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Old 10-11-2007, 09:27 PM
 
Location: Mount Pleasant
817 posts, read 2,004,822 times
Reputation: 207

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Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsychic View Post
Just to let you know, hubby and I lived in Sarasota for 17 years, in a trendy and now pricey historic area near town and the beaches, and were victims of several crimes - burglaries, arson, peeping tom, exhibitionist (3 times!), not to mention I was chased downtown once on foot by a creep, and once on Highway 41 by a creep in a car as I was coming home from a class. I felt VERY unsafe in the town. The cops told us that crime is seriously underreported there due to the fact they want to keep a good image for the tourists. So as bad as the stats look, in reality it's even worse.

Carbondated made some EXCELLENT points about why and I agree. Drugs are rampant (it was druggies who robbed us), and the high cost of living and low pay exacerbate the problems. Good for you for doing research before blindly moving here. I think you are smart to look into Dunedin, Safety Harbor, etc. Those are nice areas, and I would pick Pinellas County in a heartbeat over Sarasota/Manatee. The area is just sooo very much better in every way.

Good luck!
Thanks for the honest feedback.
In every FBI and Police reports.. Sarasota's crime is rated much higher than the National Average...
Every R.E. Agent denied these reports and said they never heard of them,,,, of course they are trying to sell a house to us... duh

We spent 3 days there and while it was nice.. but there was no community feeling and the crime reports sat in our head....

Thanks for being open and expressing what occured to You, that everyone denies

We did our homework and decided Pinellas Cty works better for us.

To each their own
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Old 10-15-2007, 09:51 AM
 
Location: Florida
4,896 posts, read 14,144,809 times
Reputation: 2329
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelNYC View Post
I have read all the replies,,, and my question is.....

No one has addessed the high crime rate... much much higher than the National Avg.... and I mean much higher... what gives ?

We live in NYC and want to relocate and start a family here... but we feel safer now in NYC,,, amazing to us...

Yet NYC has been a safer city for many many years past.

But what gives with the high crime rate listed each year for Sarasota Please ?
I would think the high crime rate has to do with Sarasota/Bradenton lumped together in stats as well.

I also want to let you all know, it's not just the indigent people involved in drugs here, it's across all class levels. You just don't hear about the doctor on crack because he gets delivery service and doesn't have to drive down to 10th and Central.

You can not compare NYC to Florida. I lived in NYC back in the 80's and I never had any problems riding the train from Brooklyn into Manhattan to go to Paladium in the middle of the night, either. My cousin, got robbed on 42nd his first day there, in broad daylight. If you're in trouble in Sarasota, there's no subways to dip into, no busses running constantly, not a lot of cabs roaming around...totally different mobile city than NYC.

Drugs come right into Sarasota from Sarasota Bay/Gulf of Mexico...there is no easier access port.

It's unfortunate, but homeless people from every northern state are now on their way down here. Try not to confuse them with cheap tourists!
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Old 10-23-2007, 01:52 AM
 
48 posts, read 197,663 times
Reputation: 52
I've lived in Sarasota my whole life. Personally, I am clamoring to get out. My mother and I are moving to Asheville NC in a few months. We will be among the many FL transplants.

Regarding the areas to live in, I see a lot of people mentioning that it's best to live west of US41. This is not necassarily true. I live in the Southgate area, just a mile to the east of 41 and it is beautiful. Sparkingly clean, large, manicured lawns. Very quiet but only minutes from downtown and Siesta Key. It is cheaper than living on the islands or right on the coast. There are many middle class subdivisions on Mcintosh, which is 2-3 miles east of US41. Sarasota is mostly clean and upper middle class. There is Palmer Ranch, though that is a little drive on the highway, maybe 20-40 minutes to get into town, depending on the season. Palmer Ranch is all upper middle class and has it's own shopping centers, hospital, and schools. There is the University area, also far east of US41, which is all upper middle class and brand new. The areas to avoid are primarily north of downtown. I definately wouldn't think that you should limit yourself to west of US41.
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Old 10-23-2007, 12:49 PM
 
48 posts, read 197,663 times
Reputation: 52
I wouldn't worry about crime in Sarasota. We've never been mugged, had our house robbed...never had a car-jacked. Most of the crime is situated north of downtown. I've always found Sarasota very safe.

Sarasota does indeed lack a sense of community. The beaches are beautiful, yes...and the Ringling Museum, etc. However, this isn't enough to entertain someone young for long. Most of the city is brand new and generic. The neigborhood I live in is all cynder block houses made in the 50s/60s. A very small house in good condition is 250+ It's very expensive here.

There is nothing to do for people between the ages of 16-40. The artistic stuff we have to offer is much more geared to the older population, as is everything else. If someone is middle aged or older and likes to just eat out at nice restaurants, hang out in their boat on the bay...sit in their gigantic house on the beach and watch the sunset...then Sarasota is perfect.

