[Soup Not See]

The same posters who say Florida is overpopulated now and was a better place to live in the 80s and early 90s, rave on and on about how many people are moving to the state. As ComSense put it, quality over quantity any day.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by leftee

The same posters who say Florida is overpopulated now and was a better place to live in the 80s and early 90s, rave on and on about how many people are moving to the state. As ComSense put it, quality over quantity any day.

Yep. and there is plenty of room for them. Why they gravitate to over crowded cities is beyond me.

[Soup Not See]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Funny thing. All these FL haters that come to a FL forum. Its like buying headache pills to get a headache.

Hate is a strong word ... what makes you think all of these posters "hate" Florida ? Maybe their idea of reality is different than yours ... maybe they're at a different stage of life than you. Maybe they would rather live in or near a city than the boondocks. And maybe they see things where they live that you don't in your idyllic counrty setting

And on it goes ...

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by leftee

Hate is a strong word ... what makes you think all of these posters "hate" Florida ? Maybe their idea of reality is different than yours ... maybe they're at a different stage of life than you. Maybe they would rather live in or near a city than the boondocks. And maybe they see things where they live that you don't in your idyllic counrty setting

And on it goes ...

"hate" is the exact word most of them use. Maybe they just have no idea where to live and continually move from place to place trying to find it.

[Soup Not See]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

"hate" is the exact word most of them use. Maybe they just have no idea where to live and continually move from place to place trying to find it.

Possibly, but not everyone finds happiness in Florida and not just because of location. Consider yourself lucky that you are content where you are, but don't expect everyone to follow your lead and get away from the cities. You left Orlando awhile back for various reasons - you don't think a 25-year-old single would choose Spring Hill over South Tampa, downtown Orlando, or South Beach do you ?

[Sunnydee]

Here is what Florida is to me:

F - Fun, I can enjoy the outdoor activities I enjoy, without getting cold, on almost every day of the year

L - Lovely, it is really beautiful here, the water, trees, flowers, birds, dolphins, sunrises, etc. are amazing

O - Opportunity, coming here has given me the opportunity to live with less pain and more enjoyment

R - Reality, the good, bad, and ugly are all here to witness, experience, and contemplate

I - Interesting, the people, plants, animals, news, and perspective here are different and interesting

D - Daily blessings, I literally wake up everyday feeling blessed to be here and live another day in the warmth

A - Awareness, that things here are not perfect, the legislators are self-serving and don't seem to represent
their constituents, driving is crazy, there are scammers here looking for a quick buck or score, the
climate can be brutal to people who don't enjoy being warm, there aren't enough high paying
jobs, many Floridians are struggling, Florida is not for everyone, but for me it's an incredible gift

[Florida or Bust....]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Believe what you wish.

In the 25 years Ive lived here, I have yet to meet one of the people who went to disney world, went home, packed up their lives and moved to FL.

anyone who cant tell the difference between life at a resort vs. life in the real world needs a lot of help.

Anyone who can't tell the difference between living in a bubble vs. living in the real world needs a lot of help.

[FLTNLATX]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

The thing is it doesnt suck. The negative commentary here is ridiculous. 20 million and more coming.

Must be something right about it.

Well, I think it just depends on who you are and what your circumstances are.

In my situation, I'm not overly educated (although I do have one) and I'm not a "jack-of-all-trades" type of guy, so the opportunities for me to make a lot of money within the State of Florida are non existent. I'm not in the medical, legal, or technological field and I didn't come from the North East or West Coast, so the argument that the cost of living is fairly cheap isn't a feasible one for me. I was born and raised in Florida and I always found the cost of living to be extremely high when considered with the types of jobs and pay that was available to me.

Like it or not, a large majority of Floridians are just getting by with low wages and floating their bills month to month. I have a few relatives, mostly in Orlando, that want to leave but can't ever save enough money to finance a relocation because they're too busy paying all of their money on bills and I think that's a situation that many Floridians face.

