Florida residents, How do you cope this time of year?

[Gypsy65]

Gypsy65... Please elaborate on number 3?

Some like it. Some love it

I Personally hate the place
Had been coming here every year on vacation and loved it. 3-4 weeks in winter

Living here not so much and my reasons are personal

Humid most of the year, sure winters are not bad but taking a shower every time you step outside is ridiculous, I call it swamp ass

I’m a biker. My wife says I can ride year round. Going by the beaches was nice at first but this flat State is now like riding my big wheel around the block as a kid. Fun at first. Now it’s not

Beaches. Some asked why we moved here. I said my wife wanted to live by the beach and the reply’s were “ in 5 years you won’t even know where the beaches are”. That’s true. We don’t go much anymore

The people
First. Locals are in 1 of 3 categories
1- Broke as hell asking for $5 so they can get home it’s been asked to me many times or they have a family but need to rent out a br to afford the home in the first place
2- have an ok job and live a somewhat normal life
3- have millions and come here once in awhile as they have other homes around the country

The building codes or zones?
For some reason you will see a $5 million dollar home in amongst trailer homes, a little exaggerated but not far off. Where we came from homes where in like neighborhoods There were rules to keep someone from building a $100,000 home next to your $500,000 home etc

Jobs. I don’t work here, but my wife does from home and has a decent job with a lot of flexibility but local parents are competing with HS kids for the Walmart job. I get retirees may not need to worry about that but it’s depressing nonetheless and maybe it’s the same elsewhere but since there is no industry in Florida you either mow lawns or wait tables

I’m sure I have more. But that’s a start
Our son is in college. About 2 years left then I told my wife I’m leaving. With her. With out her. Or in a pine box. But I’m leaving one way or the other

That’s my rant sorry

Oh. One more
Everyone here drives like where they’re from. NY like NY. Omaha like Omaha etc. so that mixes well and once they take their meds and see a Walmart across the way. Forget it. They will Bee line right across lanes and curbs
It’s insane. Meds. Highballs. And Walmart’s don’t mix

 

[billymach4]

Some like it. Some love it

I Personally hate the place
Had been coming here every year on vacation and loved it. 3-4 weeks in winter

Living here not so much and my reasons are personal

Humid most of the year, sure winters are not bad but taking a shower every time you step outside is ridiculous, I call it swamp ass

I’m a biker. My wife says I can ride year round. Going by the beaches was nice at first but this flat State is now like riding my big wheel around the block as a kid. Fun at first. Now it’s not

Beaches. Some asked why we moved here. I said my wife wanted to live by the beach and the reply’s were “ in 5 years you won’t even know where the beaches are”. That’s true. We don’t go much anymore

The people
First. Locals are in 1 of 3 categories
1- Broke as hell asking for $5 so they can get home it’s been asked to me many times or they have a family but need to rent out a br to afford the home in the first place
2- have an ok job and live a somewhat normal life
3- have millions and come here once in awhile as they have other homes around the country

The building codes or zones?
For some reason you will see a $5 million dollar home in amongst trailer homes, a little exaggerated but not far off. Where we came from homes where in like neighborhoods There were rules to keep someone from building a $100,000 home next to you $500,000 home etc

Jobs. I don’t work here and my wife does from home and has a decent job with a lot of flexibility but local parents are competing with HS kids for the Walmart job. I get retirees may not need to worry about that but it’s depressing nonetheless and maybe it’s the same elsewhere but since there is no industry in Florida you either mow lawns or wait tables

I’m sure I have more. But that’s a start
Our son is in college. About 2 years left then I told my wife I’m leaving. With her. With out her. Or in a pine box. But I’m leaving one way or the other

That’s my rant sorry

Oh. One more
Everyone here drives like where they’re from. NY like NY. Omaha like Omaha etc. so that mixes well and once they take their meds and see a Walmart across the way. Forget it. They will Bee line right across lanes and curbs
It’s insane. Meds. Highballs. And Walmart’s don’t mix

Thanks. Was waiting for and I can relate to the flat terrain. Nothing to see.

 

[WinniWoman]

Who knew? The people who live here. The people who visit here. Ever heard of Taos Ski Valley? It's not far from Santa Fe.

Honestly, I did not know and never visited because I thought it was desert mostly/southwesterly feel- like how I think of Arizona- which I have been to. No- I never heard of the ski place but I am not a skier.

 

[rapmarks]

When my son was 11 we took a trip through so we western states. He kept getting nosebleeds in Phoenix area, and I remember as we were driving through Albuquerque his nose started gushing. I climber over the seat and grabbed towels to help him. Dry air and mountain altitude really did a number on him. We spent a lot of time in Arizona but I can’t handle the dry climate

 

[Luanne]

Honestly, I did not know and never visited because I thought it was desert mostly/southwesterly feel- like how I think of Arizona- which I have been to. No- I never heard of the ski place but I am not a skier.

