[DC2BE]

What community would you recommend moving to in FLorida for a young family...I want to be somewhat close to the beach...I want to be somewhere with population from 25,000 to 150,000....not big city but enough population for a small business.....I like the canals of Cape Coral....I would really like to live somewhere with something like that...I'm just not familiar with FL at all......southwest, fl? East Coast? heres some towns I have been researching...Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, N. Ft. Meyers, San Carlos Park, Bonita Springs, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, Weston, Coral Springs, Boca Raton, Sarasota, Clearwater...Help me out!!!

[DailyJournalist]

St. Augustine is always a great choice.

[Jonotastic]

Boca Raton is very nice. A community feel. About 75,000 people. 20 minutes to Fort lauderdale, 30 minutes to West Palm Beach, 45 minutes to Miami. Nice houses. Good schools. Good university. Nice beaches.

[DC2BE]

Jonotastic.....
I checked out Boca Raton like you said.....I was definitely impressed....great numbers....and beautiful as well......do u live there....anything else you could tell me about it....do they have those homes on canals like in cape coral?

[On-da-Beach]

Panhandle beaches are the best!



But not on your list?!?!?

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by DC2BE

Jonotastic.....
I checked out Boca Raton like you said.....I was definitely impressed....great numbers....and beautiful as well......do u live there....anything else you could tell me about it....do they have those homes on canals like in cape coral?

Yeah I moved here from San Francisco, CA. They have many canals, they definetly cost more though. If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to answer. For Florida, I'm very happy with my decision. If you are looking for a city 150,000 or less, Boca Raton is perfect. I've also lived in Orlando, FL and Daytona Beach, FL. The ocean in South Florida is amazing, much nicer than the Panhandle or North Florida.

[itsajourney]

I lived in the Miami area--Coconut Creek & Miami Lakes a few years ago and have spent a lot of time on the gulf side because I personally prefer those beaches over the ocean side.

When you say you want a city of 25,000 to 150,000--does that mean you don't want to be in the middle of a huge, continuous metro area? You have chosen a lot of really nice communities and most of them are VERY family oriented. A few have been noted to have some of the best schools in the state.

If you are not wanting to be part of a huge Miami metro, I would be careful about some of those cities as you will find yourself stuck in things you may not want to deal with. Boca is very nice and I was right next door in Coconut Creek. Boca has a totally different feel than some of the cities heading down toward Miami. It's kind of an area where the "old money" moved to when they started leaving Coral Gables.

Any of the cities you are considering on the gulf coast are wonderful. Clearwater is a beautiful town and I love Clearwater Beach. However, Clearwater finds itself stuck in the middle of the Tampa/St. Pete metro area which is huge--and it kind of all runs together like Miami. Traffic in Clearwater is terrible. Clearwater definitely has its own "identity", but you will feel like you are in the middle of a very large metro area.

The other cities on the gulf coast that you have listed pretty much "stand on their own" in that they don't become part of a Miami or Tampa. Sarasota, Bonita Springs, Naples--all beautiful. A great deal of wealth in all of these cities.

I also think that you will find the cities on the gulf coast will have an "older" feel to them as there is a huge retired population. The cities down Miami way will feel much younger.

[DC2BE]

Originally Posted by itsajourney

I lived in the Miami area--Coconut Creek & Miami Lakes a few years ago and have spent a lot of time on the gulf side because I personally prefer those beaches over the ocean side.

When you say you want a city of 25,000 to 150,000--does that mean you don't want to be in the middle of a huge, continuous metro area? You have chosen a lot of really nice communities and most of them are VERY family oriented. A few have been noted to have some of the best schools in the state.

If you are not wanting to be part of a huge Miami metro, I would be careful about some of those cities as you will find yourself stuck in things you may not want to deal with. Boca is very nice and I was right next door in Coconut Creek. Boca has a totally different feel than some of the cities heading down toward Miami. It's kind of an area where the "old money" moved to when they started leaving Coral Gables.

