[FLPL75]

The one question I would ask is will they pay more depending on the cost of living in the area FT lauderdale would be much more expensive that Jacksonville for example.
I would also ask them what areas of the different cities you would be working , then you can tell us and we can let you know about each area. It will help you make an informed choice.

karla

[firemed]

If its just for the summer I would say Orlando, It will be expensive but if you have kids you will be right near Disney,Universal and Busch Gardens

[jolee]

We were there a few months ago and fell in love with Vero Beach. It has a great location and not too far from Disney and other attractions.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by firemed

If its just for the summer I would say Orlando, It will be expensive but if you have kids you will be right near Disney,Universal and Busch Gardens

I agree and there is so much to see in Orlando, Disney (they have two waterparks, four main parks, miniature golf, wonderful shopping), Universal, funspot, Sea World...Wet and Wild...thats alot to see.

But you can still drive to visit the other areas, like spend a weekend in Sarasota at their wonderful beaches, you can get down to Miami and even the keys...

I have always wanted to go down to the Keys from Fort Myers, they have a speed ferry that takes you down in 3-5 hours, I can't remember which, you would almost have to stay over night to make it worthwhile...

St. Augustine is supposed to be a really nice place to visit as well...its supposed to be the most haunted place in Florida.

[pianogal]

I would stay in east Orlando where I currently live. We are centrally located to almost everything. I am within 2-5 miles of the 417, 408 and 528 so I can be anywhere in Central Florida within about 30 minutes or so. I'm about 30-40 minutes from the beaches and about 45 minutes to an hour from some of Florida's most beautiful springs. I'm about 20 minutes from the Sea World/ Universal Parks and about 30 minutes from all the Disney Parks.

Miami is about 4 hours or so south of us and Key West about 8 hours. The beautiful West Coast beaches of Sanibel and Captiva are 3-4 hours and Sarasota (think white sands -gorgeous beaches) is 2-3 hours. And my favorite place of all..St. Augustine in about 2 hours.

On the other hand I can be in beautiful Savannah GA in 4-5 hours, Atlanta in 7-8 hours, the mountains in 9 hours, or Charleston in 6-7 hours.

[4lakes]

All those places you mentioned are great and all with pros can cons. I think it depends on the ages of your children. I love Sarasota, Siesta Key is absolutely beautiful. We stay in Longboat Key every summer which is nice and quiet. Orlando is a lot of fun...lots of theme parks...but if you're on a budget it's going to be tough. Entrance to the parks are expensive, as well as everything you buy inside. Do some research beforehand on getting some deals. If you're kids are older than Ft. Lauderdale would be my pick. Good luck wherever you go!!

[slpmom]

Originally Posted by 4lakes

All those places you mentioned are great and all with pros can cons. I think it depends on the ages of your children. I love Sarasota, Siesta Key is absolutely beautiful. We stay in Longboat Key every summer which is nice and quiet. Orlando is a lot of fun...lots of theme parks...but if you're on a budget it's going to be tough. Entrance to the parks are expensive, as well as everything you buy inside. Do some research beforehand on getting some deals. If you're kids are older than Ft. Lauderdale would be my pick. Good luck wherever you go!!

Is cost of living not much higher in Ft. Lauderdale?

[Floridanative2]

Originally Posted by slpmom

Correct about the property taxes. The per diem seems to be pretty much set (I think around $1,800/mo). I thought I would go ahead and let them completely handle housing (wherein I don't receive the per diem) since I don't know anything about the areas or what I would be getting into if I tried to choose my own housing.

Sarasota is very nice. You can visit Tampa-Busch Gardens, wet-n-wild, the science museum about an hour and a half north of Sarasota. Cheaper than Disney World.
If you are getting a per diem of $1800 per month, you could find a place for less and have some left over.

[floridadreamer]

Melbourne or Daytona. Close to the coast but also orlando for the kids.

If you need to be close to both coast though, there are some nice parts of Orlando.

[FLANATIVE1]

I would say Ft. Myers. 2 hours to Tampa. 1 hour to Sarasota. 3.5 hours to Orlando. It is kind of in the middle of all the cities you mentioned. Also, as was mentioned, Ft. Myers has a high speed ferry that can get you to the Keys in 3-4 hours.