Phoenix to winter park Florida (Orlando, Lake Mary: rent, condominiums, crime rate)

[ellie84]

yes goolsbyjazz. And maybe a cat might help with all those insects?

[qdogfball]

Originally Posted by ellie84

yes goolsbyjazz. And maybe a cat might help with all those insects?

A cat will eat the lizards (Anole) that eat those insects

[8to32characters]

AZ is head and shoulders above FL in almost every category except access to beaches / saltwater and theme parks. IMO, winter weather in FL is better than winter weather in AZ, although this is more subjective. Overall, AZ kicks the snot out of FL with regard to weather, scenery, proximity to spectacular and intriguing places, cost-of-living, and -- most of all -- people quality.

With regard to people quality in particular, I found people to be much more pleasant and easier to live around in AZ than in FL. As you're aware, AZ has a classic live-and-let-live Western vibe -- very casual; polite (e.g., you'll rarely hear a car horn in Phoenix, despite it being the 5th or 6th largest city in the country); open-minded; tolerant, even if not approving; and although people can seem aloof, they are usually pleasant if you talk first. For the most part, people in Florida are angry, miserable, rude, arrogant, selfish, and -- in many cases -- just plain bizarre. Most of the time, people in FL are just looking to "one-up" you -- cut you in line, beat you to the stoplight, etc. -- very East Coast-like. Lots of "tough" NY/NJ-type personas in FL, too. Although AZ is just as transient as Florida, I encountered significantly less shadiness in personal interactions and business transactions in AZ. Overall, people quality is generally much lower in FL compared to AZ, and this greatly impacts your day-to-day life, especially if you're work and/or going to school (retired, probably not as much).

Although this is a sensitive issue, I should mention that there is a tremendous amount of racial tension in FL, mostly due to lots and lots of transplants (mostly working-class ethnic whites) from highly-segregated cities in the Northeast and Midwest as well as many natives (mostly black and Hispanic) who harbor a lot of bitterness towards other races. Not for nothing, but AZ is an easier place to live as a white person -- no reverse racism or racial strife to really speak of, fewer angry minorities (and angry people in general), fewer thuggish types, etc. Overall, people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds seem to coexist better in AZ than in FL. Oh, yeah -- way less tolerance for ghetto behavior in AZ, too.

Overall, living in AZ was a much more positive and enjoyable experience than living in FL. For me personally, living in Florida kinda felt like wearing a pair of shoes that just didn't fit right, and there are many other posters on City-Data who share a similar sentiment.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by ellie84

yes goolsbyjazz. And maybe a cat might help with all those insects?

It depends where you live... The biggest insect I ever saw in my house in Dr. Phillips was an ant. I saw bigger insects when I lived in Seattle.

[Eric1026]

IMHO here are the questions you would want to ask to yourself and then depending on how you rank them you will have your answer in regards to Orlando vs Phoenix:

* Would you rather stick your head in a steam room or your oven during the summer days or does it not matter since both are hot in your mind?
* Do you like green trees and plants year round or does the desert floral and fauna appeal to you?
* If you like nature then do you define it as mountains and grand vistas or do you define it as water, seas and green trees?
* Is the nicest six months of winter season highs more important to you or still pretty decent weathers combined with six months of better early morning and late afternoon lows during the shoulder season?
* Do you want to be around the highest end amusement parks and water parks in the country or would you rather be driving distance to national parks.
* Do bugs bother you (there are lots of them in Florida)?
* Does knowing your entire water supply is dependent on man made diversion from the Colorado River bother you?

Arizona and Florida in some ways could not be more opposite of each other but in other ways these two states tend to attract people with the same weather and lifestyle type preferences. I have been to Phoenix and Arizona dozens of times and have lots of friends who have moved in and out of both (literally two dozen). Honestly they are almost split down the middle in terms of liking one more then the other. I have lived in Florida basically my entire life and still like it a bit more then half the time (especially since the beginning of November and will continue to feel this way until about late April or early May) although I could easily see myself living in and liking Arizona because I LOVE mountains, national parks, etc (Zion, GCanyon, Bryce).

[ellie84]

8to32characters.........great post!!!!!! Very in-depth to how it is in both states!!
And of course a matter of personal choice of what a person wants.

[JayTea]

8to32characters....thank you for your post. I'm living in NY, single and retired. I'm trying to decide on moving soon to an apartment in Lake Mary, FL or one in Payson, AZ. Your post has helped me make my decision! Anything you could add to my decision would be greatly appreciated.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by JayTea

8to32characters....thank you for your post. I'm living in NY, single and retired. I'm trying to decide on moving soon to an apartment in Lake Mary, FL or one in Payson, AZ. Your post has helped me make my decision! Anything you could add to my decision would be greatly appreciated.

I honestly disagree with most of what 8to32 wrote, so take it would a grain of salt and visit both places before making a decision. I've moved 10 times, 4 states, 2 countries, I was not raised or born in Florida, so I have no bias towards or against Florida, but I have spent around 6 years living there. I have not lived in Arizona, but I have a good friend that lives in Scottsdale and have spent some time there. There's quite a few things I disagree with, the big one being about people. However, I'm more liberal and open to same-sex couples and other things along those lines, which is why I have a more favorable view of the people in Orlando than those that I've met in Arizona. I also hate the weather in Ariozona because it is so dry. My nose, my skin, everything feels sensitive and itchy. I have to put on body lotion every day or else I will feel very itchy. It's the same when I go back to Alaska. Anyways, I won't go into details unless you're interested, but just wanted to throw my two cents.