There are also parts of Arizona that are high country. Flagstaff and Prescott for example. The southern parts of both Arizona and New Mexico are what you are probably thinking of when you think of those states.

 

[rapmarks]

We spent a lot of time in Arizona visiting multiple relatives. Then we spent two winters in green valley, between Tucson and Mexico. The first winter was very cool and it did not rain. We did a lot of tourism. We wanted to see the Whipple observatory on Mount Hopkins south of Green Valley and took the first date, March 1. Good thing we did because on Sunday March 3 it rained and it turned into snow in green valley. There was so much snow on the mountain that observatory trips were cancelled for quite awhile.
The year before we rented we made a terrible blunder. We needed to go from Sierra Vista to green valley and the map we were given showed a direct road. We went about half a mile and it turned to gravel. My husband wouldn’t turn back.turned out we were on a dirt track over a mountain no wider than the car. Scariest ride of my life getting over that mountain.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I'm the reverse -- I am less tolerant of winter each year. I have lived in Chicago my whole life and each winter I hate it more and more. I don't remember disliking winter when I was younger but each year I grow to hate the cold, snow, and ice more than the year before. I seriously cannot wait to move to somewhere warmer.

I'm with you!




.

 

[Glynda]

Just some of our mountains. There is a ski resort only about 30 minutes outside of town.

Beautiful!

 

[silentg]

Some like it. Some love it

I Personally hate the place
Had been coming here every year on vacation and loved it. 3-4 weeks in winter

Living here not so much and my reasons are personal

Humid most of the year, sure winters are not bad but taking a shower every time you step outside is ridiculous, I call it swamp ass

I’m a biker. My wife says I can ride year round. Going by the beaches was nice at first but this flat State is now like riding my big wheel around the block as a kid. Fun at first. Now it’s not

Beaches. Some asked why we moved here. I said my wife wanted to live by the beach and the reply’s were “ in 5 years you won’t even know where the beaches are”. That’s true. We don’t go much anymore

The people
First. Locals are in 1 of 3 categories
1- Broke as hell asking for $5 so they can get home it’s been asked to me many times or they have a family but need to rent out a br to afford the home in the first place
2- have an ok job and live a somewhat normal life
3- have millions and come here once in awhile as they have other homes around the country

The building codes or zones?
For some reason you will see a $5 million dollar home in amongst trailer homes, a little exaggerated but not far off. Where we came from homes where in like neighborhoods There were rules to keep someone from building a $100,000 home next to your $500,000 home etc

Jobs. I don’t work here, but my wife does from home and has a decent job with a lot of flexibility but local parents are competing with HS kids for the Walmart job. I get retirees may not need to worry about that but it’s depressing nonetheless and maybe it’s the same elsewhere but since there is no industry in Florida you either mow lawns or wait tables

I’m sure I have more. But that’s a start
Our son is in college. About 2 years left then I told my wife I’m leaving. With her. With out her. Or in a pine box. But I’m leaving one way or the other

That’s my rant sorry

Oh. One more
Everyone here drives like where they’re from. NY like NY. Omaha like Omaha etc. so that mixes well and once they take their meds and see a Walmart across the way. Forget it. They will Bee line right across lanes and curbs
It’s insane. Meds. Highballs. And Walmart’s don’t mix

I don’t understand why you live in Florida if you don’t like it? Is it job related? Family? Where would you like to live? Where would you be happy?
Silentg

 

[Glynda]

Some like it. Some love it

I Personally hate the place
Had been coming here every year on vacation and loved it. 3-4 weeks in winter

Living here not so much and my reasons are personal

Humid most of the year, sure winters are not bad but taking a shower every time you step outside is ridiculous, I call it swamp ass

I’m a biker. My wife says I can ride year round. Going by the beaches was nice at first but this flat State is now like riding my big wheel around the block as a kid. Fun at first. Now it’s not

Beaches. Some asked why we moved here. I said my wife wanted to live by the beach and the reply’s were “ in 5 years you won’t even know where the beaches are”. That’s true. We don’t go much anymore

The people
First. Locals are in 1 of 3 categories
1- Broke as hell asking for $5 so they can get home it’s been asked to me many times or they have a family but need to rent out a br to afford the home in the first place
2- have an ok job and live a somewhat normal life
3- have millions and come here once in awhile as they have other homes around the country

The building codes or zones?
For some reason you will see a $5 million dollar home in amongst trailer homes, a little exaggerated but not far off. Where we came from homes where in like neighborhoods There were rules to keep someone from building a $100,000 home next to your $500,000 home etc

