NYC Lesbian Family Looking 2 relocate (Jacksonville, Miami: apartment, rentals, insurance)

[lesfamfromnyc]

Hi everyone. We are a nyc lesbian family looking to relocate to florida due to our childrens health. We are in our 20's and have 2 children ages 3 and 5 months. One of us works as a computer technician in a high school for the past 5 years and the other is a full time student.

We are wondering how the job market is and how the rental property rates are.

We are just researching and are not really sure when to move but we want to be fully prepared to move.

How much money would be sufficient to live a mediocre life?
What places would be accepting to a puerto rican and black lesbian couple?

any suggestions or information would be helpful.

any information regarding habitat for humanity?

[vdecapio]

Riverside is a great community for lesbians, young people, families,etc.

Housing/rental/utility costs are less here, but food costs are basically the same as the City.

[jimbo13]

the four thousand dollars (plus) per month you were paying for a two-bedrooom in NYC will get you a mansion in jax!

[Ocklawaha]

Hey and Welcome LesFam! First let me say, I'm NOT part of the gay community. On TV I would be pictured with a Southern Accent, and a Confederate Flag...but guess what? I love everybody! OLD HIPPIE SYNDROME!
When I worked for the USPS the best people I ever had to work with were "My" LesFamilies. So maybe I can offer you a view from both sides of the fence.

I'd stay with either the Beaches, Downtown, 5-Points, (Park and King) in Riverside, and/or San Marco. These area's are very uptown and are the emerging modern thinkers part of Jacksonville.

No where in the City do I think you'd be accosted or really bothered, though their might be some ugly comments made in certain quarters I sure you could find idiots anywhere.

As for Income and jobs, Jacksonville is like a boom town, If it isn't being torn up, then it's probably new or already under construction. Don't worry about high pay scales... we don't have any. But an income of 3,000 - 4,000 a month would give you a comfortable life here. If either of you are professionals, legal, medical, or blue collar like union labor, or railroad, transit, shipyard, construction workers, your combined income should buy you a mansion.

A large yard, 3 BR - 2 Bath newer home in a nice sub-division shouldn't cost more then 175,000 to 400,000. Condos can be much less. There are even some "starter" homes in a condo development at the Beach that are under 200,000. Rentals are everywhere... Downtown or riverside check out Metropolitan Lofts, The Strand, San Marco lofts, and several new 5-points complexes. Also all along Hodges, Kernan, San Pablo Roads near the beach is nice upper level rentals.

Come on down, glad to add you to "our" family.

Ocklawaha

[riveree]

Originally Posted by lesfamfromnyc

How much money would be sufficient to live a mediocre life?
What places would be accepting to a puerto rican and black lesbian couple?

any suggestions or information would be helpful.

any information regarding habitat for humanity?

You could probably squeak by okay on $50k for a family, $60k would probably be more comfortable. There is no income tax here, so that's a big help. We are one of the less expensive cities in Florida, but even here the cost of living has been rising.

One thing you may not have in NYC that you absolutely would need here is a car (actually, you'd probably need 2). You'd need a good quality car - something safe that runs well; nothing too small or budget. Trucks and SUVs are popular here for a reason, you'll make use of their strengths when the weather goes nuts. When I moved here from NYC, the savings on housing costs was quickly eaten up by my new car costs. I spent more on "house+car" in Florida than I did on "house" in NYC.

Everyone above honed in on the areas that would probably be most welcoming to you. Where you work is going to have a big impact on your choice of neighborhood too - you can't imagine how spread out everything is here until you get here.

Habitat for Humanity does build homes here, but I doubt you'd want to live in those neighborhoods (sorry if I offend anyone living there).

I think you can have a better quality of life here in many regards, but the cost is not necessarily going to less. Everyone hears "NYC" and assumes your cost of living will go down drastically if you move to FL, but many of the costs are about the same. or even higher here in FL.

Expect to spend $700-$850 for a decent, small apartment rental, $1000 and up for a house (even a very modest house).

[LM1]

Originally Posted by riveree

Everyone hears "NYC" and assumes your cost of living will go down drastically if you move to FL, but many of the costs are about the same. or even higher here in FL.

This is a huge point that needs to be reiterated.

While NYC has expensive rent and cigarettes, pound for pound, the spread between COL in NYC and COL anywhere else isn't all that bad. As riveree mentions, there are things that are MORE expensive in FL than they were in NYC.

We pay substantially less for groceries (other than citrus) in Chicago than we did in St. Augustine. Insurance is higher in Chicago, but our mortgage is actually less for a comparable property in NEFL.

