How bad is southwest Florida? (Orlando, Gainesville: crime, selling a home, job market)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by philliesfan78

If people hate FLA so much, leave. That's my plan with Jersey. You guys have no idea what bad is. I live 10 minutes from what has been in the top 3 of most dangerous cities in America, and I live in a nice town...and I'm across the river from Killadelphia! Crime isn't a concern. I've dealt with that. I'm not saying I want to live in a ghetto, but living 10-15 minutes from one doesn't scare me.
As far as what I want to do for a job, I'm open to whatever's available. I'm an office manager up here, and it's okay. I'm not even thinking about a housing budget right now because I have a condo that I'd have to be able to sell up here before I could consider moving. Once I do sell it, I'm probably going to stay with my friend who's planning on moving to Port Charlotte in August, until I find a job and a city that I think suits me best.

Of course they do. Many, many of the people in swFlorida come from Jersey, Detroit, etc.

But they also know swFlorida and you don't. So they know both stories.

Pretty pictures are nice. I can also throw up some pictures of Lee County that will rival Killadelphia, of whatever.

Make sure you have a job and know that you will have to deal with a lot of older people. That isn't always as easy as it sounds. A population heavily tipped to one demographic can be difficult no matter which group.

Your area's unemployment rate is almost half of what it is in Lee County. That could change by the time you move, but I'd bet that you will not make anywhere close to what you made in Jersey. No where near.

[philliesfan78]

Old people are better than teenagers...at least old people have lived a life and earned the right to be rude and moody! NJ just sucks

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by philliesfan78

Old people are better than teenagers...at least old people have lived a life and earned the right to be rude and moody! NJ just sucks

than here. Yes, I am OLD and have been all over New Jersey (a New Yorker).

Florida sucks, especially NAPLES. If I see one more old person in SHORTS, I am going to SCREAM.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by philliesfan78

I'm from NJ where unemployment stinks just as bad as anywhere else in the country, we are overrun by the most obnoxious taxes in the nation and because of the outrageous number of people who drive without car insurance, that is sky high as well. It's beautiful here from May-September if we're lucky. Otherwise it's cold and miserable and there's a chance of snow that I despise more than anything from November until March. I understand that people have a problem with southwest Florida saying there's nothing to do. I happen to not need a really active nightlife. If I can have a couple corner bars to choose from a great fishing spot, I'm happy. So really, how bad can it be?

FYI. Florida leads the nation in uninsured drivers, so if that is a pet peeve don't come here.

I bet in NJ they at least impound the cars when they pull them over at a traffic stop. Here they get a ticket and keep driving.

And FYI unemployment "stinks" here as well.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Of course they do. Many, many of the people in swFlorida come from Jersey, Detroit, etc.

But they also know swFlorida and you don't. So they know both stories.

Pretty pictures are nice. I can also throw up some pictures of Lee County that will rival Killadelphia, of whatever.

Make sure you have a job and know that you will have to deal with a lot of older people. That isn't always as easy as it sounds. A population heavily tipped to one demographic can be difficult no matter which group.

Your area's unemployment rate is almost half of what it is in Lee County. That could change by the time you move, but I'd bet that you will not make anywhere close to what you made in Jersey. No where near.

You hit the nail on head regarding salary. OP says he is an office manager. So that is around $10 an hour here.

In regards to older people..we did early retirment. I used to think people in their 20s suffered from entitlement issues.

That was before coming to FL....LOL...didn't know what rude was until coming across some of these people in their 70s and 80s.

Talk about a "me first" attitude.

[windie44]

So far looking at most city threads it seems that every place has its own special hatred. I am kind of a believer that you can carry a bad attitude to anywhere and fit in. Self fulfilling prophesies. Good or bad. I am in my late sixty's and am starting to get less enamored with snowmen. Nice to visit but wouldn't want to live there. I am feeling kind of put out now about old people hatred in this thread. Shame is I imagine they all have had parents at one time or another. They might even get to be old themselves. Still not sure where to relocate, where ever it is I don't want some of these people for neighbors. I am guessing none work for the Chamber of Commerce.

