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Hello! My wife and I will be in Marion County next month to get a feel for the area. Ocala has boiled down to be one of our top 3 places to consider for retirement. I'm 57, my wife is 63, we are white and middle-class, no kids, and we've lived in Columbus, Cleveland, coastal CT (worked in NYC), and now Corvallis, Oregon. We would rent before buying, so for now, most of my questions are subjective.
Shopping: What's your favorite mall? Favorite grocery store? Are lots of different fruits and vegetables grown locally? (I know only about Florida citrus.)
Hiking: When we get tired of shopping (which will happen very fast for me), what's a nice 2-hour hike near Ocala?
Golfers (my wife is addicted): What's your favorite public course in the area? How many 18-hole women's leagues do you know of? Is there a co-ed league anywhere in the county?
Swimmers: Is the college's beautiful pool open to the community a decent number of hours per week for lap swims? Is there another public pool that is?
Where is "downtown" Ocala? (Street boundaries) Is it worth visiting, does it have shops and restaurants?
What do you think of city/county government? Is it effective? Transparent? Cost-conscious? Do residents talk to each other about the decisions being made? Do the same few people (or worse, the same few families) hold elected office for decades?
Crime: In the data I've gathered, this is the only strike against Ocala, although not so much Marion Co generally. We don't want to live in a gated community. How safe do you feel day to day, and what do you do to feel safe?
Lifelong learning: Is anyone out there part of Master the Possibilities? Are its courses generally of high quality? What's your favorite public library branch and why?
Culture: Does Ocala have the feel of a true college town? Visual arts, theater, dance, concerts, readings, lectures? I know that until recently CCF was a community college, so I wonder.
Connecting: Are most people genuinely friendly? If you join a gym, for example, do people chat with you and eventually take you in? Or is the friendliness more superficial?
Sense of community: Ocala is fairly racially/ethnically diverse on paper. But are the neighborhoods segregated, as in so many US cities? Where (if anywhere) are the middle-class neighborhoods that are diverse with regard to age, race, and income?
Thank you so much in advance. I've been lurking on this forum for months and want to thank those of you who have shared such good information. I held my breath with you through the approach of Irma and the aftermath.
I would recommend renting here for at least 6 months before you commit to buying. I did that in On Top of the World, and it was a great education about 55+ communities, SW Marion (which I discovered I did not want to live in), and Ocala itself. By living here for an extended period of time, you'll be able to get all of your questions answered!
Hello! My wife and I will be in Marion County next month to get a feel for the area. Ocala has boiled down to be one of our top 3 places to consider for retirement. I'm 57, my wife is 63, we are white and middle-class, no kids, and we've lived in Columbus, Cleveland, coastal CT (worked in NYC), and now Corvallis, Oregon. We would rent before buying, so for now, most of my questions are subjective.
Shopping: What's your favorite mall? Favorite grocery store? Are lots of different fruits and vegetables grown locally? (I know only about Florida citrus.)
Hiking: When we get tired of shopping (which will happen very fast for me), what's a nice 2-hour hike near Ocala?
Golfers (my wife is addicted): What's your favorite public course in the area? How many 18-hole women's leagues do you know of? Is there a co-ed league anywhere in the county?
Swimmers: Is the college's beautiful pool open to the community a decent number of hours per week for lap swims? Is there another public pool that is?
Where is "downtown" Ocala? (Street boundaries) Is it worth visiting, does it have shops and restaurants?
What do you think of city/county government? Is it effective? Transparent? Cost-conscious? Do residents talk to each other about the decisions being made? Do the same few people (or worse, the same few families) hold elected office for decades?
Crime: In the data I've gathered, this is the only strike against Ocala, although not so much Marion Co generally. We don't want to live in a gated community. How safe do you feel day to day, and what do you do to feel safe?
Lifelong learning: Is anyone out there part of Master the Possibilities? Are its courses generally of high quality? What's your favorite public library branch and why?
Culture: Does Ocala have the feel of a true college town? Visual arts, theater, dance, concerts, readings, lectures? I know that until recently CCF was a community college, so I wonder.
