[Chrome Microphone]

Originally Posted by psouth

LewLew, I have to agree with your last post. Nicely put and true. Too many people keep coming to Florida expecting a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow only to find themselves in line at the nearest soup kitchen. This is a tough place but with warm weather and nice beaches. The big question and the one most likely making most of the dreamers miserable is how to pay the bills in Florida. Good question.

Florida needs high paying jobs, jobs, jobs. Then get rid of the illegals, criminals, and con artist bums. Only then will Florida live up to the dreamer paradise standards.

But this is who FL seems to attract, in large numbers.

[Chrome Microphone]

Originally Posted by KathyA11

That's not why we want to move to Florida. We're tired of the winter (that never seems to end), and we want more house and property than we can get here in NJ (and for a lot less money, too). We want a calm, quiet lifestyle -- give me a back yard where I can garden, enough books to read, and an air-conditioned house with a TV and computer and I'm happy as a lark.

What will I miss about NJ? Easy access to Yankee Stadium, for one thing. I only get to a few games a year, but there's nothing like it (the new version of Monument Park isn't nearly as nice as it was in the old Stadium, and they still haven't brought Lou Gehrig's bat over from the old flagpole). Local TV and sports talk radio (but they're streaming on the Web these days, so as long as I have a computer, I'm okay).

If I had a nickel for everytime we natives heard this. It has to be more than that. Ya'll cant keep moving here b/c you want cheaper housing amd no snow. I cant emphasize this enough.

Where are you moving to in search of your quiet, calm lifestyle?

[psouth]

Originally Posted by Chrome Microphone

But this is who FL seems to attract, in large numbers.

They will always come here in search of rich old people, tourists, and just general population turnover in order to take advantage and try to eek out a living by ripping people off. I run into hustlers everywhere here and they are usually taking advantage of a trusting elderly person who thinks every one is still honest like in their heyday. Go into any coffee shop or Panera Bread, etc. and you will see these slick characters all dressed up and looking for their next victim. They have nothing better to do then ponder their next scheme. I unfortunately used to know some of these guys after they ripped off an elderly friend of mine. I still see them everywhere. They never sit still and can't. They have to keep searching all day. Very pitiful. The unfortunate truth is they will never run out of victims and they keep honing their craft every day.

All the warm weather dreamer type of areas like Florida, CA, Las Vegas have always attracted these types. It's just the way it is. They can't make it anywhere else so they might as well go some place where there are people with lots of money and the weather is warm.

[Chrome Microphone]

I saw lastnight on the news, they were looking for 3 more mortgage fraud schemers... they all had prior arrests in NY and Philly. They came down to FL to do it again.

[psouth]

Originally Posted by KathyA11
That's not why we want to move to Florida. We're tired of the winter (that never seems to end), and we want more house and property than we can get here in NJ (and for a lot less money, too). We want a calm, quiet lifestyle -- give me a back yard where I can garden, enough books to read, and an air-conditioned house with a TV and computer and I'm happy as a lark.

What will I miss about NJ? Easy access to Yankee Stadium, for one thing. I only get to a few games a year, but there's nothing like it (the new version of Monument Park isn't nearly as nice as it was in the old Stadium, and they still haven't brought Lou Gehrig's bat over from the old flagpole). Local TV and sports talk radio (but they're streaming on the Web these days, so as long as I have a computer, I'm okay).

These are all the same reasons all the dreamers seem to have. The only difference in Florida is the warmer weather. There are all the same problems and many different ones when you live here and try to make a living here. It sounds like you are looking for the old Florida lifestyle from back in the Jackie Gleason days in Miami Beach and whatnot. When Florida was mainly retirees and layed back people just enjoying themselves. Things have changed in the last 30 yrs since then. It is a totally different place with totally different population now. You better do your homework because these are not good reasons to move to Florida.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by Chrome Microphone

If I had a nickel for everytime we natives heard this.

Yeah, I'm sure you'd be very rich.

It has to be more than that. Ya'll cant keep moving here b/c you want cheaper housing amd no snow.

And why not, pray tell?

I cant emphasize this enough.

Obviously.

Where are you moving to in search of your quiet, calm lifestyle?

Marion County -- does that have your approval? Not that I need or am looking for it.

Man -- they say people from the Northeast are rude.

[psouth]

Originally Posted by Chrome Microphone

I saw lastnight on the news, they were looking for 3 more mortgage fraud schemers... they all had prior arrests in NY and Philly. They came down to FL to do it again.

Big surprise! I wouldn't trust anyone down here for any reason. It's not the way I was raised or how I'd like to be but it's a fact of life. There are so many scams just in the job market alone. Some Hispanic guy hired a friend of mine to manage a small store he had. He offered to pay him $50K per year plus commissions which is decent especially for Florida. My friend quit his other job (they replaced him right away) and started the new one. The owner went to another country in S. America for unknown reasons and was nowhere to be found but promised to still pay my friend for running the store. It turns out the owner had not paid the lease for months and was being evicted and he never paid my friend for the five weeks of work before he caught on and left.

It's almost like you have to do a full background check and life investigation on every one you meet down here. Very scary people.

[TANaples]

I suppose I should answer this. Ok, I am rare among Florida transplants in that I don't like summer, whether 3 months in NY or 12 months in Florida.

Other things. I had far more house in NY than in Florida. My house in Florida would fit inside the one in NY. Big back yard to grow things? I had over half an acre on LI. Here I have a "backyard" of about 3 feet. Grow a garden? Apart from no room, you have a little problem in Florida. If you dig down more than a foot or two, you hit SAND. You want to plant a garden in the sand, be my guest. I hope you like spending a lot of money on WATER because you are going to have to water a LOT. It doesn't rain here for months and months.

Air conditioning? I had central air in NY and hardly ever put it on unless the temp was over 85 degrees. Here in Florida it goes just about year round. You see 75 degree in South Florida is not 75 degrees in NY. You have to factor in the humidity and NO BREEZE. Yeah, you have months of heating bills, but I had many months in NY where I used NOTHING. I closed windows (didn't put on heat) or opened windows and put on the ceiling fans. I think MAYBE I had about 2 months here in Florida, on and off, where I was able to just shut off the AC.

Is this in line with OP? I think so.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by psouth

These are all the same reasons all the dreamers seem to have.

And what's wrong with having dreams? Have you never had any of your own?

The only difference in Florida is the warmer weather. There are all the same problems and many different ones when you live here and try to make a living here.

Don't make assumptions about people you know nothing about. Who said I was going to try to make a living?

It sounds like you are looking for the old Florida lifestyle from back in the Jackie Gleason days in Miami Beach and whatnot.

Again, an assumption -- and you couldn't be more wrong.

When Florida was mainly retirees and layed back people just enjoying themselves. Things have changed in the last 30 yrs since then. It is a totally different place with totally different population now. You better do your homework because these are not good reasons to move to Florida.

They're good enough for me and my husband. And since I come from the NYC metro area, I'm well-acquainted with living and dealing with different ethnic groups -- and it doesn't faze me a bit.

[Chrome Microphone]

You wont have different thnic groups in Marion Co. And please dont take me or Psouth for being rude, we are just making sure you are moving here for more than just no snow and cheaper housing. That wont make you happy. We hear it all the time how folks moved here for warmer weather and cared nothing about other factors, and they're miserable. Go to S FL where all the retirees are from NY/NJ, they are CRANKY. And it affects everyone around them too.

If you want more quiet and peaceful, Marion choice is a good idea, I just wanted to make sure you were nt going to say Miami, b/c people do make that mistake.