[mattington]

This is a general Florida question, where is the safest place to live, eg towns, cities etc because i am planning to move there with my wife and 3 kids.

If Florida isnt the place for me which state should i go to which has higher temperatures than the UK.

[stahltkd]

Originally Posted by mattington

This is a general Florida question, where is the safest place to live, eg towns, cities etc because i am planning to move there with my wife and 3 kids.

If Florida isnt the place for me which state should i go to which has higher temperatures than the UK.

Any city is going to have its share of crime. It's all about being aware of your surroundings, and taking caution - i.e. don't leave valuable items in plain sight of your car window.

The only way to get away from the crime is to have acreage upon acreage surrounding you - but even then you could have someone raid your property.

Best thing to do is try to come for an extended vacation - more than a week. Research areas that interest you and your family. Then when you have narrowed it down to areas that will support your career, interest, and general idea of where you'd like to live... then we can be more helpful. Most of our states are bigger than most countries in E.U. So, for a general question like the one you pose, there's too many variables to answer.

[007.5]

ANY southern state in the U.S. is going to be warmer than the UK. The safest part of Florida is the Panhandle which is the northwest corner of the State. Nice beaches, people friendly, very family oriented, cheapest place in FLorida to live, work may or may not be good for you depending on what you do for a living and the demand for it in the Panhandle.

[DorieG]

I've been researching the different areas of FL as well and keep going back and forth between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale areas. I've been reading so many negative views on Miami and different opinions that have me confused. These are just thoughts my husband and I are having right now. I was born and raised in NYC, Queens to be exact, so nothing really shocks me or scares me that much. My husband is Dominican born and raised and has been in NY for the past 10 months. I'm Italian/American and speak both Italian and Spanish fluently so I know it wouldn't be a problem for me with the Latin culture down there. I also have worked in the travel industry for 10 years so I'm sure I could find a job in one of the hotels or tour operators since I have a lot of contacts down there.

We eventually would like to move down to FL once we save up money but are not too sure where. He has family in the Miami area, I forgot which city though. His aunt and cousins live in Orlando and some friends of ours live close to Ft. Lauderdale. I also have friends that live in Kendall and Kissimmee. My husband's cousins and friends have told him they could easily get him a job in construction with them so that wouldn't be a problem. I'm just getting confused with all the different areas of Miami. I definitely want to be very close to the beach since I'm a beach nut but I know South Beach and Miami Beach are too expensive. Honestly I've never been to Miami, YET, I was in Orlando on a business trip 2 year ago.

I can acclimate pretty well as long as I know where I'm going and have a decent job. I lived in Sicily for 1 year when I was in my 20's and I survived that! I also traveled back and forth to my husband's town in the Dominican Republic for 2 years constantly and believe me, if you can survive the humidity, crime etc there, then you can survive it anywhere!

Is there a huge difference between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale? I've been looking at apartment/condo rentals in both areas and I see Ft. Lauderdale is a lot cheaper but I don't know any of the areas.

Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[ChrisA70]

Estero....

[Winter_Sucks]

Does anyone know if Okeechobee is a safe city? I'm thinking about moving there because it is rural and cheaper, plus I'm a strange mixture of progressive and redneck, don't ask about that . . .

[beachmouse]

The Everglades areas can be pretty iffy. For redneck and progressive, I'd probably aim for half an hour outside Gainesville or Tallahassee or maybe between Orlando and Melbourne.

[Winter_Sucks]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

The Everglades areas can be pretty iffy. For redneck and progressive, I'd probably aim for half an hour outside Gainesville or Tallahassee or maybe between Orlando and Melbourne.

Those areas seem nice, but northern and central Florida are not what I'm looking for. Mainly, those areas are too prone to sinkholes so I'm going to avoid living there.

I've heard that the Everglades area is iffy, but that the northern part around lake Okeechobee is pretty safe and the southern part of the lake is what should be avoided. That's just what I've read, which could be way off or close. I'm still researching.

[ChrisA70]

Clewiston is ok.

[Winter_Sucks]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

Clewiston is ok.

That area is too unpredictable right now. I know the state is buying the land from the local sugar company to restore the Everglades, so I'm probably ruling that town out too.