Alternately - consider the MS Gulf Coast if the South Florida heat is a bit too much, you prefer less traffic, or want a small-town location close to the shore. Cost of living is cheap too.
Alternately - consider the MS Gulf Coast if the South Florida heat is a bit too much, you prefer less traffic, or want a small-town location close to the shore. Cost of living is cheap too.
The_Jed wrote: Great...now I'm daydreaming of selling all of our non-essential E36 M3, moving to Melbourne, Fl and working for Northrop Grumman. (That's the first place I found that had an opening for a machinist and seemed like a secure, viable employment option.)
Melbourne is amazing.
In reply to petegossett:
Respectfully, remember the ultra left wing bit (by US standards) I really don't think I'm MS material.
Marjorie Suddard wrote: DeLand is lovely...... Margie
Looked it up over lunch. Wiki, pics, Zillow etc. make it look like a nice place and relatively close to the big wet stuff.
In reply to Adrian_Thompson:
You'd be surprised. This is really it's own entity down here, they even tried to part from the rest of the state a few years ago.
Another FL native here. Born in Clearwater, went to college in NC and came back after graduating. Bought a house in Dunedin in 2000, 1/2 acre 1700 sq ft house with detached 1600 sq ft garage/shop and a pool for $180K. Taxes and insurance are not overwhelming and the cost of living is comparatively low.
I love it here. I'm close to the beach/causeway where I launch my Hobie 16. Sebring or Daytona are both about 2.5 hours away. The Pinellas Trail (rails to trails project) is close and has over 25 miles of nice surface to ride on.
My town, Dunedin, is extremely progressive and has done a ton to make the small downtown a "destination." No chains and lots of great restaurants and micro brews (5 and counting). There is a barrier chain of islands which protects the coast and the boating around here is amazing. Great kayaking, sailing, fishing, etc.
For culture/concerts both St. Petersburg and Tampa have great restaurants and venues to choose from. If you like baseball there are 4 major league spring training camps in the area. I really could care less about pro sports and I guess we have a football team 
if you're into that sort of thing.
Tampa airport is a quick 20 minute ride and is one of the better mid-market terminals you will ever use.
The bad? Tourist season (like right now) sucks. A ton of northern drivers who clog up the roads and do 5 under the speed limit. True driving roads are few and far between without a bit of a transit. The oppressive heat of the late July/August/September months will beat you until you figure out how to deal with it.
Moved from Ft. Lauderdale to Bradenton in Oct. Could not be happier. Yes, most transplants here come from the Midwest, which is fine with me. Lot's of fun, funky restaurants. Most of the time traffic is OK, but since I don't commute anymore, no problem. General cost of living is decent. Bradenton is basically the poor relative to Sarasots, again, fine with me. There is a lot of modestly priced homes available, too.
all that coastline.. and Florida HATES boats and boaters. Just try dropping the hook for an overnight stay somewhere. I doubt you will be there any hour before the local police are there to ask you move along. Some places will allow you to anchor, but you can't come ashore. And I know of one anchorage/mooring field were EVERY mooring is taken up with dinghys owned by one man (who hates boats and wants them banned from mooring or anchoring in front of his house)
In reply to mad_machine:
Many local communities are working on this. Dunedin is currently considering a mooring field. Where did you try to anchor/come ashore?
I'm not a Florida person. Way too many people in way too close proximity for my liking. But of the places I've been, which is most of it, St. Augustine would be the place I would consider moving to. Hurley Haywood lives there so it's gotta be good right!?
Born on East Coast of FL. Miss the surf/diving (though W coast has been pleasant surprising for recent dives) and quick trips to the Bahamas. I do NOT miss the traffic and people. Vibe and prices on the West coast is wayyyyy better. Now I live in Safety Harbor (similar to Dunedin but a little older crowd) and love it. I just substitute surfing with sailing (also a Hobie 16) and have a farther cruise to dive grounds.
If you're on the left you'll do just fine near most city centers and college towns. Just stay away from the sticks.
Good lord all this Florida talk and not one person mentions the awesome large mouth Bass fishing? It's been many years but fished Lake Okeechobee a few times when my parents took me as a kid. Great memories!
There are alligators everywhere, and you prefer small dogs. Might be a bad combination. 
I joke about Florida as much as anyone, but I can certainly see doing the snowbird thing, possibly with a big RV like my in-laws are currently doing. I do think a university town would be a good fit for you, politically and culturally.
Back when my dad was alive, my folks used to rent a mobile home for a month at a time each winter in Ft. Myers. It was fairly cheap, especially when you consider the cost of maintaining and paying taxes on an additional home.
mndsm wrote: *sees no florida man, turns around, leaves*
In other news, a marginally self-aware Florida man makes internet post.
