Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Let me preface this by saying I absolutely love PGI and the surrounding areas. We built a new house here and it is truly a 'dream come true'......and something I have been planning on doing for about a dozen years. OK, now that you know my intentions are good, I'll comment on a subject that we find very unusual. I've lived in several states (notably Oregon and northern California) but have been in grocery stores in the vast majority of the others (while working, RV-ing, visiting, etc.).
The grocery stores here are terrible...period. Prices are 'sky high' on most things but, strangely, pretty good on a very few things. Produce is expensive and the quality is marginal, at best. The very same holds true for seafood. Eastern seafood is nicer quality, more abundant and much less expensive in northern California than it is here. It's cheaper, yet, in Oregon. The same holds true for meat. Variety in nearly every sector seems to be much more limited here than on the west coast of the U.S. Also, we always found food to be cheaper yet in Oregon than it is in northern California.
As near as I can figure, there are no 'warehouse type grocery stores' to be found, which I find really surprising. By that, I'm referring to stores like Grocery Outlet, Warehouse Foods, Food4less, Winco, etc. A number of these stores have awesome bulk food sections and truly great pricing.
Another thing worth mentioning is price and variety on beer and wine. My observations on both have been dismal so I'll just leave it at that.
If we're 'missing the boat' on good grocery stores, good selections and decent prices, I would be really happy to know about it.
Let me preface this by saying I absolutely love PGI and the surrounding areas. We built a new house here and it is truly a 'dream come true'......and something I have been planning on doing for about a dozen years. OK, now that you know my intentions are good, I'll comment on a subject that we find very unusual. I've lived in several states (notably Oregon and northern California) but have been in grocery stores in the vast majority of the others (while working, RV-ing, visiting, etc.).
The grocery stores here are terrible...period. Prices are 'sky high' on most things but, strangely, pretty good on a very few things. Produce is expensive and the quality is marginal, at best. The very same holds true for seafood. Eastern seafood is nicer quality, more abundant and much less expensive in northern California than it is here. It's cheaper, yet, in Oregon. The same holds true for meat. Variety in nearly every sector seems to be much more limited here than on the west coast of the U.S. Also, we always found food to be cheaper yet in Oregon than it is in northern California.
As near as I can figure, there are no 'warehouse type grocery stores' to be found, which I find really surprising. By that, I'm referring to stores like Grocery Outlet, Warehouse Foods, Food4less, Winco, etc. A number of these stores have awesome bulk food sections and truly great pricing.
Another thing worth mentioning is price and variety on beer and wine. My observations on both have been dismal so I'll just leave it at that.
If we're 'missing the boat' on good grocery stores, good selections and decent prices, I would be really happy to know about it.
Chucky: you don't care for Publix? the only market I'd shop in there. Winn Dixie? nah. Sweet Bay? nah. You're A-1 correct about the produce and the seafood. Add to that all the shopping and prices are geared toward the snowbirds and the Canadians. You didn't mention the substandard healthcare? Snowbirds fly north for healthcare for the most part.
The OP should be advised to live on the correct side of the Peace River Bridge. a/k/a PGIsles or Burnt Store. Port Charlotte has areas that are in the PGorda zip code, but really is unincorporated PGorda, and imho, tacky, crowded, and much less desireable than the "real" PGorda which even imho, is just "ok". The northern east coast of FL has a lot more going for it in all aspects. Or, get away from the maddening crowd over near Destin.
Totally disagree about east coast of FL. Too crowded, too expensive and far too rude for me.
When I relocated from AZ in 2007, I had a choice of where I wanted to live, either coast, from Tampa to Naples or from Vero to Homestead. Keys just too expensive, but yes, I'd rather be there.
Anyway, After spending two weeks on the West Coast and two weeks on the East Coast for work my decision was made, easily I might add.
PG is lovely. I picked PC because I felt I got more canal home for my money and I didn't want deed restrictions.
