Possibly moving to Gulf Coast FL... any suggestions
- Thread starter Kiber
- Start date
Depends on what you are looking for.
I'm not a huge fan of that area, but if I had to live there, I'd choose the Tampa/St. Pete area (I prefer cities). If you want to be on the beach, Longboat Key is nice but fairly quiet (lots of retirees). Beaches are nice in Clearwater and Bradenton, but not sure about other amenities.
Sister lives in largo recommend researching areas there where you don’t have to evacuate in flooding storm situations
I live in the Sarasota area where some of the best weather in FL is. Less rain and warmer in the winter than Tampa St. Pete and slightly cooler than Naples in the summer. Bonita Springs and Estero are nice and less costly than Naples. I know that area fairly well since my daughter lives in Naples (but is moving tomorrow to Orlando) and I have relatives in Bonita and Estero. FL Gulf Coast U is in Estero near where my daughter lived a couple of years ago. I do not know a whole lot about the Ft. Meyers area only having visited there a few times.
Venice is nice and we visit there often since we live about 10-15 minutes away, but it seems like the average age there is around 80 (no joke). The hopping area for growth is at the south end of Venice in an area called West Villages although is actually in the city of Northport. The other fast growing area is on the border of Manatee and Sarasota counties (Sarasota-Bradenton area) called Lakewood Ranch, which we call soccer mom city, or Powell Ohio south as it truly is a middle to upper middle income suburban area close to a major mall and a large amount of shopping.
That is pretty much what I know in a nutshell.
Venice is nice and we visit there often since we live about 10-15 minutes away, but it seems like the average age there is around 80 (no joke). The hopping area for growth is at the south end of Venice in an area called West Villages although is actually in the city of Northport. The other fast growing area is on the border of Manatee and Sarasota counties (Sarasota-Bradenton area) called Lakewood Ranch, which we call soccer mom city, or Powell Ohio south as it truly is a middle to upper middle income suburban area close to a major mall and a large amount of shopping.
That is pretty much what I know in a nutshell.
All great areas, Sarasota and St. Pete might be your best, all south of Tampa. I am not familiar with areas North of Tampa. I live about 3 hours south of Tampa.
You know you're a Floridian if....
Socks are only for bowling.
You never use an umbrella because the rain will be over in five minutes.
A good parking place has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.
Your winter coat is made of denim.
You can tell the difference between fire ant
Bites and mosquito bites.
Anything under 70 degrees is chilly.
You've driven through Yeehaw Junction.
You know that no other grocery store can
Compare to Publix.
Every other house in your neighborhood
Had blue roofs in 2004-2005.
You know that anything under a Category 3
Just isn't worth waking up for.
You dread love bug season.
You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley or Hurricane Frances. You know them as Andrew, Charley , Frances , Ivan, Jeanne, Wilma...Irene...Cheryl...Rita, Mary..Alison
You know what a snowbird is and when they'll leave.
You think a six-foot alligator is actually pretty average.
'Down South' means Key West.
Flip-flops are everyday wear. Shoes are for business meetings and church, but you HAVE worn flip flops to church before.
You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.
You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.
A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.
You know the four seasons really are: Hurricane season, love bug season, tourist season and summer.
You've hosted a hurricane party.
You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee , Withlacoochee , Thonotosassa and Micanopy.
You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.
You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.
You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas and New Years.
You recognize Miami-Dade as ' Northern Cuba .'
You not only forward this but you understand it.
Socks are only for bowling.
You never use an umbrella because the rain will be over in five minutes.
A good parking place has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.
Your winter coat is made of denim.
You can tell the difference between fire ant
Bites and mosquito bites.
Anything under 70 degrees is chilly.
You've driven through Yeehaw Junction.
You know that no other grocery store can
Compare to Publix.
Every other house in your neighborhood
Had blue roofs in 2004-2005.
You know that anything under a Category 3
Just isn't worth waking up for.
You dread love bug season.
You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley or Hurricane Frances. You know them as Andrew, Charley , Frances , Ivan, Jeanne, Wilma...Irene...Cheryl...Rita, Mary..Alison
You know what a snowbird is and when they'll leave.
You think a six-foot alligator is actually pretty average.
'Down South' means Key West.
Flip-flops are everyday wear. Shoes are for business meetings and church, but you HAVE worn flip flops to church before.
You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.
You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.
A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.
You know the four seasons really are: Hurricane season, love bug season, tourist season and summer.
You've hosted a hurricane party.
You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee , Withlacoochee , Thonotosassa and Micanopy.
You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.
You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.
You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas and New Years.
You recognize Miami-Dade as ' Northern Cuba .'
You not only forward this but you understand it.
