[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by della terra

Hello out there. I need some info on the best places to live and raise a family in South Florida - preferably gulf coast. Looking for good schools, safe neighborhood and beautiful surroundings, and an upscale atmosphere would be nice. We want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the north east (and the cold!) My husband is a contractor who does home remodeling and construction so we would need to be close to an area where people are spending money on renovating their homes. We want to raise our children surrounded by nature and culture - does this exist?

How about Boca Raton? It's the wrong coast, but it meets every single category you are looking for, including good schools.

[charko]

If you have school aged children do not move.

[charko]

Originally Posted by Tarastomsgirl

its not just construction, the whole place is going to hell in a handbasket. I live in Naples florida. I have for 23 years. I 've watched it go from a little wonderful town to a full blown city full of nasty miserable people, the rich snotty ones who think they deserve it all and need to be waited on hand an food and the illegal immigrants that have swarmed the place. Nobody speaks english here, the housing market is off the charts. Lay offs you say, the police department lost 20 officers to relocation elsewhere in July of last year. Including myself and my husband. We moved to NH , well I'll be there in June he's already up there. We have season 6 months of the year if not more but the town has become so overrun with retiring babyboomers that its like season never stops, all roads here are underconstruction. Its terrible All the resturants, theaters, etc are closing or are being bought out and leveled and have luxury condos put in their place starting in the "affordable" high 500's... Please save your money and look elsewhere more towards mid fla.

You mean the baby boomers actualy came or all the developers hoping that they will come?