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Sorry, no my life is great. But I try and not make other people feel badly about it especially younger people trying to make a start. I retired at 55 and won't have to work if I'm so inclined. I chose to rent 2600 sq. ft. new 3 BR SFH, in a 24 hr guarded gated community with a 16,000 sq ft clubhouse with a movie theater etc for those who are of that persuasion. I don't pay the HOA or taxes or cable or internet or water or do any landscaping and only pay 1200.00 per month with an electric bill of 90.00. 5 miles or so from the beautiful beaches of Vero. Even 1200.00 might be a bit high now, but I took it in February. They're about 1000 - 1100 now.
I would never purchase a depreciating asset now, especially one that I am unlikely to sell in a timely way if I wanted to. Things couldn't be better for me. And the best part is I can pick up and move if a hurricane levels this house or town tomorrow without a care in the world (God forbid). No assessment, no repairs.
Even though I don't have to work I've continued to pick up some lose ends from before and sitting here executing jobs on the PC for pay for the next couple of weeks. Entertaining to read the threads in between runs. Thanks!
I love South Florida, the women here are gorgeous, the weather is always nice for a 8 o'clock stroll along the beach and I've never had my pickings at so many preforclosures since moving down here.
Can't complain about the hispanics since, I'm not around many up here in Palm Beach County.
Can't complain about the rude people since, I'm most likely one of those northerner transplants who everyone is blaming for the rudeness.
Can't complain about the diversity since, I don't really give a crap one way or the other...
Can't complain about the crime since, no crime where I live, and that's a long way from my humble beginnings in Jamaica Queens, NY.
Can't complain about bad schools since I don't have any kids...
Can't complain about no jobs since... Well, to be honest I do most of my business in Jersey, Chicago, DC, New York, and Philadelphia...
Can't complain about it being too crowed since I lived in buildings in downtown Chicago & New York where you can hear your neighbor answering the phone through the walls.
Can't complain about there being nothing to do since, I'm too busy working to notice what there is to do other than go out to eat.
Can't complain about there being terrible weather considering the last place I lived in has an average winter tempature of 24 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can't complain about terrible traffic since, well I avoid rush hour and everything is fine! (Plus the Florida Turnpike is a godsend...)
So... I guess that leaves me actually liking South Florida?
Yes, yes it does.
Spending the weekend in the big city is nice, and so is going to Aspen for five days to enjoy the ski slopes is probably amazing (never done it), but I do know that coming back home to the beaches and manicured gated communities does feel good.
REAL GOOD, GOD (or insert your deity/superficial manifestation of grandeur) BLESS SOUTH FLORIDA
Yep, once again another example of someone who isn't the norm
My Story
I relocated to South Florida from Arlignton,VA in 2001 (I'm a native of Puerto Rico) so I'm used to extremely hot and humid weather. I also lived in New Orleans, Louisiana so the swampyness wasn't really bothering me until recently.
However, be warned...
Money-money-money-money.... Money!
YOU need to have A LOT of it to be able to enjoy this town. Salaries here do not match the lifestyle. One reason could be all the wealthy transplants who drove our prices up (thanks New York, Philly and South America moguls), another reason could be the overall BAD work ethic. Service and professionalism leave a lot to be desired. It's just so, so BAD!
Location, Location.... Location?
Read my lips: You need a car for e-very-thing. The beach is far from Coconut Grove which is far from Downtown which is far from Key Biscayne... etc. etc. There is not a reliable mass transit system and driving down here is an extreme sport.
Fort Lauderdale... sigh.
Although more centralized, this large city to the north of Miami not a well laid-out metropolis. It's kind of a blah town. But if you're the type of person who wants a less "cosmopolitan" city (code for: wanting to get away from all Latins), you might like FLL.
Housing
Unless you have huge wads of cash itching in your pocket, get ready to move into your new mediterranean-style cookie-cutter box inside a gated community or to a high-rise minimalist loft. Both options are equally lacking in character.
Kids
People do nothing but complain about the schools here (I myself don't have kids yet). I see that kids here can do outdoor stuff when the heat is not brutal, yet those are limited to theme-parks and water sports. I don't see a lot of parks... or trees for that matter.
