Info needed from Florida residents

[rokndad]

Like they said, ask about the red tide and the bugs!!! Especially the Love Bugs. No s**t, they join in twos during their mating season and fly around tangled up with each other, and splat all over the front of your car. Sometimes they are so thick, they dim the sun. Virtually impossible to get the bug stains out of the paint, let alone have them easily come off chrome! I have never seen anything like this...only in Florida....

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by rokndad

Like they said, ask about the red tide and the bugs!!! Especially the Love Bugs. No s**t, they join in twos during their mating season and fly around tangled up with each other, and splat all over the front of your car. Sometimes they are so thick, they dim the sun. Virtually impossible to get the bug stains out of the paint, let alone have them easily come off chrome! I have never seen anything like this...only in Florida....

Oh, jeez ----- wonderful, just wonderful.....

[Don]

767Jockey:

From all the suggestions/comments that have been mentioned, consider renting twice: Once in the the summer ( heat etc ) and again in the Jan to March time period ( snowbirds ) for congestion, waiting in line at restaurants etc and traffic flow.

Regarding the roads, my brother in law anticipated a lot of traveling time, compared to New England , on his Harley. Turned out to be boring, straight roads and no elevation, and uncomfortable during the high temp time periods.

Also comes back to the desired lifestyle, a gated community with amenities such as The Villages and many others , or a regular residential street.

Regarding schools, The Villages built their own school system for their employees who get first choice and vendors on a space as available basis. I have toured the high school, will equal any other of the best high schools in the US, including the sports facility.

[jmimac351]

Originally Posted by Don

767Jockey:

Regarding schools, The Villages built their own school system for their employees who get first choice and vendors on a space as available basis. I have toured the high school, will equal any other of the best high schools in the US, including the sports facility.

They also built a zoo for all of the Cougars.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by Don

767Jockey:

From all the suggestions/comments that have been mentioned, consider renting twice: Once in the the summer ( heat etc ) and again in the Jan to March time period ( snowbirds ) for congestion, waiting in line at restaurants etc and traffic flow.

Regarding the roads, my brother in law anticipated a lot of traveling time, compared to New England , on his Harley. Turned out to be boring, straight roads and no elevation, and uncomfortable during the high temp time periods.

Also comes back to the desired lifestyle, a gated community with amenities such as The Villages and many others , or a regular residential street.

Regarding schools, The Villages built their own school system for their employees who get first choice and vendors on a space as available basis. I have toured the high school, will equal any other of the best high schools in the US, including the sports facility.

Where is "The Villages"?

[jmimac351]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,0.158615&z=13

The Villages is a mega, planned retirement city just north of where I live. It's like Disney World for retirees. Some people like that, some don't. I am a native Floridian. Grew up and went to High School in Fort Lauderdale. Went to UF in Gainesville. Lived in Tampa and Lakeland for a few years. And now live outside of Orlando. If I could pick one place to live in the state I would by a hunk of land in Ocala by the horse farms. If I HAD to live in South Florida (read: SE Florida), which I would avoid, I would live in Jupiter in the "Jupiter Farms" area. That's still "north" South Florida. In Tampa, I would stick to the north side of town. Gainesville is a very nice town. The St Augustine area is nice as well.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by jmimac351

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,0.158615&z=13

The Villages is a mega, planned retirement city just north of where I live. It's like Disney World for retirees. Some people like that, some don't. I am a native Floridian. Grew up and went to High School in Fort Lauderdale. Went to UF in Gainesville. Lived in Tampa and Lakeland for a few years. And now live outside of Orlando. If I could pick one place to live in the state I would by a hunk of land in Ocala by the horse farms. If I HAD to live in South Florida (read: SE Florida), which I would avoid, I would live in Jupiter in the "Jupiter Farms" area. That's still "north" South Florida. In Tampa, I would stick to the north side of town. Gainesville is a very nice town. The St Augustine area is nice as well.