Connecting: Are most people genuinely friendly? If you join a gym, for example, do people chat with you and eventually take you in? Or is the friendliness more superficial?
Sense of community: Ocala is fairly racially/ethnically diverse on paper. But are the neighborhoods segregated, as in so many US cities? Where (if anywhere) are the middle-class neighborhoods that are diverse with regard to age, race, and income?
Thank you so much in advance. I've been lurking on this forum for months and want to thank those of you who have shared such good information. I held my breath with you through the approach of Irma and the aftermath.
It sounds as if Gainesville might be more up your alley, and perhaps living between Gainesville and Ocala would give you a better feel for both communities.
I would recommend renting here for at least 6 months before you commit to buying. I did that in On Top of the World, and it was a great education about 55+ communities, SW Marion (which I discovered I did not want to live in), and Ocala itself. By living here for an extended period of time, you'll be able to get all of your questions answered!
I hope your move goes smoothly and welcome!
I'm thinking the same about SW Marion. It's very nice where we are, but I'm thinking NE or NW.
Hello! My wife and I will be in Marion County next month to get a feel for the area. Ocala has boiled down to be one of our top 3 places to consider for retirement. I'm 57, my wife is 63, we are white and middle-class, no kids, and we've lived in Columbus, Cleveland, coastal CT (worked in NYC), and now Corvallis, Oregon. We would rent before buying, so for now, most of my questions are subjective.
I'm happy to offer what insight I can:
Quote:
Shopping: What's your favorite mall? Favorite grocery store? Are lots of different fruits and vegetables grown locally? (I know only about Florida citrus.)
There is really only one proper mall, though there is an assortment of strip malls/plazas of varying extents and offerings throughout non-rural areas of the county.
For grocery stores, Publix has a virtual monopoly. Their stores are generally clean, selection is ample, and customer service is great, though some of their pricing is nothing short of outrageous. My suggestion is to purchase household items and most common box & canned items at Walmart or ALDI, avoid Winn-Dixie stores like the plague, and look for BOGOs, most red meat & seafood, produce, and specialty cheeses at Publix. Either purchase boneless, skinless chicken breast from a local butchery in bulk or get it from Walmart in the yellow 4-5lb packages for $1.99/lb and wrap & freeze, because when not "on sale," Publix will charge you $4.49 - $7.49/lb for the same thing. If you're into a more organic product selection, try Earth Fare on 200 in Ocala or Earth Origins on 40 a few miles east of downtown Ocala.
What do you think of city/county government? Is it effective? Transparent? Cost-conscious? Do residents talk to each other about the decisions being made? Do the same few people (or worse, the same few families) hold elected office for decades?
Local government in general tends to act at the behest of the unofficial aristocracy and interests thereof. Results for the community as a whole are mixed as a consequence of such. Noteworthy problems include an artificial suppression of wages, lackluster public education, and a criminal justice system that would benefit from long overdue housekeeping.
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Crime: In the data I've gathered, this is the only strike against Ocala, although not so much Marion Co generally. We don't want to live in a gated community. How safe do you feel day to day, and what do you do to feel safe?
There are ample options for non-gated living where you can feel safe even with a somewhat modest retirement budget. Avoiding taking up residence within or immediately nearby the more notorious areas around the county on its own is likely sufficient, though many folks own dogs and firearms, have alarm systems and exterior lighting for convenience and/or peace of mind, etc.
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Culture: Does Ocala have the feel of a true college town? Visual arts, theater, dance, concerts, readings, lectures? I know that until recently CCF was a community college, so I wonder.
Ocala does not look or feel like a college town, though the local college does hold the sort of events you've mentioned.
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Connecting: Are most people genuinely friendly? If you join a gym, for example, do people chat with you and eventually take you in? Or is the friendliness more superficial?
It varies. You're most likely to discover genuine friendship where specific interests and the ability to pursue them align.
