Want to move to Southwest Florida... I need a recruiter (Sarasota: apartment complex, skateboarding)

[tommy-105]

That's a tough one.

Leave the house unattended during the height of hurricane season to go to the mountains of Tennessee to experience fall.

Or leave in August to get away from the worst of the heat.

Think I would go with August.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

If you lived in Florida as your primary residence, but could leave one month a year to live in a cooler climate, which month would it be? July August or September?


Thanks

You might have asked the wrong person this question. I have an unconventional answer.

I hated May and thought it was brutal. Usually, it is still relatively dry and the daily rain has not commenced.

Most people think that the daily storm only makes it more humid. Maybe it does, but I always got relief from it, perhaps because the sun finally would go away for awhile.

So I find the heat in May to be terrible and unrelenting.

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

You might have asked the wrong person this question. I have an unconventional answer.

I hated May and thought it was brutal. Usually, it is still relatively dry and the daily rain has not commenced.

Most people think that the daily storm only makes it more humid. Maybe it does, but I always got relief from it, perhaps because the sun finally would go away for awhile.

So I find the heat in May to be terrible and unrelenting.

Very interesting. You're the first one that did ever tell me May. But I'm sure there are other people who say the same thing.

I was in Naples in August, I did not find it worse than where I am now...matter of fact it was nicer, because I was lucky enough to not be too far away from the beach and got the breeze....where I am now I get the same heat and humidity (so I'm used to it) but dang the ocean is 3 hours away :-) No relief.

[Rainbow girl]

I need some help. I am trying to make a decision between moving to Sarasota or Fort Myers, they are both the same distance from my new job. I have several children so I definately want them to be safe and have decent schools. We love warm weather and love to swim and do things outdoors year round. Can you give me some guidance?

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

If you lived in Florida as your primary residence, but could leave one month a year to live in a cooler climate, which month would it be? July August or September?


Thanks

I don't see really see what difference it makes. I don't have a carport or garage but, if I did, I would be walking from my air conditioned home to get into into my air conditioned car and be walking into an air conditioned office or store. If you work outside for a living, that's different. I wouldn't want to be a roofer working in 90 degree heat under the blazing sun. I sold cars in the summer and it was really uncomfortable (once the sole of my shoe melted off) but it's not the same as putting up drywall in a new home without electricity. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a retiree or someone who doesn't work outside too much shouldn't really worry about the heat. For most people, the temperature difference between June & Sept is insignificant.

Regarding which month is worse, each year is different. This year the very hot weather began in May. Believe me, I know, since I was trying to pack my car to move. 90+ and it's stayed that way most of the summer. However, usually May is a little cooler and less humid than August. As you pointed out, being inland makes the air feel thicker & muggier. I even notice a big difference between living 1 mile or 5 miles from the ocean.

Edit: I want to write a disclaimer. On city-data there will always be someone who will search for an article or chart that proves another poster wrong. I am talking about "averages" and "in general." Last year we had record lows in Oct. But if someone asks me what the weather is like in Oct, I'll answer it's usually "warm & sunny."

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by Rainbow girl

I need some help. I am trying to make a decision between moving to Sarasota or Fort Myers, they are both the same distance from my new job. I have several children so I definately want them to be safe and have decent schools. We love warm weather and love to swim and do things outdoors year round. Can you give me some guidance?

It would be helpful if you mentioned the city in which you'll be working. Distance and time/accessibility are 2 very different things. I mean, if you have several children, you probably don't want to be too far from home. But sometimes ya just can't get there from here, if you know what I mean. It also depends how close to I-75 you'll be living and if you'll be commuting during rush hour. Also, both cities cover a lot of area. Take exit 131 in Fort Myers, for example. University Drive in Sarasota is exit 213. That's 82 miles up I-75. So somewhere in-between might be Port Charlotte (Exit 167) or North Port (exit 179) but driving from North Port to Fort Myers every day would be quite a haul, plus I-75 can look like a parking lot at certain hours.

Sarasota is, in general, more expensive than Fort Myers. It has much more to offer too. Both cities have good & bad areas.