To be honest, I am not looking forward to the prospect of having/raising kids here. The beach is fun and all but I think I would have enjoyed more diverse and seasonal activities while growing up. Sniff. Sniff. Yes, feel sorry for me.
For DINKs Only
DINK (Dual-income-no-kids) types like myself, who have access to the best of the Miami/South Beach scene find it enjoyable... that is, until we get bored to death of it.
Be warned: if you don't have the looks (and I mean Brazilian super-model looks), you'd better have the trust-fund otherwise you're not getting ANY here.... South Florida a total meat market. The models, the celebrities, the artists, the posers... Exactly.
BEWARE!
Holiday/Christmas time here is DEPRESSING. No traditions, tacky ornaments, just awful, God-awful.... Everyone here is a transplant so nobody is on the same page. It's so tragic.
Free your mind
You need to be extremely open-minded as your life will be filled with Euro-Latin transplants (both wealthy and poor, educated and not so much), gangsters, Caribbean refugees, rowdy Northeasterners, ex-con men, future con-men, sugar daddies, sugar mammas, cougars, celebrity wannabes, artsy types, Nascar types and everything in between.
South Florida is fun. If you're looking for wholesome ... keep looking.
Wrap it up to go...
In sumation, South Florida can sometimes feel like that super hot girlfriend the laws of the universe never intended you to have: flashy, tacky, needy, obnoxious, designer-wearing, Lexus-driving, superficial, materialistic, non-English speaking and....overpriced. Sure, she's not always so nice to you but she's just so hot you can't bring yourself to break up with her. I mean, baby needs a green card!
My Story
I relocated to South Florida from Arlignton,VA in 2001 (I'm a native of Puerto Rico) so I'm used to extremely hot and humid weather. I also lived in New Orleans, Louisiana so the swampyness wasn't really bothering me until recently.
However, be warned...
Money-money-money-money.... Money!
YOU need to have A LOT of it to be able to enjoy this town. Salaries here do not match the lifestyle. One reason could be all the wealthy transplants who drove our prices up (thanks New York, Philly and South America moguls), another reason could be the overall BAD work ethic. Service and professionalism leave a lot to be desired. It's just so, so BAD!
Location, Location.... Location?
Read my lips: You need a car for e-very-thing. The beach is far from Coconut Grove which is far from Downtown which is far from Key Biscayne... etc. etc. There is not a reliable mass transit system and driving down here is an extreme sport.
Fort Lauderdale... sigh.
Although more centralized, this large city to the north of Miami not a well laid-out metropolis. It's kind of a blah town. But if you're the type of person who wants a less "cosmopolitan" city (code for: wanting to get away from all Latins), you might like FLL.
Housing
Unless you have huge wads of cash itching in your pocket, get ready to move into your new mediterranean-style cookie-cutter box inside a gated community or to a high-rise minimalist loft. Both options are equally lacking in character.
Kids
People do nothing but complain about the schools here (I myself don't have kids yet). I see that kids here can do outdoor stuff when the heat is not brutal, yet those are limited to theme-parks and water sports. I don't see a lot of parks... or trees for that matter.
To be honest, I am not looking forward to the prospect of having/raising kids here. The beach is fun and all but I think I would have enjoyed more diverse and seasonal activities while growing up. Sniff. Sniff. Yes, feel sorry for me.
For DINKs Only
DINK (Dual-income-no-kids) types like myself, who have access to the best of the Miami/South Beach scene find it enjoyable... that is, until we get bored to death of it.
Be warned: if you don't have the looks (and I mean Brazilian super-model looks), you'd better have the trust-fund otherwise you're not getting ANY here.... South Florida a total meat market. The models, the celebrities, the artists, the posers... Exactly.
BEWARE!
Holiday/Christmas time here is DEPRESSING. No traditions, tacky ornaments, just awful, God-awful.... Everyone here is a transplant so nobody is on the same page. It's so tragic.
Free your mind
You need to be extremely open-minded as your life will be filled with Euro-Latin transplants (both wealthy and poor, educated and not so much), gangsters, Caribbean refugees, rowdy Northeasterners, ex-con men, future con-men, sugar daddies, sugar mammas, cougars, celebrity wannabes, artsy types, Nascar types and everything in between.
