I am really sad to see what is happening in Sarasota (Jacksonville: sale, houses)

[LakeshoreLainie]

Originally Posted by Above Average Bear

I guess that I’ll just have to go there and experience what my subjective experience of what bad traffic is as compared to what I experienced in NYC.
My experience there was to take 45 minutes to 2 hours to travel 10 miles.
I could ride a bike to where I wanted to go and always get where I wanted to go faster than by car.

My husband and I just moved to SW FL from Long Island, NY. I would prefer Long Island and NYC in a heartbeat! There is such a lack of infrastructure here, as in Not enough roads, lack of traffic lights to control traffic and make it safe to turn onto main roads and lack of shopping areas in between Tampa and Sarasota.
Because of the lack of shopping, everyone flocks to where the shopping areas are and turns into total mayhem!! We have already concluded that daring to shop at any of these areas on the weekend is totally OUT!! Luckily, we are retired and can venture out during the week. However, driver beware!! Choose wisely the time of day to drive on 75. To avoid bumper to bumper traffic the hours to drive are shortened considerably.

[Zenstyle]

“Again, many are trying to NY our Florida through stupid new urbanism and collectivism where the persnickity, prissy dog-walkers and latte-sippers congregate amongst the other personnes de pied-à-terre.”

Oh, my deah! You’ve described moi and my set to a tee, but exactly!

Seriously, I wouldn’t visit Florida as a tourist. Online, I priced various FLA indoor skating rinks and the session costs are astronomical (to be expected in a hot state; the same is true in Texas.)
No; I’ll stay up here and enjoy my open-skate times at $4 a pop.

[Above Average Bear]

Originally Posted by LakeshoreLainie

My husband and I just moved to SW FL from Long Island, NY. I would prefer Long Island and NYC in a heartbeat! There is such a lack of infrastructure here, as in Not enough roads, lack of traffic lights to control traffic and make it safe to turn onto main roads and lack of shopping areas in between Tampa and Sarasota.
Because of the lack of shopping, everyone flocks to where the shopping areas are and turns into total mayhem!! We have already concluded that daring to shop at any of these areas on the weekend is totally OUT!! Luckily, we are retired and can venture out during the week. However, driver beware!! Choose wisely the time of day to drive on 75. To avoid bumper to bumper traffic the hours to drive are shortened considerably.

I’m originally from Brooklyn and feel your pain. I always timed my shopping excursions to the least busiest times of day.
I’m in Asheville NC now and still time my shopping excursions. I booked a house in Southgate as that is my target area. It will be interesting to see, when I visit in May, how long it takes to get to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
I want to be up in a bigger city and I know that I will have to transition to more time to do anything in Sarasota as apposed to Asheville.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by Above Average Bear

I’m originally from Brooklyn and feel your pain. I always timed my shopping excursions to the least busiest times of day.
I’m in Asheville NC now and still time my shopping excursions. I booked a house in Southgate as that is my target area. It will be interesting to see, when I visit in May, how long it takes to get to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
I want to be up in a bigger city and I know that I will have to transition to more time to do anything in Sarasota as apposed to Asheville.

I'm from Brooklyn too...Bay Ridge. I was a little kid, & returned to visit family for years until I was 12. I remember some of it. My Grandfather helped build the V-Narrows Bridge.

I also time shopping trips at off-times. I avoid Saturdays like the plague. I do mid-day T-Th....usualy Wednesdays.

Southgate is a good location. My wife won't do older homes, or I might have landed there.

I hope it goes well for you.

[Above Average Bear]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

I'm from Brooklyn too...Bay Ridge. I was a little kid, & returned to visit family for years until I was 12. I remember some of it. My Grandfather helped build the V-Narrows Bridge.

I also time shopping trips at off-times. I avoid Saturdays like the plague. I do mid-day T-Th....usualy Wednesdays.

Southgate is a good location. My wife won't do older homes, or I might have landed there.

I hope it goes well for you.

Wow small world Beach! I grew up in Marine Park, and purchased a house there in 1982 for 185K. Can’t imagine what it’s worth now.
Bay Ridge is one of my favorite neighborhoods.
I really like the older homes in Southgate. I love mid century modern architecture.
Thanks for the well wishes!

[beach43ofus]

Yesterday, I had to drive outside my self-induced perimeter...North of Clark Rd, & it was eye opening.

I-75 had sporadic traffic jams heading both ways all morning long...mostly construction, & 2 accidents. The volume on 75 was such that any little issue would cause stop 'n go....which I encountered 2x traveling in each direction.

When I 1st lived here ~35 yrs ago, I-75 was 2 lanes in each direction. Now, its 4 lanes, & that's inadequate...thus the construction....which should be done off-season, not now.

Traffic backs up at the exits, & into the Interstate traffic, which is why they are re-working the Clark Rd. exit. Every exit will need to be re-done, from North to South....like they did 64, 70, & University Pkwy in Manatee.

