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......same can be said for Scranton, PA, my hometown. We're currently seeing a revolving door phenomenon that is causing our population to stagnate---younger, college-educated individuals are moving east two hours to NJ/NYC to earn twice as much as they'd earn in Scranton. Meanwhile, empty nesters are flooding westward into Scranton from NJ/NYC, seeking tranquility and a lower cost-of-living. Younger people tend to see Scranton as being "hickish" while older people tend to see Scranton as being "nostalgic."
True, and the revolving door will keep spinning as boomers retire and leave the rat race to younger generations. I expect millions will move to small towns everywhere, seeking that Mayberry lifestyle and wide open spaces, so open a starbucks or internet cafe and serve those opportunities. Many quaint small towns in the midwest that are still losing people may well see a resurgence, at least I hope they do. Retirees are good business, we need no schools for kids, don't need jobs, don't add to rush hour traffic, spend most of our money locally, rarely cause trouble for the police or courts, pay property taxes that support local school systems and governments, etc. We left the DC rat race for Colorado, one of the prettiest and most affordable areas we could find, among other things. To read about all the other things that went into my decision, see my posting at: //www.city-data.com/forum/color...o-springs.html
PS: I've been to Scranton 3 times, once in the late 1970's to see a retired coworker and twice to visit Steamtown. BTW, don't you have a minor league baseball team nearby? We have one here in Colorado Springs and I find this vastly prefereable to the expensive pro baseball scene, which I can get to in 75 minutes if I want (Denver), but why abuse my $$$$ that way.
So true. And I'd also like to add that it is impossible to make friends here. Difficult to start a conversation with someone who has a cell phone stuck to the side their ear.
And it's such a shame! South Florida used to be a great place to live back in the day, before all the trash came and people stopped caring and became greedy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by newhere
SouthEAST Florida is the rudest nastiest, ugliest place in the US. Don't know if it is the New England/New York/Venezualan/Latino Influence, but whatever it is, it is NOT a nice place to live at all. I have lived here ONE year and can't wait to leave. Neighbors are hateful, nobody watches their children. There is this "I ME< ATTITUDE" that is horrid. Floridians blame it on the Latinos. The Latinos blame it on the New Yorkers. Come on people, you are responsible for your own behavior. You live in a nice climate. Yet you have "rollovers' daily on the highways because you are in such a big hurry to be FIRST. The aggressive driving is the worst part. There is no snow or ice to contend with. Just FLAT ROADS, how in the world are there 4 or 5 ROLLOVERS daily??? Oh, could it be the drivers go 100 miles an hour on the highways? you betcha.
If you don't live on a beach, you postpone going because you don't want to "fight for your life" on the roads to get there.
This area is glamourized on TV, but those movie stars DON"T have to drive or live here, and when they visit they are right on the beach, or yacht, and are limo'd to their destination.
I would have no idea why anyone would WANT to visit Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, and the beaches, Unless you OWN a condo on them, you can't even see the water anymore from A1A. They are all blocked off by huge condos. Parking is at a premium and if you do find a space, you have to feed a stupid meter while at the beach. And the beaches are filled with trash from people who weren't taught to put it in a trash can. Beaches look like NYC.
There is nothing "relaxed" or beautiful about a bunch of cement, a few transplanted palm trees, and the hustle and bustle of people in a big hurry to get nowhere fast.
I am embarassed to have friends visit, and ashamed of the behavior of people. If a terrorist REALLY wanted to shake things up they should disable all the car horns in SouthEast Florida. People would have convulsions not knowning what to do besides Honk, flip people off, and wave guns around angrily. You have people pass you going 80 in a 45 mile zone, only to be sitting at the stoplight when you get there. WHAT on earth are they doing?
I am not an old person, but they treat elderly drivers awful, Nobody holds a door, or offers up a seat to anyone. It's just ME ME ME. Sickening. God help them. There is no respect for anyone. They treat policeman horribly too, especially after the hurricanes, when we saw them out sweating directing traffic. They cuss and yell at the police. No respect. Disgusting people.
I asked to move here. I am begging to leave.
True, and the revolving door will keep spinning as boomers retire and leave the rat race to younger generations. I expect millions will move to small towns everywhere, seeking that Mayberry lifestyle and wide open spaces, so open a starbucks or internet cafe and serve those opportunities. Many quaint small towns in the midwest that are still losing people may well see a resurgence, at least I hope they do. Retirees are good business, we need no schools for kids, don't need jobs, don't add to rush hour traffic, spend most of our money locally, rarely cause trouble for the police or courts, pay property taxes that support local school systems and governments, etc. We left the DC rat race for Colorado, one of the prettiest and most affordable areas we could find, among other things. To read about all the other things that went into my decision, see my posting at: //www.city-data.com/forum/color...o-springs.html
PS: I've been to Scranton 3 times, once in the late 1970's to see a retired coworker and twice to visit Steamtown. BTW, don't you have a minor league baseball team nearby? We have one here in Colorado Springs and I find this vastly prefereable to the expensive pro baseball scene, which I can get to in 75 minutes if I want (Denver), but why abuse my $$$$ that way.
s/Mike from back east
Well, the answer to your question about minor-league sports in Scranton would be "yes" and "no!" LOL! Currently, Scranton is home to the "Red Barons", the AAA-affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. However, this affiliation will be moving to Allentown's new stadium in 2007, and a new major-league team has yet to "adopt" Scranton's stadium for any of its minor-league affiliations. At this point in time, who knows if we'll still have baseball at the stadium or not? The rumor mill at this point in time is that the NY Mets are very interested in Scranton, but we'll just have to wait and see I suppose.
