Info needed from Florida residents

[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.