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Sense of community: Ocala is fairly racially/ethnically diverse on paper. But are the neighborhoods segregated, as in so many US cities? Where (if anywhere) are the middle-class neighborhoods that are diverse with regard to age, race, and income?
There is a somewhat complex element of self-segregation that continues to persist throughout the county, though if excluding the dedicated retirement communities from the equation, I wouldn't consider 'age' a meaningful variable to factor into any analysis. This is not to suggest that there is some sort of silent race war at play, but rather to elucidate what is more common than not. There is a bit of an uncomfortable degree of lingering cultural and racial suspicion at play here, much of which I suspect is due to a greater-than-average abundance of multi-generational natives in the area as compared with elsewhere around the state.
On another note, you may consider spending some time in Gainesville, which is under an hour north of Ocala and is more progressive and inclusive on the whole. Also has about everything you want, including a true college town feel, continuing education, and substantial diversity. Just a bit more expensive but not exponentially so.
I think you should tell us the type of community and size you would like.
Rt 200 has lots of retail and I look at that as a plus.
I would drop Ocala and look in Marion County.
Yes rent.
I appreciate the comments so far, especially of course those from OpinioninOcala.
We are looking for a more fiscally fit state (FL is #1 or #6 depending on the source) and one where there is very low risk of a major earthquake. Explanations of the Cascadia Subduction Zone were not publicized in lay terms until years after we moved to the West coast.
We have happily lived in 2 cities of about 55,000 people, which is one reason Ocala caught our eye. We once visited Gainesville and liked the vibe, but we are already living in a small city that's dominated in every respect by a university, and it's not good. Our other requirement, well matched by Ocala, is low cost of living. We have a nest egg, but it is far from golden.
We have liberal politics but do not insist on a blue city. In fact, we're getting pretty darn weary of the fundamentalist left. We actually live in a 4000-person town right outside Corvallis where people used to work in the timber industry, and we feel quite at home there.
For those of us that are paying attention to our budget the cost of utilities and taxes can vary a lot. I think the city is more expensive than the county but before you buy look up the cost of utilities and taxes for the lot. The lot down the road could have a lot different expense. Also not all lot have public water and sewer but you may in the future and be charged for the hock up.
Great comments by all and pretty spot on. I can only add a few things. My husband and I are originally from CT but have lived in NC, CA and now Ocala. I wanted to move back to the east coast to be closer to the grandkids who live in CT plus CA was too expensive to retire in. My cousin talked us into moving to Ocala and while we did tons of research I feel we may have made a mistake. The good things: we live in Trilogy Ocala Preserve on the NW side. It’s a very nice community and Shea builds a good home however we pay approximately $415 in HOA fees per month up from the original $409 and will end up $462 at full build out. That’s pretty expensive. In addition they are nickel and diming us to death for activities. The club is way too small and we don’t even have a meeting room. We looked at On Top Of the World and Stonecreek but the residents were the most warm and friendly here. I prefer to not live in an HOA however the crime rate is very high here so I just feel safer here. While we are a semi gated community it does offer some protection. Look on the NeighborhoodScout website. Ocala is rated a 4....100 is the best. We took a course at OTOW for 13 weeks put on by the sheriffs department and it was a real eye opener. They said they were down 44 deputies in Marion County. I also volunteered at the sheriffs department for awhile. There’s also an App that you can download that acts as a police scanner. After about a month or so of listening to it we had to turn it off. It was too depressing and sad. Too many drug crimes, people in bad health and some even waving guns in the air. We have been here for 2 years and as long as you don’t go to the gas station at night you probably won’t encounter any problems but don’t let anyone fool you. The crime is bad here.
We love our home and we have really nice neighbors but don’t see myself in Ocala long term. The horse farms are beautiful but so many people are destitute, are uneducated and live in some of the worst trailers I’ve ever seen in my life. I guess it’s all what your used to. I never saw anyone living in a rusted out, moldy trailer growing up. I feel badly to see so many people with so little. I agree with the others about Gainesville. Seems like a much better place to live. Nearby Newberry looks nice as well and is a much safer place to live.
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