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We're in the midst of summer up here in PA and it's feeling great, but unfortunately it will come to an end.
For the first time in my life I have moved (With my family) out of my childhood home. I thought it was going to be much more painful than it was, especially regarding the circumstances but to my surprise I'm actually coping just fine. My sister went to live with my father and I am renting out an apartment for my mother and I. To some it may be later on in life but it has instilled a tremendous sense of control, making me realize just how much sooner I should've taken this step.
I moved a few minutes outside of the town I once lived and it's really made me want to move again.
In PA the months are usually effortless until after Christmas. Those long painful winter days that don't seem to brighten up again until late , LATE spring or early summer.
I'm 25 now and have realized that I want out of this. The winters dread far outweighs the summers pleasure.
Thankfully I work for myself and from home. I could live literally anywhere so this is why I'm asking - because there is a definite possibility.
Now I know people in Florida speak of the relentless humidity but perhaps it's just a trade off you have to deal with? In the winter my skin and fingers crack, Seasonal Affective Disorder hits me relentlessly and the grey skies eventually get to you.
I apologize if this is all over the place but I've realized that maybe this climate isn't for me.
I do believe the only month I would TRULY miss is October. There is absolutely nothing like it... maybe November.
So for you who have moved down, how do you like it? Is the humidity as bad as they say? Would you trade it for a NE winter and dark skies?
I'd love to hear some viewpoints from people who have made this move, or even the opposite !
lots of people move down here (most I would say) for the exact same reasons you listed..I traded in the perpetual long gray winter days of the NE (Maryland) for the ever abundant sunshine here, and even though the humidity is terrible, it's still better than winter..you're young..move to the east coast..too many old people over here on the west coast for you..come on down and rent first..best of luck to ya..
You can also consider some other places that don't carry the extreme swing in climate difference. Many people move to Florida thinking the weather is going to be great and during that "honeymoon period" of the first few winters it is for most. But then as the years tick by with 8 months of temperatures consistently over 85 degrees and about 4 to 5 months of excessive humidity it can/does start to get old pretty quick. Many wind up as what's known as "halfbackers", people who move down from the Northeast only to find it's not what they thought so they move halfway back to areas in the Carolinas or Georgia for example. I would suggest investigating those options too because often the more moderate decision versus the extreme tends to be more logical, and the better one.
lots of people move down here (most I would say) for the exact same reasons you listed.
Tons of threads saying the exact same thing.
OP keep in mind as the other poster said - you don't have to move to the extreme opposite.
There are plenty of areas throughout the country where the winters will be milder.
Countless people move to Florida because they hate winter, didn't make enough trips down before the move to check things out, didn't consider there are other options, and end up miserable.
The average time a person that moves to Florida stays is (4) years.
Do plenty of homework and traveling to various areas before you make the move.
Best of luck!
I can't tell you how many threads we've had on this so I would encourage you to look at some of them.
However, I will share my experience, for what it is worth.
I am a native of Michigan abut went to college in Pennsylvania, law school in Boston and spent time in between in California and Texas, so I guess I've seen the continuum.
I missed the season but learned to embrace the more subtle differences between the winter and summer seasons. Now it seems like they are just as different. I miss the cultural opportunities in the myriad museums and symphonies, etc. but recognize here they are there but you have to combine them with the opportunities the natural world provides down here. A LOT of people come her e from the Northeast and are miserable, and I really mean A LOT. But they are victims of their own moaning. This isn't the northeast pm;y waker. Do your research. Make sure you can get a job. Make sure you are comfortable living without the support network you are leaving behind. This is a transient world. and it takes a while to have a network equal to what you led t behind.
Hurricanes are something you need to learn to prepare for, I have no doubt others will come behind me saying I am an alarmist but when I moved to Florida, initially the Jensen Beach area. I was old they never ever hit there due to the Bahamas. Three direct hits later well, I will just say be prepared. It isn't a reason not to move but you need to be prepared.
Of course having said all the cautionary tales and after several direct hurricane hits I am happy here. I have more in terms of space than I ever would have had for the money in Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, etc. but just bear in the back of your mind that there is a reason, Everything is trade-off.
As someone moving back north in a few months, I can say that it really depends heavily on the person - if you love October, I agree with other posters that you may want to consider a nice in-between - there are really pretty beaches in the Carolinas, and even northern Georgia (all of which are overall lower cost of living), and while I do prefer Florida's coast, you can drive down here to visit. The temperatures don't really describe the way summer (aka 8-10 months of the year) feels - I lived in Phoenix for 7 years and it feels more exhausting to be outside here in summer than it did there. I run the air conditioning constantly until January, and it goes back on in March (and that's just to keep the place under 80 degrees and to lessen the humidity). As someone who grew up with distinct seasons, I also feel like the years I've spent in Florida all just run together. It can feel like you're kind of stuck in time, and I've heard other coworkers and friends say the same after they moved here (many of which left to go back home to the midwest and northeast).
