OT: Florida...., living in.... Options

[MarkG]

Looks like a pretty good chance I will be leaving HP come October (voluntary early retirement w/a years pay severance), looking at options of places to live.....

Any input from current or past residents of Florida needed; I have friends there (Melbourne) and family members that live here in the Arctic with me visit Florida twice yearly and love it....

Pros....Cons....heat doesn't bother me (my other option is Vegas....) but humidity will take getting used to.

I'm thinking how much better my car would run @ Sea level too......

[72914S]

Plenty warm right now. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer3.gif) It does take some getting use to. The weather station will be one of your favs. They give you plenty of advance notice of all hurricanes coming your way.They don`t sneak up on you like earth quakes. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool_shades.gif)

[ArtechnikA]

well there's this ...

[URY914]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif) I don't know were to start...

There are a million places to live, big, small, close to big, middle of nowhere, on the water (lake/salt) golf, fish, in a condo, in a house, in a trailer (premanufactured housing)....

The heat in the summer...stay inside. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)

Paul

[Dr. Roger]

My sister and a bunch of friends live in Fl. I go regularly and love the clean warm ocean water. I love to free dive and love fish(ing). =-) Hot and almost as humid as Hawaii. I live in tank tops, baggies, and flip flops. Lots of Noseeums. The Fl. version of mosquitoes. Little bastards and really hungry.

Cali, on the other hand is tolerable in the summer. Central and So Cal are great year around. Not too hot and not too cold. Not too humid. People can be ass holes much more readily than Floridians. Probably the crappy traffic and Hollywood influences (super ego's).

My Dad lives on the ocean in So Cal and he LOVES it. He's retired and calls me asking if I want pics of the bikini clad babes sunbathing on the beach today? While i'm at work, of course.

Because I live Near San Francisco I tend to like to get away from the hustle and bustle. Warm and relaxing surroundings are what I go for mostly.

Ever been to Key West? It's awesome.

[Lyressa Roberts]

QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Jul 25 2005, 11:46 AM)

Lots of Noseeums. The Fl. version of mosquitoes. Little bastards and really hungry.

I almost croaked when I read this. I've never heard anyone else call them "noseeums". (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[Series9]

I'm from Satellite Beach (near Melbourne) and Luckie is from Dade City (near Tampa) and we moved to NM from Orlando.

I love NM, but we will be returning home to FL in a few years. It's a great place to live.

[cooltimes]

Retiring and Florida. They sort of fit well together.
How much you will enjoy your retirement is very dependent on your life style, hobbys and interests.
Life style = financially fixed.... you will enjoy because you can still travel out of state. Not.. there are still lots of things to do and enjoy. Down side is very crowded environment since tourist is the #1 business.
Hobbys = cars.... for sure. They do rust in Florida. Fishing and boating... paradise. Golf, probably some of the world's best golfers at any of the better courses you play. Girl watching .. ain't mostly young and slim like the beaut's in the West USA.
Interests = whatever, there is likely a group venue for it.
I have a friend who bought a small place in Chiefland. Close enough to the Gulf to fish and boat and far enough away to just get heavy rain when it's hurricane season.
Most residental property is still affordable in Florida.
I only like to visit Florida periodically myself. I like seasons.

Mike
Memphis

[Dr. Roger]

QUOTE (Lyressa Roberts @ Jul 25 2005, 12:04 PM)

QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Jul 25 2005, 11:46 AM) Lots of Noseeums.  The Fl. version of mosquitoes.  Little bastards and really hungry. I almost croaked when I read this. I've never heard anyone else call them "noseeums". (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

Hi Lyressa,

I won't bust your ovaries for not knowing what Noseeums are. You've always been OK by me, and a great fashion sense. =-)))

They are Fl's tiny biting fly. Worse than mosquitoes if you ask me cuz their so small.

Large welts. Bad fly.

[Rouser]

I grew up on Long Island, NY. After a long stint in the USAF, I have taken pretty-much a lap of the USA and a bit overseas in-between (MS, NV, CA, Japan, Philippines, Korea, TX), since most all of our family is up-and-down the eastern seaboard. So, after a final move from Austin (Cedar Park), TX to Tampa in '93, we put roots here and haven't looked back since.

Sure, FL has its moments; hurricane activity has been a bit active as of late. But I've been in OK City, OK 5 days after a F-5 tornado almost snapped it in half, and we're talkin' maybe 5 minutes notice IF EVEN! I lived in Las Vegas when my car was sand-blasted by a dust storm slamming across I-15 one afternoon; 'splain THAT ONE to an insurance agent. I'm glad I managed to miss Mount Pinatubo blowin' her freakin' stack in The Philippines by a few years, but pitied my buddies involved in their families being evac'd and subsequent cleanup.

The cost of living is good, and being able to drive my 914 top-off and in shorts while the North digs themselves out of a Noreaster is fine with me. If I want The 4 Seasons, I'll buy their CD.

