Moved from Florida (Columbus: neighborhood, live, assess)

[roodd279]

The OP joined this forum, made a single post about how Ohio is not Florida, and has never returned.

Funny thing is, half the people in Tampa probably came from Ohio - so that's your cosmo for ya.

I agree, it's gray here, lots of songs about it, we have "winter" too, and "snow" - plenty of Florida folks hate those things.

On the other hand, I don't have to worry about alligators climbing in my screen door.

[PerryMason614]

Originally Posted by BRNorth

I was just in Tampa in January. We were told to go to Ybor City, but it was not very active and had a lot of missing teeth in the business district. I believe this wasn't long after a high profile shooting that took place in the neighborhood. A lot of the new surrounding residential infill was that typical cheap Florida stucco. We left and went to the Channel District. It was mediocre at best. Columbus has far more interesting inner ring neighborhoods that are far more vibrant from a pedestrian experience to the diversity in its offerings.

Tampa "very cosmopolitan"... you're trying too hard. Not even close.

I left Florida after 3 years in university. I go back a few times each year. There is nothing attractive about that state. The economy has very little diversity, so much of the incomes are at a terrible scale, and the cost of living has skyrocketed. There is nothing walkable about the state - multilane roads exists everywhere with high speed limits. It's flat. Insurance is going through the roof.

What I often find on these sites are people who have either retired or thought moving down south was a point to brag to those up north how better things are. In reality, I think most people don't want to discuss how quality of life actually goes down so they find things they think they can brag about, but get upset when people up north call them out on it.

I haven't been to Florida in a while. I liked Naples (of course, what's not to like?) and the Destin area. Naples has gotten so big now, it really doesn't interest me that much no matter how many nice things you see there. Tampa Bay and Clearwater? Meh. I liked Destin, though. It had more of the small town feel and I just found the locals very nice through there, unlike like most of the rest of Florida. Is "Alabama nice" a thing because they joked that they call that South Alabama.

There really isn't that much thrilling about Florida to me. Just a beaches and a lot of tacky looking architecture that gets sun faded after about 10 years. I used to love Florida when I was college age, but as I got older, my tastes changed. I'd rather go out into the middle of nowhere these days.

Ybor City looked great, but the last time I was there was 20 years ago. Haven't seen it since.

[cheech14]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

Sounds like you're trying perhaps too hard to hate on Florida to be honest. I'm hardly a Florida fan, but I can think of a few reasons why it might be more attractive than Ohio to a lot of people.

I get that it's fashionable to hate on Florida, but no one really needs to manufacture reasons to dislike it. It has plenty of real ones. There are really only a few reasons people move to Florida- the weather during winter and the mistaken belief they will be on perpetual vacation. A few months of tolerable weather in no way makes up for how unbearably oppressive it is the rest of the year. It just doesn't. Not to mention the hurricanes, which even if your house survives, there about about a million scammers ready to take advantage of you after.
The cost of living is very high and getting worse- particularly on housing and insurance, but your average cost of groceries is high too- and the income levels are so bad that it's one of the worst COL ratios in the nation. The built environment is just one endless car-dependent subdivision and strip mall after another, and the drivers themselves are awful, with half being far too old to still be on the road and the other half who seem to have never taken an actual driving test.
The Boomer, regressive politics, the HOAs, the bugs, the man-eating gators, the annoying tourists and snowbirds constantly congratulating themselves that they are in a place with "nice weather"... it's just an extremely insufferable place.
The only good things, as far as I can see, are the few areas of nature that haven't been paved over- like the Everglades, some of the amusement parks, and the beaches off-season if you happen to even like beaches. Other than that, I don't really see the attraction. I have family there, I'm there often, and I can't wait to leave every time.
There are things to dislike about Ohio too, no doubt, but it just doesn't have nearly as many tangible negatives as Florida.