South Florida is fun. If you're looking for wholesome ... keep looking.
Wrap it up to go...
In sumation, South Florida can sometimes feel like that super hot girlfriend the laws of the universe never intended you to have: flashy, tacky, needy, obnoxious, designer-wearing, Lexus-driving, superficial, materialistic, non-English speaking and....overpriced. Sure, she's not always so nice to you but she's just so hot you can't bring yourself to break up with her. I mean, baby needs a green card!
My Story
I relocated to South Florida from Arlignton,VA in 2001 (I'm a native of Puerto Rico) so I'm used to extremely hot and humid weather. I also lived in New Orleans, Louisiana so the swampyness wasn't really bothering me until recently.
However, be warned...
Money-money-money-money.... Money!
YOU need to have A LOT of it to be able to enjoy this town. Salaries here do not match the lifestyle. One reason could be all the wealthy transplants who drove our prices up (thanks New York, Philly and South America moguls), another reason could be the overall BAD work ethic. Service and professionalism leave a lot to be desired. It's just so, so BAD!
Location, Location.... Location?
Read my lips: You need a car for e-very-thing. The beach is far from Coconut Grove which is far from Downtown which is far from Key Biscayne... etc. etc. There is not a reliable mass transit system and driving down here is an extreme sport.
Fort Lauderdale... sigh.
Although more centralized, this large city to the north of Miami not a well laid-out metropolis. It's kind of a blah town. But if you're the type of person who wants a less "cosmopolitan" city (code for: wanting to get away from all Latins), you might like FLL.
Housing
Unless you have huge wads of cash itching in your pocket, get ready to move into your new mediterranean-style cookie-cutter box inside a gated community or to a high-rise minimalist loft. Both options are equally lacking in character.
Kids
People do nothing but complain about the schools here (I myself don't have kids yet). I see that kids here can do outdoor stuff when the heat is not brutal, yet those are limited to theme-parks and water sports. I don't see a lot of parks... or trees for that matter.
To be honest, I am not looking forward to the prospect of having/raising kids here. The beach is fun and all but I think I would have enjoyed more diverse and seasonal activities while growing up. Sniff. Sniff. Yes, feel sorry for me.
For DINKs Only
DINK (Dual-income-no-kids) types like myself, who have access to the best of the Miami/South Beach scene find it enjoyable... that is, until we get bored to death of it.
Be warned: if you don't have the looks (and I mean Brazilian super-model looks), you'd better have the trust-fund otherwise you're not getting ANY here.... South Florida a total meat market. The models, the celebrities, the artists, the posers... Exactly.
BEWARE!
Holiday/Christmas time here is DEPRESSING. No traditions, tacky ornaments, just awful, God-awful.... Everyone here is a transplant so nobody is on the same page. It's so tragic.
Free your mind
You need to be extremely open-minded as your life will be filled with Euro-Latin transplants (both wealthy and poor, educated and not so much), gangsters, Caribbean refugees, rowdy Northeasterners, ex-con men, future con-men, sugar daddies, sugar mammas, cougars, celebrity wannabes, artsy types, Nascar types and everything in between.
South Florida is fun. If you're looking for wholesome ... keep looking.
Wrap it up to go...
In sumation, South Florida can sometimes feel like that super hot girlfriend the laws of the universe never intended you to have: flashy, tacky, needy, obnoxious, designer-wearing, Lexus-driving, superficial, materialistic, non-English speaking and....overpriced. Sure, she's not always so nice to you but she's just so hot you can't bring yourself to break up with her. I mean, baby needs a green card!
This thread was on the Ft Lauderdale forum not Miami but ok,
Well if you moved here in 2001 you apparently did not understand the nature of Florida and still don't. I don't understand the rant about the tragic INHERENT differences that have always existed here and always will And "trees" cannot the same in a sub-tropical climate. It doesn't work that way lol. Oh, and the "not well laid out" metropolis, there are a coupla canals in the way did you notice? LOL
Miami is 35 sq miles, FLL is 32.
