[ConeyIsBabe]

IMHO exaggerations usually are based on an element of TRUTH !!!

Speaking of crime..... it is not always avoidable and if you have survived a number of years without having been a "victim", consider yourself lucky.

When I lived in Coral Gables, one of the most safest cities in Florida, and one with the BEST police and fire service in Florida.......... I was the victim of a purse-snatch right in the heart of downtown, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with no people around. The snatcher came up to me from behind and in a flash he had my shoulder purse and was running back to his vehicle. The only way I could have avoided that event was to have NOT carried a purse. But, after all............. IT WAS CORAL GABLES !!!!! Luckily, I was in the habit of putting my house & car keys in my pocket - so they didn't get that.

[ChrisA70]

Originally Posted by chloe92us

I am a native Floridian, but have done extensive travelling in my life. I cannot speak about living elsewhere but I can speak about living here. I have never experienced any type of crime and consider myself "sheltered" in that respect. I am 34 years old and live in Rotonda West (Englewood) on the Gulf coast of Florida. I also lived in Orlando for 15 years and never experienced any crime there either.

People, including myself, live in Florida for the lifestyle. It is relaxed, you can wear flip flops every day, walk out of the house without makeup and not think twice about it, drive 10 minutes and walk along the beach, breathe fresh salty air, sleep with your windows and doors open, see every star in the sky at night, have sunshine almost every day, meet people from all over the world, and best of all; my son will grow up knowing what a dolphin looks like, and how to drive a boat, and what a gopher turtle is, and know all there is to know about monster trucks .

It sounds like a lot of the people complaining on this site are NOT laid-back people, so I can understand their frustration. If that is your case, you moved to Florida for the wrong reasons.

About the housing affordability issue, have you looked at other ocean side towns and cities in the country? I'd like to know where else you could live for under $300k and be this close to a beach. Please challenge me! I'd love to know.

Trust me Chloe92us, if you spend enough time reading these posts on here, it's the same people all the time complaining and blowing things WAY out of preportion... I like it here in Cape Coral, AND I love my homestate of Mass., but I prefer to be here. I lived in Orlando for 5 years, and not once was I scared... You have to read some of these posts and grit your teeth, people are just unhappy!!! I agree with you on everything....

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by ConeyIsBabe

I

Speaking of crime..... it is not always avoidable and if you have survived a number of years without having been a "victim", consider yourself lucky.

Some lucky majority. And that's on this forum, which IS exaggerated.

How many of you Florida forumers have had your home burglarized (robbed, burgled)?

And Coral Gables one of the safest cities in Florida, not even close. Maybe in Dade County.

[ChrisA70]

Originally Posted by ConeyIsBabe

IMHO exaggerations usually are based on an element of TRUTH !!!

Speaking of crime..... it is not always avoidable and if you have survived a number of years without having been a "victim", consider yourself lucky.

When I lived in Coral Gables, one of the most safest cities in Florida, and one with the BEST police and fire service in Florida.......... I was the victim of a purse-snatch right in the heart of downtown, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with no people around. The snatcher came up to me from behind and in a flash he had my shoulder purse and was running back to his vehicle. The only way I could have avoided that event was to have NOT carried a purse. But, after all............. IT WAS CORAL GABLES !!!!! Luckily, I was in the habit of putting my house & car keys in my pocket - so they didn't get that.

Happened to my mom in Massachusetts in a dinky"crime free town"... it's everywhere you live....

[chloe92us]

In south Florida, you may run into any one of several different species of iguanas. In our area, it is the Bahamian Atole (spelling?) and they are cute! They make great snacks for my cat (or she likes to think), and my son loves to watch them run around. Trust me, they are more scared of us than we are of them (as are most wild animals).

In addition to lizards & iguanas, we also see wild boar, bobcats, gopher turtles, bald eagle, dolphin, manatee, rays, fish, armadillo, crabs, a plethera of different birds, and osprey on a regular basis. For people who like animals and nature, this is the place to be.

[agreatlife]

And don't forget this vicious fellow:

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd234/glorymom/108.gif (broken link)

[ChrisA70]

I went to fort myers beach today and guess what I saw???

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii210/ca441970/Godzilla.jpg (broken link)

[ChrisA70]

Anyone moving down here look out for these too!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's scary down here.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii210/ca441970/Monster.jpg (broken link)

[flappergirl]

i love nature and wildlife and animals. i think i would love to see a big lizard on the sidewalk! i am also fascinated by the amazing foliage and flowers in Southern FL. The outdoors are so so different from the beauty of the Northeast, and I am excited to explore and learn more about it!!

[Sunshine Chick]

Originally Posted by BacktoFLigo

I went to fort myers beach today and guess what I saw???

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii210/ca441970/Godzilla.jpg (broken link)

Oh no. I am not moving to Florida afterall.