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by justNancy

I don't see really see what difference it makes. I don't have a carport or garage but, if I did, I would be walking from my air conditioned home to get into into my air conditioned car and be walking into an air conditioned office or store. If you work outside for a living, that's different. I wouldn't want to be a roofer working in 90 degree heat under the blazing sun. I sold cars in the summer and it was really uncomfortable (once the sole of my shoe melted off) but it's not the same as putting up drywall in a new home without electricity. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a retiree or someone who doesn't work outside too much shouldn't really worry about the heat. For most people, the temperature difference between June & Sept is insignificant.

Regarding which month is worse, each year is different. This year the very hot weather began in May. Believe me, I know, since I was trying to pack my car to move. 90+ and it's stayed that way most of the summer. However, usually May is a little cooler and less humid than August. As you pointed out, being inland makes the air feel thicker & muggier. I even notice a big difference between living 1 mile or 5 miles from the ocean.

Edit: I want to write a disclaimer. On city-data there will always be someone who will search for an article or chart that proves another poster wrong. I am talking about "averages" and "in general." Last year we had record lows in Oct. But if someone asks me what the weather is like in Oct, I'll answer it's usually "warm & sunny."

Ok that's what I kind of wanted the "general norm". One month a year I will be traveling, so kind of thought maybe August. It will have to be in the summer for me to see the people I will be traveling to see (before school starts I should say) .

However the more I read on these boards.....maybe I'll look back into Murrells Inlet SC.

[justNancy]

Mrs. P, there is no perfect place from what I've learned. However, I'm finding FL to be more expensive than many other areas in the country. The big advantage is no state income tax. Right now the price of a condo or house is very low in areas like Cape Coral, North Port, Port Saint Lucie and others, but a house near the beach is still very expensive and the property taxes are high. Many condo associations and mobile home parks have monthly fees over $400 a month too. So it's important to make a chart of pros and cons, a list of priorities, then do the math or make a pie chart.

[movetoflorida]

Originally Posted by justNancy

Mrs. P, there is no perfect place from what I've learned. However, I'm finding FL to be more expensive than many other areas in the country. The big advantage is no state income tax. Right now the price of a condo or house is very low in areas like Cape Coral, North Port, Port Saint Lucie and others, but a house near the beach is still very expensive and the property taxes are high. Many condo associations and mobile home parks have monthly fees over $400 a month too. So it's important to make a chart of pros and cons, a list of priorities, then do the math or make a pie chart.

Funny you should say that. I starting a pros and cons list yesterday as a blog on my profile to sort through all the info I have gathered on this forum and elsewhere. After my trip down there next month and some more research, I will have it finished. Looks like I need a seperate blog for each topic as you can only have 2000 characters per blog though...(economy, transportation, crime, weather, housing, health care...and so on). I would also like to pass that suggestion on to those with experience in SWF that regularly post here. You could copy and paste or reference your blog for those same questions asked over and over. It could just be a single subject that maybe you have the inside scoop on because of your experience or profession and of course you could always update your blog as stats or situations change. Too bad the blogs are only 2000 characters. I know some of you guys could write a book about SWF. Hmmm, why not?

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Mrs. P

Very interesting. You're the first one that did ever tell me May. But I'm sure there are other people who say the same thing.

I was in Naples in August, I did not find it worse than where I am now...matter of fact it was nicer, because I was lucky enough to not be too far away from the beach and got the breeze....where I am now I get the same heat and humidity (so I'm used to it) but dang the ocean is 3 hours away :-) No relief.

That comes as no surprise. I think that from at least Virginia through Georgia the humidity can be very bad as can be the bugs. That's why I'm on the other side of the mountains.

But I found swFlorida to be even more humid than most places in Florida. my retired dad would visit from Melbourne and have to keep taking naps because the heat and humidity would exhaust him.

I didn't move away because of the weather, though. You asked which month was the worse and honestly, the other months didn't bother me that much. Only May would bother me, if at all. And yes, some years are better than others. I think that kind of goes without saying.

But, through most of my life, I've always felt cold. In fact, not that long ago they just figured out that there is something wrong with my thyroid. That's another reason why I'm not the best person to ask about the heat.