[wander_x]

I would really appreciate your recommendations!

Without going too far into the whole life story:

I feel very lucky to have grown up in a small town in MA (think pumpkin picking, cute main street, little scenic houses, good public school education). Someday I imagine going back - my heart is still there and I miss the four seasons. Every year my family went to Florida to visit more family, so I am familiar with it and didn't imagine ever living there full time. I went to college in the northeast and instead always had this yearning to move to California.

Fast forward many years, I've enjoyed living in California immensely. Based in LA, I've spent significant time everywhere from San Diego to San Francisco. I'm an energetic twenty something in LA but not flashy, entertainment-oriented, or a partier. My fondest memories of California will be the hiking, the outdoors, the friends I've met here through a great church and book/hiking groups.

That being said, I'm over it. I'm tired of the fast pace of LA, the small daily inconveniences of doing basic things, the traffic, the price. To afford it here I have 4 roommates in an ever-increasing rental in a so-so area. I'm ready to have some sense of privacy, home, security, and lower cost of living. I want to be able to park my car easily and go for runs in the neighborhood at sunset and not feel the least bit unsafe. It's so dry here and I miss the warm atlantic ocean, I miss being closer to my family on the east coast for holidays, I miss seeing rain/weather patterns. If I could, I'd go back to MA, but my family is all in FL now and I'd rather be close to them. Make of that what you will, but it's my experience at this moment.

With my job, I can live anywhere near a major airport. After being in LA so long and tired of it, I don't fit the stereotypical "oh you're a twenty something, go to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale" description because I'd like somewhere easier, cheaper, more laid back. That being said, I'm also used to living in a vibrant area, being surrounded by people my own age, having certain amenities. I am very afraid of winding up in a boring retirement area that is isolating or lonely.

Here is my ultimate "wish list": (is this a total unicorn?)
-Near a major airport
-Rent a nice studio/1 bed for ~$1,000 in a nice area of town that is not falling apart or sketchy
-Be able to go for long runs in the surrounding neighborhood/on the beach at various hours without any safety concerns
-A great gym
-Trader Joe's would be a lifesaver (sorry, I strongly dislike Publix, WinnDixie, Walmart, and don't buy groceries at Target)
-Be near an actual independent town main street (not just highways, strip malls, and subdivisions) with coffee shops, places to gather on the street-level with other twenty somethings, some nice public parks
-A great welcoming church that caters to the younger crowd, not older families/retirees
-Outdoor recreation, would love to be near the ocean (prefer Atlantic side over the gulf but I know i'm asking too much)

Anywhere come even 75% close?
Thanks for your insight

[wander_x]

Anyone? I got a suggestion while talking with a friend to check out Jacksonville Beach/Ponte Verde Beach. Maybe I will go post on the Jacksonville forum...

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by wander_x

Anyone? I got a suggestion while talking with a friend to check out Jacksonville Beach/Ponte Verde Beach. Maybe I will go post on the Jacksonville forum...

That might be the best fit. Not In Jacksonville, but on the outskirts.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by wander_x

With my job, I can live anywhere near a major airport. After being in LA so long and tired of it, I don't fit the stereotypical "oh you're a twenty something, go to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale" description because I'd like somewhere easier, cheaper, more laid back. That being said, I'm also used to living in a vibrant area, being surrounded by people my own age, having certain amenities. I am very afraid of winding up in a boring retirement area that is isolating or lonely.

Here is my ultimate "wish list": (is this a total unicorn?)
-Near a major airport
-Rent a nice studio/1 bed for ~$1,000 in a nice area of town that is not falling apart or sketchy
-Be able to go for long runs in the surrounding neighborhood/on the beach at various hours without any safety concerns
-A great gym
-Trader Joe's would be a lifesaver (sorry, I strongly dislike Publix, WinnDixie, Walmart, and don't buy groceries at Target)
-Be near an actual independent town main street (not just highways, strip malls, and subdivisions) with coffee shops, places to gather on the street-level with other twenty somethings, some nice public parks
-A great welcoming church that caters to the younger crowd, not older families/retirees
-Outdoor recreation, would love to be near the ocean (prefer Atlantic side over the gulf but I know i'm asking too much)

Anywhere come even 75% close?
Thanks for your insight

I can do better than 75% if you switch coasts. Check out the rapidly revitalizing neighborhoods in/around downtown St Pete. Use the Trader Joe's as a start point in terms of surrounding neighborhoods.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tr...5753730c94cf32

[Restrain]

Close to a major airport, Orlando area comes to mind first. Lots of younger people, thriving metropolis.

[wander_x]

Originally Posted by Restrain

Close to a major airport, Orlando area comes to mind first. Lots of younger people, thriving metropolis.

Thanks! I agree that Orlando probably has more to do and more people my age to meet than Jacksonville, but I'd like to avoid areas that would remind me of LA in terms of congestion, traffic, sprawl, etc. Do you have a specific area in mind that meets my criteria in Orlando?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by wander_x

Thanks! I agree that Orlando probably has more to do and more people my age to meet than Jacksonville, but I'd like to avoid areas that would remind me of LA in terms of congestion, traffic, sprawl, etc. Do you have a specific area in mind that meets my criteria in Orlando?

Here is my ultimate "wish list": (is this a total unicorn?)
-Near a major airport
-Rent a nice studio/1 bed for ~$1,000 in a nice area of town that is not falling apart or sketchy
-Be able to go for long runs in the surrounding neighborhood/on the beach at various hours without any safety concerns
-A great gym
-Trader Joe's would be a lifesaver (sorry, I strongly dislike Publix, WinnDixie, Walmart, and don't buy groceries at Target)
-Be near an actual independent town main street (not just highways, strip malls, and subdivisions) with coffee shops, places to gather on the street-level with other twenty somethings, some nice public parks
-A great welcoming church that caters to the younger crowd, not older families/retirees
-Outdoor recreation, would love to be near the ocean (prefer Atlantic side over the gulf but I know i'm asking too much)

All in all you'll find four of your criteria met in Orlando.