[MarkG]

Thanks for the input....914RS: I grew up in New Mexico (Gallup) and have cousins in Albuquerque (Little Anita's in Old Town is still a road trip favorite on weekends)....

I spent most of my adult life in San Jose and drove to Santa Cruz weekends...Blood Alley (Hwy 17) was an old friend of mine.....

I'm a LONG way from retirement age but HP's incentive to leave early is too good to pass up, so job opportunities and cost of living are strong considerations

[heavydriver]

I agree, having lived in Fl my whole life, that it is a good place to live.

I would suggest that you stay north of Lake Okeechobee.
It costs less and there is less congestion. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mueba.gif)

[carr914]

I've lived in Tampa since the beginning of 81 ( moved from Watkins Glen, NY) and personally I wouldn't live anywhere else. I travel almost the entire state and it is as diverse as it is beautiful.I would only live along the coast as in the middle of the state it is even hotter and like the Amazon. But, the Long, Hot, Humid summers are something that I'm not sure that you ever get used to. Example; I stopped by my house this morning (around 10 am) to pick up something and by the time I walked to my workshop and back to the car I was soaked with sweat. It was already over 90 degrees by that point. Then there is the rain which can also be called an airborne flood and the hurricanes. I love the lightning. I tell you though, from the end of October until the end of April this is Paradise. Then we have great racetracks ( Sebring, Daytona) very active PCA regions and while we may not have the #s of 914s that California has, I would put Florida 914s at the top of any list. We have the Brumos cars, the Gunnar cars and pickup, Eliot Forbes Robinsons 914-6, the 901 shops cars, etc. Heck in Tampa alone we have Steve Gagliones 914-6 and the Sahara Beige cars that I would put money on in any concours, Pauls Worlds Lightest Weight 914 ( about to get much faster by the way!) Rob's 3 or 4 cars, my lunatic fringe conversion. Then youve got the Orlando guys and their beautiful cars. If you move here, just make sure you find a place with plenty of garage space for your 914s. We are going to start fining people who leave perfectly good cars outside that rot in no time flat. And if going to move here you better hurry. Real Estate prices are getting CRAZY.

T.C.

[ein 6er]

come on down!!! bring your own plywood!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

i'm across the river from melbourne. the beaches are nice, traffic isn't too crazy ....yet!!
yup, real estate prices are crazy now!! my neighbor just sold his 80's vintage house, (about 3,500 sq ft, nothing special), for $435K, he bought it about 2 maybe 3 yrs ago for $150K!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[TimT]

QUOTE

noseeums

Hehehe'

Lyrersaa we call em "noseeums" up here in New York also

[Katmanken]

If you have a teener, Florida may be disapointing- most of the state is flat and most of the roads are straight.

Industry and business is slim in Florida- it's mostly tourism and retiree type business. In the Melbourne area, there is Harris Corp and Cape Kennedy. A lot of people take Cape jobs for retirement. Not much work unless there is a launch.

Yes, noseeums are fun as well as the sandspurs.

I've lived in Panama City (first few grades), South Miami (Homestead) for my last year and a half of high school, and Melbourne area for college (Florida Institute of Technology). My wife is from Indialantic and went to Satellite Beach High.

Ken

[URY914]

QUOTE (kwales @ Jul 26 2005, 05:22 AM)

Industry and business is slim in Florida- it's mostly tourism and retiree type business.

You're kidding right? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)

Don't tell those that work in construction, health care, agriculture, real estate development, education, etc, etc, etc,

Oh yea, Florida doesn't have a state income tax. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/w00t.gif)

Paul

[cooltimes]

Don't tell those that work in construction, health care, agriculture, real estate development, education, etc, etc, etc,"

Sounds a lot like much of TN workforce except nobody working for someone else makes any money in TN. Well some do, the relatives or smoochee's.

Back to subject. Florida is a very enjoyable place to live. If I was going to live along the coast, I think St. Pete Beach would be where I'd like. Hot weather... just hit the water. Cold weather...same.
Or....
Disney probably would be a good place for a early retired computer savvy HP employee. I would like to see a new attraction you could probably suggest, help originate and make happen.
The Pirates of the Carribean pirate ship loaded up with screaming tourists and zooming up, down and thru Space Mountain in a pirate ship or even 914's. LOL :-)) LOL

Mike
Memphis

[redshift]

QUOTE (URY914 @ Jul 26 2005, 09:30 AM)

Oh yea, Florida doesn't have a state income tax. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/w00t.gif) Paul

Uhh... no, they do not... and as long as you don't spend a penny, or do anything at all, you won't have to pay the thru-the-nose tax on everything else.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

Florida would tax your arms for moving when you walk.. if they could meter it.


M

[redshift]

I have lived all over Florida, from the Redlands, to the panhandle. Something for everybody, but if you want to live near a hill, it's going to be Tallahassee..

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)


M