[JMT]

Originally Posted by daniellefort

I've read many of the posts in FL and it seems like most of the complaints are coming from the South end of Florida as far as cost of living. I live in West Central FL and i really like it here. I'm not having a hard time surviving here. I live in a small town with lots of things to do. It's just a matter of what you need and what you want to survive. Have a big house and all your money will go towards keeping it and that's all your going have. Have a smaller home and be able to have some toys for fun. We have a small home had 2 jets skis and just traded for a travel camper and 4 cars with only 2 of us driving and we don't make 6 figures a year. It's all about priority. To us, having fun and making memories with the family is more important than working to keep that big home and having no fun at all. Check out Citrus County. I think you'll like it here.

Citrus County USED to be a paradise. But now it's becoming another Pinellas County--crowded subdivisions, clogged roads, ridiculous property taxes, yadda yadda yadda. The schools are mediocre (even by Florida standards), the only restaurants are chain restaurants, you have to drive 45 minutes to go to a decent movie theater, and the average age has got to be somewhere around 80, at least in the winters. And considering it's right on the coast, there's only one beach in the entire county, and it's right next to a nuclear power plant.

The Homosassa River used to be crystal clear, but now there are so many people living in the county who have wells and who spray pesticides all over their lush lawns, the river is now brackish and has only about 1/3 of the water coming out of the springs as it did 40 years ago. I guess I was spoiled as a child being able to visit Homosassa and Crystal River before all the snowbirds decided to invade.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by JMT

Citrus County USED to be a paradise. But now it's becoming another Pinellas County--crowded subdivisions, clogged roads, ridiculous property taxes, yadda yadda yadda. The schools are mediocre (even by Florida standards), the only restaurants are chain restaurants, you have to drive 45 minutes to go to a decent movie theater, and the average age has got to be somewhere around 80, at least in the winters. And considering it's right on the coast, there's only one beach in the entire county, and it's right next to a nuclear power plant.

The Homosassa River used to be crystal clear, but now there are so many people living in the county who have wells and who spray pesticides all over their lush lawns, the river is now brackish and has only about 1/3 of the water coming out of the springs as it did 40 years ago. I guess I was spoiled as a child being able to visit Homosassa and Crystal River before all the snowbirds decided to invade.

Sounds like your talking about Crystal River. Yes it's all that you said but Inverness isn't quite like that. we've run out of room to grow as we have a lot of protected land in town that can't be built on. I wouldn't want to live in Crystal River either. It's more expensive there because that's where everyone wants to be. I don't even go to that one beach because it's always closed due to septic overflow during the rainy seasons. In Inverness, we have a movie theatre right in town with 10 or 12 screens, restaurants both chain ones and independent ones, bowling, rollerskating, decent shopping centers not just the old same ole same ole from Walmart, the 7 chain lake which they really did a good job on the parks and walking piers and recently increased the size of the boat slip. We now have the national speedboat races right here in town this weekend. Second year they do that.

[Nirvana-Guy]

I am "unhappy" in FL because of the local stupidity in dealing with the issues.

Like, for example, the local Mayor (Buddy Dyer, who is a disgrace for the city of Orlando) wants to spend something like over $100 MILLION taxpayer Dollars to expand the Orlando Arena. The city desperately needs new roads, more cops on the street, and more room in local schools. But instead, the idiot wants to spend the money in an arena, which defies all logic!! It is almost he has some interest in the project... like he will benefit a friend of his or something. I can think of no other reason why we would divert funds from services the city needs badly to some futile arena expansion.

The Arena is pretty much owned by private companies, so WHY should the taxpayers pay for the area expansions!? Let the coroporation that owns it pay for it, not the taxpayers. We need the money in our communties, specially in the roads and cops on the street.

Also, the home builders have the run of the show down in Florida. They just build with absolutely no regards to where people will go to school, or what roads are available for all the people in these new homes to drive, or without any concern about 'green areas', which are the biggest selling point in Central Florida. The green spaces are pretty much gone now, because it's all built up.