Did you know that Florida is more than beach and glamor? There are cattle ranches that are thousands of acres running for miles and miles. And those people are trying their best to do something about the state of things, such as have Echo Tourism on the ranch since it's all that gets people down here. Lets not even talk about what happens to animals outside during hurricanes....
Florida is a resort state. An official TOURIST destination and intentionally so. A SUB-TROPICAL climate in SF. For decades at least 50 years, always paid lower,especially in relation to the costs, always had lower performing schools and always attracted retirees, transients and yes, some people who could afford to spend their HARD EARNED DOLLARS on the Florida economy. The retirees die, people get too hot, people move back home to be with family, people replace them. There is a high rate of attrition here in one aspect.
Resort areas are EXPENSIVE and underpay compared to wages all over the world. Housing is EXPENSIVE compared to wages in resort locations all over the world. You cannot live in Mykonos Greece if you expect the island to give you housing and a job. You cannot live in Zürich SW and they won't even allow you to move there. This is a basic economic principle there is never a shortage of workers. Fortunately for Florida it's large enough that residents were able to create communities that ignore the tourism aspects. And the dichotomy is that [Florida IS large] families that are born into FL therefore "forced" to live ...in a resort state at resort wages because the state hasn't yet brought in enough mainstream business.
How would you expect FLL to be something other than it is? Do you even know that it was spring break central for 70 years and not until 1989 did it attempt to reinvent itself? No, sorry, because you were not familiar with the history. Miami, what did it "used to be"? Do you know? Miami has always enjoyed population growth from the early 1900's throughout WWII very 'stable" and continued growth after, drug traffic throughout the 80's and always included some people with money. I don't get how you would expect it to be something other than what it is. People used to complain "too many Jews down there" ....An area of change, elegance, extravagance, Frank Sinatra (lol) whoever said wholesome? Uhhh...hello, T.V show Miami Vice?
There are "DINKS" then there are "dinks". But if you want to run with the South Beach crowd then ....ha whatever. But doing it on a "dink" income is ill-advised. Not all "dinks" can run with Paris Hilton.
Was Puerto Rico better ( or how about now lol) ? How about New Orleans? Or Arlington. I'm quite familiar with all three and specifically Arlington, are you saying that it's not expensive and you don't need a car, and it's not challenging to drive the DC metro area etc etc. HA the median income and median home price there is double any city in Florida including Miami and half the population of Miami not even comparable. Definitely not for "dinks". But "DINKS"
Free your mind
You need to be extremely open-minded as your life will be filled with Euro-Latin transplants (both wealthy and poor, educated and not so much), gangsters, Caribbean refugees, rowdy Northeasterners, ex-con men, future con-men, sugar daddies, sugar mammas, cougars, celebrity wannabes, artsy types, Nascar types and everything in between.
South Florida is fun. If you're looking for wholesome ... keep looking.
Wrap it up to go...
In sumation, South Florida can sometimes feel like that super hot girlfriend the laws of the universe never intended you to have: flashy, tacky, needy, obnoxious, designer-wearing, Lexus-driving, superficial, materialistic, non-English speaking and....overpriced. Sure, she's not always so nice to you but she's just so hot you can't bring yourself to break up with her. I mean, baby needs a green card!
Sounds like the perfect ingredients for a novel -- which is probably why Tom Wolfe is following up Bonfire of the Vanities (New York) and A Man in Full (Atlanta) with one about South Florida (although from what I hear, the focus will be almost exclusively on Miami).
Yes Miami is more than beaches and nightlife...yes, Fort Lauderdale has canals and waterways. I think it was pretty obvious that I was referring to the city man-made design, zoning, neighborhoods, etc. Nobody can argue that both Miami and Fort Lauderdale are cities in progress, in their infrastructure, education, culture, etc.
I never claimed to be a South Florida historian and I'm not too sure how a history lesson would be that useful to someone looking for an opinion on every day life here. So pardon my "rant", just gave my opinion about Florida as it is today. Sorry, what was I thinking?
If you want my impressions about living in Puerto Rico, Louisiana or Virginia, that is another thread. All of those places have their pros and cons.
