[ferret111]

Originally Posted by cpt757100

Stay away from Clearwater and Sarasota! The panhandle is a much nicer part of Florida. I have lived in the Tampa area and the Panhandle and I have to tell you that the panhandle is where you want to be. The panhandle is a great place to raise children. The schools in Central Florida are not the best! Tallahassee is a very nice area in the Panhandle!

It all comes down to personal preference. I like the Tampa Bay Area more than the Panhandle since I like having everything close to each other, with other cities close by. The Panhandle is nice, but it is too quiet for me. You can find good schools in both areas. The deal breaker is probably just employment. You'd have more opportunities in and around Tampa, but it all depends on if they're hiring.

[nwc07]

I am currently living in Niceville. I find the area quaint and the people here truly are "nice". There is very little to do other than the beach. While the beach appears to be relatively clean we have weekly warnings of fecal bacteria soiling the inland waterways and parks. This seems to be a continual problem for Okaloosa County and more prevalent here than in other Florida counties...why?

I would not come here without secure employment. There are endless opportunities in the government (which is why we are here). While housing "appears" to be on the cheaper side, when you factor in the outrageous costs of homeowners insurance (if they can even be obtained at all) and taxes, along with the high costs of utilities its not so cheap!

[beachmouse]

Part of the bay contamination issue compared to other areas is that they test Choctaw Bay at more points than a lot of other Florida bays. You'd probably find the same in other parts of the state if you used the same testing protocols because no one down here really seems to have a good grip on how to handle high volume stormwater runoff, and it's usually the days after a big rain that bacteria levels spike.

[Lchaim12]

I'm also looking to relocate to a community friendly area. I'm looking for warm weather, nice beaches, friendly real people , hopefully Jewish population, bike and pedestrian friendly. I currently live in central California in a very wealthy snobby area that I hate. Any Florida suggestions. I'm not wealthy and will not have kids with me. They are grown.