Jobs. I don’t work here, but my wife does from home and has a decent job with a lot of flexibility but local parents are competing with HS kids for the Walmart job. I get retirees may not need to worry about that but it’s depressing nonetheless and maybe it’s the same elsewhere but since there is no industry in Florida you either mow lawns or wait tables

I’m sure I have more. But that’s a start
Our son is in college. About 2 years left then I told my wife I’m leaving. With her. With out her. Or in a pine box. But I’m leaving one way or the other

That’s my rant sorry

Oh. One more
Everyone here drives like where they’re from. NY like NY. Omaha like Omaha etc. so that mixes well and once they take their meds and see a Walmart across the way. Forget it. They will Bee line right across lanes and curbs
It’s insane. Meds. Highballs. And Walmart’s don’t mix

Born and raised in SW Florida so I can relate to some of what you write. It was a glorious place to grow up back in the 50's and 60's when kids were free to roam and it wasn't over-developed. I don't think it was as hot then either but we never knew anything different then either.

I loved the flat land. Lazy, I guess. When I married and moved to VA I was terrified driving our stick shift Austin Healy Sprite. Stopped at red lights on the top of hills, I was so afraid I was going to roll backwards into someone. Mountain roads have always made me a little queasy though I've gotten better on them.

There are people just about everywhere in your number one category above. Some really in need of help, others perhaps not. Warmer climates do draw more homeless people.

Number three is one of the reasons I never moved back, nor do I want to. Yet, look at where I live and it's the same here.

Not a beach person anymore myself after having a melanoma removed and hating sand in my shower or bed. They're nice to look at but I've always preferred a view of a river, creek, marsh or lake and wear lots of sunscreen!

There are many subdivisions in Florida that have Homeowner's Associations with rules and regulations. If you are seeing a mixed bag of million dollar homes next to those of much lesser value, it's because of location, location, location. There must be something, a great view or distance to city center perhaps, that is driving the smaller homeowners out bit by bit to be replaced by McMansions.

Local parents are probably competing for jobs with young people as well as retirees who can't always live on their Social Security. Life events may have eaten up their savings. I see many older people working in retail and service areas when I am visiting FL. It is primarily a tourism and service industry area. When I was growing up in Ft Myers there was a big farming industry too. Our area was known for growing gladiolus along with other vegetable crops.

I am with you on the driving! I remember being a kid in FL and my friends and I watching the "little old tourist people" driving 15 miles an hour and coming to a complete stop in the middle of the street pointing out coconuts on trees or something else they'd spotted. (Now there seems to be more of them cutting across lanes, as you wrote.) We used to make fun of "snow birds" swimming at the beach or wearing their white belts and shoes after Labor Day. I am now one of those little old tourists elsewhere probably being made fun of! But I do not wear white between Labor Day and Easter and doubt I ever will. Though there is winter white...

Heat & humidity, lack of city planning & urban sprawl, traffic in the Winter, and no real seasonal changes are the main reasons I never wanted to return to live in FL. I also think it's hard to go back to a place where your favorite swimming holes, beaches and woods have disappeared behind condos and developments or turned into them. There's just very few nostalgic places left there for me.

Hope your two years pass quickly for you and your wife is on board for the move!

 

[Glynda]

Thanks. Was waiting for and I can relate to the flat terrain. Nothing to see.

But when driving, there's everything to see on a long straight Florida road! It's all stretched out before you. So much easier to pass other cars on two lane roads too.

 

[WinniWoman]

There are also parts of Arizona that are high country. Flagstaff and Prescott for example. The southern parts of both Arizona and New Mexico are what you are probably thinking of when you think of those states.

Right. Yes. The southern parts. I have been to Flagstaff also.

 

[Gypsy65]

I don’t understand why you live in Florida if you don’t like it? Is it job related? Family? Where would you like to live? Where would you be happy?
Silentg

We vacationed here since I was born and even after I married.
So I assumed it’s great all year, we owned a business at the time we moved therefore could work anywhere we had internet so instead of building a new warehouse for our company we decided to semi retire at 42

That got boring pretty quick so I started a new business while my wife and several employees ran our business up north, then after about 4 years she wanted to sell out so we did
Now she runs someone else’s business from home
I think she likes it more than I do. She will move but if it’s hot out she can stay inside. I have a few bikes Harley’s / Indians and that means I’m outside more and putting on jeans when it’s crazy hot and humid is no fun

I used to ride with a leather jacket and helmet but don’t wear either in Florida due to weather and it seems it’s way riskier there than where I was from but maybe that has also changed??

