Time To leave South Florida (Knoxville, Johnson City: sales, credit card, house)

[julie517]

Originally Posted by airen123

Plenty surrounding towns 20-30 minutes to downtown. Yes, Maryville is a nice area. You can also check out Sevier Co, Oak Ridge, Lenoir City, Strawberry Plains, and Powell areas. The sections to stay away from are mostly East Knoxville, and some areas of North Knox...check out City Data's crime map and you can google some other ones to get an idea.

Do you happen to know where I can find the City Data crime map? Thanks!

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Originally Posted by Rasbell

I work in the Traffic/Streets division. I've been here 12yrs and I was planing on staying here until I got my 20yrs in but there basically cutting everything our medical and our pension and so on. I almost left a few years ago but I was already almost to my half way point of 10yrs so I stayed but I really have no reason to stay here now and I've been looking to move. Yeah I have a job but I'm not happy down here and looking for a more laid back life style and a slower pace of life. South Florida definitely doesn't have that. I wish you the best of luck on your move.
Russell

So sorry to hear that the city is trying to make those changes. I had heard that they were going to change the retirement for the new hires. That is really sad for the ones like yourself that have been there so long. I would say that the union will fight this. Are you going to hang around to see if the union wins the fight? Or are you unhappy enough to throw your pension away? Just remember if they don't change the pension, that would be a paycheck for the rest of your life. Just weigh your options and make a wise decision, ok. And you could retire from the city at 39 years old if they don't change anything. Then you could work part time or full time if you want. I hate to see you lose your retirement if you can help it.
Do you own your home in Lake Worth or do you rent?
There's so many beautiful areas in East Tennessee. I'm partial to Southeast TN to live and all of East TN to enjoy. I'm sure you will be able to find something. Enjoy your trip. Let us know how your trip went when you get back.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Rasbell]

Originally Posted by julie517

Do you happen to know where I can find the City Data crime map? Thanks!

Check this link out

https://www.city-data.com/crime/crime...Tennessee.html

[Rasbell]

Originally Posted by julie517

The natives have definitely been pushed out of south Florida! My family is relocating as well....the whole family is ready to leave this terrible area! The areas that have been recommended to me have included Seymour and Maryville. They both seem to be just enough away from the city limits to have the small town feel that we are not used to in south Florida. Good luck with checking out the area!

Yeah Maryville and Seymour so far look like good areas to live just outside of Knoxville. I'll have to check those areas out when I come up.

[Rasbell]

Originally Posted by FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010

So sorry to hear that the city is trying to make those changes. I had heard that they were going to change the retirement for the new hires. That is really sad for the ones like yourself that have been there so long. I would say that the union will fight this. Are you going to hang around to see if the union wins the fight? Or are you unhappy enough to throw your pension away? Just remember if they don't change the pension, that would be a paycheck for the rest of your life. Just weigh your options and make a wise decision, ok. And you could retire from the city at 39 years old if they don't change anything. Then you could work part time or full time if you want. I hate to see you lose your retirement if you can help it.
Do you own your home in Lake Worth or do you rent?
There's so many beautiful areas in East Tennessee. I'm partial to Southeast TN to live and all of East TN to enjoy. I'm sure you will be able to find something. Enjoy your trip. Let us know how your trip went when you get back.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

It's pretty much set in stone of want there going to do with our retirement. The unions have all been Fighting as much as possible but it doesn't look like it will matter. The city manager and commissioners voted for the change in our plan and medical. If they keep it the way it was then I would do my last 8 yrs here and then move. But then the city manger says its going to even be worse next year and cuts will be coming. Boy that's something to say to your employees when you already have everyone down about there future. I feel really bad for the ones with 19yrs in. You got out just in time.There trying to do away with the drop plan also. Good luck to you also and I hope to be living up there with in the next year.

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Originally Posted by Rasbell

It's pretty much set in stone of want there going to do with our retirement. The unions have all been Fighting as much as possible but it doesn't look like it will matter. The city manager and commissioners voted for the change in our plan and medical. If they keep it the way it was then I would do my last 8 yrs here and then move. But then the city manger says its going to even be worse next year and cuts will be coming. Boy that's something to say to your employees when you already have everyone down about there future. I feel really bad for the ones with 19yrs in. You got out just in time.There trying to do away with the drop plan also. Good luck to you also and I hope to be living up there with in the next year.

WOW, I don't know what to say. Because the city manager and the commissioners are clueless... it's not their future that it affects, so who cares right (so,so sad).
Just make the best of it and move to Tennessee or NC as soon as you can. You need to do what is best for you, what makes you happy. And try to enjoy your life.

[jefffla01]

I have lived in South Florida for 26 years and I find it a mixed bag of groceries.