Well.........I don't think I am quite ready for the retirement village thing yet. Right now I have a list of 6 or so areas that I have been told about that I'm interested in. Remember, I am very limited in that I HAVE to be by a major airport that has relatively frequent service to the NY area so I can get to work 5 times a month. Right now, amongst other areas I am considering Ft. Myers area, Jupiter/Stuart area, Orlando area, Palm Coast area, and St. Augustine / Jax area. When I say area, I mean just that - all towns and villages in the general area of these towns. I just can't deal with the whole Miami / Ft,. Lauderdale craziness. Tampa is just too hard for me to commute out of, there are too many pilots competing for the few empty seats to fly up to NY on standby. My commute would be a nightmare.

[Don]

Another alternative:

" Just north of Ocala, Florida in the town of Anthony lies the community of Jumbolair. Unlike your typical luxury community, Jumbolair is a fly-in community where residents can actually taxi down a 1.4 mile runway and take to the air mere moments after leaving the house. Jumbolair has proven to be an attractive destination for those who not only view flying as a part-time hobby but also by those who are virtually defined by it. "

http://www.celebritydetective.com/cm...-travolta.html

[Seagull81]

If you are not totally sold on Florida, check out Texas. I grew up in Florida around the West Palm Beach and North area and wouldn't move back for anything. Visiting family once or twice a year is enough. They have boring roads for Cobras.

[danc30]

Originally Posted by rokndad

Like they said, ask about the red tide and the bugs!!! Especially the Love Bugs. No s**t, they join in twos during their mating season and fly around tangled up with each other, and splat all over the front of your car. Sometimes they are so thick, they dim the sun. Virtually impossible to get the bug stains out of the paint, let alone have them easily come off chrome! I have never seen anything like this...only in Florida....

Lived here 9 years, an hour and a half north of Palm Coast, Not sure I've seen the love bugs too bad. If your car is waxed good and you clean it off after a run, your ok. rokndad must not clean his car too often.

I am only aware of a couple short times of red tide. They were brief. Just don't eat the shellfish at that time.

Come on down, the weather is great. No earthquakes, riots, mudslides or blizzards......

Dan

[yamazee]

Dan, I am with you! The weather is great, none of the other annoying things to put up with like there were back in NY. Occasional hurricane threat is no big deal, I sometimes look forward to the high surf we get a few times a year. It just means its time to get the stand up Jetski out of the garage and hit the beach to jump some huge surf!! Woooohoooo!! Come on down, the weather is here, wish you were beutifull!!

[Power Surge]

Originally Posted by danc30

Lived here 9 years, an hour and a half north of Palm Coast, Not sure I've seen the love bugs too bad. If your car is waxed good and you clean it off after a run, your ok. rokndad must not clean his car too often.

I am only aware of a couple short times of red tide. They were brief. Just don't eat the shellfish at that time.

Come on down, the weather is great. No earthquakes, riots, mudslides or blizzards......

Dan

The problem with love bugs is that the guts become highly acidic after 24hrs of being splat. So if you don't wash them off the car, they will eat the paint right down to the fiberglass.

With that said, I've been here through 3 love bug seasons (which are about twice a year) and have had no issues. Really, people just don't drive or ride during those times. It's kind of the opposite of NY - you drive all winter, and skip the middle of the summer because of the heat and love bugs.

As for the red tide, I experienced that when we first moved down. It's nasty. You can't breathe, and it makes you cough bad. But it's only near the beach, so just stay away from the beach and you're fine.

[rokndad]

Originally Posted by danc30

Lived here 9 years, an hour and a half north of Palm Coast, Not sure I've seen the love bugs too bad. If your car is waxed good and you clean it off after a run, your ok. rokndad must not clean his car too often.

I am only aware of a couple short times of red tide. They were brief. Just don't eat the shellfish at that time.

Come on down, the weather is great. No earthquakes, riots, mudslides or blizzards......

Dan

It wasn't my car, it was my daughter's car...a convertible which she had to drive everyday for work (she was a reporter/anchor for WFTS ABC Tampa/St. Petersburg) and we were there about every 3-4 months or so over a 5 and 1/2 yr period of her contract. She didn't wax it very often....do you know busy careeer women that do? Not the point. I was simply pointing out the fact that you get bugs in Florida, that you generally don't see similar types of or quantity anywhere else in the United States....and I mean so thick they can block the sun. I've seen it, and stayed inside to avoid it.

Now, back to earthquakes, traffic and smog.

[Dominik]

Jupiter!

Even if it was only half as pretty as it was in the mid 90s, I would go there.

Dom