[ashleymariea]

hello!
i am a young mother with two small children (2 & 5), my boyfriend, me and our lil family is really trying to get out of washington. we have gone through a lot in the last year and need a change of scenery and lifestyle. we have looked at other states but always keep coming back to florida, just something about the culture and weather keeps bringing us back to look at it.
Sarasota sticks out the most, we don't want to live in too big of a city, but not to small either. and we are very active, hiking, backpacking, swimming, motorcycles all outdoorsy stuff, plus i am really into dance. so we need a pretty diverse area, that is still pretty kid friendly. we will be taking a vaca down to florida this july or august and want to get an idea of what cities to look into while we are down. any suggestions and/or feedback would be greatly appreciated so that we can start planning asap. Thank you all!!!

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by ashleymariea

hello!
i am a young mother with two small children (2 & 5), my boyfriend, me and our lil family is really trying to get out of washington. we have gone through a lot in the last year and need a change of scenery and lifestyle. we have looked at other states but always keep coming back to florida, just something about the culture and weather keeps bringing us back to look at it.
Sarasota sticks out the most, we don't want to live in too big of a city, but not to small either. and we are very active, hiking, backpacking, swimming, motorcycles all outdoorsy stuff, plus i am really into dance. so we need a pretty diverse area, that is still pretty kid friendly. we will be taking a vaca down to florida this july or august and want to get an idea of what cities to look into while we are down. any suggestions and/or feedback would be greatly appreciated so that we can start planning asap. Thank you all!!!

Sarasota is definitely a nice small city with big city amenities, beautiful beaches and arts and culture.

However, it would help if we knew your budget and will you have/need employment? You can read up in the Sarasota forums and get a lot of good infor there as well.

[RMD3819]

They are both servers and will need employmemt.

//www.city-data.com/forum/calif...alifornia.html

The responses on the California forum are so similar it is scary.

[ashleymariea]

gypschic-ya we are saving up money and don't plan on moving until we have atleast a few thousand saved, and we will need employment.
RMD3819- haha ya i decided against cali tho. i did more research and even the cheapest areas were a lot more expensive. florida (the areas ive looked at) are more close to the area i am living in now.

[RMD3819]

Take a look at my post in this thread. A lot of people found it helpful. Keep in mind I'm trying to be helpful and not critical.

//www.city-data.com/forum/fort-...l#post12226054

And look at my video:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ad5paRXNWVg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

With all that said, you could really move to any of the metro areas and find what you want. The key is jobs that pay enough to survive.

[yamahastar]

Please find a way to be happy where you are. I don't have to tell you the kind of money servers make. Jobs here are scarce. Living near the coast can be expensive. Moving to Florida is not a kind of therapy. It is hard and you won't have any support system here. Our state is full of people just like you and they are as miserable here and they were in the town they moved from. The problems come with you and then, too frequently, get worse.

[sweepea]

Originally Posted by RMD3819

And look at my video:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ad5paRXNWVg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Your video is GREAT! I'm still laughing.

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by sweepea

Your video is GREAT! I'm still laughing.

Thanks! I got the idea from someone in the Alaska forum.

The issues are eerily similar.

[Kevin from Tampa]

Originally Posted by yamahastar

Please find a way to be happy where you are. I don't have to tell you the kind of money servers make. Jobs here are scarce. Living near the coast can be expensive. Moving to Florida is not a kind of therapy. It is hard and you won't have any support system here. Our state is full of people just like you and they are as miserable here and they were in the town they moved from. The problems come with you and then, too frequently, get worse.

Take this person's advice. No offense to the OP, but we really don't need yet another family of unwed parents with rugrats coming here with the expectation that the good life awaits, and that you can do well on server salaries, spending your off-hours hiking, beaching, and having loads of fun in the sun.

Unemployment here is over 10%, and while the hospitality industry is huge here, it's seasonal....and we're coming into the off-season right now. Even when it's tourist season, those jobs can be hard to get. A few years ago, anyone could wave a job app at a restaurant and get a job. Not now. And the money you make is not that great to begin with, so even if you find jobs, it's not like you'll be living high on the hog.

As the person I quoted said, moving to Florida because "it feels right" will not cure whatever it is you are running from. Look at the part I bolded and consider what is best for your kids, and not just because it's what you think sounds fun or whatever.

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by Kevin from Tampa

Take this person's advice. No offense to the OP, but we really don't need yet another family of unwed parents with rugrats coming here

Real classy. Cretin.