by moreisbetter 11 Replies latest jw friends
Dear All,
Would you share any general feedback about the cities you live in? Like economy, crime rate, housing, ect. I'm applying for a job in Pensacola. However It seems like there are several prospects in Florida.
Thanks everyone for the help.
Theresa
Come on down! I hear Pensacola is a nice place to live. I live in Tampa. I miss the mountains but we can't have everything. The people in Tampa are from all over the place. Which means it is a mixture of cultures. You can enjoy the best of them all. People here are pretty tolerant of each other. Crime does exist of course but I do not live in fear of it. While I was a JW I was stuck trying to raise six kids alone in a very poor neighborhood in Tampa. We did not have a/c which meant that the windows had to stay open day and night. The doors usually were left open also. I can't remember if there were locks on the doors. Nobody bothered to lock them. The people in the neighborhood looked out for each other. I remember one day a first grader who lived around the corner from me did not return home on time from school. The neighborhood was out in force knocking on every door on the way to the school looking for her. She had stopped off at a park on the way home. We were all poor but it was a really good place for my kids to grow up.
The economy here is still strong. I have a good job and live in a nice neighborhood. There are scary places as are in all cities but we just don't go there. They are small areas which the city is trying to recover. I like that the city does not close it's eyes to decay and poverty. It really trys to fix things.
Here's hoping that you find success in your move.
Loris
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I hope you get to move down here. We would LOVE to have you. I haven't been here for long so I don't know any statistics but I can tell you that I love it here in Delray Beach. That's North of Ft. Lauderdale. PM me or E-mail me if you have any questions. You can also to E-mail. He will be glad to hear that you are considering a move here too! We love and miss you.
Florida stinks. I have lived here my whole life. Depends on your job market, but wages here are lower and cost of living is high. If you ARE goign to move here, stay away from the West coast unless you are very far north. The East coast pays a LOT more and is much nicer.
Whatever you do, stay away from the Fort Myers area. Wages suck and crime rates are high. Just my 2 cents, I have lived here all my life. As I said, other coast is a whole new ball game, as Sloan mentioned.
Sw Florida here.....
Depending on where you live on the county housing and crime will vary. We have our bad neighborhoods and we have some very nice ones as well. Housing costs obviously flow in accordance with the degree of crime in each part. But you can still get some great deals in decent neighborhoods. Its fairly relaxed around here (then again this is FL ). I would say that employment is fairly good (depending on your skills but I know of certain places that are always hiring). The economy is up in the air along with the rest of the country due to the war but I don't think its that bad on average (of coarse I'm sure there are those that would disagree).
The only downfall that I see is that during the summer it is usually unbearably hot and humid.
Anyway you can send me a message if you wouls like more info. I would be glad to help out.
hugs
Carol
I LOVE living in Florida!!!
I mean... we get soooooo much attention... check this out:
1) We were responsible for the biggest voting fiasco in U.S. history... Here in FLORIDA
2) We had the first big time woman serial killer... she picked up men @ truck stops and killed them... she was also executed last month... HERE IN FLORIDA...
3) All the september 11th wannabe pilots trained... HERE in FLORIDA
4) Just this morning they were looking for a big Al-Qeda operative here in the U.S. .... guess where he's AT??!!
5) Oh yes... how could I forget Elian Gonzales!!... lol
Florida is beautiful. It depends on the pace you like. There are sleepy towns like St. Augustine (way north) & Naples (west coast) that are relaxing. Or if you want milder weather and rolling hills there's Tallahassee - I love college towns and they have 4 major Unis. If you need more action, I love Orlando it's got a downtown city life and a 20min. drive from the city centre there are quaint country towns like Winter Park. And who can resist Mickey? Down town Fort Lauderdale is nice especially Las Olas & Victoria Park neighborhoods - near the intercoastal but the cost of living is a bit high. Miami is like living in another country and I'm not kidding. There's a joke here that the United States doesn't begin until Fort Lauderdale! The politicians are corrupt (yes, we're the ones who had dead peoples votes!) & let's not forget Elian Gonzalez and that whole mess. But the diversity is great & if you can afford it you can live on Biscayne Bay - stunning view. Or if you're really adventurous try Key West - okay so it's Soddom in a Tropical setting - But you gotta love a place that celebrates the sunset everyday. Good luck and when you settle feel free to look me up: [email protected] :)
If you need more action, I love Orlando it's got a downtown city life and a 20min. drive from the city centre there are quaint country towns like Winter Park. And who can resist Mickey?
I agree with Victorian Sky... I personally LOVE Orlando... it is a beautiful city and all the near by suburbs are fairly new... This town has seen a lot of growth in the last 25-30 years... In general there's a lot of new development thanks in part to all the tourism attracted to the city by the MANY amusement parks... and it's technology based companies are also growing...
Moreisbetter,
I lived in Pensacola for one year before I moved to Tallahassee, where I have resided since 1989. Pensacola Beach was nice, but I preferred the Fort Walton Beach area with its emerald water. Of course I'm partial to Tallahassee, because it reminds me a lot of home (which is Louisiana). I love the 5 canopy roads lined with giant oaks festooned with Spanish moss. The city is gorgeous at this time of the year: There are azaleas and white dogwoods and wistaria in bloom everywhere. And the climate is pretty much the same as La. too. There are numerous lakes all around for fishing and boating. Nearby are the Leon Sinks (geologically formed sinkholes)--a great area for hiking and sightseeing. Also, Wakulla Springs, where the first Tarzan movie was made and the Creature From the Black Lagoon was filmed. You can take a glass bottom boat to see the springs or a tour boat ride on the Wakulla River, where wildlife (alligators and all types of birds) can be seen in their native habitat. About a half hours drive away is the St. Marks Natural Wildlife Preserve (more alligators and birds) and the St. Marks Lighthouse. The more adventurous will take the one hour drive to Carabelle Beach on the Gulf; a half hour more to St. George Island (I'm estimating the driving time here).
Tallahassee is the capital of the state, so there are numerous government buildings plus beaucoup state workers. The legislature is in session right now, so all the legislators and senators are in town.
This is also a university town--Florida State University (Burt Reynold's alma mater) and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Additionally, there is Tallahassee Community College. Except for spring break, you will see students all about. But I must warn you that the rent is not cheap around here.
If you are interested in learning more about Tallahassee go to
I don't live in Florida right now but have lived there several times in the past.....
6 months in Ocala....bit to small for me, not enough work and WAY to many JW's lol!
3 years in Orlando...loved it...the weather is great...lots of stuff to do...I never had a problem finding work, if things weren't going so well for me here in Austin I would consider moving back. lol LOVED the residents months when I got discounts to disney
6 months in the Ft. Lauderdale area...very pretty area to live..the beaches are great...used to do a lot of beach diving there...but I found it a bit on the pricey side to live there, however work was good for me there too.
All in all I found Florida to be a pretty good place to live, hope that helps some