Nearby Wilkes-Barre is also home to the "Penguins", the AAA-affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the "Pioneers", the local AF2 football team. I'm more of a Penguins fan than anything else, so I'm thrilled that the new hockey season is only mere weeks away! In fact, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lead the IHL in attendance for several years in a row (it may still hold this coveted spot, as most games continue to sell out as well!) Overall, the area has everything a new resident could ever want, in my opinion, with the exception of white-collar opportunities, diversity, and museums. (Scranton's Philharmonic, Jazz Festival, etc. make up for the lack of art though!)
A lot has happened in Scranton since you last visited; We're not merely some slummy "Rust-Belt" city any longer; I expect that if you visit Steamtown again in 2010 or so, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how "chic" the city has become.
Lets be honest, you're going to have problems ANYWHERE you go, it's just a matter of picking a place where you are comfortable and having FEWER problems than average. The last 8 years, Florida's problems have passed up the positive points which made it a great place to live. You can't beat the weather here -- hands down, we have the best weather in the country. I love the warm nights here. You can't beat it. The problem is that the weather serves as a mirage to all the other problems around it. I live in Pasco County and it is full of drugs, white kids thinking they are gangsters, lots of people that can't read, lots of strange people with mental illnesses, and a lot of poverty. I don't see how 82 degrees is going to fix all that. The people move extremely slow here and there are no high paying jobs unless you own the business. Many of the houses here are dumpy to average at best. This is definitely a ****hole outside of the weather.
If this place was anywhere else in the country and had average weather (say South Carolina's weather). Nobody would want to live here. But, the weather alone is a huge lure and it also blinds the community as to what is really going on. People are not learning in schools here. The transportation system for the handicap and elderly is a disaster. The roads are not equipped to handle the amount of people moving here in the "New Tampa" and Trinity areas. The jobs do not pay enough money to live here.
They are driving all independent young professionals out of here. My best advice is, I love warm weather...(*sigh*)....I can't say it much more....but, in 2006, with the population of the country rising, and the poverty rates, you are going to have to sacrifice some sort of aspect of life in order to get something. So you have to weigh out what is more important to you. Is weather more important? Is a high paying job more important? Do you hate fighting traffic? Do you like being in a community that is mostly retirees to raise your kids in? Are the schools okay? In 2006, Florida offers nice weather and nothing more. People have this beach image but Clearwater beach costs money to park and food is very expensive there. Choose whatever road you wish, you can always pick up and leave -- but just remember, you have to decide whether you want "quality of life" or "quality of weather."
You are right weather....I only know NJ and Fl and have been here in Fl 5 yrs and imho..Jersey is waaaaaay nastier then here. I got stuck in my car and at least 10 ppl, including a very old couple stopped to help...In Jersey you better have AAA or you're dead meat!!! I would choose Fl, the Treasure coast anyway, to Jersey any old day!!!
While after 27 years off and on in S Fla I can recite many negatives about the state, I can recite many MORE positives.
Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Label one side negatives and the other side positives and start writing them down. Take a week to do this as new things will pop up in your mind as the week rolls on.
If at the end of it you come up with more negatives than positives then you obviously need to "have a meeting with yourself" as to why you are still here, what you are going to do about it ( other than whine ) and where you intend to go. Then when you think you've mapped out where you are headed then do the same thing with the negatives and positives.
And surely when it's all over if in fact you have as sooooo many people obviously have ( LOL! ) found paradise, you'll be so busy enjoying that paradise that you won't have any time to spread your negativity here will you?
After you found paradise though, you should keep it a secret. As in the Eagles song, call someplace paradise and kiss it goodbye
Fl is still cheaper then most states to buy a house. The beach is FREE and no parking fees. You can fish and launch a boat for FREE. The air is not acid or toxic. Property tax is lower then up north. You can swim 10 months a year. You can have a bar-b-cue on Thanksgiving and xmas...kids don't have to wear coats and hats on Halloween. There are tons of Christians. The highways are so easy to navigate. The landscape is beautiful. Cigs are cheap.
I'm in Cape Coral (SW FL) and half of what you said doesn't apply here. You do have to pay to park at most beaches, you can't launch a boat for free. Property tax may be lower than some places, but it depends on WHERE you are comparing it to. Our highways and roads in general in southwest Florida are a MESS due to the influx of people over the last few years. (I-75 is horrendous.) Landscaping is in the eye of the beholder.. there is beautiful landscaping all over the country.
What I can't figure out is the "Florida ain't what it used to be" posts. Unemployment here is at record lows and FL has one of the nation's lowest unemployment and fastest job growth rates. It sure wasn't like that 15 years ago when I started working--but nowadays I see help wanted signs all over. Yeah FL was alot cheaper years ago, but there were also about twice as many people out of work.
Sunnydog, those are mostly all minimum wage and call center jobs. Easy to get a minimum wage job but hard to survive off it when the cost of living keeps going up quicker than the salaries.
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In fact, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lead the IHL in attendance for several years in a row (it may still hold this coveted spot, as most games continue to sell out as well!) Overall, the area has everything a new resident could ever want, in my opinion, with the exception of white-collar opportunities, diversity, and museums. (Scranton's Philharmonic, Jazz Festival, etc. make up for the lack of art though!) 
