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Oh let's see here... the beautiful season of spring, first with showy yellow daffys and forsythia, followed by the wondrous purple lilacs and rhodies, iris and hostas, soft green grass that you can walk barefoot on instead of the razor blade crabgrass that grows sideways. Real neighborhoods, not gated enclaves that are usually flanked with shantys on the other wide of the wall, fresh lobster rolls, cod, and giant scallops from Georges Bank, wearing jeans and a hoodie instead of the pinky-greeny Lily Pulitzer look, restaurants that cater to people's needs, as in grassfed beef and free range chickens, craft beer on draft, not wondering who's packing a concealed weapon, real newspapers that report real news instead of the local Florida papers that are obsessed with city workers' salaries, and no native Floridians who spout jesus at you while they're cutting your hair... Just off the top of my head.
You know, I really wonder why people become obsessed with posting negatively about an entire state, when it appears you have no clue about the wonderful things about Florida.
While the flowers you seem to like are fine, you are ignoring the year-round glorious neon bougainvillaea in South Florida, fabulous alamanda, the fiery poinciana trees, the delicate bleeding heart, lovely purple orchid tree, fragrant and beautiful frangiapani, silver trumpet tree with it's bright yellow clusters of blooms, jasmine, bottlebrush, lignum vitae, gumbo limbo tree, orchids of every type, gardenias in all colors and shapes, heliconia, blooming ginger, angels trumpet, crotons, firebrush, magnificient mahogany trees, silver buttonwood, magnificent palms. What's not to like? If you are allergic to neon colors and brilliant skies, then Florida isn't the place to you.
As for food, I'm curious as to where the heck you lived in Florida? Were you up in the 'South Georgia, South Alabama' part of the state? It's very easy to find the freshest fish (grouper, snapper, dolphin) most anywhere, and there's nothing better than fresh Florida lobster and stone crab claws. N W Florida has some of the best scallops around. Appalachia oysters are plentiful. Key West Pink shrimp are as good as it gets. Organics (meats and produce) are plentiful and all you have to do is go to the local Publix to find them. There are an abundance of fine dining establishments all over the state that cater to those who are willing to pay for quality food. Now if you're one of the 'all you can eat buffet' people, you'll get what you pay for in any state.
As for style of dress, in most places on this planet, people dress to suit the climate. It's hardly appropriate to wear hoodies in the heat. And besides, it's really not a very classy way to dress. The inability of humans to dress appropriately and with good taste is becoming a thing of the past. Perhaps up north, it's even worse than it is here.
While I'm not a beer drinker and find it disgusting, there is plenty of craft breweries around for those that like that stuff. I believe most states have the same weapons laws. I don't support the ability for every hillbilly in the country to carry guns, but it seems I'm not the majority there.
Newspapers serve two purposes other than inform. (1) Inform on world news and (2) inform on local news. The biggest problem in this country is right now, budgetary issues. Overpaid city, county, state and federal employees continue to demand raises while the taxpayers who pay their salaries are taking cuts. Without constant attention in the press, this would become even more out of control. If you have a problem with this, then you must be a municipal worker who thinks you deserve a raise for just breathing long enough and staying on the job long enough.
And finally, as to the religion issue, there are religious jeebus freaks in every single state. Just look at that disgusting TeaParty group and the base of the Republican party! Talk about lack of balance in their lives..... And those in the N part of the state are every bit as bad as the freaks in Ohio, in Alabama, in Kansas and in other states.
All in all, it appears you should never leave your home town. That 'big fish, little pond' way of thinking seems to fit you very well and you'll never be challenged to see the rest of the world with new eyes if you think the way you do.
So many people on this forum say "I can't wait to go back to NY/NJ/PA/MI/NH/OH to enjoy all the great things they have to offer". What exactly do these places or any others offer that Florida does not? It confuses me. Many people act like these places are safer or cleaner or less of a hell than Florida, some are, but most cities in the NE are hellholes compared to Florida's cities. A girl I knew once told me that NJ's cities are "less ghetto" than Florida's. I almost died laughing! Makes me wonder what rose colored glasses these people are looking through. Your opinions please!
People come down here with unrealistic expectations and/or no financial stability. They do little to no research and, when they fail, they blame it on the entire state and go back to wherever they came from.
That's exactly what happens. They clearly didn't do their homework, and then are trying to blame others for their own poor decisions. Guess it's just the American way, huh?
Of course I'm going to defend the truth. I'm sorry you feel that away about Florida. I wish more Floridians had the hometown pride that Texans do. I also have lived in other states as well. I'm guessing by S.A, you mean San Antonio, and if that's where you would rather raise a family, boy, I feel bad. I never met as many kids on drugs as I did in San Antonio! There were at least 5-10 guys who sold drugs in my graduating class, not to mention the kids above and below me. And I went to school in the suburb of Spring Branch, a place most would consider a nice little town. Now Texas, that's a place I would never raise a family, ever, unless of course I wanted my kids to try marijuana, cocaine, magic mushrooms, xanax & painkillers all before 17. Not to mention the drinking
I agree with you.
I was born in Miami in 1954, then spent some years growing up elsewhere. I couldn't WAIT to get out of that small redneck town where I grew up! And I lived in many cities - Birmingham, Atlanta, San Diego for instance. I liked them all just fine and didn't spend my time there whining about things they didn't offer. After all, I always had the option of leaving.