Good - affordable waterfront homes, plenty of restaurant/shopping choices, relatively low cost of living, fabulous boating/fishing, very low violent crime incidents, great weather, small town feel, mostly easy traffic, FL Homestead Act ( I know, not unique to PCPG)
Bad - some trashy yards/homes because of no deed restricts, too many undeveloped overgrown residential lots, 30 minute minimum to gulf beaches, humidity Aug-Sept, no seeums, mold growth.
I accepted a job promotion to this area sight unseen and have never regretted it for a day.
you said you have small kids .
I grew up n sunny California then when I was 10 my parents moved to Massachusetts I later lived in new Hampshire sure it was all new as a kid with snow, but then had to live with it for 30+ years and I feel like I spent half my life in hibernation. I couldnt belive the real estate prices here compared to nh and sold my lake house moved here 9 years ago and pocket after buying here. I would not go back either I had people say to me about florida bwefore I moved that they wish theyu did it 2o years sooner
Totally disagree about east coast of FL. Too crowded, too expensive and far too rude for me.
When I relocated from AZ in 2007, I had a choice of where I wanted to live, either coast, from Tampa to Naples or from Vero to Homestead. Keys just too expensive, but yes, I'd rather be there.
Anyway, After spending two weeks on the West Coast and two weeks on the East Coast for work my decision was made, easily I might add.
PG is lovely. I picked PC because I felt I got more canal home for my money and I didn't want deed restrictions.
Good - affordable waterfront homes, plenty of restaurant/shopping choices, relatively low cost of living, fabulous boating/fishing, very low violent crime incidents, great weather, small town feel, mostly easy traffic, FL Homestead Act ( I know, not unique to PCPG)
Bad - some trashy yards/homes because of no deed restricts, too many undeveloped overgrown residential lots, 30 minute minimum to gulf beaches, humidity Aug-Sept, no seeums, mold growth.
I accepted a job promotion to this area sight unseen and have never regretted it for a day.
Funny I never got that "small town feel" anywhere traveling Rt.41 Tamiami Trail starting at "the bridge" littered with every tacky store, fast food joint, every tacky store front junk shop under the sun. "Some" trashy yards? You must have missed or ignored the Midway area; Harbor Blvd.
From St. Augustine, FL to Vero. Anything south of that, no way.
Possibly Clearwater or Dunedin. Anything south of that, no way.
I'm surprised at your response about the low crime and low cost of living. Can you say Flood insurance? Pest control? Hard to get cold water out of the tap! Warmish bad tasting water. You have to have a water filtration system if you care at all for your health. Burning sun on your cars? You need an automatic car starter to crank up the A/C before you get in to avoid 2nd degree burns from steering wheel or leather seats !
The only fabulous fishing/boating and the only way to get decent fish is to have your own boat. Or be a neighbor of Big House for some serious off shore fishing trips, and stock the boat with Yeung Ling.
Homes and condos in PG Isles are in the cleanest and nicest part of PG.
Sorry but my impression of south FL (after living there only one year, on a lake by the golf course, not in a ghetto), was: hot, humid, flat, swampy, sweaty, more trashy areas than well kept areas, rude fast driving people, a me first attitude, and not much "fresh" in the markets. That being said, because I have many friends there, I would rent for Jan. & Feb., FL is nice for vacations.
My fault... should have rented first. So don't tell me to get back where I came from , I couldn't get back here fast enough.
Last edited by QuilterChick; 02-23-2013 at 06:37 AM..
Funny I never got that "small town feel" anywhere traveling Rt.41 Tamiami Trail starting at "the bridge" littered with every tacky store, fast food joint, every tacky store front junk shop under the sun. "Some" trashy yards? You must have missed or ignored the Midway area; Harbor Blvd.
From St. Augustine, FL to Vero. Anything south of that, no way.
Possibly Clearwater or Dunedin. Anything south of that, no way.
