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Old 02-04-2015, 07:57 PM
 
25 posts, read 62,376 times
Reputation: 58

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I have used this forum many, many times over the past two years looking for information on Southern Florida. I have found lots of useful advice, and a lot of information that after living here for 8 months, don't think is very accurate. (or at least in my experience). Moving 1800 miles from my home, community, career, was pretty scary! I believe attitude is everything, I tend to embrace the newness of South Florida, its like being on a field trip every day! I thought I would share some of my experiences from a Jersey Girl Perspective.


1. I love the weather, yes it is very hot and humid during the summer. Like a wall of humidity hits you in the face when you walk out to door. Weekdays I go from home, car, work AC 24/7, and the weekends are spent on the beach! I would rather deal with the heat than sub zero temperatures and shoveling snow!

2. I live in West Palm Beach by choice, I have a 45 minute commute, but Florida traffic is not as horrible as my previous Garden State Parkway commute. The one thing that drives me nuts is the lack of understanding that the left lane is the "fast lane", I still use a great deal of "hand signals" lol

3. I love CitiPlace for nightlife, Delray downtown for restaurants and shopping, MacArthur Park for Kayaking, hiking trails and beach. Orlando is only 2 hours north, Miami a little over an hour south, Hard Rock Casino is about 40 minutes away its really centralized. I also love the West Palm Beach airport for travel back to NJ, cheap flights, awesome airport. It doesn't meet my needs for international travel, I use the Fort Lauderdale Airport for that.

4. Beaches beaches beaches....Singer Island, Lake Worth, Boyton, Palm Beach, Biscanyne Key, Sanibel Island, Captiva....8 months in, and I can't get enough.

5. Comcast is by far the worse internet/cable provider. Their customer service, billing and slow internet was like a slow train wreck, AT&T UVerse has much better reviews, I just switched this week.

6. Food Shopping- Publix has the friendliest staff, but the prices are ridiculously high. I love to cook, and had a real challenge finding the right stores. Western Beef in Lake Worth has knocked it out of the park. Fresh, quality produce, butcher, on site bakery that can't keep enough coal fired bread on the shelves! Italian specialities too, a decent olive and cheese bar, and Canolis. Seafood is great too.

7. I am amazingly surprised of the high quality Chinese take out in the area. The quality is Mulberry St. quality.

8. I have read again and again that people are not friendly in Southern Florida. I have found everyone that I have met to be kind, friendly and helpful. I have exchanged phone numbers on the beach with ladies that I struck up conversations with. I have coworkers who I have clicked with, happy hour and outside gatherings have become the norm.

9. August Sept rain and thunderstorms are as wicked as I have ever seen, scary breathtaking.

10. I love having amazing ethnic food available everywhere! Cuban, Creole, Spanish....Pollo Tropical, La Granja, La Brasa...I can get coal fired chicken, fresh veggies, rice and beans through a drive through...beats typical fast food and cheap!

11. Nail salons are still a challenge, I have had several bad experiences, still looking.

12. Shopping- I have malls, Outlets, and every retailer imaginable within a 5 mile radius.

13. Gated communities are very popular down here. I don't like them. I am currently renting in a gated community, but will eventually purchase in an outside neighborhood. Do you homework,there are many shady areas throughout South Florida. I have found, as many people in this forum have posted, one street is amazing, turn the corner and you are in a very dangerous neighborhood/street.


There are many things that I do miss about NJ, the sense of community from my 5k resident seashore town to a city of 100K+, friends and neighbors, porkroll, and most of all not having to pump my own gas!