Big retailers are locating along I-75 to get eyeballs, & proximity....like the new Clive Daniels store. This trend will expand, until I-75 looks like I-95.

Visual blight is growing here in the Northern 1/2 of our area. Growth is pushing inland too...like what I saw occur in S. FLA, when that area grew.

I'm glad I experienced this area before it started to decline....visually. I'm already thinking of where our next stop will be.

I'm looking forward to 5 weeks from now, when it begins to clear out.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Yesterday, I had to drive outside my self-induced perimeter...North of Clark Rd, & it was eye opening.

I-75 had sporadic traffic jams heading both ways all morning long...mostly construction, & 2 accidents. The volume on 75 was such that any little issue would cause stop 'n go....which I encountered 2x traveling in each direction.

When I 1st lived here ~35 yrs ago, I-75 was 2 lanes in each direction. Now, its 4 lanes, & that's inadequate...thus the construction....which should be done off-season, not now.

Traffic backs up at the exits, & into the Interstate traffic, which is why they are re-working the Clark Rd. exit. Every exit will need to be re-done, from North to South....like they did 64, 70, & University Pkwy in Manatee.

Big retailers are locating along I-75 to get eyeballs, & proximity....like the new Clive Daniels store. This trend will expand, until I-75 looks like I-95.

Visual blight is growing here in the Northern 1/2 of our area. Growth is pushing inland too...like what I saw occur in S. FLA, when that area grew.

I'm glad I experienced this area before it started to decline....visually. I'm already thinking of where our next stop will be.

I'm looking forward to 5 weeks from now, when it begins to clear out.

Let's hope it does, at least enough to notice a difference in the traffic, the number of accidents,
fewer lines waiting for services. I'm afraid a significant portion of these throngs of people, traffic are transplants looking to make their new homes in FL.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Travelassie

[/b]

Let's hope it does, at least enough to notice a difference in the traffic, the number of accidents,
fewer lines waiting for services. I'm afraid a significant portion of these throngs of people, traffic are transplants looking to make their new homes in FL.

We had business to take care of in Sarasota the past couple days and the traffic there and Bradenton is enough to make one cry! There are literally NO streets to get anywhere quickly, no side roads, highways or other. Frankly, it doesn't seem to me to ever really "clear out" even when supposed season is over. It's year round season in these parts now, and I expect it will only get worse.....

I don't really enjoy driving, and especially in horrible traffic. So making a move to Lakeland was a no-brainer for me. Always so glad to get back after a trip to Sarasota!

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

We had business to take care of in Sarasota the past couple days and the traffic there and Bradenton is enough to make one cry! There are literally NO streets to get anywhere quickly, no side roads, highways or other. Frankly, it doesn't seem to me to ever really "clear out" even when supposed season is over. It's year round season in these parts now, and I expect it will only get worse.....

I don't really enjoy driving, and especially in horrible traffic. So making a move to Lakeland was a no-brainer for me. Always so glad to get back after a trip to Sarasota!

I can imagine! We're located in Charlotte County, and while I know the amount of traffic here doesn't compare with the traffic in Sarasota County and points north into Tampa and beyond, in or around Orlando, Jacksonville or Collier and Lee Counties ( that I know of) it's also lots heavier here than it ever used to be, even during season. We're about 15 miles north of Punta Gorda off US 17, and the area is a lot less congested than it is in the other parts of Charlotte County. We bought the lots adjacent to us before we had the house built as we didn't want neighbors crowding into us. Glad we did, apparently a developer or three is in the process of buying up many of the empty lots around here and building small cookie cutter houses or duplexes on them. When they finish the houses, they put them up for sale or rent, so they're speculation type investments. Also looks as though they are clearing land south of us just off US 17 in several places with plans ( according to the signage) of building housing projects ( ie, as many
houses as possible on the property) there.



We get several requests a week to sell our adjacent lots. They are prime waterfront property and I can only imagine what's in the mind of an investor or contractor to put there and maximize their profit. We should just put signs up there saying neither the lots, or our house is for sale.



Hopefully it'll be quite a while before the throngs catch up with you there in Lakeland. We have friends in
Lake Placid, though they've had quite a few houses built around them since they finished their house on the property they bought long ago, my husband claims there isn't the congestion in the middle of the state that there is along the coasts. I don't know....

[loves2read]

Originally Posted by Above Average Bear

I guess that I’ll just have to go there and experience what my subjective experience of what bad traffic is as compared to what I experienced in NYC.
My experience there was to take 45 minutes to 2 hours to travel 10 miles.
I could ride a bike to where I wanted to go and always get where I wanted to go faster than by car.

Riding a bike in Sarasota area (Venice/Nokomis/Osprey) can get you killed
There have been at least two fatalities since Jan of this year
So riding a bike to circumvent bad traffic is not the way to go IMO
There are few bike lanes and fewer drivers who know what they mean