I'm surprised at your response about the low crime and low cost of living. Can you say Flood insurance? Pest control? Hard to get cold water out of the tap! Warmish bad tasting water. You have to have a water filtration system if you care at all for your health. Burning sun on your cars? You need an automatic car starter to crank up the A/C before you get in to avoid 2nd degree burns from steering wheel or leather seats !
The only fabulous fishing/boating and the only way to get decent fish is to have your own boat. Or be a neighbor of Big House for some serious off shore fishing trips, and stock the boat with Yeung Ling.
Homes and condos in PG Isles are in the cleanest and nicest part of PG.
Sorry but my impression of south FL (after living there only one year, on a lake by the golf course, not in a ghetto), was: hot, humid, flat, swampy, sweaty, more trashy areas than well kept areas, rude fast driving people, a me first attitude, and not much "fresh" in the markets. That being said, because I have many friends there, I would rent for Jan. & Feb., FL is nice for vacations.
My fault... should have rented first. So don't tell me to get back where I came from , I couldn't get back here fast enough.
Sounds to me like you lept before you looked, weren't happy moving away from home and are now offering excuses for why you left. I'm guessing you wouldn't be happy anywhere other than where you are now.
I'm sure this happens quite often any time a family makes a move like this from the place they have known all of their lives to any place new, but there are just as many stories of people who have made a move and have never been happier
There isn't any criticism you have made that should not have been known before such a move.
We close on our new place in PG in 8 days and have been traveling to the west coast of FL for almost 20 years. Is it going to be yes but we are ready for different.
Sounds to me like you lept before you looked, weren't happy moving away from home and are now offering excuses for why you left. I'm guessing you wouldn't be happy anywhere other than where you are now.
I'm sure this happens quite often any time a family makes a move like this from the place they have known all of their lives to any place new, but there are just as many stories of people who have made a move and have never been happier
There isn't any criticism you have made that should not have been known before such a move.
We close on our new place in PG in 8 days and have been traveling to the west coast of FL for almost 20 years. Is it going to be yes but we are ready for different.
Gary
Gary
Well no Gary, totally not true. My boo boo, thought I did a lot of homework, and did; just not the right kind. Originally from New England; I vacationed there often, and have many friends and some relatives there on both coasts and in Sarasota. I did "look" before I leaped, but should have investigated and stayed there in the summer; that was the main issue. Investigated many places from Sarasota down to Ft. Myers; people like to go, and should go, where their friends are. FL is not for everyone, and that is why there are so many snowbirds. I couldn't afford to be a snowbird, didn't want to afford to be one either. Maintaining two homes is not in my DNA. And after I got to know the day to day living, (very different from vacation living), the oppressive humidity and wet air became a drag on my health actually. The oppressive humidity keeps folks in the house in the summer months which is really from May to end of September. It was funny because the first few months my electric bills were about $175 a month ... keeping the a/c on about 72/73 degrees which is pretty normal other places, and my place was pretty new, very well insulated, and never got direct sun even on the lanai which was a good thing, so I thought 73/74 should be fine. So FPL came out and told me to keep the a/c at 78/79 and the humidistat on a certain level and keep all the ceiling fans going on low. So that worked out, but the power bill was lowered to about $85 to $95 a month and it was not comfy inside most days. Either slept with a sheet on or no sheet ... didn't care for that. Replaced a double window to the tune of $900 in the bedroom because the danged tiny spiders were all over it and got in somehow. Replaced all the screening on the lanai also, with 20x20 mesh so the bugs and dirt wouldn't get in and I could keep the slider open at night.
Much of what I say will be experienced by probably 70% of the folks, but I was not told that by friends to said "you'll get used to it". Part B: yes, should have had a garage or a carport, but that never entered into my mind. Always had a garage but that was to keep the snow/dirt off the car. Never experienced that type of heat factor in the summer.