There a lot of very nice people down here, so to label the entire population as rude or arrogant is off base. There is a huge number of residents from the northeast here, and some of them can be difficult and hard to tolerate. Some of them feel as though it is their duty to transfer their sense of disgust or bitterness to you----increase the bq---the bitterness quotient.

You learn how to handle the rude segment over the years. You treat people accordingly----to the majority of decent citizens here you treat them with respect. To the minority of miserable types here you ignore them-----trying to fight fire with fire and getting in their faces only inflames the situation. If some of them try to get you to be obnoxious to you just walk away and say adios-----this makes them mad but let them get mad and leave you alone.

We are exploring other areas for retirement---we dont want to stay in South Florida. However, please dont label everybody here as rude or bombastic----there is significant miserable quotient here, but many fine folks live here too.

[Rasbell]

Originally Posted by jefffla01

I have lived in South Florida for 26 years and I find it a mixed bag of groceries.

There a lot of very nice people down here, so to label the entire population as rude or arrogant is off base. There is a huge number of residents from the northeast here, and some of them can be difficult and hard to tolerate. Some of them feel as though it is their duty to transfer their sense of disgust or bitterness to you----increase the bq---the bitterness quotient.

You learn how to handle the rude segment over the years. You treat people accordingly----to the majority of decent citizens here you treat them with respect. To the minority of miserable types here you ignore them-----trying to fight fire with fire and getting in their faces only inflames the situation. If some of them try to get you to be obnoxious to you just walk away and say adios-----this makes them mad but let them get mad and leave you alone.

We are exploring other areas for retirement---we dont want to stay in South Florida. However, please dont label everybody here as rude or bombastic----there is significant miserable quotient here, but many fine folks live here too.

I didn't say everybody but a good majority of the people down here are. One of my good friends has been down here since the early 70's and is from New york and says there almost just as rude as up there. It just seems like they try to push off that northeast mentality off on whats left of us locals down here, And they still drive like there up there. I'm just looking for somewhere that has some southern hospitality left to it. I'm a very laid back person and I deal with it the best I can but there comes a time in ones life when they say they've have had enough. I would also like to have seasons and we only have 2 down here. Summer and a very mild winter. I love the cooler air when I go up to GA,NC and TN when I camp out in the mountains. And I've camped out in some pretty cold air up there last new years day I woke up to 17 degrees on top of a mountain in my tent, So I'll take cold over heat any day. If you can tell I'm ready for a change.

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Originally Posted by jefffla01

I have lived in South Florida for 26 years and I find it a mixed bag of groceries.

There a lot of very nice people down here, so to label the entire population as rude or arrogant is off base. There is a huge number of residents from the northeast here, and some of them can be difficult and hard to tolerate. Some of them feel as though it is their duty to transfer their sense of disgust or bitterness to you----increase the bq---the bitterness quotient.

You learn how to handle the rude segment over the years. You treat people accordingly----to the majority of decent citizens here you treat them with respect. To the minority of miserable types here you ignore them-----trying to fight fire with fire and getting in their faces only inflames the situation. If some of them try to get you to be obnoxious to you just walk away and say adios-----this makes them mad but let them get mad and leave you alone.

We are exploring other areas for retirement---we dont want to stay in South Florida. However, please dont label everybody here as rude or bombastic----there is significant miserable quotient here, but many fine folks live here too.

Mixed bag of groceries - Yeah and you never put the SOAP in with the good stuff - the food !!!

I have lived in Palm Beach County (South FL) for 56 years and I'm saying that compared to what it used to be, a lot of people are rude. They have no manners anymore and they don't teach their children to have any either. I wonder sometimes if they even know what it means to have manners. There are some people (of course) that know how to be nice. But the rude are starting to out numbering the nice ones. And when you know and liked how people used to be polite and courteous and now everyone is out for their self, so you better move out of the way. And the crime is getting worse all the time. Just about everyday there is a shooting somewhere in Palm Beach County. And IMO with all the negatives - hurricanes, property values going DOWN every year, property taxes going UP every year, homeowners insurance going UP every year (even though we haven’t had a hurricane hit in about 5 years) crime getting WORSE, so many rude people (not everyone is rude). I am ready to move to a place that has a slower life style and lower cost of living, where people still wave to you and even pull over for a funeral to show respect for the family.
Ok I’ll get off the soap box now. But I'm just saying.

I think that's how a lot of people feeling, I know I am.
Mmmmm lets see if I can remember this song (with a few changes)
Tennessee is the place for me, Farm living (ok,ok I won't go that far, maybe just a little garden will do).
I am sooo ready to go. Woohoo

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Rasbell - Have you looked at the picture threads? There's one under the Tennessee forum and one under Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol. Both are a fantastic tool for research.
Take a look. Beautiful pictures from all over east Tennessee. Enjoy them.