I hear you on the dry winters. The humidity here means a lot less of the dry skin issue, but a lot more of the constantly-dripping-wet problem. Your clothes are NEVER dry, no matter how long you dry them. I developed issues with cysts due to skin always being wet, and when I asked my dermatologist for advice after the second time I had them surgically removed (I bathe once or twice a day), he said it was just fairly common for some transplants here, as well as increased acne.
Fall is my favorite season, and while a few parts of northern Florida get some color change, that crisp fall air and fiery colors aren't something you're going to see much of here. I will say that I don't regret coming to Florida, it's beautiful and there's a lot of fun to be had here, but I'm happy to come back and visit as opposed to stick around long term. If you do head to Florida, I recommend staying further north in the state if you're good with the more southern culture - it's more affordable and cooler in winter. The fact that you don't need to find work here makes the cheaper areas a nice option.
Since I moved here from PA nearly five years ago, I'll add my two cents...
I don't really miss too much that I can't remedy by a trip back once a year. My wife and I generally go back in May/June to avoid any inclement northern weather whatsoever. We visit a few of our old haunts, visit friends, family, etc. I have family visiting right now for a few weeks. More family will be visiting the first week of August. I expect that I'll start getting visitors over the winter as well. No big deal, I have spare rooms and we enjoy the company.
Speaking of weather, as far as I am concerned, the weather here is perfect from mid/late October to the beginning of May. The rest of the year is hot, but bearable IMO. I am still waiting for it to be as bad as everyone would have had me believe before I made the move.
I live in what I would call North Central Florida and am within five miles of the Gulf. In winter, it does get down into the 20s a few nights a year, and the 30s more often than that. I've gotten up in the morning and it's in the 30s but by 10am its in the high 70s. It warms up quick.
At our house in PA, we kept the heat on 68 and the AC was on 78. Down here, we keep the heat and AC set to 74 pretty much all the time. My tolerances and comfort level have definitely changed.
If bright skies are what you are looking for, you'll find it here. I wear sunglasses pretty much every single day of the year.
If you can afford to own your own place, I personally think that's a better choice as rents seem high down here as demand is high with the snowbirds, tourists and whatnot. Car insurance is higher, but the tax savings should easily offset that (at least it does for me).
Last edited by HWTechGuy; 07-28-2017 at 03:54 PM..
Since I moved here from PA nearly five years ago, I'll add my two cents...
I don't really miss too much that I can't remedy by a trip back once a year. My wife and I generally go back in May/June to avoid any inclement northern weather whatsoever. We visit a few of our old haunts, visit friends, family, etc. I have family visiting right now for a few weeks. More family will be visiting the first week of August. I expect that I'll start getting visitors over the winter as well. No big deal, I have spare rooms and we enjoy the company.
Speaking of weather, as far as I am concerned, the weather here is perfect from mid/late October to the beginning of May. The rest of the year is hot, but bearable IMO. I am still waiting for it to be as bad as everyone would have had me believe before I made the move.
I live in what I would call North Central Florida and am within five miles of the Gulf. In winter, it does get down into the 20s a few nights a year, and the 30s more often than that. I've gotten up in the morning and it's in the 30s but by 10am its in the high 70s. It warms up quick.
At our house in PA, we kept the heat on 68 and the AC was on 78. Down here, we keep the heat and AC set to 74 pretty much all the time. My tolerances and comfort level have definitely changed.
If bright skies are what you are looking for, you'll find it here. I wear sunglasses pretty much every single day of the year.
If you can afford to own your own place, I personally think that's a better choice as rents seem high down here as demand is high with the snowbirds, tourists and whatnot. Car insurance is higher, but the tax savings should easily offset that (at least it does for me).
Spring Hill I wouldn't really consider a northern FL climate. Brooksville that is nearby the coldest average high is 71 in early Jan with an average low of 48. Ft. Myers the coldest average high is 74 in mid Jan with an average low of 53. Not a huge difference with the average highs. I got family in Land O Lakes and their weather isn't much different than me and I'm almost 120 miles south of them.
The peninsula of Florida Ocala on South has a totally different climate than the Pan Handle. I think having water surrounding both sides of the state and the Gulf are a factor. The warmer waters of the gulf moderate the air temps for the peninsula when there is an NW wind. The Pan Handle doesn't have this because the air is blowing from the continental US and not able to moderate over the Gulf. That is why you see a big temp difference between the Pan Handle and the peninsula.
We moved to Florida form the DC area. We love living in Florida and have better weather than DC. Everywhere in Florida is nice in the winter. You can get the sunshine you want and are comfortable. Last winter we had to spend several months in Delaware for work and we were miserable. The cold cloudy winter was depressing.
The summers are what separate folks that love Florida from folks that don't. Obese folks suffer in the summer. If you live a few hundred feet from an ocean, it will help keep you cooler, but at some point you will need to go to a hardware store on the mainland and will feel the summer humidity. If you like warm weather and humidity doesn't bother you, Florida could be perfect for you.
If you miss October, you can take an October vacation to see old friends and the trees. Then go home and miss the snowstorms, cloudy weather and cold of winter farther north.
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