Oh, thanks for the spell-check. By the way, I'm sure you meant ECO-Tourism. Not ECHO Tourism. And the word is "Glamour" not "Glamor". Lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by runswithscissors
This thread was on the Ft Lauderdale forum not Miami but ok,
Well if you moved here in 2001 you apparently did not understand the nature of Florida and still don't. I don't understand the rant about the tragic INHERENT differences that have always existed here and always will And "trees" cannot the same in a sub-tropical climate. It doesn't work that way lol. Oh, and the "not well laid out" metropolis, there are a coupla canals in the way did you notice? LOL
Miami is 35 sq miles, FLL is 32.
Did you know that Florida is more than beach and glamor? There are cattle ranches that are thousands of acres running for miles and miles. And those people are trying their best to do something about the state of things, such as have Echo Tourism on the ranch since it's all that gets people down here. Lets not even talk about what happens to animals outside during hurricanes....
Florida is a resort state. An official TOURIST destination and intentionally so. A SUB-TROPICAL climate in SF. For decades at least 50 years, always paid lower,especially in relation to the costs, always had lower performing schools and always attracted retirees, transients and yes, some people who could afford to spend their HARD EARNED DOLLARS on the Florida economy. The retirees die, people get too hot, people move back home to be with family, people replace them. There is a high rate of attrition here in one aspect.
Resort areas are EXPENSIVE and underpay compared to wages all over the world. Housing is EXPENSIVE compared to wages in resort locations all over the world. You cannot live in Mykonos Greece if you expect the island to give you housing and a job. You cannot live in Zürich SW and they won't even allow you to move there. This is a basic economic principle there is never a shortage of workers. Fortunately for Florida it's large enough that residents were able to create communities that ignore the tourism aspects. And the dichotomy is that [Florida IS large] families that are born into FL therefore "forced" to live ...in a resort state at resort wages because the state hasn't yet brought in enough mainstream business.
How would you expect FLL to be something other than it is? Do you even know that it was spring break central for 70 years and not until 1989 did it attempt to reinvent itself? No, sorry, because you were not familiar with the history. Miami, what did it "used to be"? Do you know? Miami has always enjoyed population growth from the early 1900's throughout WWII very 'stable" and continued growth after, drug traffic throughout the 80's and always included some people with money. I don't get how you would expect it to be something other than what it is. People used to complain "too many Jews down there" ....An area of change, elegance, extravagance, Frank Sinatra (lol) whoever said wholesome? Uhhh...hello, T.V show Miami Vice?
There are "DINKS" then there are "dinks". But if you want to run with the South Beach crowd then ....ha whatever. But doing it on a "dink" income is ill-advised. Not all "dinks" can run with Paris Hilton.
Was Puerto Rico better ( or how about now lol) ? How about New Orleans? Or Arlington. I'm quite familiar with all three and specifically Arlington, are you saying that it's not expensive and you don't need a car, and it's not challenging to drive the DC metro area etc etc. HA the median income and median home price there is double any city in Florida including Miami and half the population of Miami not even comparable. Definitely not for "dinks". But "DINKS"
And don't get me started on the hot Polo players and retired dictators...
Quote:
Originally Posted by chisoxfan
Sounds like the perfect ingredients for a novel -- which is probably why Tom Wolfe is following up Bonfire of the Vanities (New York) and A Man in Full (Atlanta) with one about South Florida (although from what I hear, the focus will be almost exclusively on Miami).
...extremely hot and humid weather. ...swampyness ... be warned...
...BAD ... so BAD!
... The beach is far ...There is not a reliable ....
...not a well laid-out metropolis. It's kind of a blah town. ....cookie-cutter box ....lacking in character.
I don't see a lot of parks... or trees for that matter.
....I am not looking forward to the prospect of having/raising kids here. .... Sniff. Sniff. Yes, feel sorry for me.
.... we get bored to death of it.
Be warned:
BEWARE!
Holiday/Christmas time here is DEPRESSING ... tacky ornaments, just awful, God-awful.... [b] It's so tragic.[/]
I thought this was about why you hated South Florida, not about its history. Replies here are based on opinions and experiences, nothig more, nothing less. This thread is still going in the right direction though.
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South Florida my sweet torment...