[PerryMason614]

Originally Posted by cheech14

I get that it's fashionable to hate on Florida, but no one really needs to manufacture reasons to dislike it. It has plenty of real ones. There are really only a few reasons people move to Florida- the weather during winter and the mistaken belief they will be on perpetual vacation. A few months of tolerable weather in no way makes up for how unbearably oppressive it is the rest of the year. It just doesn't. Not to mention the hurricanes, which even if your house survives, there about about a million scammers ready to take advantage of you after.
The cost of living is very high and getting worse- particularly on housing and insurance, but your average cost of groceries is high too- and the income levels are so bad that it's one of the worst COL ratios in the nation. The built environment is just one endless car-dependent subdivision and strip mall after another, and the drivers themselves are awful, with half being far too old to still be on the road and the other half who seem to have never taken an actual driving test.
The Boomer, regressive politics, the HOAs, the bugs, the man-eating gators, the annoying tourists and snowbirds constantly congratulating themselves that they are in a place with "nice weather"... it's just an extremely insufferable place.
The only good things, as far as I can see, are the few areas of nature that haven't been paved over- like the Everglades, some of the amusement parks, and the beaches off-season if you happen to even like beaches. Other than that, I don't really see the attraction. I have family there, I'm there often, and I can't wait to leave every time.
There are things to dislike about Ohio too, no doubt, but it just doesn't have nearly as many tangible negatives as Florida.

For some reason, I found driving down the center of Florida, US 27 through Avon Park and Sebring, very refreshing compared to the rest of Florida. It was a nice change of pace from what you typically see.

[Chas863]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

Sounds like you're trying perhaps too hard to hate on Florida to be honest. I'm hardly a Florida fan, but I can think of a few reasons why it might be more attractive than Ohio to a lot of people.

I've got to agree with your assessment. I spent a fair amount of my time in Ohio during my working years and kind of liked the place. I even vacationed there on Lake Erie a few times. I also have some family that lives there.

However, I've spent the past 22 years in Florida and like it too. Each state has its plusses and minuses, but if I had to pick just one to live in, it would be Florida.


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[Chas863]

Originally Posted by PerryMason614

For some reason, I found driving down the center of Florida, US 27 through Avon Park and Sebring, very refreshing compared to the rest of Florida. It was a nice change of pace from what you typically see.

Yep. The center of Florida is considerably different from the coastal areas. Different topography and much different vibes.

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[Chas863]

Originally Posted by BRNorth

Not trying too hard at all. The OP went out of their way to create this thread. Why is it wrong for others in this forum to say otherwise?

I agree with your assessment. It's rather bad form to go to a board dedicated to the state of Ohio (and Columbus in particular) and bash the state of Ohio. That said, since the OP has now LIVED in both states for awhile, perhaps her opinion should carry a little more weight than someone who has just visited both states for a few weeks.


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[cheech14]

Originally Posted by PerryMason614

For some reason, I found driving down the center of Florida, US 27 through Avon Park and Sebring, very refreshing compared to the rest of Florida. It was a nice change of pace from what you typically see.

It's probably because the center of the state, outside of Orlando, is far less touristy and booming, so you can still find more quiet towns and places that haven't sprawled to oblivion. I don't think that will last forever, though. A lot of my family lives in the Ft Myers and Naples area. Ft Myers, IMO, is kind of a dump in terms of built environment and attractions. Naples is a bit nicer in some ways because it seems people with more money live there, but it's still just a slightly nicer version of a sprawled out, traffic-choked mess.

[cheech14]

Originally Posted by Chas863

I agree with your assessment. It's rather bad form to go to a board dedicated to the state of Ohio (and Columbus in particular) and bash the state of Ohio. That said, since the OP has now LIVED in both states for awhile, perhaps her opinion should carry a little more weight than someone who has just visited both states for a few weeks.


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Yes, we should keep this place reserved for other present and former Ohioans to bash Columbus. It's tradition.

[FortunateTeller]

I must of had a bad day after reading Columbus was 7th gloomiest city in America.