St Pete has its good points but Sarasota is the best. Great schools, best beaches, lots of jobs (depending on your field, of course). Best wishes on your move!
Maybe moving! Need some advice
by Jon Preston 40 Replies latest jw experiences
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confusedandalone
Moving to Florida especially aids one in leaving the borg. There are constant outdoor activities in warm sunny weather that sometimes cause people to devote large amounts of time occupied with REAL LIFE. That is atleast what happened to a number of my friends that moved here.
Tampa is nice depending which area. The city is literally HUGE
Zephyrhills / Dade City / Wesley Chapel are beautiful as well and can give you a small town feel being just minutes away from major cities. If you visit first give me a buzz and I will show you around!
I also have a good friend who is in real-estate if you are looking for a home. She is a Dub but she is a bulldog...
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prologos
nonjwspouse: good advise you gave on the space coast move. there are seedy areas there. the beach you mentioned north of the space-center was unique, wild. you could almost throw stones at the shuttle on its launching pad before they started the countdown, then the reserve access too was closed.
great memories, inviting others to relieve the past glory. the local.
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Jon Preston
Wow thanks everybody! I recently vacationed in a suburb of jacksonville and found it nice. But its too far from my wifes family. I havent been to branden or bradenton, and i remember summers being hot in orlando--i did like oviedo, winter springs, and lake mary tho....merritt island seems to have decent schools and of course beach.
Movings tough! :-) but i love the freedom!
i drove through floral city once and thought it TOO woodsy for my taste. But ill look into surrounding areas.
so ill come down there soon and check these areas out to see what might be best.
I know st johns county has the best schools in the state, as does oviedo and lake mary i think?
Cheers!
JP
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snakeface
Let us know which areas you will be visiting and when, if you want to meet up at a restaurant or something.
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diana netherton
I used to live there. I was in the Carollwood area, the newer part. It's actually north of Tampa, up Dale Mabry. That's a great area as well as Land O Lakes.
Also, Brookesville, about 45 minutes further north is a much cheaper place to live. They put in an expressway that can get you to Tampa in about 20 minutes or so.
Good luck. Wish I could move back.
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skeeter1
Florida has a low limit on class size these past 10 years, and that has helped all the public schools.
- 18 students in prekindergarten through grade 3;
- 22 students in grades 4 through 8; and
- 25 students in grades 9 through 12.
Each school is graded and their grades are on the Internet. I think it's going to be local, each county is going to have great and poorer performing schools based on the kids that attend. Also, Florida (many school districts) have put class/school information on-line. Parents check daily attendance, lunch balances, complete teacher's grade books, assignments past/present/future, download class textbooks, class calendars, etc. In our family, we use this all the time (Lee county). It helps parents know what is going on in the classroom. We even get almost weekly grade summaries and important bulletins via e-mail. The school system also gives out automatic phone calls for daily attendance and notices. There is extra help offered for the lower performing kids, and many advanced studies/clubs for the gifted.
Where I see the school system failing is the teachers get burned out in the higher grades. Teachers don't have to have a teaching certificate to teach 6th grade and beyond. Many are doing it for the money/pension/lost their other job. Alot of absences for the middle school teachers, while the elementary school teachers rarely seem to be out "sick."
Skeeter
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exwhyzee
Punta Gorda is supposed to be low in crime. I like West Palm Beach...my Bro. lives there and we've visited a lot.
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Jon Preston
Yea i guess ive narrowed it to oveido/winter springs/lake mary/windermere and sarasota or so....or jax if i can convice my wife! But alas it deoends on work! Im a physical therapist assistant so inhave to line up a job beforehand! Tough!
JP