[8to32characters]

Originally Posted by JayTea

8to32characters....thank you for your post. I'm living in NY, single and retired. I'm trying to decide on moving soon to an apartment in Lake Mary, FL or one in Payson, AZ. Your post has helped me make my decision! Anything you could add to my decision would be greatly appreciated.

JayTea,

I'm more than happy to be of assistance.

I'd also like to add that the COL in AZ is generally lower than in FL, especially South and Central FL. In AZ, you'll most likely save in the following areas:

1. Auto insurance. Safer, less aggressive, more sensible drivers in AZ. Fewer storms, too. However, AZ does have what's called a "Stupid Motorist Law," whereby you are financially responsible for your rescue if you drive into a flooded dip.

2. Homeowners insurance. There are far fewer natural disasters in AZ that have the ability to destroy your home. No hurricanes or violent tornadoes, very few damaging wind or hailstorms. However, flash floods can be problematic during monsoon season in some areas, especially in southern AZ.

3. Gasoline. Very inexpensive by national standards. When I was at my condo in Boca this past summer, gas was at least $0.30/gallon more expensive than it was in Scottsdale, which AZ's equivalent of Boca.

4. Food. Food, especially produce, is much less expensive in AZ vs. FL. Unlike FL, there are probably a dozen or more grocery store chains with a major presence in AZ. No one chain has a monopoly in the grocery industry in AZ like Publix does in FL. Also, there seems to be far more in the way of farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) ventures in AZ compared to FL, although this may have changed in the past decade or so, as I lived in FL during a time when healthy and especially organic eating weren't nearly as popular as they are now. In fact, one of my friends called me a few weeks ago to tell me that a Trader Joe's was just recently opened in Boca!

5. Cost of housing / property taxes. Housing, overall, is much more affordable in AZ than in FL, as are property taxes. At this time, AZ and southern NV are the best deals in the US if you want warm weather *AND* relatively affordable housing *AND* low property taxes.

6. Tolls. Unlike FL, there are no toll roads in AZ. In the Orlando area in particular, tolls can really add up.

The bad news is that, unlike FL, AZ *HAS* a state income tax. However, I've noticed that states with a state income tax are generally more affordable across the board, so to speak, than those without one. States without a state income tax tend to overcompensate in other areas since they have to collect revenue somehow. For example, TX, which has no state income tax, has exorbitant property taxes and, like FL, very high auto and homeowners insurance rates.

Going off what I stated in my previous post, people who move to FL are less likely to assimilate than people in AZ, which is more of a "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" type of place. In FL, you get lots of transplants from the Northeast, although primarily the Greater NYC area, who have that lousy tough-guy / "fuhgeddaboudit" attitude (as THX 1138 so comically put it) that remains in place even after 20 years in FL -- constantly striving to be rude, ghetto, shrewd, "street-smart," or some other variant of "tough" while trying to con or deceive you in any and every way possible, especially in business transactions. People in FL seem as if they're always trying to "one-up" you -- ********* over in a business deal, cut you off in traffic at the last possible second, beat you to the stoplight, and so forth. It's very much a "dog-eat-dog"-type of place, which I'm sure you're trying to escape if you're looking to leave NY.

However, aside from the cultural, climatic, topographic, and geographic differences, I must say that Lake Mary, FL and Payson, AZ are two very different types of communities -- Lake Mary is a family-oriented suburban community in a major metropolitan area whereas Payson is a fairly remote small town with far fewer people and amenities. Not really comparable, IMO.

IMO, a healthy medium between Lake Mary and Payson in terms of population and amenities would be Prescott, AZ -- tolerant, open-minded people with a live-and-let-live attitude; no one cares what religion you are, who you sleep with, where you're from. Active, outdoors-oriented population -- lots of people hike, bike, camp, fish, hunt, garden, kayak, horseback-ride, etc. Nature and the environment in general are very important and well-respected, unlike in the South. Very safe/low crime. Beautiful natural scenery and plenty of trees/greenery (if that's your thing -- it's most people's). Very low humidity, lots of sunshine. On the warmer side, but has all four seasons and doesn't get extremely hot like the low desert areas (i.e., Phoenix, Tucson). Doesn't get too cold either, esp. compared to the Midwest, Northeast, Upper South, and most of the Intermountain West. They get some snow in the winter, but not much, and it melts quickly. It's got a cute little downtown and reasonable home prices. You can drive to Phoenix for things you really need on occasion -- higher-end shopping, fine dining, pro sports, travel, more culture. Otherwise, the population of Prescott Valley is large enough to where everything else you would ever need you could find in town. It's also close to Flagstaff if you want more snow, mountains, winter sports, etc. as well as Sedona and the Grand Canyon for some of the most breathtaking natural scenery on the planet.

I hope this helps. If there's anything else you'd like to know, shoot me a DM. Thanks and best of luck,

8to32

[GAtoFL]

Is the op actually moving or just having a discussion?