topic Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed in Community Chat

Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

elainemasey — Sun, 16 May 2021 01:50:39 GMT

Hi, My husband and I want to relocate from Massachusetts to maybe SW Florida but very open. Hoping to be along the coast rather than inland. The problem I'm finding is there doesn't seem to be any towns. Coming from Mass, we have towns with a center, library, post office, maybe a common. This is where town activities would be held, band concerts, parades etc. You would see friends and have a sense of community. Does that exist in Florida? Any place in Florida? Getting discouraged. Would we be better off in North or South Carolina?

Would appreciate your thoughts.

Elaine

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

Somertime — Sun, 16 May 2021 02:09:19 GMT

Yes, we have towns in SW Florida! Bonita Springs, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Dunedin, Venice, Osprey.

Punta Gorda and Venice are two you might enjoy and have that small town feeling.

Find what section of SW Florida you are interested in, then look up the county and t will list the towns within..................then you could write to the Chamber of Commerce for more information.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

Biftu — Sun, 16 May 2021 02:16:46 GMT

I know exactly what you are saying @elainemasey. I am from Massachusetts and most towns have some sort of center which you don't seem to find in all states. Having a center even if it is small, gives you a state of place and belonging. Massachusetts is a great state even beyond it's centers.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

haddon9 — Sun, 16 May 2021 02:24:42 GMT

Naples is on the SW coast and is gorgeous! It has a very nice main street....downtown area. Check it out online.

Delray Beach is on the east coast and it has a beautiful downtown with a cultural and arts center but it can get crowded. They also have craft shows (which I happen to love) in their downtown area.

There are towns along the Fl coast that are not just one big development and suburban sprawl.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

FrostyBabe1 — Sun, 16 May 2021 02:26:32 GMT

Lakewood Ranch in the Bradenton/Sarasota area might be of interest to you. Depending on whether or not it's "season", you'd be roughly an hour from the beach.

https://lakewoodranch.com

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

jeanlake — Sun, 16 May 2021 02:37:52 GMT

Dunedin, FL is a town I'd be interested in. Great downtown area with paved, biking trail running through town. Spring training for Toronto Bluejays is close to downtown area. Fishing and boating. We'd ride our bikes to Honeymoon Island Beach. It's one town north of Clearwater. Close to Tampa and not far from Orlando. I promise I don't work for the city.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

elainemasey — Sun, 16 May 2021 02:40:45 GMT

Thank you. We did visit Venice yesterday and Punta Gorda today and felt a bit more encouraged.

Dunedin has been recommended a couple of times so we will visit this week.

We did visit Lakewood Ranch - too big and busy- houses on top of each other (seems to be typical in FL) They talk abou a town center, farmers markets and activities on the green, but it's made up a bunch of individual communities, not connected to the town center. Sprawling and growing- no town feel.

Wellen Park wasn't much better.

I've been told Naples and Cape Coral are to big - May try to get there this week while we are here.

We have thought about the East Coast. We lived in Ft Lauderdale for a bit and know we don't want that. Would consider Delray, Jupiter- it's been years since we've been north of Palm Beach.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

Mindy D — Sun, 16 May 2021 03:15:04 GMT

@elainemasey wrote:
Thank you. We did visit Venice yesterday and Punta Gorda today and felt a bit more encouraged.

Dunedin has been recommended a couple of times so we will visit this week.

We did visit Lakewood Ranch - too big and busy- houses on top of each other (seems to be typical in FL) They talk abou a town center, farmers markets and activities on the green, but it's made up a bunch of individual communities, not connected to the town center. Sprawling and growing- no town feel.

Wellen Park wasn't much better.

I've been told Naples and Cape Coral are to big - May try to get there this week while we are here.

We have thought about the East Coast. We lived in Ft Lauderdale for a bit and know we don't want that. Would consider Delray, Jupiter- it's been years since we've been north of Palm Beach.

@elainemasey @Find out what your homeowners insurance will be for the places and area you choose. My friend just got her bill for this new year. $9000. This is a single family home with pool. It's not large. It's in Dade County in an upscale development. If she puts in impact glass and storm doors she says the insurance will drop by $1400. She's not right near the beaches.

Florida towns don't really have a town community feel to them in the way you describe.

Dunedin is beautiful.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

Pearlee — Sun, 16 May 2021 03:45:27 GMT

@elainemasey One important consideration is you don't want to chose an area that is constantly battered by hurricane weather.

I have friends and family in Sarasota, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch (what you wrote about LR is true!) But fortunately the hurricanes don't hit there, which is a big plus (perhaps because of being SW rather than SE?) Anyway, and this goes along with @Mindy D 's point about the cost of homeowners insurance, I hope you will take this into account when choosing a locale. Good luck finding what you are looking for.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

River Song — Sun, 16 May 2021 14:56:04 GMT

You might like Mt. Dora for a small town feel but it's in central Florida, north of Orlando, in the center of the state, not near the beach. But there are lakes if being near water is important.