But I love the mild temperatures year round, the extra hour of daylight in the winter, palm trees, and mangos growing in the backyard. The whole adventure is new and exciting, and I have to say, I really love living here. Just thought I would share yet one more perspective on Florida living
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Old 02-04-2015, 09:40 PM
 
116 posts, read 174,970 times
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Thanks...my husband and I are working on a relocation... more than likely within 2 years...maybe sooner if we can secure the righ employment ....
We have visited a number of times and we have an adult daughter in DelRay... we still are not sure on the where...
I love the old style Florida homes but was so sad to see the marginal neighborhoods they most ofte sahre....we are from Long Island NY and love your NJ perspective.
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Old 02-05-2015, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Ocean Ridge
154 posts, read 388,654 times
Reputation: 111
Great read glad you love it,
its why we are all here!
That said plan on it getting tight again, in the next 1o years! you can see after the clean out of 08 they are on the way back down and the break we all enjoyed the past years will be a turned back to the turmoil as the Baby Boomers lick their wounds and come back down to tear down the old and build the new there way!
It's only time and if you can afford it, it is paradise,
I am glad you support the many great market (SMALL) places SE Florida offers ! Its a day trip for me to procure fresh salads,seafood, meat, & bakery,at all the great market places we have here,and on weekends so many spot on restaurants to share a glass a wine and have a great meal at as if there not good they are gone! cheers
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Old 02-06-2015, 11:50 AM
 
1,203 posts, read 1,812,653 times
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Anything is better than NJ. My wife is from there, so I know. Glad you escaped!
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Old 02-06-2015, 12:42 PM
 
72 posts, read 226,998 times
Reputation: 25
Excellent write up. Very funny also. I am a native from WPB, and it is interesting to see others take on the area.

Please let me know how well you like Uverse. I agree that Comcast customer service is horrible and I hate dealing with them, but i have always found the internet to be fast. If Uverse is just as fast, I would be happy to switch.

I tend to not like gated communities either, but I feel you almost have to live in them to be in decent areas. There are still a few non-gated areas that are decent, but they seem to be fading fast. I finally caved with my wife and bought in a gated community. Good luck in your search and I'm glad you love it down here. Now stop telling people! It's getting crowded down here JK
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Old 02-06-2015, 12:59 PM
 
5,390 posts, read 9,690,496 times
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West Palm is nowhere near "1800 miles away from home".... more like 900 to 1000 miles away.

but anyway, glad u like it
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Old 02-06-2015, 08:57 PM
 
25 posts, read 62,376 times
Reputation: 58
Quote:
Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69 View Post
West Palm is nowhere near "1800 miles away from home".... more like 900 to 1000 miles away.

but anyway, glad u like it


Via I-95 S 1189.83 miles
17 hrs 43 mins / 17 hrs 48 mins based on current traffic


Give or take a couple hundred miles I drove down 3 times during the move, can I add it all up
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Old 02-06-2015, 09:02 PM
 
25 posts, read 62,376 times
Reputation: 58
Quote:
Originally Posted by UFGators View Post
Excellent write up. Very funny also. I am a native from WPB, and it is interesting to see others take on the area.

Please let me know how well you like Uverse. I agree that Comcast customer service is horrible and I hate dealing with them, but i have always found the internet to be fast. If Uverse is just as fast, I would be happy to switch.

Now stop telling people! It's getting crowded down here JK

The installation went smoothly, and the internet is moving much faster than comcast! If you even had Verizon FIOS, it is similar. UVerse is currently having a promotion, they removed the $99 registration fee, and a $59 fee ( I believe related to the install), they also provide $100-$300 gift card based on the plan you select, very good deal.
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Old 02-07-2015, 07:37 PM
 
157 posts, read 332,803 times
Reputation: 139
If your Uverse is faster than your Comcast, something is wrong. Uverse is the absolute worse.
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Old 02-08-2015, 03:39 PM
 
536 posts, read 844,828 times
Reputation: 1486
Gemini, I love your post. But there's one thing about the weather in the summer. Until you've been through a hurricane here, you can't factor in how you feel about disruption of basic services (after Wilma in Boca and one of the three or four 2004 hurricanes, the disruption lasted several weeks). These uncertainties and (when you own) the increases to insurance) have put me off S Florida. But I am happy you are adjusting well!

It took me four years to find a hairdresser down here, but you'll find your nail utopia if you keep looking.
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