Floridians going to hate me but here we go

[InterestingArm3750]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Visiting the beaches isn't a regular activity for anyone unless they live directly ON the coast.
I currently live 15 minutes off the Gulf, and going to the beach is still sort of a full-day outing that requires planning. People I know here also don't go often. It's nice to know that it's there within a short drive/bike ride if we want to go, but it's absolutely not a part of our daily lives.

Do you own? Are you worried about Elsa? I was supposed to be in Clearwater tomorrow for a vendor’s market and it got shut down due to the storm’s projected path. It (partially) made me realize why I left St. Pete a couple years ago in the first place. I could never feel confident or at ease buying a home there.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by InterestingArm3750

I would recommend this to anyone visiting anywhere but especially vacation locations. Everything looks amazing and paradise-like in Florida, California, Hawaii, and other tropical vacation spots. It’s by design. These places are supposed to evoke feelings of relaxation, perfection, and bliss. Problem is, many people visiting are fooled into thinking travel destinations are like this in the entire state.

So I def agree with this post: visit the area you are going to be living in before making any move. Calculate expenses and find an area that works within your budget. Then ascertain if you could stomach living there.

Also, I tend to disagree about the beach thing with Orlando. My wife and I go to the beach all the time, unplanned. It takes us 40 minutes to get to Cocoa, which is our favorite beach in the Orlando area. Depending on where one lives in Orlando, the beach likely won’t be more than an hour away. Obviously outside of Orlando city limits could be closer or further depending on where.

lived in Orlando for a while and a few people i know still are hanging on there finishing school. Going to the beach isnt as common as living ON the beach. Maybe once every other month? At most.

I live in NJ now and visiting the beach area happens twice a week.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

I moved here from San Francisco in 2015/2016 and I understand a lot of your frustrations.


Overall, I am happy with Orlando. I think the biggest con to Orlando is the job market and culture. It's not as bad as many think, but it isn't good either outside a few industries. Company culture is more old fashion where experience in the field is above anything else. There aren't many "open" office type environments like what you find in San Francisco or NYC. So with that being said, if income isn't an issue, I think Orlando is a great choice.


I wouldn't worry about hurricanes. You get advanced notice, most end up going a different direction and al you experience is a strong rainstorm. I lived in Orlando back in the early 2000's as well when we got 3 hurricanes back to back and once again, we never left our house, we only had power go out intraday and then it came back on. If you are scared, you have plenty of time to drive North, but unless you live in a mobile home or a junky home, there is no reason to leave unless it's simply you don't want to take any chance of having to deal with a power outage.


Winter Park
Dr. Phillips
Baldwin Park
Downtown Orlando (Thornton Park, Lake Eola)


...are my top areas to live. If you can afford a nice home, income/job isn't an issue, you are okay not living in a concrete jungle, than Orlando is a great choice.

I have always wondered about the Baldwin Park area. Isn't it where the old Navy Base and old bombing range was? Didn't they find old live bombs at a school and and in the yards pre 2010? i seem to remember the Army Corps of Engineers doing a cleanup. Have the people who bought there had more similar type cancers like Satellite Beach on the coast has had?

[LPnerd]

Originally Posted by boy3365

The major metros have been spared lately. The Panhandle got hit by Hurricane Michael, which was a Category 5. You probably didn't hear much about it because it wasn't a major city, but they're in a long recovery.

Someone with Florida coastal experience please correct me if needed, but they generally ask for people on the coastal barrier islands and of course mobile homes on the mainland to evacuate.

Yep, also look into homeowners insurance cost plus flood insurance on coast. Gulf coast has a huge problem with pollution and red tide! if you have any resp. problems, maybe think 3-4 times about the gulf coast.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by LPnerd

Yep, also look into homeowners insurance cost plus flood insurance on coast. Gulf coast has a huge problem with pollution and red tide! if you have any resp. problems, maybe think 3-4 times about the gulf coast.

Usually it is not mandatory evacuation. They do not technically close the causeways until after it has past-very dangerous to cross once winds are 45 or 50 mph. Then they close to inspect the bridges to inspect for damage for a few hours. More people are actually opting to stay in their homes beachside than they used to. Back in 1979(my first time here for a hurricane) they actually took down all the stoplights hanging at the corners even on the mainland. They also went door to door and if you decided not to evacuate, they asked for the next of kin to notify if you did not make it through the storm.

I think in 2004 we were so tired of preparing and hunkering down for all the storms that most of us just stayed in our homes for Jeanne -even though many already had windows out and blue tarps on their roofs. One of my co workers who lived in a manufactured home that had a garage and 1 sunroom attached to it in Melbourne Beach across A1A, gave up and stayed home for that one. She said it was scary, but actually had more bad things to say about the looky-loos who came out to gawk at the damages.