For people who want somewhere progressive, dynamic and youth oriented, Sarasota is a horrible choice. Most of my friends left town as soon as they graduated HS, and never looked back. Everyone young here drives to Tampa and St. Pete to go out on the weekends.
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Old 11-08-2007, 07:06 AM
 
1 posts, read 3,493 times
Reputation: 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladywithafan View Post
People are jealous...Sarasota has something for everyone...it's a perfect size city on the edge of the beach....what could be better?

no offense to anyone but have you people REALLY looked at sarasota? its full of REAL gangs(not just troubled kids tryin to be cool) look at the crime rates!! i used to live there....its no place to raise kids.
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Old 11-12-2007, 06:03 PM
 
106 posts, read 563,759 times
Reputation: 31
I think everyone that has posted one negative comment on here needs to get their head checked. I am 34 years old. I was born and raised in this town and have never once been the statistic of a crime. There is minimal crime here, period! and I'm talking about purse snags and the like.
Crime, yeah in Pinellas. Its a much larger city on the scale of things. There are no gangs here. Where did you do your research? I can sleep with my door unlocked at night and have never had my home invaded and or robbed. there has never been a murder or even so much a suicide nearby. I really get a good laugh at the idiotic remarks made by uneducated rednecks on this forum. Go ride a donkey or something!
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Old 11-12-2007, 06:13 PM
 
2 posts, read 11,764 times
Reputation: 12
i am considering moveing to sarasota,(fruitville) if my job will transfer me and some of these comments have almost changed my mind. I have heard from a lot of people say they love it, and then I hear some say they absolutely hate it. Its just me and my mom, I'm 45 my mom is 66 and we are midwesterners, I dont want to leave my job here and end up in hell! I realize that no city is perfect, but my goodness you would think that sarasota is close to hell, I was very excited about moving there but now i dont know, someone help me out!
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Old 11-13-2007, 12:18 PM
 
Location: Florida
4,896 posts, read 14,144,809 times
Reputation: 2329
There's nothing wrong with Sarasota that isn't wrong in any other city!
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Old 11-23-2007, 09:48 AM
 
16 posts, read 84,125 times
Reputation: 30
Im planning on semi retiring (am 45) and moving from NY to SW florida this spring, after reading all the negative comments im not so sure now.......was hoping someone could compare ft myers to sarasota for me?

we did a little house hunting in the ft myers area a few months back and liked some of the gated communites there (didnt like cape coral or leigh acres area though) in particular the gateway community near ft myers airport by I75....the homes were nice and prices very attractive......the things that worried us was the huge number of homes for sale..the other thing was the beware of pedophile posters we saw in some of these communites...the third was negative things said here about ft myers.....some people calling it ft misery.....

Did hear some really nice comments about Sarastota.... artsty...culture....beautiful beaches....just a really nice city.....though there were some negative comments here as well, expensive, traffic, too many retirees driving too slow...am guessing thats pretty common in S. FL now anywhere by the beach?

Was hoping someone COuld someone compare ft myers to sarasota? also looking for a recomendation where to buy in sarasota...looking for a home in the 300k price range in a gated community prefferably...

thanks!
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Old 11-23-2007, 10:01 AM
 
3,842 posts, read 10,516,029 times
Reputation: 3206
Quote:
Originally Posted by gws35 View Post
Im planning on semi retiring (am 45) and moving from NY to SW florida this spring, after reading all the negative comments im not so sure now.......was hoping someone could compare ft myers to sarasota for me?

we did a little house hunting in the ft myers area a few months back and liked some of the gated communites there (didnt like cape coral or leigh acres area though) in particular the gateway community near ft myers airport by I75....the homes were nice and prices very attractive......the things that worried us was the huge number of homes for sale..the other thing was the beware of pedophile posters we saw in some of these communites...the third was negative things said here about ft myers.....some people calling it ft misery.....

Did hear some really nice comments about Sarastota.... artsty...culture....beautiful beaches....just a really nice city.....though there were some negative comments here as well, expensive, traffic, too many retirees driving too slow...am guessing thats pretty common in S. FL now anywhere by the beach?

Was hoping someone COuld someone compare ft myers to sarasota? also looking for a recomendation where to buy in sarasota...looking for a home in the 300k price range in a gated community prefferably...

thanks!

Stay far far far far away from Fort Myers. What you hear & read is true. Do not waste your time nor your money. You are too young for Fort Myers The retirees & snowbirds there are nasty, grumpy & just plain bizarre. It is congested all the time & there is little to nothing to do there besides golf. Can't say much about Sarasota b/c I did not live there & visited. Personal suggestion: stay as far away as possible from anything south of Sarasota--strange & bizarre people mixed with crime, drugs & just a weird vibe.

Fort Myers is one of the most overbuilt cities in the country. The home prices you see today will never be worth that amount. Thousands of empty cookie cutter homes that were quicky & cheaply built. Gated communities are a facade in SW FL.

Try looking Sarasota & north of this city; you might be pleasantly surprised.

And you got the right feeling about Lehigh & Cape Coral. Lehigh is just plain dangerous. Cape Coral is suffering a massive construction overbuild with no economy to support it.

Good luck in your search. Some people really like Punta Gorda. We lived there & my husband worked in Fort Myers (about a 30 min drive). It is a town that is driven by snowbirds & retirees; definitely won't see a lot of children or younger people. Not much to do there either, but it is not Fort Myers. Will depend on your taste.

Just lots of places that are far better than Fort Myers along the coast.
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