Dunedun is pretty cool. Small downtown with some good food and bars. Close to beach. North Pinellas county.
We winter in Sarasota. It's a great small city that has everything.
Tarpon Springs is a nice quieter town with sponge diving and a large Greek Community. But I agree on Sarasota as the first choice. You need to spend some time touring around to decide what you like .
I'm thinking about that too. FL is probably close to being one of the safest places on the planet (from covid). Maybe the only place that is reasonably safe.
Marco Island is nice. When in Tampa, Bern’s Steakhouse is an absolute must.
I lived in Fort Myers for three years. I loved it and did not want to move. Fort Myers is 2 hours from Tampa. Great beaches. I would move to North Naples/Bonita Springs area.
I have also lived for 2 month periods in Tampa and Sarasota. I like the Naples Fort Myers area a lot more. Sanibel Island beaches are amazing. I would not live anywhere else on the Gulf Coast from Tampa to Naples. If you need any information about Western Florida I have been to every town.
I have also lived for 2 month periods in Tampa and Sarasota. I like the Naples Fort Myers area a lot more. Sanibel Island beaches are amazing. I would not live anywhere else on the Gulf Coast from Tampa to Naples. If you need any information about Western Florida I have been to every town.
Sarasota is great...….Sand Key near Clearwater Beach is really nice......you can move 10 miles away to Largo and be close to the beach without paying the "beach premium".
All of these are within 3 hours of Mt. Nittany's place which is open to all that post on this board......
All of these are within 3 hours of Mt. Nittany's place which is open to all that post on this board......
I live in Lakewood Ranch, which is technically part of Bradenton, just the part east of I-75. It’s a nice growing community, about 45 minutes to an hour south of Tampa. Just about everyone here is from somewhere else, so they’re just about all pretty friendly. I can get to downtown St. Pete in just over 30 minutes in the mornings. We are about a half hour from the beaches, but we don’t mind it. It just depends on how important that is to you.
bwifan
Well-Known Member
A little more info would be helpful... do you want to be on the water? GOM or an inlet to the gulf? Golf course? What are your hobbies and like to do's? Do you want condo/townhouse or single family lot?
Personally think Ft. Myers is too far from Tampa, I live South of Ft. Myers toward Naples. Would never want to live in North Ft. Myers, for those of you familiar. North Fort Myers is like North Philly, dodge the bullets. South Ft. Myers is nice with lots of new home construction and plenty of shopping, restaurants and activities, that is when we have activities. probably too far from Tampa though, if unfamiliar with the highways, just follow I 75. Yes, I 75, also the hurricane evacuation route, something to think about. In 12 years we have only had to leave once for hurricane Irma.
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Check out Dunedin. Small town with great downtown. Many restaurants, brewerries, and artsy shops.
http://visitdunedinfl.com
http://visitdunedinfl.com
bwifan
Well-Known Member
Why? They’re dropping like flies from COVID-19 down there. A real ASS. BEATING..
WRONG. ANSWER.
bwifan
Well-Known Member
Have friends from PA who live in Sarasota and love it. Looks like a cool small beach town still. Haven't been to Sarasota since the late '70s and when my great grandparents were retired there.
It's probably the size of Jupiter (around 65K), but Jupiter includes the Farms, so it's probably bigger area wise. I'm lucky I really live in Juno (4K). I detest Indiantown Rd. and the traffic. When I moved here I think there were 4 lights on that road. Now there must be 20.
bwifan
Well-Known Member
I am always amazed when I come up your way how little traffic there is but I talk to locals and they all hate the traffic. I have just gotten used to the Ft Lauderdale area and how packed it is anymore. Delray Beach is becoming that way. Only open space left is out west past the turnpike. It's not too bad right now bad for summer its crowded as many of the NYC folks who came for the winter never left due to Covid. Heard there is a 6 month wait minimum for anyone trying to get a full house generator put in... companies are swamped with requests from northerners looking to install full home generators.
I've been in Pompano a lot this week on a playground installation. Not that bad a drive - under an hour. I used to tell people interested in moving here to stay north of PGA Blvd. Now I just tell them Hobe Sound or Jensen Beach!
bwifan
Well-Known Member
Exactly and some of those places you can get a great deal real estate wise all the way up to Flagler Beach. Delray Beach is just booming real estate wise. Talking to many friends who are builders and real estate agents and been barely a blip. Many northerners looking to move south. Driving prices up through the roof. Juno and Jupiter I would imagine have to be the same....
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Bonita Springs is nice but too far to Tampa, I live just outside of Bonita. Occasionally we will drive to Sarasota, 90 minutes, they have a nice shopping area, St. Armen's circle.
Where a mask? First you find out where the mask is, then you wear it wherever you go.
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