Instead, I chose to enjoy the things that were different about each area.
I've been back in South Florida now for 18 years and just love it. And while I don't even LIKE children, if I were to have kids, I'd have no qualms about raising them here. They get their values from the parents, not from the neighborhood.
Florida doesn't lack anything. Some people relocate to FL and do not realize a whole lot of things.
1. Its hot in the summer.
2. Their families aren't here.
3. Salaries are generally lower than where they came from.
4. They get homesick.
5. Just like everywhere, you have to work to make a living.
6. Expectations is another major problem. They expect that their lives will suddenly turn around and everything will be great in their lives because they moved to Florida.
There are other reasons, mostly personal in nature.
Expectations is another major problem. They expect that their lives will suddenly turn around and everything will be great in their lives because they moved to Florida.
Once they experience 1-5 and their expectations aren't met, they complain and become very vicious.
I often imagine what these complainers were saying about the place they were leaving before they left. Surely things weren't up to their expectations where ever they were, so they relocated looking for something different. When they realize that the relocation did not solve their problems, well, they blame the entire state of Florida for their difficulties.
I've heard every conceivable complaint on this board. Mainly it's too hot, too humid, they miss snow, they miss cold temperatures, drivers are bad, child molesters live here, crime, high cost of living, high car insurance, high home owners insurance, high rents, nothing to do, the local people are toothless morons, salaries are too low, it rains too much in the summer, it doesn't snow, people come to FL to get away from criminal prosecution,
You name it, someone will complain about some or all of it.
And what we see here is really alarming. These same people move here supposedly because they 'love it', but then they get pissed off that it's not like where they came from and start their own personal campaigns to 'change it'. Unbelievable.
We see it all the time. People come down on vacation. They move here and then realize that in the REAL WORLD you have to work, pay rent or house payment, and be responsible. Then they're bitter that their life-long vacation plans fell through.
As for 'nothing to do'? Huh? You make your own life and your own entertainment. If these whiners expect someone else to entertain them and 'give them' something to do, then they're not going to be happy anywhere.
The summer here.... That's the main reason i am leaving, I am done with it.... For the people who told me 18 years ago I would "get used to it", I say, bullcrap!!!!
Don't let the screen door hit you in the butt. If you had actually gone outdoors away from your precious air conditioning, you'd have acclimated.
Enjoy that winter weather. We don't want to hear you complaining about it from now on.
While I don't think Florida is the greatest place on Earth... this post has an uppity "Northeastern" vibe that is probably going to annoy a lot of people. Just a hunch.
The lamenting about lack of seafood and organic yuppie foods is a dead giveaway.
Floridians, please don't lump all "Northerners" into the same category. Those of us from the Midwest don't want to be associated with stuff like this. We might miss home, but we aren't going to be snobby about it.
Well, I'm from South Florida and my entire eating plan is built around fresh organic food and fresh seafood, no red meats, no prepackaged food, no garbage from factory farming, and nothing that is GMO. It's not a 'Northeastern' thing. It's a HEALTHY thing.
My husband is from Kansas and he really doesn't seem to want to be associated with that Kansas 'toxic meat and toxic wheat' stuff either.
This whole regionalism thing is a crock. Live where you're comfortable, don't live there if you're uncomfortable, and don't complain because you have CHOICE in your day-to-day lives. Don't make judgements such as the one above about 'dead giveaway'. I don't know about the OP, but clearly you're as bad as they are if you choose to label people that you know nothing about.
Yeah, well... maybe you should be a PI since you're so intuitive about reading between the lines. The point is you can get anything you want, 'uppity' or not, in the Northeast. In Florida it's Budweiser and glazed fish, humidity, and Publixes on every corner. I almost cried when I got back to MA and walked into a real produce department.
I'm still at a loss as to where you lived. Even in the 'redneck riviera' you can easily find all the things you claim are not available. Did you even try? Obviously you never went to an organic farmers market? They're everywhere. Obviously you never went into any of the thousands of great wine stores. Clearly you have no clue as to where to buy fresh seafood.
You can get anything you want ANYWHERE if you're willing to do the work to do so. It has nothing to do with the 'northeast'. Now, if you choose to live in some inland hole, then of course, you can still get what you want - you just have to pay a bit more to have it shipped to you.
i love how that poster blankets the entire state with his/her experience.
Not only do we have publix where i live, but the seasonal green market and several independent produce markets.
The majority of the city here also does not live in gated developments, but rather tree lined, ungated sidewalked streets are quite common.
And as if hoodies and jeans are preferable over lily pulitzer. If you want to be a slobby snob, go for it, but don't pretend that there's much of a difference between the seasonal set on cape cod as there is in palm beach.
Not everyone "gets used to" Florida weather, even those who WORK outside. I can say from experience that even born and raised Floridian children, and also, born and raised Mexican and Haitian kids, don't either. "Can we stay inside for recess?". "Can I just sit under a tree?" "I need WATER!" Again, I am quoting Floridian, Mexican, and Haitian CHILDREN when they had to go outside for recess in the Noon day 100 degree heat index sun in August.
When it's cold out, you can wear more clothes and physical activity warms you up. How many clothes can you take off? Physical activity when it is very, very hot will only give you heat stroke.
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