As fas as the whole interracial lesbian thing, I'll be honest and say you aren't exactly moving to a "San Francisco" type place (chances are, coming from NYC, you've never seen a big muddy pickup truck flying the confederate flag. When you're here, you will) but it isn't like you're going to be confronted about being gay, or anything like that. People are generally the same, wherever you go. They just wear different clothes.

[mystifire]

I can just tell you that you probably will not have too big of a problem being able to afford living here, because it is cheap and with car payment it will balance out to be the same as it was to live in NYC. (so cost of living will really not go up, at least).

However, about the lesbian couple issue. I am gay myself, so I can give an experienced response. Maybe I am just jaded, but I can honestly say that OVERALL the city is NOT accepting of the gay-related issues. The neighborhoods listed above (riverside, san marco, the beach) are the MORE accepting neighborhoods but are still not what I consider to be "tolerant" enough to feel comfortable in. The police stop gay youth and gay couples when they are just walking on the street, many people drop their jaw and stare at gay couples, and you just don't see a lot of fellow gay couples. Furthermore.. the black community here is quite religious and conservative and tend to be the most homophobic out of any other. I am active in our city's only LGBT Youth center and 90 percent of the youth there are black and tell me horror stories about how their own parents put them out on the street and how their are horrendously treated by the residents of our black neighborhoods.

Ive been "up north" many times and find that the black communities there are more diversely cultured, more accepting and generally tolerant, and less inclined to take religion so seriously. I would be thrilled to see a black and puerto rican lesbian couple in a positive relationship living healthy lives here with their family but I have never and am afraid that you would get the worst reactions from your own racial community.

So there you have it.. I am a Puerto Rican gay male who can tell you this first hand.

[gradco2004]

Originally Posted by mystifire

I can just tell you that you probably will not have too big of a problem being able to afford living here, because it is cheap and with car payment it will balance out to be the same as it was to live in NYC. (so cost of living will really not go up, at least).

However, about the lesbian couple issue. I am gay myself, so I can give an experienced response. Maybe I am just jaded, but I can honestly say that OVERALL the city is NOT accepting of the gay-related issues. The neighborhoods listed above (riverside, san marco, the beach) are the MORE accepting neighborhoods but are still not what I consider to be "tolerant" enough to feel comfortable in. The police stop gay youth and gay couples when they are just walking on the street, many people drop their jaw and stare at gay couples, and you just don't see a lot of fellow gay couples. Furthermore.. the black community here is quite religious and conservative and tend to be the most homophobic out of any other. I am active in our city's only LGBT Youth center and 90 percent of the youth there are black and tell me horror stories about how their own parents put them out on the street and how their are horrendously treated by the residents of our black neighborhoods.

Ive been "up north" many times and find that the black communities there are more diversely cultured, more accepting and generally tolerant, and less inclined to take religion so seriously. I would be thrilled to see a black and puerto rican lesbian couple in a positive relationship living healthy lives here with their family but I have never and am afraid that you would get the worst reactions from your own racial community.

So there you have it.. I am a Puerto Rican gay male who can tell you this first hand.

You did not tell one lie. It will take more than a great personality to make yourself feel comfortable around some folks here. Thumbs up on being fair.

[rtt]

I agree with the above posters. Any sort of a public display of affection between gays wouldn't be appreciated, and we've seen open hostility towards gays. (People excuse it with, "its against my religion")....I do have a gay friend in Atlantic Beach who seems to be happy there.

[Ocklawaha]

Both crime and cost of living are available on line. The cost of living charts show that Jacksonville is slightly higher in grocery prices then say, Chicago. But the difference is small. The real winner is over the prices in NY-NJ-MA, few if any groups show Jacksonville as the more expensive place. If I can locate the site again, now that I'm back on my little Spanish Computer I'll post it. It has charts for all sorts of stuff, gas, utilities, food, etc...

JACKSONVILLE is certainly the best deal in Florida.

Now if you REALLY want to stretch those dollars check out Ft. Smith, Arkansas. With a metro of about 450,000 old west history by the carload, and Poteau, Oklahoma just over the border (always rated as one of the top 10 places to retire) they have the lowest cost of living in the USA. Moreover it's surrounded by mountains and large rivers. Stunning. But it's NOT JACKSONVILLE!

National Crime numbers don't hold up our Florida Crime Capital status either.
first consider we are a City of 840 square miles (area). Miami, Tampa, Orlando together would be close. Now add their crime rates for 840 square miles!
Besides even within their little 300 mile city limits, they are far, far, above us in every crime group, including violent crimes, except murder. Maybe we just have a different take on it. "Rob me and I'll shoot you sort of mentality?" or Maybe we suffer for not enough gun ranges? But whatever the case, we ain't that bad.

Ocklawaha