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Hello all, please be constructive when posting. A lot of people depend on these posts to ring true.
Aside from petty crime (if you were robbed at gun point, please do tell), what are the negatives of uprooting your life in another state to move to Florida. If you have lived in Florida all or most of your life, what are your negatives about your home state, if you have any. Remember guys constructive! Please talk about quality of life issues and the like. Bad jobs too.
In all honesty, the worst is the people. And I'm being honest, I'm not hating or trying to press any buttons. But the people that FL attracts are (imo) less desirable to be around. FL attracts a lot of the criminal element (watch cops, America's Most Wanted). I dont know how many times I've heard of some guy on the loose running from the law in Puerto Rico or Brooklyn, and he was last spotted in Miami or Orlando. It's almost a joke now with my wife, "who's on the loose and what part of FL are they hiding in?" But in reality, it's scary.
Aside from the criminal element, I dont like a lot of the angry, aggressive Northerns from NY and Mass, and many from Latin/Central America that dont assimilate, and that have turned many parts of FL into the place they left. But once you get sooooo many people from certain areas, it just turns into that place. Because the people (mostly) dont assimilate. Look at how so many places dont even seem like FL anymore.
I can take the heat and humidity if the people were friendlier here, and had more of a community feel to it. But you have to come into contact with people everyday, whether at work, in your neighborhood, while driving somewhere, etc... its a huge part of life.
It sux to admit to these things as a native, but imo, it's what has happened to many parts of FL.
Please spare the negative comments or the flaming comments... these are my opinions and I'm letting Chelsa know what I think.
Other negatives to consider in FL: heat and humidity 6 months a year is awful, the taxes, the low paying jobs, cost of living, bugs, hurricanes, the bad drivers, road rage (I put that up there with the people), it's flat, built up on both coasts, too many different cultures and languages spoken (little community feeling to it), houses are on top of one another in many areas,, the school situation (bad schools, not enough money, teacher/pupil ratio, bad teachers having sex with students making FL look stupid, no change of seasons, etc...
That's fair hop and I'm sure you will have many who agree with you, but I do want to say this to you, because I know you are a fan of the Carolinas, due to the niceness factor. I think every state has its nasty group of people. In your opinion Florida may have more of its share. Now, quick go right something good about Florida in my other thread, I know you have it in you!
The worst part of South Florida is that the nice parts are often too close to the bad parts. But, in the end I don't mind. No sense in living in a bubble!
Also, the lack of good public transportation and home owner's insurance is GENERALLY more expensive here than most other places.
The most glaring negative to Florida is the oppressive heat and humidity. Other than that, hoptoit is dead on about the people. South Florida is by and large a disaster. Overcrowded and frantic, filled with ancient retirees from the Northeast and immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America. There is a reason a lot of native born South Floridians are migrating to other parts of Florida and the south in general.
The most glaring negative to Florida is the oppressive heat and humidity. Other than that, hoptoit is dead on about the people. South Florida is by and large a disaster. Overcrowded and frantic, filled with ancient retirees from the Northeast and immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America. There is a reason a lot of native born South Floridians are migrating to other parts of Florida and the south in general.
I echo this and hoptoits sentiments as well. I don't want to sound like a broken record. Couple the heat with the traffic due to poor infrastructure management, impatient and rude people that also drive with that attitude. That's it in short, I'm sure you've seen my other posts.
If you want to know why I left my home state, because I wanted to be close to my parents and it was getting difficult to live up north with a family and single income. My parents helped with the kids while my wife and I tried to make ends meet. Well, my kids are grown, off to school and my parents retired back to the homeland, so we have plans to move back to our home state and there's no reason for us to stay here longer.
If it weren't for what FL evolved to since we've moved over here over 10 years ago, we probably would consider staying longer, but we can't deal with what was already mentioned above, plus we really miss the four seasons, and there are four seasons, not 6-8 months of gloom and doom and cold like what others profess there is up north, at least not where we're going.
Oh BTW, when it's time to put my house up for sale, my opinions about FL will do a 180 degree swing and I will contend it's one of the best states to live in.
Other negatives to consider in FL: heat and humidity 6 months a year is awful, the taxes, the low paying jobs, cost of living, bugs, hurricanes, the bad drivers, road rage (I put that up there with the people), it's flat, built up on both coasts, too many different cultures and languages spoken (little community feeling to it), houses are on top of one another in many areas,, the school situation (bad schools, not enough money, teacher/pupil ratio, bad teachers having sex with students making FL look stupid, no change of seasons, etc...[/quote]
Taxes - I think this is a problem most americans share with you
Low paying jobs - I don't know how to change that
Cost of living - another thing people across the country are sharing
Bugs - unfortunately they are every where lol
Hurricanes - I don't love these, but it is a part of the Sub Tropical State that is Florida
Flat - Again just another part of being Florida, not sure that you can change that
Bad Drivers - every state has this - I promise - EVERY STATE
Nasty People - ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Culture/diversity - this is just a sign of the times love - some people from foreign places do adapt to the new surroundings some don't - luck of the draw
Houses on top of each other - I'm from NY where almost everything is a building or attached house, so I'm not the best person to give an opinion on this.
