So we're thinking of moving to Florida

[lowedaph]

Imagine getting home from work, and deciding to do a little fishing before dinner. So you head out the back door, dodge the wet ball the kids throw at you as you walk past their water polo game, and arrive at the dock. You check the gas, start it up, and travel slowly through the no wake zone past your neighbors' homes. A few minutes later you're in open water, the breeze slaps your face as you speed up, contemplating which spot is most likely to be fruitful... This is the land of sun n fun, and all this can be yours, if the price is right. Its highest in southeast Florida and lowest in the Panhandle. If you think prices are high now, I think parts of FL are where coastal CA was 15 years ago.

When I was deciding where to live, my criteria was weather and lifestyle (i.e. culture, water, attitudes). In Florida, both of these get better the further south you go. As a northerner, I had a bit of trepidation about living in the south, but I've had no problem adjusting (SE FL may not be indicative of the whole state). In my opinion, Dade and Monroe counties are the spoils. Miami's diverse population makes it the most cosmopolitan city below the Mason Dixon, and a cultural mecca second perhaps only to NYC. Monroe county is an outdoor playground; in the Keys, life's purpose is to smell the roses, and the southern most city is the most eccentric town in America.

Being in the Keys has changed my perspective. The real world is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

Good Luck!

 

[JustJoe]

I would never live south of Martin County. Unfortunately that leaves a tremendous commute for work as a programmer. You will have to go at least to Broward County (1 hour) or north to Brevard County (1.5 hours for work). Orlando is in the center of the state and has a fair amount of jobs, and about 2 hours in all directions for diving.

Tampa has the best in the way of programming jobs, but not the best in diving. For me, I would never ever live in Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Period. Just my thoughts. You may love it.

Joe

 

[goofygirl]

Hey, not to jack the thread, but we've started to consider moving to FL too!
We're in NYC and the cost of living couldn't be higher! And I'm not sure how many more NYC winters we can take!

Anyway, I'm a RN and I was wondering what nurses make down there? I'm also about to start persuing my Masters, anyone know what NP's make down there?

We were considering Naples, Ft. Meyers, St. Augustine, or the Keys. Any info on cost of living, cost of real estate and lifestyle (diversity, culture, schools etc.) in those areas would be GREATLY appreciated!

Oh, and my masters will take me about 3ys PT, so unless there's a university nearby where we move where I can finish it the move will have to wait until I'm done, so if any one knows if one of these areas are near a school where I can complete my Masters PLEASE let me know!

Thanks a bunch!

 

[metaldector]

You can of course move to any portion of Florida and accomplish a diving life style, from fresh water springs and rivers, to the Gulf and East Coast. Prices very with location. A friend just sold his home in Southwest Florida for 4 times his purchase price three years ago. Why? Because hurrican Charley knocked down 25% of all housing and people are willing to paid big bucks for somewhere to stay. So housing prices are dependent on availablity. Also, south Florida is running out of water. Too many houses and businesses and too little fresh water.
Look at a map, what other major city in Florida has 4 major interstates, toll roads coming into it? Only Orlando, Kissimmee area. Growth is tremendous. New schools, roads, commerical properties, and opportunities.
Diving, is 1 1/2 to 2 hours in any direction. A little further is the Keys, cave country, or shark tooth hunting. Universities, UCF in Orlando, UF Gainsville, FL State Tallahassee, U Central Fl Tampa, U of Miami, etc.
Multicultural, Cubans, Puerto Ricians, Jamacians, Hatians, Englishmen (Simon), Latins from all over the world, Theme Parks, etc.
You may not find the ideal job, but if you are at all creative you may start a new life with sunshine, beaches, diving, year round. Come on down!

 

[ShakaZulu]

My beloved and I are getting durned tired of the Connecticut winters, and are thinking of moving to FL in 2 years (just before the son starts highschool). Since divers are great people, figured I'd come here for some thoughts.

My initial research suggests that Tampa would be a good area for a job -- I'm a computer programmer, and there's a cubic crapload of job offers that would fit me quite well. Thing is, from browsing the boards here it looks like Tampa diving conditions aren't so great.

So, my questions to you:

If I were to move to the Tampa area, how far would I have to drive for a good saltwater dive? (I drive 2 hours now to get to 10' viz)

If we were to pick up a boat, how big of a boat would we need that'd take us to nice diving?

Any dolphins around to look at?

And, non-scuba questions:

Are there any other areas that have a lot of high-tech industry, but near better diving?

How's living in the Tampa area?

Are the schools year-round, or do they have a full summer vacation?

Thanks for any responses you'd choose to post.

I would have to say if you want the best diving, I would move closer to Miami. They have some high-tech companies there. Tampa is on the gulf side and the water is not clear at all! Even in the Keys, the gulf side water is like diving in a lake!! There is good diving in Miami and the Keys are not too far away. The diving on the Atlantic side is great!

 

[whitedragon13]

Daytona has a couple tech companies, so does Ft Walton Beach-in fact a friend of mine programs the AC-130 gunships up there.