I think I would rather live north and have more extended TS stays in various southern States
A few weeks Florida. Arizona. Texas. Etc
than be there full time

 

[Luanne]

One of the things I found oppressive about Florida was the sameness. It's so flat. Now granted I haven't seen all of the state. My visits have been all in the more central area ranging from Cocoa Beach, through Orlando over to St. Petersburg. I found when driving around St. Petersburg that every place looked the same, meaning all of the streets and neighborhoods.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

As you can see, we have power and internet this morning. The worst of it so far is that our banana tree, which has a huge stalk of banana on it for the first time in seven years, is over on the driveway. Hopefully we can stake it back up after the storm is over. If not, we will lay it over. As long as they continue to get sustenance from tree, they might still ripen.

so happy you are ok...

 

[Sugarcubesea]

We moved from the Midwest to Florida in 2008 and are hopefully getting out soon

I’ve learned 3 things

1) Forever or death do you part is about 15-20 years

2) The banana is the forbidden fruit, ugh!!

3) Florida is hell

Why did you not like living in FL, did you move there in retirement?

 

[Gypsy65]

Why did you not like living in FL, did you move there in retirement?

We moved when we were 42. Now 53
Moved partly for weather and partly to try someplace else

Just didn’t realize we or at least I wouldn’t like being here FT

 

[rapmarks]

But when driving, there's everything to see on a long straight Florida road! It's all stretched out before you. So much easier to pass other cars on two lane roads too.

Have you ever driven across Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, most of Illinois? I remember driving on I 90 and watching storms all around us, but many miles away.

 

[billymach4]

Sorry but I just had to revisit this thread. As stated in the post love, FL, the residents and destinations. However now FL is getting a bad rap for the .... well you know what. So many issues and I don't want to get into the details.

So please tell me my FL Tuggers? How are you doing now this time of year compounded by the COVID crisis. Do you have contingency plans in place.

Most of all please stay healthy and wear your mask.

 

[Passepartout]

Sorry but I just had to revisit this thread. As stated in the post love, FL, the residents and destinations. However now FL is getting a bad rap for the .... well you know what. So many issues and I don't want to get into the details.

So please tell me my FL Tuggers? How are you doing now this time of year compounded by the COVID crisis. Do you have contingency plans in place.

Most of all please stay healthy and wear your mask.

Hey Bill, The Costco in your 'new' old stomping grounds opens August 14! Woo Hoo!

Jim

 

[billymach4]

Hey Bill, The Costco in your 'new' old stomping grounds opens August 14! Woo Hoo!

Jim

Can't wait.!

 

[billymach4]

I had to dig this up again. Sorry but it is that time of the season for Hurricanes.

Love Florida. Love to vacation and visit.

Have many friends and relatives living in south Florida.
As for a retirement destination? Relocation destination? Long term living.
I have to always stop and think? Every time Hurricane season comes around I say never would
I live there.

Personally we are thinking about the Southwest for a permanent retirement spot.

Please tell me how to cope with Florida as a year round living choice?

For those of you that may recall a few months back I was all over the map for a second home(including considering FL). Ended up with purchasing a resale Platinum week at Ocean Pointe. Came very close to a big bunch of Worldmark points.

Although all of my Florida friends and relatives survived "IAN" with minimal damage and no loss of life, I just know we would have been so stressed had we been living anywhere in FL.

As much as I do love Florida and I continue to see my acquaintances relocate to the Sunshine state... At this moment of time it is no longer on my list of retirement spots. The HITS (storms) just keep on coming!

 

[Brett]

I had to dig this up again. Sorry but it is that time of the season for Hurricanes.



For those of you that may recall a few months back I was all over the map for a second home(including considering FL). Ended up with purchasing a resale Platinum week at Ocean Pointe. Came very close to a big bunch of Worldmark points.

Although all of my Florida friends and relatives survived "IAN" with minimal damage and no loss of life, I just know we would have been so stressed had we been living anywhere in FL.

As much as I do love Florida and I continue to see my acquaintances relocate to the Sunshine state... At this moment of time it is no longer on my list of retirement spots. The HITS (storms) just keep on coming!

Probably many people are re-thinking Florida retirement plans.

 

[Talent312]

When rafting in Idaho, the guide told me that...
When not on the river, he's jumping fires, and
in Winter, he's totally snowbound for 3 months.

IOW, everyplace is great, except for when it's not.
.

 

[TravelTime]

I have some friends who were looking for another home in Florida that they could possibly move to after their son graduates from high school in a few years. They visited the area from Naples to Sarasota in April and decided against it. They said for what they wanted it was too expensive.

I am from Florida and encouraged them *not* to move to Florida for many reasons. Maybe I will look back and find the reasons. I can’t remember if I mentioned hurricanes. Now they are extra happy they did not buy a home in SW Florida, of course.

They had been considering the area because a close friend bought a brand new home in Venice. They were looking west of Sarasota in a brand new home community.