For those who have left south Florida (Miami, Tampa: HOA fees, condominiums)

[THX 1138]

Nah, I would be average in Boca. I would have to step up to be called a snob. I don't own a yacht yet.

There is so much security at the Boca Town Center since the incidents, that I would be able to staple $5K in $100 bills to myself and walk around blind folded and come out with 6% interest.

[joanie55]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

The pot calling the kettle black...again the whole story on expensive clothing started this rant...I'm just answering the question and beyond bitter or jealous...just stating the facts.

Again if you can live in a $750K/house and afford the $10K+ property taxes/year not to mention insurance you are wealthy or well above average. Average salary in PB County is $40K/year approx. how much home will that buy?

I don't valet unless I have to, not that lazy. I drive a $60K+ newer model BMW M3 and would not trust most to park it. I'm a professional and make way above average wages, I like to hang out with other young professionals and have a lot of Gucci, but I'm not asking the question on why things cost what they do here. I'm just answering the question.

I would have to agree with you about those living in $750,000 homes being pretty well off to say the least. But we are talking the Boca factor and not all of south FL or even PBC. Come to think it, not even all of Boca. Plenty of people living in Century Village in Boca and THEY aren't rich. That's true in alot of the 55+ communities. You don't have to be rich to live in south Florida, ESPECIALLY if you are older - it's a pretty good deal actually - affordable, no state tax, a beautiful place and a warm climate - that's why they HAVE so many old people there.

[veggienut]

Wow, now I have turned this into a "hot topic" We use to have one store I recall that had upscale clothing, named designers, but that went out of business tho it was here for years. So, I guess everywhere a
store(s) like that. Anyways, I did notice "those cars" in the parking lot and the valet at the enterance of that mall on Glades Road.

South Florida is a playground for the rich, wealthy and famous.

Are the other cities in Florida farther south like this too~? What about on the other side of the coast, like Tampa, or up north like Orlando or the Panhandle~?

Century Village in Boca and THEY aren't rich. That's true in alot of the 55+ communities

I did see one community called "55+ community". Seems like that one and a lot of them are gated communites. Anyways, that one I mentioned seemed like a retirement community, but the rest I saw driving by didn't seem like a retirement community because of their names.

Also remember ALOT of people are entrepreneurs and have business's whether it be online, or a product or services..then you have your Doctors and Attorney's...

We have the same thing here, but on another scale. I grew up with the franchise owners of McDonald's. But they had one nice car and the other a station wagon. When their parents split, they had to figure out how to live life. So, we all make choices in life of how we want to live, where to live and drive. Apparently, it is on a higher scale there.

[joanie55]

Originally Posted by veggienut

Wow, now I have turned this into a "hot topic" We use to have one store I recall that had upscale clothing, named designers, but that went out of business tho it was here for years. So, I guess everywhere a
store(s) like that. Anyways, I did notice "those cars" in the parking lot and the valet at the enterance of that mall on Glades Road.



Are the other cities in Florida farther south like this too~? What about on the other side of the coast, like Tampa, or up north like Orlando or the Panhandle~?



I did see one community called "55+ community". Seems like that one and a lot of them are gated communites. Anyways, that one I mentioned seemed like a retirement community, but the rest I saw driving by didn't seem like a retirement community because of their names.



We have the same thing here, but on another scale. I grew up with the franchise owners of McDonald's. But they had one nice car and the other a station wagon. When their parents split, they had to figure out how to live life. So, we all make choices in life of how we want to live, where to live and drive. Apparently, it is on a higher scale there.

Yes, you started this rant - LOL! You have not been on City Data for that long a period of time, this is common on all the forums. I rather enjoy, except it gets off the topic.

Some of those communities that did not sound like retirement communities probably were BTW. South Florida has ALOT of them. And yes, it's higher scale seeing luxury cars is commonplace, VERY commonplace.

As far as your questions about other parts of Florida, since I have only visited Tampa and Orlando and not been to the panhandle my knowledge is limited. This is what I DO know - Orlando is inland, very touristy and would not be my cup of tea. It IS more affordable than SE Florida. Tampa is also more affordable and there are some nice communities NEAR but not actually IN Tampa. But, again, not my cup of tea. It is not as tropical and Tampa has alot of traffic and seems confusing to get around in (but then I find Louisville confusing as well - I am directionally retarded) compared to SE Florida. I have heard the panhandle is beautiful but I think it's more expensive than the Tampa Bay area. I KNOW it seems to get hit by more hurricanes than SE Florida and that the economy there and lack of jobs is worse as well.

The only times I used the valet parking at Town Center Mall is around the holidays when it was virtually IMPOSSIBLE to find a parking space - it came in handy then.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by veggienut

If the economy is so bad in Florida, how can those certain stores in the Mall on Glades Road in Boca charge those prices~? I was like in shock when I saw four digit prices on clothing~! We don't have anything like that here. I joked with the sales lady there and she told me that the lesser priced is across the other side. Those prices were in three digits~!

Two of the top three "per capita income" counties in Florida are contiguous -- Martin County (#2), and Palm Beach County (#3).

There is both immense wealth, and serious poverty in the county. The middle class shop in the normal stores, such as Penneys, Sears, Macys, etc. Chanel

Boca Raton is one of the wealthier municipalities in PBC, and Florida. The average income is well above the average for PBC in general, the median household income is over 90k/year.

[veggienut]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Two of the top three "per capita income" counties in Florida are contiguous -- Martin County (#2), and Palm Beach County (#3).

There is both immense wealth, and serious poverty in the county. The middle class shop in the normal stores, such as Penneys, Sears, Macys, etc. Chanel

Boca Raton is one of the wealthier municipalities in PBC, and Florida. The average income is well above the average for PBC in general, the median household income is over 90k/year.

Yeah, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors. They could have unpaid bills, collection agencies calling to who knows what.

P.S. How does Delray compare in all of this~? I think it is a great city, and not as busy as PBC traffic was when I was there.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by joanie55

I knew someone from Boston who said, "The coldest summer I ever spent was my summer in SF!"

I didn't know Mark Twain was from Boston.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by joanie55

And my experience in south Florida was different from yours - I found people striking up conversations with me all the time - not so much so in Boca I will admit, but even in Boca I found that to be the case more than Louisville. I, too, love the weather. But to live in FL year round you have to like hot weather or you'll be miserable. I knew alot of people who missed the seasons but I was not among them. The only think I didn't like weather-wise was Christmas never felt like Christmas in FL. I found that a small price to pay for the rest of the year!

I agree. I'll be standing in line at the supermarket and people start to talk about the weather, the beaches or just smile.

I also disagree with the other poster about the east coast. Vero Beach, Sebastian and Port Saint Lucie were all very friendly places.

Once in Fort Myers (southwest) I went to a concert at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. After it was over, I exited through the wrong door. I was trying to find my car and it began to rain very hard. 2 women stopped to rescue me and we drove around in the pouring rain until I spotted my car. Yet people are always saying how nasty everyone is in Fort Myers.

Edit: Oops! For some reason, I thought this was the general FL forum. Well, my father lived in Delray Beach for a long time, so I used to go there all the time. When he was in the Delray Medical Center, I stopped at Applebee's one night and struck up a nice conversation with a couple next to me.

[veggienut]

I didn't have that experience when I was there with people talking to me. I was always trying to make conversation with people. A lot of them did, a lot of them didn't or gave me the cold shoulder. When I was getting lunch at the Boca Mall (great restaurants there, btw), I struck up a conversation and she was cold as ice to me without response. What do ya know, she sat with me and her kids.

[Swimmom32]

I always talk to people in target or publix..haven't had a problem