Any of the cities you are considering on the gulf coast are wonderful. Clearwater is a beautiful town and I love Clearwater Beach. However, Clearwater finds itself stuck in the middle of the Tampa/St. Pete metro area which is huge--and it kind of all runs together like Miami. Traffic in Clearwater is terrible. Clearwater definitely has its own "identity", but you will feel like you are in the middle of a very large metro area.

The other cities on the gulf coast that you have listed pretty much "stand on their own" in that they don't become part of a Miami or Tampa. Sarasota, Bonita Springs, Naples--all beautiful. A great deal of wealth in all of these cities.

I also think that you will find the cities on the gulf coast will have an "older" feel to them as there is a huge retired population. The cities down Miami way will feel much younger.

Thanks for the post that was really helpful....Yea I didn't necessarily want to live in a huge city....I don't mind living close to a big city but I want the town to have somewhat of a community feel to it... Why do you prefer the gulf side to the atlantic side?just wondering...Also you said some of the towns I listed had some of the best schools...which towns exactly were you referring to? If you had to pick just one out of the cities I listed to live and operate a small business in...which would you pick?

[FertilityDoc]

If it's a beach on the panhandle...keep a close eye on the water

[itsajourney]

Originally Posted by DC2BE

Thanks for the post that was really helpful....Yea I didn't necessarily want to live in a huge city....I don't mind living close to a big city but I want the town to have somewhat of a community feel to it... Why do you prefer the gulf side to the atlantic side?just wondering...Also you said some of the towns I listed had some of the best schools...which towns exactly were you referring to? If you had to pick just one out of the cities I listed to live and operate a small business in...which would you pick?

I need to know what type of business it is and who is your target market...

I prefer the gulf beaches. Sand is white and much finer than on the ocean side. Ocean side is not where you are going to find much in seashells if that is something you enjoy--whereas some of the best shelling in the world is on the gulf side. The water is warmer in the gulf than the Atlantic. For both coasts the further south you go the clearer the water, but the gulf side always seems clearer to me. The Atlantic side has it's share of nice beaches also.

As far as lifestyle, I would probably still prefer to live on the Atlantic side right now over the gulf side. I am middle-aged and probably feel that the demographics of the gulf side are still a little too "old" for me. Do not get me wrong--there are lots of families on the gulf side. It's just that I have lived in a larger metro area for so long now that when I go to the gulf side it is a little too quiet for me--and I am not a partier. There is definitely a whole different feel between the 2 coasts.

I kept going over to the gulf side in my search for a place to go to school and to consider as a city I would want to start my business in, but I found that I wanted the more cosmopolitan feel of Miami. I often think I am ready to slow down somewhat--but when I try, I feel too closed in. Strange, I know.

My family remained in Orlando while I was away at school and my year in the Miami area was wonderful. I am friendly and outgoing so I get along with people easily. Obviously the crime toward Miami is going to be higher than the gulf side cities you are considering...but I never felt threatened while I was down there.

I do not speak much Spanish. I had 1 year of it in high school many years ago. Obviously, in Florida Spanish is spoken everywhere. I did find it to be true however, that the further south you go in the Miami area, the more you will run into people that do not speak English--at all. I made sure I knew how to ask where the "bano" was.

Broward County schools are far superior to Dade County schools should you head to Miami area. I need to look at your list again, but off the top of my head, Coral Springs & Pembroke Pines both have excellent schools--as does Westin.

On the gulf side, you are looking at cities in a lot more counties--Pinellas,Charlottle, Lee, Collier and Sarasota. The school districts on the gulf side that I am aware of that are excellent are in the Bonita Springs and Cape Coral area. I would have to look the other ones up. You are looking at cities that are all considered to be "very upscale". I have no doubt you will find many A-rated schools in any of these areas.

In Florida all of our schools are rated on a scale of A -F; A being the best. Every school in the state is rated and the info can be pulled up on the internet.

Anyway, let me know what type of business you have and I'll give you my opinion on where I would lean toward starting up.