SpongeScott
Well-Known Member
From what I can tell, that's pretty standard across the board for Florida. No one wants to pay anything, but there is no problem with the cost of living going through the roof.
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Pros and cons of Florida
- Thread starter KDM31091
- Start date
From the stand point of a Florida resident-east coast-central part of the state-the reason traffic is such a problem is that the state has not kept up with the growth. There are not enough roads for all the cars. Reason so many cars-very poor mass transit in the state and most areas really don't have any. Things are spread out down here and you can't make it without a car. Most families of 4 by the time their kids are 16 have 4 cars all on the road everyday.
Want to go North or South through the state-really only 3 major roads to choose from. Want to go East or West? Still really only 3 major roads to take.
There is construction going on constantly which causes back ups. Speed and reckless driving by in state and out of state drivers trying to get where they are going before they even left home/hotel causes a lot of problems.
Typical drive time 10 mile drive to work is about 30-45 minutes for me here in a town of about 105,000 people. Typical drive time for my son from UCF area of Orlando to work at Blizzard beach is usually about an hour, but sometimes almost 2 hours depending on backups and accidents on I-4.
And there is another con for Florida. It's almost impossible for someone young and single like yourself to be able to afford a home. It's tough enough for a married couple to be able to make it.>>>>>
My son saved by living with us for the last 10 years. He bought his first home for $200,000, but can't afford to furnish it, pay car payments, and pay the monthly bills without roommates. Mortgage payments and homeowners cost him just over $1600 a month. Car insurance is about $2500 a year.
If you happen to be in an area with city water and sewer expect to pay around $100 a month for water. Water is something we worry about. As more and more people move down, where will it come from? There is water everywhere but it is not drinkable. We have a well and have to have an expensive water treatment system to use it. We also have to worry about using too much and it running dry.
Biggest con for Florida is the hurricanes-especially if you are the area hit. It isn't fun living in the heat without electricity or water. Some areas here were without their wells because of lack of electricity for almost 6 weeks.
That said.....after thinking it was time to move after the destruction of 2004, we all realize we wouldn't be as happy anywhere else. I adopted the state 30 years ago and have 2 natives in the family. It has changed a lot from the laid back, picnic on the beach days, surfing/fishing from dawn till dark, but it is home.
BTW You get used to the bugs and snakes.
My son saved by living with us for the last 10 years. He bought his first home for $200,000, but can't afford to furnish it, pay car payments, and pay the monthly bills without roommates. Mortgage payments and homeowners cost him just over $1600 a month. Car insurance is about $2500 a year.
If you happen to be in an area with city water and sewer expect to pay around $100 a month for water. Water is something we worry about. As more and more people move down, where will it come from? There is water everywhere but it is not drinkable. We have a well and have to have an expensive water treatment system to use it. We also have to worry about using too much and it running dry.
Biggest con for Florida is the hurricanes-especially if you are the area hit. It isn't fun living in the heat without electricity or water. Some areas here were without their wells because of lack of electricity for almost 6 weeks.
That said.....after thinking it was time to move after the destruction of 2004, we all realize we wouldn't be as happy anywhere else. I adopted the state 30 years ago and have 2 natives in the family. It has changed a lot from the laid back, picnic on the beach days, surfing/fishing from dawn till dark, but it is home.
BTW You get used to the bugs and snakes.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Man.. I watch the traffic when I'm in Orlando and how you all complain about traffic I have no idea. You do not have traffic.
Move to an area like DC, LA, SF, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, etc. That is traffic.. What you guys have is NOTHING.
I would think you'd be complaining about the tolls. That is something depending on where you are from would be a shock.
Me.. I drive 12 miles to work. It costs almost $5 in tolls each way.. and takes on average 45mins. And.. I'm not even in the city... in fact I live over an hour outside the city.. in non-rush hour traffic.
Our rush hour in the afternoon goes from 4pm-7:30pm (that's peak)
Look at things like top bottlenecks in the country.. 'bad' traffic areas have multiples in the list.. No where in florida even makes the top 10.. and only has 2 in the top fifty!
http://www.highways.org/pdfs/bottleneck2004.pdf
Orlando/Tampa traffic may be getting worse.. but its nothing compared to areas with real traffic.
Move to an area like DC, LA, SF, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, etc. That is traffic.. What you guys have is NOTHING.
I would think you'd be complaining about the tolls. That is something depending on where you are from would be a shock.
Me.. I drive 12 miles to work. It costs almost $5 in tolls each way.. and takes on average 45mins. And.. I'm not even in the city... in fact I live over an hour outside the city.. in non-rush hour traffic.
Our rush hour in the afternoon goes from 4pm-7:30pm (that's peak)
Look at things like top bottlenecks in the country.. 'bad' traffic areas have multiples in the list.. No where in florida even makes the top 10.. and only has 2 in the top fifty!
http://www.highways.org/pdfs/bottleneck2004.pdf
Orlando/Tampa traffic may be getting worse.. but its nothing compared to areas with real traffic.
Skylinecar1982
New Member
Even then talk to people who have traveled the world and they will say USA doesn't have traffic. Do a quick search and you will find what I am talking about.
flynnibus
Premium Member
You can't compare a city of say.. 10 million.. to cities of ~1 million. You also find that traffic in most foreign lands is mostly centered in/directly around the city. The US is unique in that we have traffic OUTSIDE the cities as we have a suburban/car landscape.
You can't compare the traffic complaints of say.. Rome to say Phillidelphia. Completely different.
Most suffer from just way under developed road systems in the cities, because the cities are so old. We suffer from too many cars.
beachclubbasics
New Member
NJ traffic is horrible near NYC and Philly..and where I live (a resort area) in the summer. I've seen people get out of their cars, walk across a 4 lane highway to the local MC D's eat, and come back 40 minutes later...and traffic still hasn't moved...one inch.
One thing I don't get is that people in NJ complain about everything...we have lots of toll roads but they are the cheapest tol lroads in most of the country. It costs me $5 just to enter and ride through Delaware!
I don;t know about regular stores in Orlando, but the prices in Goodings at Crossroads almost made me faint! $3 for one poundof baby carrots?????
Florida sounds similar to NJ...except that we don't have WDW and it gets cold here.
I think it's just a case of the grass is always greener.
One thing I don't get is that people in NJ complain about everything...we have lots of toll roads but they are the cheapest tol lroads in most of the country. It costs me $5 just to enter and ride through Delaware!
I don;t know about regular stores in Orlando, but the prices in Goodings at Crossroads almost made me faint! $3 for one poundof baby carrots?????
Florida sounds similar to NJ...except that we don't have WDW and it gets cold here.
I think it's just a case of the grass is always greener.