Schools suck - This is another thing people will complain about in every other state, some worse than others, but you will always find people who don't like the school system where they live.
The point I'm trying to make Hop is that most (not all) all of the issue you have, you might have in any state. I wish there were a place we could all go and be perfectly happy. That place doesn't exist. Change happens and some times we just aren't prepared for it. You are holding on to the Florida that was. Try and make the best out of the Florida that is today. I'm pretty sure you do that already.
Other negatives to consider in FL: heat and humidity 6 months a year is awful, the taxes, the low paying jobs, cost of living, bugs, hurricanes, the bad drivers, road rage (I put that up there with the people), it's flat, built up on both coasts, too many different cultures and languages spoken (little community feeling to it), houses are on top of one another in many areas,, the school situation (bad schools, not enough money, teacher/pupil ratio, bad teachers having sex with students making FL look stupid, no change of seasons, etc...
Taxes - I think this is a problem most americans share with you
Low paying jobs - I don't know how to change that
Cost of living - another thing people across the country are sharing
Bugs - unfortunately they are every where lol
Hurricanes - I don't love these, but it is a part of the Sub Tropical State that is Florida
Flat - Again just another part of being Florida, not sure that you can change that
Bad Drivers - every state has this - I promise - EVERY STATE
Nasty People - ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Culture/diversity - this is just a sign of the times love - some people from foreign places do adapt to the new surroundings some don't - luck of the draw
Houses on top of each other - I'm from NY where almost everything is a building or attached house, so I'm not the best person to give an opinion on this.
Schools suck - This is another thing people will complain about in every other state, some worse than others, but you will always find people who don't like the school system where they live.
The point I'm trying to make Hop is that most (not all) all of the issue you have, you might have in any state. I wish there were a place we could all go and be perfectly happy. That place doesn't exist. Change happens and some times we just aren't prepared for it. You are holding on to the Florida that was. Try and make the best out of the Florida that is today. I'm pretty sure you do that already.[/quote]
You addressed everything except the heat and humidity, nothing much you can do about that, unfortunately. But I understand that people will take that 6-9 months out of the year rather than 3-4 months of temperature below 20 degrees. I'm the opposite, I long for the cold and the renewal that comes with the spring, not the pollination that happens down here, I'm suffering.
In all honesty, the worst is the people. And I'm being honest, I'm not hating or trying to press any buttons. But the people that FL attracts are (imo) less desirable to be around. FL attracts a lot of the criminal element (watch cops, America's Most Wanted). I dont know how many times I've heard of some guy on the loose running from the law in Puerto Rico or Brooklyn, and he was last spotted in Miami or Orlando. It's almost a joke now with my wife, "who's on the loose and what part of FL are they hiding in?" But in reality, it's scary.
Aside from the criminal element, I dont like a lot of the angry, aggressive Northerns from NY and Mass, and many from Latin/Central America that dont assimilate, and that have turned many parts of FL into the place they left. But once you get sooooo many people from certain areas, it just turns into that place. Because the people (mostly) dont assimilate. Look at how so many places dont even seem like FL anymore.
I can take the heat and humidity if the people were friendlier here, and had more of a community feel to it. But you have to come into contact with people everyday, whether at work, in your neighborhood, while driving somewhere, etc... its a huge part of life.
It sux to admit to these things as a native, but imo, it's what has happened to many parts of FL.
Please spare the negative comments or the flaming comments... these are my opinions and I'm letting Chelsa know what I think.
Other negatives to consider in FL: heat and humidity 6 months a year is awful, the taxes, the low paying jobs, cost of living, bugs, hurricanes, the bad drivers, road rage (I put that up there with the people), it's flat, built up on both coasts, too many different cultures and languages spoken (little community feeling to it), houses are on top of one another in many areas,, the school situation (bad schools, not enough money, teacher/pupil ratio, bad teachers having sex with students making FL look stupid, no change of seasons, etc...
HopToIt...sounds like you need a change of scenery! We just sold our home in Estero, and are headed back up north.
For the OP....this post is RIGHT ON THE MONEY. Please do not take it the wrong way....it just takes quite a while to get used to living in FL. I would allow yourself at least 2 years to fully adjust. You may love it, you may end up hating it. That is FL. It's kind of a love-hate thing. Make sure you move with your eyes open, and not with them have shut dreaming of the beach and weather. Think of it as going to an island...the resort is nice, but outside the gates is like another planet. You may love the other planet and find all sorts of things to appreciate, or you may think you are in the Twilight Zone, and want back on your aircraft with a quickness. Good luck in whatever you choose.
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We just sold our home in Estero, and are headed back up north. 
You may love the other planet and find all sorts of things to appreciate, or you may think you are in the Twilight Zone, and want back on your aircraft with a quickness. Good luck in whatever you choose.
