Best places to live in Florida

Hey Bud...you got the wandering fever?

I've lived with a chronic case of it my whole life. It's flaring up again is all.

New State Motto

Florida...we make Texas look sane....

Well Florida used to be a tranquil place but in the last 2 years it's gotten out of control. I used to live in a sleepy town 5 minutes from the beach...now it's a land rush and getting crowded. Still...we got 2 more years here and then we're going North to Gainesville to some rural property

Shadddap Tar Heel

Our new motto

Welcome to Norths Carolina........ we don't give a **** how you did it up North

Hey, Panzade, what made you pick Jensen Beach? Did you just throw a dart at a a map of Florida, or did you know the area already?

Sign on garage wall here

Tune up-$79.99
Having to listen to how they did it up North-$179.99

I lived in Florida for about 10 years.
Actually I ended up there since that's where I went to college, and was just to lazy to leave after graduating.

If there was a reason for living for me living there so ling, it must have been know only to God.

I lived in Boca Raton, Pompano Beach & in a trailer in Okeechoobee (actually in Fort Drum, which is halfway between Okeecheechobee and YeeHaw Junction.

Boca Raton - Lost total interest in it when the original Tom's Rib's on the corner of Dixie Hwy and Glades Rd (just east of the railroad tracks, got remodeled because Tom made a lot of money because he made the best ribs in the world.

There was no more family tables lined up where you sat next to complete strangers, and made friends passing the sauce. No more quarts of beer, no more platic tablecloths with plastic swans with plastic flowers on each table as decorations. No more surly waitresses that you feel in love with because they slapped your plate in front of you, muttering "Watch it, it's hot, here's your check" They needed to hustle you out of there, because the line was wrapped around the place 2 times. No complaining about waiting allowed, you just stood there grateful for the chance to get in before Tom decided it was time to close.

After the remodel, it was closed within a couple years.

Pompano: if you're a Jimmy Buffet wannabe, you'll fit right in.

Okeechobee, let's not go there.

Frankly Kicky, I just found it too flat, no change in weather, boring as hell unless you wanted to work on your melanoma and just full of people from New York.

One of those quirky fate things. I was playing in a band in Indiana and one of the fellows was friends with Dicky Betts of the Allman Brothers. Dicky invited us down to Jensen Beach where he lived part time and we migrated down.
After hanging out at the beach for 3 months I decided this was the place.
We never did do that recording.

Depends on the neighborhood in which you locate, Kicky. Ormond Beach is a nice place, and Ormond by the Sea is very close to the beach.

I was hoping someone would revive this thread today. Thanks Letty!

Chai Tea, I actually think I might be a Jimmy Buffet wannabe. I'm not really that crazy about his music, and I once read a novel by him and thought it sucked, but that laid-back lifestyle...oh yeah, count me in.

Brandon, Florida
My son and his wife sold their California home and moved to Brandon, Florida earlier this year. Brandon is 50 miles inland near Tampa Bay on the west coast at the center of the state. My son loves the place. His wife doesn't like the high humidity but she loves her new home. Lots of thunder and lighning storms. So far, no hurricane problems in their area.

Their large beautiful home is in a cul de sac about 1/2 miles from a lovely pond. Their 1/3 acre lot is beautiful with a large pool. They have very nice neighbors. The neighborhood reminds my son of the cul de sac home he grew up in.

My son found a new job 15 minutes from his home. His wife expects to find a job near home, too.

My son's biggest gripe about Florida is that many temporary winter residents from the north acquire puppies. Then, when they return to the North, they take the dogs to the animal shelter. Some just abandon them in their neighborhood. My son found his yellow lab, Buddie, at the animal shelter and rescued him from being offed. He is furious at the actions of people who abandon their pets. When he asked the shelter staff why so many people do this, they said many live in big cities in apartments that don't allow pets and they can't take them back with them to the north.

BBB

Oh, I didn't mean anything bad by that! Many people like the laid back, Hawian shirt, zinc on the nose thing.

I love being outdoors, but not when it's hot, I'm about the same color as a hard boiled egg, and don't like getting sand up my butt crack.

I'm more of a hiking boots, gotta keep moving or else you'll get cold type of person.

Oh! I'm coming to Manhattan for business and a long weekend Nov 6 through Nov 14, I'm hoping it'll be nice then. It shouldn't be hot at that time, should it?

Chai, tea, don't worry, I wasn't offended at all.

And as for your trip to NYC, nope, it shouldn't be too hot, barring any wacky weather patterns. The average high temperature around that time is usually somewhere in the area of 60 degrees. That's actually a very good time of year to come visit the city. You'll love it.

Ormond beach...I think I looked at Ormond beach once when I lived in Orlando. It seemed pretty nice. Close to Daytona beach too, which might be sort of interesting.

Not far at all, Kicky, but the best thing is driving on the costal highway and watching the ocean. Ormond Beach is inland a bit, and two of my best friends live there; however, I must warn you that Daytona Beach no longer holds the title of being THE place to go for a spring break. Between Ormond and Daytona, there is a fabulous restaurant, Julians, that you would love.

I remember hearing something about Daytone being somehow connected to a lot of pedophilia, for some reason. I don't remember whether it was something that happened there a lot, or whether it was a place where a lot of convicted pedophiles went to live, for some reason...you ever hear anything like that?

Really? Never knew that, Kicky, but there are weirdo's everywhere, I guess.