 

[JustJoe]

Florida Gulf Coast University is the local State college in Fort Myers. I am unsure if they offer the classes you need here on the SW coast. I know that Miami, Florida and Florida State would offer the classes you need. But I'm sure that you have already researched these institutions.

As for buying a home, I live in Fort Myers and the housing market is crazy. I bought a house in August '04 and will move into it next weekend (it had a tenant with a contract). In those few short months the asking price of houses in the area went up $60k. If it wasn't for my wife looking to get a promotion at her job I would sell in a heartbeat and move away.

Being a nurse and being an NP you can get a job about anywhere in Florida. Good luck.

Joe

Hey, not to jack the thread, but we've started to consider moving to FL too!
We're in NYC and the cost of living couldn't be higher! And I'm not sure how many more NYC winters we can take!

Anyway, I'm a RN and I was wondering what nurses make down there? I'm also about to start persuing my Masters, anyone know what NP's make down there?

We were considering Naples, Ft. Meyers, St. Augustine, or the Keys. Any info on cost of living, cost of real estate and lifestyle (diversity, culture, schools etc.) in those areas would be GREATLY appreciated!

Oh, and my masters will take me about 3ys PT, so unless there's a university nearby where we move where I can finish it the move will have to wait until I'm done, so if any one knows if one of these areas are near a school where I can complete my Masters PLEASE let me know!

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Marvel]

Another comment on programming jobs, my folks live just sounth of Daytona and their neighbor (a FL native) is uprooting his family and moving to Atlanta. He's an out of work programmer who's been hunting for over a year since being laid-off from Lucent.

Don't mean to sound all gloomy but SO many people move to FL (me included) and too late, find the salaries vs. the cost of living to be a bit too much.

Gotta love these "right to work" states... Salaries are horrible down here, that's for sure. I'm finally making a few K more thatn I made in the north east in 1989!

 

[sgj]

I moved from the New Haven area to Tampa about 3 years ago. Though I was in CT for only a few years of my residency/ fellowship, the winters were killing me harshly!
Well, the Tampa area is wonderful, but it has its minuses. I love avoiding the gray, dark, long winters. I live on a lake in Tampa, which I would have been able to afford if I stuck around Yale for another 20 years! I do a warm water dive off the shore an hour and a half south of here from Venice Beach (on a summer day of course). And if I feel like it and am able to wrest myself away from my family (they're awfully cute), I go over to West Palm for a short weekend. Speaking of family, it is a wonderful place for a family- lower cost of living, plenty of young families etc.
Now for the minuses! Tampa is the mother lode for chain restaurants. I you have to have good food, look elsewhere. If you are a culture vulture: there is more culture in the smaller city of New Haven as compared to Tampa. Medical care is not going to be on par with CT. The over- abundance of trial lawyers in the state of Florida keeps out a lot of the good guys from relocating here (I had my share of sarcasm from the Yalies on announcing my move to Tampa).
Now, prices are going up astronomically each day. South Tampa and northern Hillsborough County may be out of the question for the price range you require. But I would look in Pasco County, Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel area. A lot of our acquaintances live there and travel about 40 minutes to Downtown Tampa to work each day. A lot of young families settling in Pasco County!

 

[adder70]

Hey, not to jack the thread, but we've started to consider moving to FL too!
We're in NYC and the cost of living couldn't be higher! And I'm not sure how many more NYC winters we can take!

Anyway, I'm a RN and I was wondering what nurses make down there? I'm also about to start persuing my Masters, anyone know what NP's make down there?

We were considering Naples, Ft. Meyers, St. Augustine, or the Keys. Any info on cost of living, cost of real estate and lifestyle (diversity, culture, schools etc.) in those areas would be GREATLY appreciated!

Oh, and my masters will take me about 3ys PT, so unless there's a university nearby where we move where I can finish it the move will have to wait until I'm done, so if any one knows if one of these areas are near a school where I can complete my Masters PLEASE let me know!

Thanks a bunch!

Well, I can tell you that all medical personnel are highly sought after in Florida. However, the malpractive situation there drives many preofessionals out. I don't know how that applies to nurses, but I know when my mother was in the ER in North Fla Regional Med Center in Gainesville, they talked of being very busy because of people coming there from Jacksonville (65-90 miles away) to get quicker help, due to the scarcity of doctors, since they all moved away or just into Georgia.

St. Augustine would be a nice place to live. One possibilty would be living in Palatka and commuting to St. Augustine for work and Gville for school. People there will think you are nuts, but it's probably much less than an hour to each from Palatka, which is comparable to commutes in most large cities.

North Florida will get you the most of all worlds concerning diversity. You will be 15 miles away from amazingly integrated areas and 15 miles away from places where blacks and whites just don't live in the same neighborhoods, not so much through overt violence but through subtle encouragement. (meaning whites will ask whites why they are living in the black section, and blacks will ask blacks why they are too good for their own kind.) I would say the situation is pretty good because everyone has the freedom to live integrated or "with their own kind", and few people tend to bother others concerning these choices. It's more about differences in interests than differences in ethnicity.

I don't know as much directly about South Florida. I have a lot of relatives there, but I grew up in North Florida. North Florida retains a southern heritage and is far different from South Florida.