[Ruby24]

Originally Posted by windie44

So far looking at most city threads it seems that every place has its own special hatred. I am kind of a believer that you can carry a bad attitude to anywhere and fit in. Self fulfilling prophesies. Good or bad. I am in my late sixty's and am starting to get less enamored with snowmen. Nice to visit but wouldn't want to live there. I am feeling kind of put out now about old people hatred in this thread. Shame is I imagine they all have had parents at one time or another. They might even get to be old themselves. Still not sure where to relocate, where ever it is I don't want some of these people for neighbors. I am guessing none work for the Chamber of Commerce.

I agree with your comments.

A lot of these younger folks who dislike old people so much are probably afraid of growing old themselves.

It's my experience that younger people are way more rude than older ones.
Come on have some compassion. Did you ever think that some of these older people have medical issues and chronic pain they deal with everyday.
Try having some empathy and a little respect.

I was just in Cape Coral for a week and they're are a lot of younger people there. I saw people of all age, shape and sizes.
Actually, it was a younger person that gave us the finger.

I have never come across such negative people anywhere like I have on this forum.

[TannerBoyle]

Originally Posted by philliesfan78

If people hate FLA so much, leave. That's my plan with Jersey. You guys have no idea what bad is. I live 10 minutes from what has been in the top 3 of most dangerous cities in America, and I live in a nice town...and I'm across the river from Killadelphia! Crime isn't a concern. I've dealt with that. I'm not saying I want to live in a ghetto, but living 10-15 minutes from one doesn't scare me.
As far as what I want to do for a job, I'm open to whatever's available. I'm an office manager up here, and it's okay. I'm not even thinking about a housing budget right now because I have a condo that I'd have to be able to sell up here before I could consider moving. Once I do sell it, I'm probably going to stay with my friend who's planning on moving to Port Charlotte in August, until I find a job and a city that I think suits me best.

Jersey really makes you appreciate what you've got......in Somalia.

[calypsogirl]

[quote=philliesfan78;11622992]I'm from NJ where unemployment stinks just as bad as anywhere else in the country, we are overrun by the most obnoxious taxes in the nation and because of the outrageous number of people who drive without car insurance, that is sky high as well. [quote]

Actually, when I moved here from South Jersey my insurance dropped only $20.00... Better than nothing but to me that wasnt a big deal.

[kroeran]

several facts should be clear to reasonable persons:

- some parts of the country are bad to great regarding making money, other parts are bad to great about living (for certain tastes), and most are a mix.
- as virtually all balanced and positive posters would say, SWF is great for living, absolutely awful for making money, and if you have a job, you are "paid in sunshine"
- unfair and unbalanced negative posters are generally people who thought SWF would fix their lives, and it didn't work out that way, but rather, it turned out to be another step down. The forum is an outlet for their frustration, and this should be recognised as such.

You fix your life by moving to a region of ok employment, which by no accident tends to be in ugly places, getting up early, staying late, removing the hardware from from face, covering the tatoos, saying please and thank you to the boss and clients, smiling. Its no secret. We all have to do it, and though painful, sometimes to the point of tears, its actually good for you to stomp your ego a bit and learn to serve others, submit to authority.

The world is run by groups, and if you can't fit into the structure of a group and heirarchy, submitting to leadership, and leading, you will be trapped down in the dog eat dog law of the jungle that exists outside of orderly group structures. You make choices and build your life.

- Your experience of Fort Myers will depend on what neighbourhood you choose and what routes you pick driving around. 99% of Fort Myers is irrelevant to my life. I have my SFM gated community (just forget about non-gated in Florida), my route up Daniels to the Trail, keep going to connect to the beach and islands, turn right at McGregor to go downtown to avoid the unpleasantness of the Trail north of Page Field. Like the Leonard Cohen song...."she shows you where to look, amoung the garbage and flowers..." your life is what you choose to focus on.
- every situation has its negatives. If old guys in shorts wearing socks is your main complaint, you are doing ok. Dogs bark, people complain.