[d4g4m]

St. Pete, Tampa, Orlando and any town east of I-95 from West Palm to Miami.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Loefflerja

Hello!
My husband and I are planning a move to Florida next summer. We are looking for some advice on where we should be looking. We are a big family with 8 kids. We are white but five of our children are adopted and Black. We want a town where both Black and White people live and intermingle and neighborhoods that aren't so segregated by race. We are looking for a relatively liberal area that is diverse with decent schools, safe neighborhoods, and affordable. We would like to be within 30 mins of nice beaches and also commutting distance to a bigger city due to my husbands career. Any suggestions?

What you are looking for isn't to be found in Florida and certainly not in Jacksonville. I'm not being negative, rather providing a dose of realism as I know there just isn't the desegregation you speak of here in FL as the vast majority is the state is still very segregated residentially, and lacks in that diversity you speak of outside of a few instances in the Miami-Ft Lauderdale area...which is by no means "affordable". I would urge you to give up on the beach element and look at a more desegregated city like Atlanta which is also progressive/liberal, affordable and offers an excellent job market. The northern suburbs like Duluth, Lawrenceville and Tucker are prime examples to check out.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

What you are looking for isn't to be found in Florida and certainly not in Jacksonville. I'm not being negative, rather providing a dose of realism as I know there just isn't the desegregation you speak of here in FL as the vast majority is the state is still very segregated residentially, and lacks in that diversity you speak of outside of a few instances in the Miami-Ft Lauderdale area...which is by no means "affordable". I would urge you to give up on the beach element and look at a more desegregated city like Atlanta which is also progressive/liberal, affordable and offers an excellent job market. The northern suburbs like Duluth, Lawrenceville and Tucker are prime examples to check out.

I mostly agree with this ^^^. OP, if you are sure you want Florida, forget Jax, I don't think that is a good fit at all. I feel that Tampa would be the closest especially with diversity; I was born and raised there, it always was a city with a huge population of Spaniards, Cubans, African American, Italian, etc. These days there are even more, with a lot of Puerto Rican, Indian, and many other people respresented. It is a large enough city for job opportunities (depending what you are looking for). You will be further than 30 minutes from beaches, more like 45 depending on traffic. Best schools in south Tampa, but that is the most expensive area within the city. Hope this helps!

As for the "liberal" aspect, I won't address that. People come on this forum all the time asking for "liberal" places, and I have found that means different things to different people. It is a mix here, and for the most part I would just say it is more live-and-let-live if anything.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

St. Pete, Tampa, Orlando and any town east of I-95 from West Palm to Miami.

I think parts of Brevard and Jax would be fine also.

[sithlord72]

You can also check out Gainesville or Tallahassee. Both big college towns , and always vote Democratic during Election Day

[Fredesch]

I think you would be fine anywhere beachside. Beachside folks are friendly and into the ocean more than they are into any political or cultural view. Your problem beachside would be the limited number of houses that can accommodate 8. Good luck in your search.

[wizrap]

Originally Posted by sithlord72

You can also check out Gainesville or Tallahassee. Both big college towns , and always vote Democratic during Election Day

We moved up here to Gainesvile from South Florida and I agree that G'ville checks off quite a few of the wants, except beach proximity. We love going to Jacksonville and St. Augustine Beach but it's about an hour and a half or so drive. So not super far, but not close either.

But Gainesville gets high marks for liberal (neighborhoods closer to the college, especially--however, the western suburbs are definitely more mixed and in some pockets are Trump Country). Affordability -- our home in Gainesville was nearly one-half of the price of our SFLA home. Health care--my experience, far superior here. Area also gets high marks for education. Good luck!

[tb2727]

Thanks for posting this! I'm considering moving to Florida too - for the warm and sunny weather - just kidding markjames66! Hilarious video.....!
I've been reading a bunch of other posts too and Jacksonville is popping up everywhere. I feel the same way as you with the political party. I'd prefer a nice mix - currently living in all red area.
I hope more opinions pop up as I'd like to hear them too.

[TD*]

Tallahassee is a good bet.

[Alena Nicole]

Orlando Beautiful is a great city 🌃 for that matter. You will find a lot of great neighborhoods to choose from . Housing market went up price wise , but still affordable for many families. Family your size may find a house to buy from $300k+ , off course will depend on the area and how central it is , if you are willing to go further to suburbs of Greater Orlando , then there is a possibility of like $250k+ houses to be found.
Good luck with your choice of a city and move. Hoping Orlando is on your list 😊