A follow up of "Young 23-25 year old couple moving to Sarasota" 1 year later and a guide for new young people. (Miami: real estate, HOA)

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Well - some points are well taken - it is hard to find jobs here - even skilled jobs that require advanced degrees- my husband is an Engineer and his pick of jobs is very limited - not many Engineering jobs in Sarasota - not the place for a young Engineering graduate to start out.

And yes - that electrician can probably double his salary up North - its just a fact.

I do see a great divide - near where I live - little shacks not far from Million dollar mansions on the Gulf - very strange area. Many children are homeless and living with their parents in cars - and - yes - it is true - just ask your local Church - Yet, many homes in my neighborhood stand empty all summer - snowbirds - well-to-do snowbirds.

[CarawayDJ]

Originally Posted by Nancy in Nokomis

Well - some points are well taken - it is hard to find jobs here - even skilled jobs that require advanced degrees- my husband is an Engineer and his pick of jobs is very limited - not many Engineering jobs in Sarasota - not the place for a young Engineering graduate to start out.

And yes - that electrician can probably double his salary up North - its just a fact.

I do see a great divide - near where I live - little shacks not far from Million dollar mansions on the Gulf - very strange area. Many children are homeless and living with their parents in cars - and - yes - it is true - just ask your local Church - Yet, many homes in my neighborhood stand empty all summer - snowbirds - well-to-do snowbirds.

1. The unemployment rate in the area is only 3.9% as of Jun 17.

2. The person who dropped a turd in the thread wasn't arguing that it's hard to find jobs, he said there were no good paying jobs. That is provably false and absurd. Or perhaps everyone working in the medical facilities, lawyers, accountants, retail managers, hospitality managers, mechanics at the Sarasota Mercedes dealer all make minimum wage. And we could go on and on.

3. It goes without saying that most professions have varying levels of opportunities from place to place. Sarasota is not an engineering hotbed yet there are jobs there for them. Kinda depends on what type of engineering. There are some software engineering jobs there. If I designed rocket motors Sarasota probably doesn't have anything for me….along with 99% of the rest of the nation.

4. The more advanced and specialized your degree the less opportunity you tend to have in any one region. These people typically conduct their job searches nationwide. For example, prior to starting my own software company I designed military simulations and command & control systems. My job search was nationwide, even global. That's not a knock on any particular area. With only a handful of exceptions not many places support jobs in nearly every imaginable field.

5. Yes, FL is the 47th lowest paying state for electricians. The union jobs in some states pay a lot better. However, in NJ the average salary is more like 50% higher, not double. When adjusted for cost of living an electrician in NJ makes about 13K more annually.

6. The great divide and homeless problem you mention is complicated and hardly unique to sarasota. You will find this in the most economically booming parts of the country and even the world.

Look, I'm not trying to say Sarasota has more opportunities than Seattle or Boston. I was taking issue with the troll who said there are no good paying jobs. That is provably false. My family lives all around SW FL and they have good paying jobs. The reason I'm lurking in the Sarasota forum is because I may relocate my small software company there next summer. Most of the criticism I read and hear about Sarasota and the entire SW FL region is fairly common in much of the country. Nothing unique going on there. Growing too fast…. Infrastructure wasn't meant for this many people…. My quiet neighborhood is now getting crowded with new McMansions…. It's no longer affordable…. And the all-time most common complaint on CD about nearly every single city is…….can you guess it…..JOBS. Yes, I sometimes have to check to make sure I didn't accidentally click on the forum for Venezuela.

[Brioddy]

The OP wrote out a very detailed and thought out review, however even after a year should be taken with a grain of salt. I am 28 and was born in Sarasota county and lived there my entire life until recently when I decided to move to upstate SC. The bar scene is nice in Sarasota but I want more out of life than partying, and for me Florida just wasn't cutting it anymore. The only thing I miss is the saltwater as I am an avid fisher, but other than that the rest can go. Even if you are an "unskilled worker" you should still be able to live, that is not the case. I have been in the restaurant industry for over a decade and have made more money than a number of degreed lines of work and have still struggled on my own. It is not the first time I have heard it from transplants, but have yet to figure out why they seem to have a sort of issue with the local rednecks. First of all hogs are non native and extremely destructive to native wildlife and what does it hurt if they drive big trucks and wave a rebel flag?

Sarasota is my home town, I don't miss it at all. The traffic, the crowds, the lack of change in weather or topography, higher cost of living are all factors that pushed me to seek a better quality of life elsewhere. It is personal, but I much prefer the space and tranquility of the mountains yet still twenty minutes from town where I pay half of what I would in rent for a similarly sized house in Sarasota except I also have 22 acres. Food and gas are cheaper, and I still make good money to where I am much more comfortable living on my own here than back home. People are friendly, every road you drive down is like traveling through a calendar... so picturesque, and if you enjoy doing outdoor activities there are literal endless opportunities and the weather actually allows it to be enjoyable.

[jan meyer]

Any comparison of Sarasota Manatee to upstate SOUTH Carolina is laughable to me


You ought to try living in true dumps such as Jackson MS, Shreveport, Memphis or Montgomery...not to mention places like Augusta or Macon.


This area is not for everyone, but that can be said for 3/4 of the cities that I have lived in as well. People tend to seek Utopia when there is not one now accepting residents.


As I said, if you want dumps, Sarasota Manatee is not one of them. Go live in Oakland, try Newark, move to Detroit, get your groove on in New Orleans with its massive problems, go check out Baltimore but bring your gun, move to Birmingham and step back in time, hang out in LA and deal with leftists and poseurs.


Go figure.

[cjairo191]

What is the original OPs occupation, where did you move from? Did not see that in the post.

[Brioddy]

Erm... why would anyone want to live in a dump? Not sure what is so funny about comparing a place I've lived nearly thirty years to where I decided to leave it for and why, seeing as this entire forum is basically meant to compare different areas...

[SouthSota14]

Originally Posted by nivekerotavlas

I'm starting to think sorrysota is a troll account lol

Oh back at this again are ya? Well I might as well insert myself now. Sorrysota, me and yalaspa supposedly are the same person again right?

[nivekerotavlas]

Originally Posted by cjairo191

What is the original OPs occupation, where did you move from? Did not see that in the post.

I work in the Auto Industry in a management position and I am beginning to pursue a MBA in Finance in the evenings. I'm originally from Long Island, NY.

[nivekerotavlas]

Originally Posted by SouthSota14

Oh back at this again are ya? Well I might as well insert myself now. Sorrysota, me and yalaspa supposedly are the same person again right?

No clue what you're talking about honestly.

[yalaspa]

Originally Posted by SouthSota14

Oh back at this again are ya? Well I might as well insert myself now. Sorrysota, me and yalaspa supposedly are the same person again right?

Yeah we have a little crew. Sorrysota is one of our strongest posters at this forum. Take notes OP because I heard sorry is the real deal who was born, raised, and stranded in Venice Florida. Sorry is a real world consequence of growing up and living in a retirement world as a non retiree.

OP, I also want to add that even though new jobs are arriving in the region, and new big plans for business' are moving to Sarasota, a lot of those jobs are being filled by people from other states. Lets say they build a huge building or campus for a biotech company in the region, well they are not going to hire many local kids graduating from colleges in the region, instead, they are going to bring graduates in from other states. Consider that possibility if you have children in the area, you will need to be extra diligent to make sure your kids careers are on the right track.