[Alfisti]

Stay home. Starting from scratch with no family and new friends can leave you feeling empty.

[///MPhatic]

Give me NC and mountains for sure. The climate, the people, no hurricanes, and a host of other fantastic things. That's my spot when I retire.

[Sedan_Clan]

For those living in Florida, what are the major considerations for someone looking to move there (…e.g. a pros/cons list)……especially as it relates to coming from California. I have about 15 years left on the job; my lady has about 9 years left. Both of us are itching to leave the political climate here, but we'll admittedly miss the geography. We're heading to Miami in September to survey the scene a bit, but we aren't looking to move to Miami specifically.

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

For those living in Florida, what are the major considerations for someone looking to move there (…e.g. a pros/cons list)……especially as it relates to coming from California. I have about 15 years left on the job; my lady has about 9 years left. Both of us are itching to leave the political climate here, but we'll admittedly miss the geography. We're heading to Miami in September to survey the scene a bit, but we aren't looking to move to Miami specifically.

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

For those living in Florida, what are the major considerations for someone looking to move there (…e.g. a pros/cons list)……especially as it relates to coming from California. I have about 15 years left on the job; my lady has about 9 years left. Both of us are itching to leave the political climate here, but we'll admittedly miss the geography. We're heading to Miami in September to survey the scene a bit, but we aren't looking to move to Miami specifically.

Do you have kids? How old are you? Do you want nightlife or relaxing/quiet? Florida is much easier to navigate than California since it's smaller - for me anyway - you could move to a growing market and travel your butts off around the state just seeing what it has to offer - but just be prepared for a tougher weather climate… theres a reason why many athletes train here…

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

For those living in Florida, what are the major considerations for someone looking to move there (…e.g. a pros/cons list)……especially as it relates to coming from California. I have about 15 years left on the job; my lady has about 9 years left. Both of us are itching to leave the political climate here, but we'll admittedly miss the geography. We're heading to Miami in September to survey the scene a bit, but we aren't looking to move to Miami specifically.

Political climate is a great pro if you're looking to leave California's. I would be more interested in Tampa or the panhandle well before South Florida if it's the coast you are after. I just got back from the Miami area for work and could not wait to get the heck out of there. I prefer a slower pace and that was warp speed with old-rich-guy undertones and blue moves.

Humidity is real. I still haven't been able to discern why I bathe. I'm sticky with sweat in less than five minutes.

Beach is a pro or a con depending on who you are. I don't care for the beach, so I'm glued to the pool which could be had anywhere, so no benefit for me.

North and inland Florida is drastically different than anything on the coast. The beaches in the Big Bend area are reminiscent of what living in Florida would have been like in the '60s-'70s. Slow paced and gratefully missing Margaritaville and zip lines. Check out Cape San Blas or St. George Island if you don't need an airbrushed T-shirt.

I miss elevation and going on hikes. We have a fantastic trail system in my area that is great for feet and bicycles alike with incredible oaks and their Spanish Moss. At the end of the day, we're just walking through a defined path through a swamp. You had mentioned missing the geography of your area - once you spend some time here you'll really miss it.

[FrankMstein]

CLT is the poop but don't move here...you will be considered a "half back", wanted FLA but moved halfway back to NY...the roads are shit and people CAN'T drive. I considered ATL and BNA but CLT is a mini ATL. BNA is too redneck and I'm from Knoxville, and that is saying something. A LOT of banking money here so Cars and Coffee here is nuckin futs. South end is 5-20 story apartments of under 30 somethings walking the streets and 10-15 restaurants/bars /sqmi.

[natedog7700]

Originally Posted by Suds

How much longer are you and your wife looking to work?
Are you near done or just getting started?

We are both in our 20s so I'd say we got a while yet!

[GERMAN M3]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

Give me NC and mountains for sure. The climate, the people, no hurricanes, and a host of other fantastic things. That's my spot when I retire.

I’m with you on that one ///MPhatic . Wife and I were thinking somewhere around Greenville,S.C. or Asheville N.C. when we retire. However, based upon the survey I would tend to go with Charleston.

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

For those living in Florida, what are the major considerations for someone looking to move there (…e.g. a pros/cons list)……especially as it relates to coming from California. I have about 15 years left on the job; my lady has about 9 years left. Both of us are itching to leave the political climate here, but we'll admittedly miss the geography. We're heading to Miami in September to survey the scene a bit, but we aren't looking to move to Miami specifically.

What you two need to do is come out here and stay with a bunch of us. We’re all over the state so you’d get a good sampling of different areas.

Like CA, Florida is a large state and pretty diverse, except in the elevation category. We are in Flagler Beach, pop 5k, half way between Daytona and St. Aug. I like the small town. I don’t golf so didn’t need to be near a big course or club. Plenty to do here, and all the big city stuff is within 90 minutes (Jax to the north, Orlando SW).

