[Muggy]

Originally Posted by kali81

Honestly, i've never really heard of a race problem around here.

Just last night I was at a steakhouse in St. Pete, the room got quiet and you could've heard a pin drop when a large black family entered the dining area. Completely ridiculous. The list I posted was totally sincere - I was totally caught off-guard by the race issues, at least in Pinellas County.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by JenNav

We fell in love with Tradition. We'll be moving around the same time. We were recently at a wedding in St. Pete and we met a sweet older couple, been married for 50yr, they live in Plant City and they were jokingly trying to keep us out of FL. She told me all the new comers are using up all the water. I see her point. I was resistant to change when they finally built up our area where we are now. I have done a lot of research on PSL and Tradition and it looks good to us and we have 3 kids. The schools are not worse then the ones I have to deal with now. Crime is everywhere, so there is not much you can do about that. The beach is 6 miles away, disney is 45min, WPB is 45min, the keys are 2+ hrs, the west coast is 3+ hours I guess. I can't say we'll be bored. I am assuming being in the medical profession my job will be easy to find. I'm transfering within my company anyway. My friend put it plainly and simply, "you are stepping out on faith, it's an adventure." Most important thing about FL is that I will not need a pick ax to chip 6" of ice off my driveway!!

I am not sure if I understand that correctly....
You are moving to Traditions in PSL, right?
I know, that the nearest beach for you will be MORE then just 6 miles away (Jensen), if you live "back there" (I used to live 1 mile down the street from Tradition)
WPB is 45 minutes if you are lucky.... It has to be at a time, when there is no traffic on 95, no construction and no wrecks.
(Even the turnpike is not as freely flowing as it used to.)
The keys are WAY MORE then 2+ hours...even if you only hit the first one.
Also, we always needed 2 hours + or so to get up to Disney from PSL (even without major traffic!)
So, well, everything is pretty close to PSL...but, not THAT close.
But, all in all, yes, PSL is centrally located to major cities, and to alot of things to do.

[backtofla]

va fury, plenty of hills and hillbillies in apopka, clermont, etc...

[macguy]

Originally Posted by BahamaBreeze

[APPLAUSE]
THIS FORUM IS FULL OF DRAMA QUEENS!

Oh, yeah baby, that's what I'm talking about!
You'd never believe that people pay 100s of thousands of $$$ to come here from all parts of the world and buy properties. You'd guess those French, Italians, Brits, Italians... as well as god to goodness US stock that LOVE Fl are all fools wasting away fortunes!
Way to go. You had the pair to say the truth.

There is a difference between someone with a lot of money who lives a controlled isolated life. Whose kids attend private school and they can come and go as they please often owning homes in several places as many celebrities do. And the person living here in the real world trying to make ends meet. This place can be a hell on earth for many people.

But that is not to say they would do any better somewhere else, some people are just screw ups but much of what you read on here is true. I have no kids and have resources and can take it or leave it. I would not want to be here struggling at a low paying job trying to raise a family. Few will come here and thrive or even get ahead at all.

This is just a place of have's and have not's. If you are a have, it can be a paradise, if you are a have not, it is a complete dead end and not the place to come for someone looking for a future.

[BahamaBreeze]

Originally Posted by macguy

...This place can be a hell on earth for many people.

But that is not to say they would do any better somewhere else, some people are just screw ups but much of what you read on here is true... Few will come here and thrive or even get ahead at all.

This is just a place of have's and have not's. If you are a have, it can be a paradise, if you are a have not, it is a complete dead end and not the place to come for someone looking for a future.

But where is it any different?
I am asking this sincerely, not argumentatively.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by BahamaBreeze

But where is it any different?
I am asking this sincerely, not argumentatively.

A place that doesn't base it's economy on tourism and low paying service related jobs. Thats pretty much all that is here. My nephew works for Motorola and has a high paying job due to his 20+ plus years being there. As well as he does, if he lost his job tomorrow he could not find another job here that would even come close to the money he is used to making. He already has a plan to leave Florida should that happen, there are always rumors in Motorola about lay offs. To be honest, every time I talk to him you get the impression he hopes he gets the ax. It would make him get his family out of here.

His kids are only 5 and 7 and he hates raising them here. His wife has family in Alabama and they visit there three or four times a year and never want to come back. He has one of those jobs that pays just too much to quit and you end up selling your sole to it. Getting laid off would be the best thing that could happen to him.

[121804]

Originally Posted by macguy

A place that doesn't base it's economy on tourism and low paying service related jobs. Thats pretty much all that is here. My nephew works for Motorola and has a high paying job due to his 20+ plus years being there. As well as he does, if he lost his job tomorrow he could not find another job here that would even come close to the money he is used to making. He already has a plan to leave Florida should that happen, there are always rumors in Motorola about lay offs. To be honest, every time I talk to him you get the impression he hopes he gets the ax. It would make him get his family out of here.

His kids are only 5 and 7 and he hates raising them here. His wife has family in Alabama and they visit there three or four times a year and never want to come back. He has one of those jobs that pays just too much to quit and you end up selling your sole to it. Getting laid off would be the best thing that could happen to him.

But those sort of cush jobs are starting to become obsolete in the US. Business can no longer afford to keep those salaries. If someone has been employed ANYWHERE for 20+ yrs & gets laid off, it is hard to find a comparable job making the same money [this is saying it is a decent paying job]. If he has heard the rumors, hopefully he is getting his resume & letters of recommendation ready & contacting high end recruting firms that specialize in certain fields.

We are not having our children attend school in Florida or be raised in a non-season state. We are temporarily here due to circumstances. We had a savings to move prior to even moving here.

[JenNav]

Never actually drove to Orlando from Tradition, however, friends of ours recently did and told us it took them roughly 45min from the turnpike. Over New Years we drove from WPB to Key Largo and it took about 2hrs with no traffic. So I would imagine from PSL without traffic it would have taken an additional 30-40 mins. According to the map we are "phyically" about 6 miles from the beach, of course this was not on a route this was taking the compass straight across the map to the water. When we drove from St. Lucie West it seemed to take awhile to get to the beach, I was trying to be optimistic. I saw on the map a plan for a Cross Town Blvd (I can't remember the exact name) from Tradition to the intercoastal. Not sure if it has started yet or if so when it would be complete, but I guess it would be a while and it didn't look like it included a bridge. So, you're right about Jensen Beach being the closest.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by 121804

But those sort of cush jobs are starting to become obsolete in the US. Business can no longer afford to keep those salaries. If someone has been employed ANYWHERE for 20+ yrs & gets laid off, it is hard to find a comparable job making the same money [this is saying it is a decent paying job]. If he has heard the rumors, hopefully he is getting his resume & letters of recommendation ready & contacting high end recruting firms that specialize in certain fields.

We are not having our children attend school in Florida or be raised in a non-season state. We are temporarily here due to circumstances. We had a savings to move prior to even moving here.

I don't think he would actually get fired, he would leave with a lot due to stock and all. Plus, this kid and his wife are real savers, I doubt they have much to worry about. The point is, I could not imagine anyone recommending to new collage grad to come to Florida to seek their fortune unless they want to wait tables. Florida is what it is.

Come here with money, fine, don't and it will just be a pointless up hill struggle, few will ever get ahead. Talk to people and survival is their only goal anymore, forget a future. This place is really a day to day existence for many. I know people are always writing how what they read on here is scaring them but they should be scared. This place is not all Disney World, quite the opposite.

[backtofla]

macguy, how do you stay so positive?