Central Florida or North Florida (Jacksonville, Miami: rent, car insurance, home)

[flgirl45]

I am looking at north Florida & central Florida as a place to relocate. We now live in south Florida and its seems like the northern parts of Florida is doing much better than southern part of the state. i would like to here from people who live in north and central Florida. would like to know about the best neighborhoods and good school district. i am a tradesman and from what i can see the north and central parts of the state is doing OK not to mention that its much cheaper that south Florida to live. all comment are welcome.

[kyle19125]

The panhandle of the state especially seems to be doing better in terms of jobs. The Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin area has an unemployment rate sitting at 5.7%, which is 2.5% below the rest of the state. The school system in the area (Okaloosa County) is one of the Top 10 school districts in the state, with Fort Walton Beach and Niceville as the best sub-districts. The cost of living would definitely be less than you're accustomed to.

[Crane's Rooster]

Grew up in Central Florida, went to school in North Florida (Gainesville, ok North Central Florida), and have lived in South Florida. Speaking from my own experiences here's my take. North Florida is significantly smaller and slower paced than the SFL and CFL. It is also significantly cheaper. Things move alot slower and it certainly has much more of southern feel to it. Generally a very conservative area unless you're in the college areas. Beautiful weather and natural scenery.

CFL is very similar in some ways to SFL but still has some very distinct differences. Alot of the same problems found in SFL are found here, traffic, crime, competitive job environment, high cost of housing etc. Although it is cheaper to live in CFL it is not nearly as significant as the difference as NFL. However, jobs may be more likely since this is a major metro area. It's a moderate area, fairly diverse and continually growing. Schools here really depend on the districts. Some public schools are just as good as any private you could send your kids to, Seminole county overall has a strong reputation for their schools, the best being Lake Brantley, Lake Mary, Oviedo and Haggerty. Orange county has some really good and some not so good schools, the best being Winter Park, Dr. Phillips, Boone and Lake Nona.

I would say minimum rent for a 3/2 single family home in a good school district would be a minimum of $1200/month. The good schools are really scattered throughout the area but it's best to find your job location than look for a good school around it as traffic and commute are always major factors in quality of living here. Overall the lifestyle here in CFL is not too different from SFL except it's not as crowded, a little slower paced and just smaller overall. That's not to say there aren't noticeable difference, you will have to go through an adjustment period but you certainly won't go into culture shock. Although I must say the weather is a little cooler and nicer here. I just got back from SFL and it was a little hot for my liking. I would say overall, moving from SFL to CFL is an easy transition.

[WellShoneMoon]

I can definitely recommend Tallahassee (even though I'm planning to leave here in the next year to move to central Florida, but that's for family reasons). This is a great place to raise a family, and there's lots to do, with FSU, FAMU, and TCC here. If you like the outdoors, we have wonderful advantages in hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, caving, kayaking ... on and on. If you like beaches, we have beautiful beaches a reasonable drive away.

This is the south, but with a more modern feel, since we are the state capital and have two major universities and a major community college here. I lived in Miami for 25 years before moving up here, and I can tell you this is a much better place to live. People are friendly, the cost of living is MUCH lower (my car insurance bill was cut in half when we moved here), and if you want to visit Orlando, or Atlanta, or Jacksonville, they are reasonable to get to. Even New Orleans. Some of the schools are terrific (some not so much but you have to do your research).

All you have to do is get yourself a job, and then come on up!

[rdcalk]

Gainesville is an excellent area. The neighborhoods range from student to exclusive communities. Always something going on, many work for the University. Museums, sports, theatre, exceptional range of excellent musical venues! Easy day trip to both coasts, Short trips to Orlando, Jacksonville. Seasons more pronounced but mild. Schools can be dicey, just do your homework and choose wisely. Excellent medical access!