually the theater and arts district in Houston rates 2nd in the United States only to New York.

I love Texas, I've often thought about moving back to Florida because of sentimental reasons (I'm a native) but economically it wouldn't make sense. Texas has a MUCH cheaper cost of living, much more house for the price if you're buying, friendly people, pride about themselves, and one of the least transient populations in the country.

It's really not even a close comparison, IMHO, The only thing Florida has on Texas is the quality of beaches.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by WhatUpFLA

I'm searching for Floridians who have either lived or spent a considerable amount in TX.

How do the two states compare? Which state do you prefer and why? Is TX a huge downgrade from FL?

It'd be nice to be around a greater number of young, educated professionals who are ambitious and career-driven like myself. The major cities in FL tend to be lacking in this department compared to the major cities in TX. However, I've been told that if you have an amazing position in FL like I do, there's no need to move to TX. I've also been told that TX is just a place people end up if they can't find a good job in FL, as TX is a lot less desirable than FL from the perspective of a Floridian at least.

Truth be told, I probably won't end up moving to TX anytime soon. I love my job, and I have only been employed with my company for less than three years. Moving within the next year or so is not really an option at this time. However, three to five years down the line is a different story. Who knows how I'll feel about South FL at that point? As an aside, I don't think I'd raise children in South FL.

I'd like to hear the opinions of others, both positive and negative, as I'm simply curious.

See the bolded part, my friend. You'd be a fool to leave. JMO

[cBach]

One visit to Galveston and you'll see why you should stay in Florida. Y'all have beaches that most people dream about.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by cBach

One visit to Galveston and you'll see why you should stay in Florida. Y'all have beaches that most people dream about.

Yes, because beaches are what's most important in life, I see we can always count on the elitists posting from Austin..

Galveston is FINE. It may not have beaches with pristine white sand and turquoise water but it is what it is. It's a beach and it's the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston is a pretty decent sized city, with access to one of the largest cities in the United States and nice/cheap houses. The county boasts an unemployment rate below 7% with access to Harris County which is below 6%.

GALVESTON TEXAS

The beaches in Galveston (and most of Texas) are natural. You're allowed to drive on them, and as far as I know, you're still legally allowed to camp, fish, drink alcohol, and have fires as long as you clean up after yourself (I camped on the beach for a week in Brazoria County when I first moved to Texas back in 2009, we had a camp fire every night, we fished, slept in a tent in the bed of my truck, they were good times. I was NEVER allowed to do that in Florida.)

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

See the bolded part, my friend. You'd be a fool to leave. JMO

Agreed. Tx likely affords more opportunities to the average person, but if you can swing the job you desire in fl, I'd stick with that

[WhatUpFLA]

Have most of the jobs created over the past few years in Texas been well-paying blue-collar jobs that require little skill and experience and no education?

I have a feeling that most of the people on this forum who have moved from FL to TX are blue-collar and service industry workers who were unable to secure gainful employment in FL. Many blue-collar and service industry positions in FL don't pay enough with respect to the high cost of living. That's all over this forum. Additionally, most of the people who move to FL in the first place, as well as many of the people who have lived here their entire lives, are blue-collar or service industry workers.

[WhatUpFLA]

Originally Posted by TXRyan23

Yes, because beaches are what's most important in life, I see we can always count on the elitists posting from Austin..

Galveston is FINE. It may not have beaches with pristine white sand and turquoise water but it is what it is. It's a beach and it's the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston is a pretty decent sized city, with access to one of the largest cities in the United States and nice/cheap houses. The county boasts an unemployment rate below 7% with access to Harris County which is below 6%.

GALVESTON TEXAS

The beaches in Galveston (and most of Texas) are natural. You're allowed to drive on them, and as far as I know, you're still legally allowed to camp, fish, drink alcohol, and have fires as long as you clean up after yourself (I camped on the beach for a week in Brazoria County when I first moved to Texas back in 2009, we had a camp fire every night, we fished, slept in a tent in the bed of my truck, they were good times. I was NEVER allowed to do that in Florida.)

I'm from Rhode Island. There are no beaches in RI or in New England, for that matter, on which you can drive. Same with FL, as the only beach in FL on which you can drive is Daytona Beach. That's not allowed at most beaches and shouldn't be, IMO, because it's environmentally destructive.

Why on earth would you want to destroy the beauty of pristine beaches? Well, unless, of course, the beaches are ugly, then it's okay to drive on them.

[mateo384]

Daytona Beach is far from an ugly beach.