Retirees and people relocating from the North East or the West Coast are far more likely to be moving to Florida with jobs and/or pensions, so moving from an expensive place with decent funds would make any place seem greater than where they're coming from.

Most people seem to complain about the weather, the crime, and the lack of non-outdoors related activities which, as a native, I don't really understand. Yeah, it's humid, but the heat really isn't that bad to me. I love the mid-summer afternoon thunderstorms and the outdoors lifestyle. I was able to do more things outdoors year-round in Florida than I can here in Texas because it's literally much too hot here to do the same things.

20 million people call Florida home because of the location, the beauty, and the weather, it's certainly not because of the economy or the cost of living. In my personal experience, I've lived a life of chasing money because that's what's important now more than anything. I'd love to be able to work a great job in the Tampa Bay Area and live in a house in St. Pete Beach, but I can't afford it and I have no desire whatsoever to live in Polk County to be able to afford to live.

At this point, I'm content to live on the beach in Galveston and commute to work in Houston, despite the fact that the beach isn't as nice, I make great money in a major metropolitan city, have good weather, and be on the coast.

Let the haters hate, it's what they do, but Florida is certainly no crown jewel.

[FLTNLATX]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Yep. and there is plenty of room for them. Why they gravitate to over crowded cities is beyond me.

Probably because a lot of them didn't move to Florida with a huge savings account and/or retirement/pension plan. Usually when people relocate someplace, they have to work. You have a much better chance of finding a job in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, or Jacksonville than you do in Niceville, Ocala, Napes, Sebring, or Howey in the Hills, lol.

[Spring Hillian]

Has living in Texas solved your problem because you were able to find work there that is not available here?

I think a large percentage of AMERICANS every where are just getting by.

No place is a "crown jewel". What is necessary is to be where you're comfortable or can make yourself comfortable.

28 years ago I spoke with a friend who had lived in FL. I told him our plan was to move to FL within the next couple of years. He told me not to do it. There are no jobs and the COL is high. Study of the situation proved him wrong.

You are right though. It depends on who you are. Your personality, desires, goals.

Originally Posted by FLTNLATX

Well, I think it just depends on who you are and what your circumstances are.

In my situation, I'm not overly educated (although I do have one) and I'm not a "jack-of-all-trades" type of guy, so the opportunities for me to make a lot of money within the State of Florida are non existent. I'm not in the medical, legal, or technological field and I didn't come from the North East or West Coast, so the argument that the cost of living is fairly cheap isn't a feasible one for me. I was born and raised in Florida and I always found the cost of living to be extremely high when considered with the types of jobs and pay that was available to me.

Like it or not, a large majority of Floridians are just getting by with low wages and floating their bills month to month. I have a few relatives, mostly in Orlando, that want to leave but can't ever save enough money to finance a relocation because they're too busy paying all of their money on bills and I think that's a situation that many Floridians face.

Retirees and people relocating from the North East or the West Coast are far more likely to be moving to Florida with jobs and/or pensions, so moving from an expensive place with decent funds would make any place seem greater than where they're coming from.

Most people seem to complain about the weather, the crime, and the lack of non-outdoors related activities which, as a native, I don't really understand. Yeah, it's humid, but the heat really isn't that bad to me. I love the mid-summer afternoon thunderstorms and the outdoors lifestyle. I was able to do more things outdoors year-round in Florida than I can here in Texas because it's literally much too hot here to do the same things.

20 million people call Florida home because of the location, the beauty, and the weather, it's certainly not because of the economy or the cost of living. In my personal experience, I've lived a life of chasing money because that's what's important now more than anything. I'd love to be able to work a great job in the Tampa Bay Area and live in a house in St. Pete Beach, but I can't afford it and I have no desire whatsoever to live in Polk County to be able to afford to live.

At this point, I'm content to live on the beach in Galveston and commute to work in Houston, despite the fact that the beach isn't as nice, I make great money in a major metropolitan city, have good weather, and be on the coast.

Let the haters hate, it's what they do, but Florida is certainly no crown jewel.