[doggiebus]

Maybe the best thing is to fly in to Miami (if you fly into Tampa you will be doing to much back tracking in the car), spend two days in Miami (if you haven't been here you should see it), drive two hours north to WPB, spend a few days there. From there go to Tampa for a few days. Then over to Jacksonville, and then up to Atlanta (5 hour car ride). Can you fly home out of Atlanta? This way you don't have to waste a day driving back to Miami from Atlanta (10 hour car ride or 2 hour flight back to Miami).

[dadeguy]

Originally Posted by ffire

Thanks for that....we were going to allow 3 weeks (but that also includes visiting people in Alabama and Atlanta

How long would it take to drive from Miami to West Palm?

fortyfive minutes at midday

[dadeguy]

Originally Posted by psouth

I would just check out Tampa and South Florida from Miami to Palm Beach Gardens or Jupiter. Jacksonville is totally different and very conservative Southern Bible Belt. It doesn't offer nearly as much with regard to lifestyle, shopping, entertainment, beaches, weather, downtown experience, etc. You would be better off just moving right to Atlanta instead.

I don't know about that. I like jax quite a bit and the beaches around ponte vedra are excellent.

[runswithscissors]

Well...I say no Atlanta unless you want to be near friends or a job. It's not coastal.

Tampa? Ok well there's also Sarasota over there. I'd look at both it's "on the way" LOL.

On the east there's also Boca Raton, Jupiter, Tequesta (a village contiguous to Jupiter) ....

See the thing is, the "cities" are also corporate centers and not just living but for working people, businesses etc. They are fine, my kid chose and liked downtown WPB. But the aura of Florida is not to be in a city even though FLL and WPB are on water and nice...but that makes them tricky too. FL is all about the water, or lakes inland or outside activity stuff.

FLL is great because of SEVERAL canals that run through so you can always be "on water". The beach area is bad for living unless you're in a high rise becasue the buildings are so huge they shadow everything directly behind them and anyway, there's not really cute little houses left per se right there. So you live on the Intracoastal Waterway or on a canal IF WATER IS YOUR THING.

You also sit at lights in traffic or battle traffic, no leisurely ride out of town till you actually get out of town.

Each city is surrounded by a huge amount of suburbs for people who live normal lives, with kids etc. It really depends on what YOU like and we don't know your lifestyle.

Example, in San Fran it's totally different.

Here we even have "Delray" a sorta artsy cute beach "city" near Boca Raton.

For all we know you may love that. OR you may hate it , too beachy and want "urban".

Realize urban here is a few square miles ha ha.

Three weeks is a long time if you dont sit on the beach for 2 of them

It can be very confusing, like up here in my town Vero Beach I love it. But when you first drive through you see miles and miles of coastline with very little housing, (it's hidden or you're looking at state parks)...then you see miles of exclusive housing gated on the beach, before you even realize that 3 streets over there's a cute fun beach town where the ocean cuts into the town but you missed it because your road got a "detour" off the beach LOL.... Then West you see alot of suburban sprawl with a mix of
communities and people might not even realize that the beautiful beach community exists.

Google ORCHID ISLAND to see what I"m talking about it's beautiful and you either love it, hate it, or can't afford it lol but there are smaller homes there too and everything is coming down. At several points your front is on the ocean and your back is the INTRACOASTAL waterway, a very lucky few neighborhoods where the ICW comes close up to the island. There are nature centers and state parks etc but perhaps you dont like that and want a more active city vibe.

I suggest you post a link about a place you like in AU and why then people may be able to understand what you're looking for.

It's my impression you want to buy something here, correct? For a part time or full time living situation? Regardless of jobs, right? That's not a factor?

Do you like theater, movies, restaurants, art exhibits, or more fishing, beaches, outdoor cafe's....stuff like that helps.

Regardless, you'll see alot and have fun. But the more you tell the better your feedback will be. The west even has some community on the water I forget the name perhaps Mike will know what I'm talking about, a stretch or artsy beach towns with a number in the name or something??

And even if you're looking at a place to "live" it'd be a shame to miss the gorgeous beach towns or even the famous South Beach since you're here anyway. Like Siesta Key, Captiva, Gasparilla Island Boca Grande.

You may like looking like this: go on google and click on google maps...put in a place and see where it is, then click over up top to google images.... and you see photos of it.


Also google maps gives you street views or google earth is great. it's a seperate free download from google.

A bit tedious. I know it's a pain, I did it for a year or two trying to decide where to move and I'm still not finished

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by yukiko11

Florida is not very big compared to some states and the turnpike makes it easier to get from place to place.

From Key West to Pensacola is 800 miles = almost 1300 km.

[bmw335xi]

It’s an easy drive, if you want to see Florida then do it. If you only want to see Miami, then don’t.

[beach43ofus]

This topic thread is over 10 years old. The Aussie OP now lives in a retirement home in Miami.