I'm an E-owner from Saint Louis, MO. Been thinking about moving to Florida, but scared to take the plunge. Was hoping you all could sell me on the idea :wink:

Don't Do It!! Florida REALLY sucks!! Tell anyone else that you hear considering it.:evil:

Just kidding! 8) It really depends on where you plan to live.

The Sunshine State. HA! HA! It has rained for two days in N. Florida, and it is supposed to rain for the next 2-3 days.

I've lived here all my life and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. But don't tell anyone.

fyreman

Fyreman, where are you in N. FL? I saw a GGM E in Tally a few days ago. First one I'd seen. Is that you?

I live in Killearn Lakes. It may have been me if the one you saw had a TFD license plate on the front, a Life Is Good sticker on the back, and a IAFF sticker on the back.
I spend a ton of time driving my kids around town. Thus the 13,000 miles since June '03. So it could've been me. Hope I didn't cut you off :shock: !

It WAS you! Too cool. Whatcha doing this weekend? I'd like to get a better look at your E. I'm over in Summerbrooke. Drop me a PM if you have the time.

We have a parent as well as some good friends who live in FL; on east and west coasts. Accordingly, we've spent a fair amount of time there. The weather is great as long as you're OK with humidity and frequent rain (the price of all the green). Not to mention thunderstorms... some real butt-kickers. Mid-state Florida is apparently the lightning capital of the world!

And Florida sucks if you like to snow ski. :wink:

One thing that hits us as a little odd is the price of services there. While the price of goods is comparable to St. Louis, I am repeatedly flabbergasted by what Dad and our friends have to pay for things like home and car repairs. One couple we know just shelled-out $25,000+ to put a new roof on a $90K house. They could have shopped poorly, or maybe this is the price of paradise?

The other price of paradise is that if you are some manner of certificated professional hoping to pursue your field there, at least in one friend's experience there are very, very few professions in FL that will allow transfer of licensing or certification from other states. You have to take their mandated courses and re-take their certification exams. My smart-@$$ guess is that it's one way of keeping everybody from automatically moving there.

:roll:

If we had a job waiting for us we'd move there tomorrow. I'm tired of shoveling the drive and walk. :evil:

The cold is the reason this issue has returned to the forefront for me. I'm actually not certified ...yet. I go to ITT-Tech in Arnold. I'm studying in their Multimedia/graphic arts program. I was thinking of transferring to ITT in Orlando or, if funding allows, to the Full Sail school in Orlando. I love St Louis... just ready for a change ....we don't even have a good hockey team any more!!! ;))

I hear good things about Full Sail here in Orlando. I've lived here for about 6 years and wouldn't change it for the world. If I could only gather up all the E owners I see on the street for a meet that would really rock... Oh by the way we have the Orlando Seals a small but eager Hockey Team...

First off, if you're a hockey fan, Orlando is bush league. The reigning Stanley Cup champions are right down the road in Tampa. I'm a season ticket holder, and drive a 200 mile round trip to see them play.

Second, everyone knows about the good side of Florida - December through April; that's when living here is great. However, we have a miserable summer that is in full fury for six months. It is VERY hot and sticky here now, and won't let up until at least late October. That's OK when you're on vacation and can hang out at the pool or the beach all day, but quite another thing when you have to live, work, and run errands in it. I go to Canada every January to play hockey, and it's a lot of fun - but I sure as hell wouldn't want to have to live in that winter for very long!

Also, Florida varies tremendously from one area to another. South Florida is very Latin, and it and Tampa are more cosmopolitan, the central part of the state is very bible belt conservative rednecky, and the panhandle is kind of like Georgia or Alabama with beaches. These are generalizations of course, but don't just move here without finding an area that seems like your cup of tea.

Finally, the state is being overrun with population. As long as it's warm here in January, people will keep moving here. Much of the state is already very congested with too many people. Traffic is becoming a BIG problem in many areas. Florida's enviroment is also feeling the strain of too many people.

I came here from the west, and 18 years later I'm still in culture shock. People here tend to be much more sedate than out there. When I go out west, everyone is hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, etc, while Floridians are watching TV or drinking beer. There is a lot of fishing, often accompanied by the aforementioned beer. At first I didn't care for it here at all, and almost went back very quickly. Eventually I landed a good job, and the state has sort of grown on me. Finding friends with boats helps a lot. I do like it here, and love the beach culture, but I doubt I'll stay after I retire.

Oh yeah, you can surf on New Year's Day; there is a lot to be said for that! :D


Kane

When I retired from the Navy we moved here and been here since 95, live and work at the beach. great place if you don't mind a few hurricanes!!!