The winters are wonderful, no doubt about that. Took house guests to Boca Grande once in late October, blew the whole day going over there only to find red tide and couldn't even walk the beach the stench was so bad. So we ended up driving up to Venice beach which is very nice. Lesson: buy closer to a nice beach. Had to put in a water filtration system, and replace some kitchen and bath plumbing, a couple of hundred dollars, no big deal. Couldn't figure out why the ice cubes tasted funny, and then a "friend" said, oh we forgot to tell you that if you want good tasting cold water, you'll need that.
Worst part: I should have known better ... Amen to that. My Realtor was sort of a friend of a friend, and never disclosed anything unless you asked her a direct question; even then, the answer was, "no big deal, you'll get used to it". Lesson learned: get a Realtor who doesn't have an agenda; and know that FL does not have "buyers' agents", no one but yourself is looking out for you.
So there 'ya go, I'm not disgruntled at all, but what suits one person does not always suit another. People should know both the upside and the downside of an area and not embellish either one. It cost me $$$ to find that out, but on the other hand it would have cost a lot of $$$ to spend several vacations there, and I have traveled a lot, believe me, and don't like to go to the same place over and over. But when you have to work, you cherry pick your vacations due to time and season factors; it's not like house hunting. I'll vacation there, of course, but day to day living is a whole different thing.
So if you want to understand that not everyone will like a place after a year, not every place is Nirvana or Utopia, feel free. But since this is an opinion forum where people share experiences because other people ask for opinions ... you have yours, I have mine; and mine is simply from experience. I think it's great that folks are happy to relocate, as long as all the homework is done. I'm not raining on anyone's parade; everyone has to find out for themselves, whether it's the right move or not. Best advice to all would be rent for awhile if you can, it's a lot less expensive in the long run, and you'll have more time to observe and choose from what is on the market.
Have a super day ! and sincerely, best wishes on your new place.
Funny I never got that "small town feel" anywhere traveling Rt.41 Tamiami Trail starting at "the bridge" littered with every tacky store, fast food joint, every tacky store front junk shop under the sun. "Some" trashy yards? You must have missed or ignored the Midway area; Harbor Blvd.
From St. Augustine, FL to Vero. Anything south of that, no way.
Possibly Clearwater or Dunedin. Anything south of that, no way.
I'm surprised at your response about the low crime and low cost of living. Can you say Flood insurance? Pest control? Hard to get cold water out of the tap! Warmish bad tasting water. You have to have a water filtration system if you care at all for your health. Burning sun on your cars? You need an automatic car starter to crank up the A/C before you get in to avoid 2nd degree burns from steering wheel or leather seats !
The only fabulous fishing/boating and the only way to get decent fish is to have your own boat. Or be a neighbor of Big House for some serious off shore fishing trips, and stock the boat with Yeung Ling.
Homes and condos in PG Isles are in the cleanest and nicest part of PG.
Sorry but my impression of south FL (after living there only one year, on a lake k:[/QU
I have to agreee on the small town thing. Yes itis not large like miami or boston.
I moved from mass to a small town in Nh in 81 and we had no traffic lights or even a pizza parlor. When i left we had one light and a mcdonalds sweet bay. And duncan donuts I will say it is nice no having to drive 20 miles to get what i need and as far as fishing and having your own boat.
Who dosent ive been a boat owner for 35 years And florida is surrounded. Y water thats why so many like it
Last edited by MikeM8560; 02-23-2013 at 12:58 PM..
Been here 4 years, only complaints are that we didn't move here sooner, and that it's a long boat ride to the Gulf. Bugs are less of a problem than up north, fishing is much better, cost of living is much cheaper and people are MUCH nicer....what is there to complain about? Sure, if you pick a neighborhood in the middle of nowhere (North of 41, Deep Creek, most of North Port etc) I can see it getting boring....but that's just me. Get a gulf canal home and you will be happy you did, whether you boat or not.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Pgi
OK, now that you know my intentions are good, I'll comment on a subject that we find very unusual. I've lived in several states (notably Oregon and northern California) but have been in grocery stores in the vast majority of the others (while working, RV-ing, visiting, etc.).
