Live in S. Fl? Why don't you move? The pros and cons...

[Scott L]

Are there any native Floridians 'round here???

As a 3rd generation Floridian, I have to say... GET OUT!!!! ALL OF YOU!!!!! :mooner::mooner: Ok, Kidding.....

I have mixed feelings on this; I am well-aware of most non-Floridians who overdose on Jimmy Buffett music and feel the absolute need to move here, as well as those who have recently moved here and then go about calling everyone else who comes here 'tourons.' It's cute and good for a laugh.

As for what you want to do, just do it. Just show a lil' courtesy and the universe will keep on turning.

Myself, I couldn't live anywhere but, unless it was somewhere even lower in Latitude.

3rd generation as well (FHHS). I hate to admit that I am old enough to remember Okeechobee Blvd being a two lane roadway in the middle of swampland.

 

[Scott L]

People will bitch about anything, the "foreigners" everyone complains about bring us some great non native cuisine, Who cares where they come from? As for non English speakers, how often are you in little Havana or Little Haiti? I almost never encounter non English speakers in Fort Lauderdale. The obnoxious transplants, how often do you really encounter them? In the grocery store, big deal. I choose my friends and the people I associate with, if someone is obnoxious that's their problem and I choose not to befriend them. The heat? look at summer temperatures in New York and Chicago, newsflash: MOST places get hot in the summer.

It's all good here, some people just love to complain.

Oh, that said, the drivers do kind of suck here but my commute to work is too short for me to care.

There are many aspects I love about S Florida but the prevailing ocean breezes is my favorite. That's what prevents our temps from climbing higher as you know...

 

[Orlando Eric]

I do not care for the people who move here then complain about how they hate it and everything where they come from is so great. Obviously this is false because if it was they'd not be here.

Locally in PSL the community tried to make this into NY south. It is not NY will not be no matter how many empty civic centers, bagel shops, NY Pizza Jersey Tony subs or what have you is built.

Florida. Diving, Fishing, Swimming, Boating, Tanning, Driving around with the top down. Frosty Boat drinks at the Tiki Bar listening to Calypso music... flip flops ... tank tops. Oh yeah.. and we have guns. We shoot burglarers, car jackers, robbers and rapist. Then everyone claps, nobody boos the good guy or crucifies him like bernard getts.

 

[Lobstah Slayah]

no one has mentioned schools in south Florida....

and I mean the public schools. How good are they? what about problems in the schools?

or does everybody just send their kids to private schools down there? (yeah I know this is kinda a "retirement move to florida" thread, but what about for folks who have kids to worry about their schools?

how are the schools in your area? (and if you don't have kids in school, which I know many in this thread don't, give us your best opinion).

I can chime in about the schools. We have until very recently ranked at the bottom as far as education goes. 49th as of a few years ago. With all of the new initiatives and changes in education, Florida teachers ranked 5th in the country in a recent study. The educational system is not perfect. Our budgets are constantly being cut and pressure for the students to do well on standardized tests (FCAT) is very high. That being said, we are making do with less and the system is improving. It also depends on the county and more specifically the school.
For example, my school is in a very economically depressed area and for many of our students, English is not their first language. 95% of our students get free or reduced lunch. In spite of this, my school has been rated an "A" school for 8 of the last 10 years. It really depends on the teachers, parents and the administration.

 

[ONESPEED]

Oh, that said, the drivers do kind of suck here but my commute to work is too short for me to care.

but that's to blame on all the "foreigners" and "obnoxious transplants"

In reality, I think it's because you have a lot of people here from third world nations who have never owned a car, or if they have never drove anywhere with regulations to speak of, add to that retirees from New York who cabbed it their whole life, then move here and buy the biggest land yacht they can get, regardless of whether they can see over the dash or not. The fault is on the state for not requiring any real training to obtain a license, you really can't blame the drivers for the fact Florida will give anyone with a pulse a drivers license.

 

[ONESPEED]

Is it just me, or is this thread beginning to sound like a Carl Hiaasen novel?

 

[joystershell]

Is it just me, or is this thread beginning to sound like a Carl Hiaasen novel?

Yup!

 

[Splitlip]

Florida. Diving, Fishing, Swimming, Boating, Tanning, Driving around with the top down. Frosty Boat drinks at the Tiki Bar listening to Calypso music... flip flops ... tank tops. Oh yeah.. and we have guns. We shoot burglarers, car jackers, robbers and rapist. Then everyone claps, nobody boos the good guy or crucifies him like bernard getts.

Now THAT's what I'm talking about.

 

[Walter]

Drivers suck everywhere.

If you think there are no hills south of Ocala, drive through Lake Placid.

Each student is responsible for his own education. It doesn't matter where you go to school, it's what you put into it that counts. Yes, good teachers can help, but a good student is a good student and a poor student is a poor student. It's the job of parents to see that their children are good students.

What's a turon?

Lack of seasons? We have seasons. Our winters can be bitterly cold. This one has been horrible. We don't get nearly as many of those ugly dead leaves as folks do farther north. That's a good thing.

I think you'd be a welcome addition to the area! Too bad we can't screen all the newcomers!

Then sell the state in PMs, not in an open forum. Geeeze!

I love your new avatar.

As a 3rd generation Floridian....

Damned johnny come latelies.....

 

[trigfunctions]

...add to that retirees from New York who cabbed it their whole life, then move here and buy the biggest land yacht they can get, regardless of whether they can see over the dash or not. The fault is on the state for not requiring any real training to obtain a license, you really can't blame the drivers for the fact Florida will give anyone with a pulse a drivers license.

I promise, this is a true story - Just after moving here I had to go to the DMV to get my FL license. While I was waiting, I saw a very elderly lady with very thick glasses taking her vision test in one of those countertop machines. She kept trying and trying to read the letters. She took her glasses off and put them back on and tried over and over again until she started crying. The DMV worker was very patient, but after about 10 minutes he told her that she would have to come back another time after she got a new prescription for her glasses.

She walked out of the DMV, got into her car, and drove off. :shocked2: