Pros and cons of Florida

[Dagger]

I'm assuming you live in Florida (USF = universal studios florida?). Well if it's that bad, couldn't you move? People who complain about these types of things confuse me. Just move if it's bugging you so much.

However, people leaving Florida due to traffic will essentially cause the same problems in the new spot. Let's pretend they move to North Carolina for a beautiful neighborhood from Florida. That NC neighborhood slowly becomes known and popular, sprawls into a city, and then they head to Virginia, the process repeats...you cannot escape these things forever unless you go to rural Kansas or something. There's a reason those areas have no traffic - it's not worth living there - no offense to anyone who does. :wave:

USF is also, and most likely, the University of South Florida... also, generalizing that because an area isn't busy, it must not be worth living there is totally :ROFLOL:

 

[mom2of2]

Dagger...not that you could have known this but KDM is 15 so I can understand his "USF" and living in no man's land comments.


not a bash on you just figured I'd let you know

 

[Dagger]

makes sense

 

[Shiloh]

Everybody complains how expensive it is to live in Fl. True, housing prices have risen in the past 5 yrs, but i am from Anaheim, CA and you want to talk about expensive housing. Houses cost $600,000 vs $200,oo in Fl. Rents in Ca for a one bedroom apt in CA are 1,500-1,600. per month VS. 800.oo or less in FL.
I now live in Fl btw. I am paying less than 700.00 for a very nice apt. in Daytona. And I am a broke college student supporting myself..just barely lol

 

[palmage]

My questions are these: How bad, really, is the weather in the summer. It looks like maximum temperatures are not much higher than what we get up here, but there could be a lot of other factors, too. How bad is the threat of Hurricanes, and tornadoes. And how does Orlando compare to some place like the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area?

I'd take a florida summer over a northern winter any time.
It's no different really, air colnditioning everywhere.
You go from home AC to car AC to office AC.
Up north you go from home heat to car heat to office heat.
The big difference is while you're shoveling snow I'm playing golf or boating or wandering around Disney.

South Florida is outragously expensive compared to Orlando.

 

[SpongeScott]

My questions are these: How bad, really, is the weather in the summer. It looks like maximum temperatures are not much higher than what we get up here, but there could be a lot of other factors, too. How bad is the threat of Hurricanes, and tornadoes. And how does Orlando compare to some place like the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area?

In the summertime, it is warm. The humidity is high, with highs in the low 90's and a low each night around 80. I live on the west coast, so if you go inland and get away from the water, it feels a lot hotter. As for hurricanes, sure, there is a threat, but no more of a threat than of natural disasters in other parts of the country. At least with a hurricane you have time to take cover, unlike an earthquake or tornado.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

What about safety in and around the orlando area? Is theft, crime, etc bad in the area?

We went to the WalMart near WDW one trip and were scared out of our mind. It was in (what seemed like) a bad area, and we were def. afraid walking around the store.

I'd love to live in Celebration, but don't think I'll EVER be able to afford it!

 

[DisJosh]

Real Estate/Rent is no worse than it is here in the northeast...it might even still be lower. I'm only making the comparrison because the thought to move to Fl has crossed my minds so often lately!

I could deal with the heat and traffic. Traffic is bad everywhere...

I just don't know if I could deal with the bugs. Are they really that bad? I'm used to hot, humid summers but I usually don't have to deal with bugs!

 

[SpongeScott]

Real Estate/Rent is no worse than it is here in the northeast...it might even still be lower. I'm only making the comparrison because the thought to move to Fl has crossed my minds so often lately!

I could deal with the heat and traffic. Traffic is bad everywhere...

I just don't know if I could deal with the bugs. Are they really that bad? I'm used to hot, humid summers but I usually don't have to deal with bugs!

Would you believe that we've been in our house for almost two years and have not had one roach?

 

[DisJosh]

Would you believe that we've been in our house for almost two years and have not had one roach?

See this is normal where I'm from. But I know they're much more common in Fl. I don't think I could deal with it. I'm not good with bugs.

I had a roach encounter years ago at All Star Sports. I was getting out of the shower and saw one run across the floor into my sweatpants. It's a good thing it was our last day. I wouldn't have slept for the rest of the vacation. :lookaroun

 

[palmage]

Would you believe that we've been in our house for almost two years and have not had one roach?

They're just small pets.

 

[SpongeScott]

They're just small pets.

:lol: Now the fruit rats are a little different story, but they keep my dogs entertained.

 

[George]

See this is normal where I'm from. But I know they're much more common in Fl. I don't think I could deal with it. I'm not good with bugs.

I had a roach encounter years ago at All Star Sports. I was getting out of the shower and saw one run across the floor into my sweatpants. It's a good thing it was our last day. I wouldn't have slept for the rest of the vacation. :lookaroun

And I note from your sig that you've never been back to all star sports. I grew up in Brandon (east side of Tampa) and one thing I don't miss is the Palmetto Bug. I really hate those things. I've never seen one at Disney. I always assumed the resort was doused in some kind of cancer causing chemical and I'm all for that since giant roach sightings shave many more years of my life than any chemical ever could.

 

[miles1]

An occasional Palmetto bug is nothing compared to a P.O.'d raccoon in your living room at 2AM. (He climbed down the chimney AND opened the damper). That's life in New England.

 

[SpongeScott]

An occasional Palmetto bug is nothing compared to a P.O.'d raccoon in your living room at 2AM. (He climbed down the chimney AND opened the damper). That's life in New England.

But I'll bet you've never had a raccoon crawl across your mouth while you were sleeping. :hurl:

 

[George]

Never the raccoon mouth problem or the raccoon living room problem. I did have one living in my chimney the first house we bought in Indiana. Chased it off the roof and then immediately learned about, bought, and installed chimney caps. I dislike Palmetto Bugs more. It almost borders on phobia.

 

[Number_6]

What about safety in and around the orlando area? Is theft, crime, etc bad in the area?

Orlando set a record for it's most murders ever last year with I believe it was 47. Most of those occurred in the MetroWest area. It's gotten to the point where the Guardian Angels from New York City have come down to see if they could help out with patrolling some of the higher crime areas. Also, break-ins down here have been on the rise, including some rather brazen folks that will kick the front door right in in broad daylight. The Orange County Sheriff, Kevin Beary, has requested additional funding to increase the number of officers on his payroll, but as far as I know he hasn't gotten it approved yet.

As for the traffic in this area, yes there are areas around Boston, for example, that get worse traffic(especially back when the Big Dig was going on), but right now the County is involved in one of the biggest construction projects they've had for the roadways and will also be in the process of starting to build a commuter rail along I-4. The East-West Expressway(SR 408) is being widened, so some of the side roads along it have gotten closed now and then for the project and they are shutting down certain I-4 ramps where the interchange is permanently. This is causing all sorts of chaos on the road and we've seen traffic run from Florida's Turnpike to the area just past Downtown Orlando(about a 7 mile stretch) be backed up when I leave work at 2pm after starting to back up around 7:15am. It's starting to get ridiculous, really.

 

[MnWildFan06]

You think traffic in Florida is bad try going to Southern California holy crap its like its own life form out there its insane!

 

[Skylinecar1982]

I hear you guys saying it is expensive and it doesn't sound expensive to me at all. I live in Mass I pay about $1300 for a 750sqft apartment. Another $160 a month for car insurance (thats basic on a 1994 corolla) That god I dont have a car payment. And all the normal costs gas,food etc... and all this on $14 an hour.

What about the wages?

 

[mom2of2]

$14.00 an hour is roughly double what a regular CM makes an hour. Minimum wage is $6.73 per hour and that's generally what everyone pays in the area. Of course there are exceptions for example: my husband is a welder/fabricator. He made roughly $29 an hour up North, down here he was offered the same position for $14.00 an hour.