There really isn't anything comparable to Mass here in Florida, sorry. Most of the coast is becoming one big urban sprawl. Personally, I would avoid the panhandle, always getting hammered with hurricanes.

I live in Naples, in the poor part, meaning not on the beach and not in the City of Naples proper. The beaches are beautiful, it's green in the winter, hotter then the hinges on the gates of Hell in the summer, the humidity will suffocate you. Housing is expensive, wages are low. Hurricane Irma in 2017 was a direct hit and I was without power for two weeks. Hurricane season, June 1 - Nov. 30, makes me anxious. The only decent weather is between New Year's and Easter. Gee, what's not to love. My goal is to move out of Florida in a few years, I just have to figure out where to move that doesn't have hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, mudslides, earthquakes, volcanos and hail storms.

Edited to add hail storms to my list of natural disasters to avoid.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

homedecor1 — Sun, 16 May 2021 04:02:24 GMT

@elainemasey

Dunedin and of course, St. Petersburg area have nice downtown

areas and beaches.

As for friends,etc. I think it's harder the older we get.

I live in a gated deeded over 55 golf community outside Tampa area and don't have a lot of "friends" they had their "circle of friends" long before I moved here. I don't golf nor hang in our bar so if your looking for that "neighborhood" feel can you let me know if you find it because after 10 years I haven't 🤷‍♀️😉 although

I have many "acquaintances"

Good luck, personally I'd move to Venice, Sarasota or Punta Gorda in a heartbeat if spouse would move since our area does not have anything like that☹️.

I wanted to add many here are younger (like me) and moving to the Carolinas -- and housing, car insurance & homeowners is getting outrageous in FL.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

Drythe — Sun, 16 May 2021 04:20:15 GMT

@homedecor1 wrote:
@elainemasey

Dunedin and of course, St. Petersburg area have nice downtown
areas and beaches.

As for friends,etc. I think it's harder the older we get.

I live in a gated deeded over 55 golf community outside Tampa area and don't have a lot of "friends" they had their "circle of friends" long before I moved here. I don't golf nor hang in our bar so if your looking for that "neighborhood" feel can you let me know if you find it because after 10 years I haven't 🤷‍♀️😉 although
I have many "acquaintances"

Good luck, personally I'd move to Venice, Sarasota or Punta Gorda in a heartbeat if spouse would move since our area does not have anything like that☹️.

I wanted to add many here are younger (like me) and moving to the Carolinas -- and housing, car insurance & homeowners is getting outrageous in FL.

@homedecor1

AS it is here in NC, the result of the > 110,000 move-ins we gain yearly.

We have become the new tornado ally, which used to be Kansas, additionally Hurricanes rarely miss us.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

homedecor1 — Sun, 16 May 2021 04:40:22 GMT

@Drythe

Its absolutely crazy when I moved to this area 10 years ago it was nothing but parks, roaming cattle and 2 lane highways.

All the farmland has been sold off to developers -- 20,000 homes were built and still building 🙈 every farm parcel of land is now new developments starting at $200,000+ for a "postage stamp" cookie cutter house🙄

and roads are packed with traffic what used to take 15 minutes to get to closest food store now 30+ minutes...and let's not talk about the strip malls popping up...

ugh...disastrous but people keep moving here...and just got my homeowners & car insurance renewal omg I almost had heart failure...as you know they only write 6 month policy in FL I'm paying $1,992/year for 1 car🙈and I didn't open the homeowners as why ruin my day😉

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 16 May 2021 05:43:46 GMT

@Pearlee wrote:
@elainemasey One important consideration is you don't want to chose an area that is constantly battered by hurricane weather.

I have friends and family in Sarasota, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch (what you wrote about LR is true!) But fortunately the hurricanes don't hit there, which is a big plus (perhaps because of being SW rather than SE?) Anyway, and this goes along with @Mindy D 's point about the cost of homeowners insurance, I hope you will take this into account when choosing a locale. Good luck finding what you are looking for.

Also just a huge difference between the east coast and west coast of Florida in general. From weather, housing, beach quality, Atlantic vs Gulf, flora , fauna, sun rise vs sunset etc. I was born on the west coast and I'm going to die on the west coast. No question for me.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 16 May 2021 05:48:19 GMT

Ive always had yearly car insurance policies, not 6 month, no matter what company.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

haddon9 — Sun, 16 May 2021 08:43:45 GMT

@River Song wrote:
You might like Mt. Dora for a small town feel but it's in central Florida, north of Orlando, in the center of the state, not near the beach. But there are lakes if being near water is important.