The only reason I would consider living in FL is the lack of income taxes. Otherwise it is too hot for too long and too flat for me. I live where it is equally flat, but not quite as hot.
Hah hah, you are married (to a woman) and have a job that pays your bills and will allow you to retire someday. How liberal can you possibly be? Is there such a thing as a liberal groupie or liberal wannabe? :)
Florida tech - get as far south as you can if you want the island vibe.
In reply to drainoil:
And snook fishing on the bay side.
I lived in SE Hillsborough County (outside Tampa) from 2004-2010. Besides adding about 5 years to my working life due to buying at the peak of the real estate boom and selling at the bottom, it was a Great place to live.
Originally from Ohio, I missed winter a little, and topography a lot, but I got used to the heat and humidity, and loved it. If my job hadn't gotten squirrelly as the economy tanked, I'd still be there.
My folks became 5 month snowbirds back then, with a trailer then later a fifth wheel, and now they own a 3br modular house in a small retirement community on the Little Manatee river in Wimauma (about a five iron north of Bradenton, near the gulf coast - but east of I-75 so not in the high hurricane insurance zone). They're about a 20 minute kayak trip from Tampa Bay. They bought 3 years ago for about 55k (furnished) and are very happy with it. Their park has a mix of political flavors, and most of them seem to get along well enough. You could do a lot worse than that area.
I know some of you love bass fishing, but I prefer real fish, not bait. Tangle with a good snook, dolphin or amberjack and you will understand.
smokindav wrote: Hah hah, you are married (to a woman) and have a job that pays your bills and will allow you to retire someday. How liberal can you possibly be? Is there such a thing as a liberal groupie or liberal wannabe? :) Florida tech - get as far south as you can if you want the island vibe.
I'm one of those pesky Volvo driving, Latte sipping, yoga practicing, private school sending, New York times reading, NPR listening, upper middle class Liberal elitists 
Tom_Spangler wrote: There are alligators everywhere, and you prefer small dogs. Might be a bad combination.
He's a big dog at heart!
Tom_Spangler wrote: I joke about Florida as much as anyone, but I can certainly see doing the snowbird thing, possibly with a big RV like my in-laws are currently doing. I do think a university town would be a good fit for you, politically and culturally. Back when my dad was alive, my folks used to rent a mobile home for a month at a time each winter in Ft. Myers. It was fairly cheap, especially when you consider the cost of maintaining and paying taxes on an additional home.
We will definitely be spending many more weeks/months down there over the next 15 years in our camper and/or condo rentals before any move. This thread has just ensured that we will be spending some time both in DeLand, as well as revisiting the Dunedin / Clearwater area next winter.
Back to Margie’s suggestion. What is the winter weather like there? Seems like it could still get cold? Looks to be a really nice place other than that and it’s not right on the water.
Adrian_Thompson wrote: Back to Margie’s suggestion. What is the winter weather like there? Seems like it could still get cold? Looks to be a really nice place other than that and it’s not right on the water.
We did a mid Jan cruise out of Port Canaveral. It was cool- like high 50's.
While that might be very cold for Floridians, all I needed was a light jacket.
Although, it has been known to get to freezing temps in that area. But just hitting 32.
Ms Service is a born and raised Fl girl.
I will give you panhandle experience.
Think Alabama with a better beach. Crap-tastic schools and if you have a kid with Special Needs no luck there either.
If you are a person who has nothing to do with kids, not bad. If kids are in your equation, may I suggest somewhere else.
Common red state hypocrisy and self-defeating ideology. "Oh my God! Look how BP ruined our beach!! but drill baby drill."
Hate tourists, but want their money. you know the usual schtick.
Lots of old people.
Joe Gearin wrote: My home is a 1500 sq ft, 3 bedroom / 2 bath on a 1/3 of an acre. The intercostal waterway is a block and a 1/2 from my front door--- the ocean about a 10 minute drive away. (1/2 hour by bicycle) My neighborhood is decent, but not fancy-- very little crime-- working class. My home is probably worth $150K at this point. The bang for the buck down here is incredible.
that alone has me interested. That and knowing there are more tracks within a 8 hour tow than just about anywhere in the country. Roadtrips to the keys and cheap flights to the Bahamas all make for incredibly bonuses. I'd miss topography though.
In reply to cwh:
Some of us used to love tarpon, permit and grouper fishing, but our bodies will no longer allow for it. I think that I could manage mahi, sailfish and possibly blackfin again though.
petegossett wrote: Alternately - consider the MS Gulf Coast if the South Florida heat is a bit too much, you prefer less traffic, or want a small-town location close to the shore. Cost of living is cheap too.
I spent a year in Biloxi. I could live along the coast. Lots of small towns.
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