Moving to Florida

OohSparkly13 · May 2014

DH and I have decided that we are moving to Florida in about 2 years with the rest of my family but because neither of us has ever lived there, researching the best areas is kind of overwhelming. I was hoping to maybe get some input from anyone who has lived there or currently does or maybe just knows a lot about the state?

Ideally, we would like to move to a nice area with good schools. Preferably walking/biking friendly. Lots of parks and things to do. We would prefer to not live in a large city (Miami, Orlando, Tampa, etc.) but maybe live just outside one. I know that is asking a lot though.

Any suggestions or just info in general is gladly accepted! Thanks!

OceanHutt · May 2014

My parents own a retirement home in Siesta Key outside of Sarasota...It has it all...gulf coast, urban side and semi urban side. we went to see my parents in Feburary and its a beautiful place to be

Good Luck!

OceanHutt · May 2014

Also: don't be worried about the "retirement" portion of my post....Sarastota is nice and up and coming and a beautiful place I have friends who live there too.

lfk2013 · May 2014

I agree with @OceanHutt‌. The west coast of Florida is much better than the east. However, regardless of where you go, you have to deal with a few things. (I lived in West Palm Beach after I graduated from college in Melbourne.)

1.) Do A LOT of school research. Florida's school system is one of the worst in the country. If you are hanging your hat on the school system, you'll end up in a very expensive area, most likely a suburb of a large city.
2.) Bugs. If you are even the least but squeamish about bugs, you may be very uncomfortable. Love bug season sucks. Fire ants suck.
3.) There are parks everywhere, so I don't think that'll be an issue. However, the biking/walking friendly might be if it's an older area. A lot of the newer developments were cognizant of that.
4.) I would highly recommend getting a hurricane kit together, complete with battery-powered fans. You may never need it, but when you do, it'll be a lifesaver.
5.) On the heels of #4, look somewhere that will not be evacuated. It sucks. For the east coast, it was west of US 1 (or in some cases, west of I-95). I'm not sure what it is for the west coast.

If you want more info/insight, let me know. My BFF lives in Clearwater and I have several friends on the east coast (Sebastian, Stuart, and Melbourne).

islandmonkey8 · May 2014

I have a ton of family that lives in the Palm Beach area. More specifically, I have a cousin who lives in Wellington and she says her kids thrive in their school system there.

PS. I'm jealous. I would LOVE to move to Florida.

lfk2013 · May 2014

islandmonkey8 said:
I have a ton of family that lives in the Palm Beach area. More specifically, I have a cousin who lives in Wellington and she says her kids thrive in their school system there.

PS. I'm jealous. I would LOVE to move to Florida.

Wellington is really, really nice. If I had to live near West Palm Beach again, that's where I'd chose to live.

Sewilson33 · May 2014

90% of DH's family is in Boca. Great schools, tons of parks, close to the water but also the perfect distance from the water. Also, pretty affordable.

I also like Jupiter, pretty good schools and it has a mix of water areas and equestrian areas.

Wellington is beautiful but pricey. That would be my first choice but we can't afford that right now.

lfk2013 · May 2014

As much as it pains me to admit, this thread is making me miss Florida. :ar!

OohSparkly13 · May 2014

@OceanHutt : I'll put the Sarasota area on my list of places to look into!

@lfk2013 : I am definitely not a fan of bugs but I figure that anywhere I go is going to have their own special bug issues. Where I live in Indiana, we have a huge problem with stink bugs, Japanese beetles, and lady bugs. I know lady bugs don't sound like a problem but when you have 20 on your kitchen ceiling...it's gross!

@islandmonkey8 : I'll put Wellington on my list too! Honestly, I've just recently come around to the idea of moving to Florida. If you had asked me 2 months ago, I would have said no way.

@Sewilson33: Boco and Jupiter are going on my list as well! In terms of cost, we aren't going to rule out anything yet. A lot can happen in two years and we aren't sure where we will be financially at that point. I'm hoping we will be in an even better position, lol.

BruinsBabe33 · May 2014

Funny you post this, we may be moving to Florida, too! We are at the just discussing portion of it. We are looking at Tampa because that's where we would both be able to work.

OohSparkly13 · May 2014

BruinsBabe33 said:

Funny you post this, we may be moving to Florida, too! We are at the just discussing portion of it. We are looking at Tampa because that's where we would both be able to work.

That's awesome! I was really apprehensive at first (and still kinda am) but it's super exciting at the same time! We have the freedom to pretty much go anywhere because DH works in IT so once we determine an area and it gets closer to moving time, he can start applying for jobs there.

LuckyAngel07 · May 2014

DH wants to move to FL in the worst way. He did a lot of research on the panhandle, mainly Pensacola/surrounding areas. There are some phenomenal school districts in that area and it's not very expensive. That would definitely be where we go if we decide to make the move.

BruinsBabe33 · May 2014

OohSparkly13 said:

BruinsBabe33 said:

Funny you post this, we may be moving to Florida, too! We are at the just discussing portion of it. We are looking at Tampa because that's where we would both be able to work.

That's awesome! I was really apprehensive at first (and still kinda am) but it's super exciting at the same time! We have the freedom to pretty much go anywhere because DH works in IT so once we determine an area and it gets closer to moving time, he can start applying for jobs there.

I'm not even sure if we are going to pull the trigger. It would be a huge adjustment for both of us. We will probably reevaluate in three months and see where our heads are then.

We have a few friends in Tampa and they love it!

OohSparkly13 · May 2014

LuckyAngel07 said:

DH wants to move to FL in the worst way. He did a lot of research on the panhandle, mainly Pensacola/surrounding areas. There are some phenomenal school districts in that area and it's not very expensive. That would definitely be where we go if we decide to make the move.

I'll definitely look into that area too!

OohSparkly13 · May 2014

BruinsBabe33 said:

BruinsBabe33 said:

Funny you post this, we may be moving to Florida, too! We are at the just discussing portion of it. We are looking at Tampa because that's where we would both be able to work.

That's awesome! I was really apprehensive at first (and still kinda am) but it's super exciting at the same time! We have the freedom to pretty much go anywhere because DH works in IT so once we determine an area and it gets closer to moving time, he can start applying for jobs there.
I'm not even sure if we are going to pull the trigger. It would be a huge adjustment for both of us. We will probably reevaluate in three months and see where our heads are then. We have a few friends in Tampa and they love it!

I think it is easier for me to say yes to the move because my parents and siblings are moving there as well. Even so, I was still against it until recently. I know it will be a huge adjustment but I just keep telling myself that we can always move back to Indiana if we decide Florida isn't for us.

Sewilson33 · May 2014

Sometimes I worry I might wake up on day and find out DH moved us to Florida overnight. I want to move there once we have kids but DH is wanted to move there like 2 years ago.

Moving to Florida

Re: Moving to Florida

Choose Another Board

Search Boards