There really isn't anything comparable to Mass here in Florida, sorry. Most of the coast is becoming one big urban sprawl. Personally, I would avoid the panhandle, always getting hammered with hurricanes.

I live in Naples, in the poor part, meaning not on the beach and not in the City of Naples proper. The beaches are beautiful, it's green in the winter, hotter then the hinges on the gates of Hell in the summer, the humidity will suffocate you. Housing is expensive, wages are low. Hurricane Irma in 2017 was a direct hit and I was without power for two weeks. Hurricane season, June 1 - Nov. 30, makes me anxious. The only decent weather is between New Year's and Easter. Gee, what's not to love. My goal is to move out of Florida in a few years, I just have to figure out where to move that doesn't have hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, mudslides, earthquakes or volcanos.

@River Song Here in the mid-atlantic (SE PA) and the northeast you won't find any of those weather related issues mentioned (hurricanes can happen but they are rare). However it does get cold and some winters are snowy but the summers are much more bearable. We have periods of heat & humidity but then it will suddenly cool off and be very pleasant for a while before it goes back to hot & humid.

The best of both worlds is to have a place up north for the summers & become a snow bird and go south for the winter.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

Cats3000 — Sun, 16 May 2021 10:08:30 GMT

@elainemaseyWe lived in the Orlando area for 11 years. Never really got into "Florida". Moved back to New Hampshire and glad we did. Wouldn't consider moving again.

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

novamc1 — Sun, 16 May 2021 18:19:57 GMT

@elainemasey

Husband and I relocated to his home state of Georgia after I grew up in a Wash DC suburb and we both lived in that same zip code for many decades.

We now live in the Piedmont Region of Georgia. So far, this region, while not in the mountains but maybe protected by them, doesn't suffer from some of the severe weather events pounding on other areas. You'd be not too far from some easy vacation trips to high-end resorts in coastal Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, or to Georgia's plentiful lakes, where many of our neighbors own second homes.

Our older son and daughter-in-law take themselves and often our granddaughter on really nice vacations to western Florida locations. They live close to us and get away to some very nice places all the time.

Also check out the Georgia tax situation, especially beneficial for seniors and retirees.........we think it's dirt cheap here, compared with Northern Virginia/Wash DC area. We live on the (supposedly) more affluent side of our Atlanta suburban county, and I couldn't be happier with the convenient transportation routes and quick access to every type of shopping we could ever need.

Also easy access to good health care in all directions.

The weather damage people around here tend to suffer is usually caused by falling trees, which are plentiful in older neighborhoods. I learned long ago never to live in a house located under big old trees or anywhere close to them. Wind and wet soil can be their downfall, right onto houses, cars, human heads.

Maybe worth investigating this area at various websites, including:

Piedmont Geographic Region | New Georgia Encyclopedia

Georgia's Piedmont region sits between the Coastal Plain region and north Georgia. The terrain has valleys and tall hills that resemble mountains.

See more on reference.com

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

Texasmouse — Sun, 16 May 2021 10:40:55 GMT

@River Song wrote:
You might like Mt. Dora for a small town feel but it's in central Florida, north of Orlando, in the center of the state, not near the beach. But there are lakes if being near water is important.

There really isn't anything comparable to Mass here in Florida, sorry. Most of the coast is becoming one big urban sprawl. Personally, I would avoid the panhandle, always getting hammered with hurricanes.

I live in Naples, in the poor part, meaning not on the beach and not in the City of Naples proper. The beaches are beautiful, it's green in the winter, hotter then the hinges on the gates of Hell in the summer, the humidity will suffocate you. Housing is expensive, wages are low. Hurricane Irma in 2017 was a direct hit and I was without power for two weeks. Hurricane season, June 1 - Nov. 30, makes me anxious. The only decent weather is between New Year's and Easter. Gee, what's not to love. My goal is to move out of Florida in a few years, I just have to figure out where to move that doesn't have hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, mudslides, earthquakes or volcanos.

@River Song this was our quest as well so, when we chose South Central Texas, we were spared all of the natural disasters you mention. What we didn't consider was grapefruit-sized HAIL. We experienced a severe hailstorm five years ago that broke out windows, damaged our roof and destroyed both of our vehicles. They happen here, every so often, but no one had ever told us about those. I guess there's no such thing as being completely safe anywhere!

Re: Wanting to move to Florida- question/ disappointed

riley1 — Sun, 16 May 2021 11:48:11 GMT

@Drythe - I agree with you. Car & Homeowner's insurance is crazy. And, thousands more houses have gone up in a short period of time. Traffic is a mess. Took me almost an hour to go 10 miles last week.