The builders are NOT being held accountable for the strains they cause in the communities, by creating a housing/apt complex in every corner. Oh, also, these guys must own our county commission because they keep getting permits/zoning to build higher and higer buildings, making Orlando, even more sprawled and feeling like Los Angeles (ugh).

The high cost of living is another thing. Many in the middle class are feeling the pinch and are leaving the state in droves, because they don't make the kind of money they need to, t be able to pay for a small house, insurance, food, electricity, etc.

The local economy needs to try to diversify and attract more jobs down here, specially professional jobs. Right now, any even (like 9/11) can shut down the state's mostly tourism based industry. That is very bad.

Illegal aliens are getting to be too much here. Yes it is a nationwide problem, but it is becoming an unfair burden on the local communities, specially because they drive unlicensed and causes car wrecks and have no insurance!

[blissblessed1]

I am happy and i believe any one who is not should move now.

[watsont3]

Originally Posted by blissblessed1

I am happy and i believe any one who is not should move now.

While I realize that sometimes it is easier said than done, if I was as unhappy in a place as some of the posters here seem to be, I would do everything in my power to get out.
Life is too short to live in a place that makes you that unhappy.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by watsont3

While I realize that sometimes it is easier said than done, if I was as unhappy in a place as some of the posters here seem to be, I would do everything in my power to get out.
Life is too short to live in a place that makes you that unhappy.

Amen! And that's exactly what I did. I cannot imagine what it would take for me to ever live in my beloved Florida again.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by daniellefort

Sounds like your talking about Crystal River. Yes it's all that you said but Inverness isn't quite like that. we've run out of room to grow as we have a lot of protected land in town that can't be built on. I wouldn't want to live in Crystal River either. It's more expensive there because that's where everyone wants to be. I don't even go to that one beach because it's always closed due to septic overflow during the rainy seasons. In Inverness, we have a movie theatre right in town with 10 or 12 screens, restaurants both chain ones and independent ones, bowling, rollerskating, decent shopping centers not just the old same ole same ole from Walmart, the 7 chain lake which they really did a good job on the parks and walking piers and recently increased the size of the boat slip. We now have the national speedboat races right here in town this weekend. Second year they do that.

I do prefer Inverness over Homosassa or Crystal River. For one thing, Inverness is a town. Know what I mean? It actually has a downtown.

The movie theaters in Inverness, however, are pitiful; dumpy, old, poor sound quality. The ones in Crystal River aren't much better, just a little newer.

But I agree with you, I think Inverness is a nicer place to live and raise a family than Crystal River.

My grandmother was born in Floral City back in the 1890s. I always enjoy visiting Floral City.

[watsont3]

Originally Posted by JMT

Amen! And that's exactly what I did. I cannot imagine what it would take for me to ever live in my beloved Florida again.

Good for you. I truly hope that you find your Nirvana, wherever it may be.

[daniellefort]

[quote=JMT;515706]

The movie theaters in Inverness, however, are pitiful; dumpy, old, poor sound quality. The ones in Crystal River aren't much better, just a little newer.
QUOTE]

I don't think they are that bad. When was the last time you've been? I rarely go there anyways as it's costs $30 for 2 people with snacks and drinks. I'd rather just wait and do pay per view and make my own snacks but i just threw it out there as something for the kids to do. Also forgot to mention the small oval race track. That's quite entertaining on Saturday nights especially the Figure-8 school buses or boat trailer races. It's hilarious to see. But my point was that there is quite a bit for kids to do around here and i think it's a nice area to raise a family.

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by blissblessed1

I am happy and i believe any one who is not should move now.

I am glad that you are happy here. But not everyone is going to be happy, please don't forget that. (There is always someone that isn't happy in Disney World) It isn't easy for everyone to move, I wish I could move to a cooler climate myself, but I just can't at this point. But what I can do, is offer my opinions about Miami/Florida to someone thinking about moving here, just like you are offering your opinions. I wish people that say what you have said, would stop and think before they type, maybe this person is trying to leave, maybe what they have said is actually happening, maybe I am lucky I haven't experienced the negative things about Florida, maybe there is no right or wrong answer just an opinion and they are entitled to their opinion. I am sure that the people who are unhappy here would prefer to move.