Negatives are the heat (but that is the same pretty much anywhere in the southern states) and humidity (which can be hard to adjust to). I wash my car by hand but it can be difficult to get it dry! We do most outdoor stuff in the morning and indoor stuff in the afternoon, just like folks in AZ. In winter the climate is really nice all day.

It is a red state now politically, but with lots of blue areas. Cities with lots of entertainment and quiet little towns. Water (lakes, gulf, ocean) and dry land. Lots of choices in FL.

Health care in FL is pretty good, with several excellent hospitals and lots of good docs. Who wouldn’t want to practice here?

It is a low elevation state with hurricane exposure. Look up the 100 year hurricane maps (that helped us choose this part of the state). Insurance costs are rising, partly because of the perceived hurricane risk increasing but probably more because of roof scams and litigation.

For reference, we moved here from KY, but I’ve previously lived in MI, OR, CA and NH (as an adult, other states as a youth). I am retired, we chose FL for retirement living. I’m not sure how I’d like working full time here, probably about like anywhere else.

[Conissah]

Lived in Charlotte for 4 years, have a house just outside of Charlotte now. While I definitely miss the busy-ness of the city and the hustle and bustle, walking the streets, bar hopping, great food, etc, it's nice being in a quiet place that's 25 minutes from center city (called Uptown for some dumbass reason). The CLT area is awesome given the location, 2-3 hours from the mountains and 2-3 hours from the beach, it's great. As I get older, only 25 now, I want more and more land further and further away from people, and the quiet and stillness of the mountains is always tempting. Asheville is a great area to visit, not sure I'd want to live there though.

Places just outside of CLT that are popular and should be cheaper for housing would be Concord, Harrisburg, Davidson/Huntersville/Mooresville, Denver/Iron Station, Mt Holly, Indian Trail, Tega Cay SC, Rock Hill SC, and Fort Mill SC. I would avoid Gastonia and Salisbury area due to crime.

[e90335e36m3]

Originally Posted by Conissah

Lived in Charlotte for 4 years, have a house just outside of Charlotte now. While I definitely miss the busy-ness of the city and the hustle and bustle, walking the streets, bar hopping, great food, etc, it's nice being in a quiet place that's 25 minutes from center city (called Uptown for some dumbass reason). The CLT area is awesome given the location, 2-3 hours from the mountains and 2-3 hours from the beach, it's great. As I get older, only 25 now, I want more and more land further and further away from people, and the quiet and stillness of the mountains is always tempting. Asheville is a great area to visit, not sure I'd want to live there though.

Places just outside of CLT that are popular and should be cheaper for housing would be Concord, Harrisburg, Davidson/Huntersville/Mooresville, Denver/Iron Station, Mt Holly, Indian Trail, Tega Cay SC, Rock Hill SC, and Fort Mill SC. I would avoid Gastonia and Salisbury area due to crime.

Davidson is not cheap.

Waxhaw, Ballantyne, Weddington are nice areas as well, but expensive.

[Conissah]

Originally Posted by e90335e36m3

Davidson is not cheap.

Waxhaw, Ballantyne, Weddington are nice areas as well, but expensive.

Cheap-ER than the nice areas of Charlotte. The Davidson area is awesome. If I made more money that's where the wife and I would be, no questions asked.

[floridaorange]

You could also move to Tybee Island, GA

Or Hilton Head, SC….

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Do you have kids? How old are you? Do you want nightlife or relaxing/quiet? Florida is much easier to navigate than California since it's smaller - for me anyway - you could move to a growing market and travel your butts off around the state just seeing what it has to offer - but just be prepared for a tougher weather climate… theres a reason why many athletes train here…

I don't have any children, but she has two: one currently at a U.C. and the other entering high school in another year. She basically wants to "usher them both off into adulthood" before she leaves the state. I'm in my very early 40's and I tend to cruise under the radar. I want relaxation and quiet; she feels the same way. Neither of our professions really allow us to have an off switch (…she's the general counsel for a big government agency, so she's basically on-call 24/7……and it never ends!!!!), so the quieter, the better.

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

Political climate is a great pro if you're looking to leave California's. I would be more interested in Tampa or the panhandle well before South Florida if it's the coast you are after. I just got back from the Miami area for work and could not wait to get the heck out of there. I prefer a slower pace and that was warp speed with old-rich-guy undertones and blue moves.

Humidity is real. I still haven't been able to discern why I bathe. I'm sticky with sweat in less than five minutes.

Beach is a pro or a con depending on who you are. I don't care for the beach, so I'm glued to the pool which could be had anywhere, so no benefit for me.

North and inland Florida is drastically different than anything on the coast. The beaches in the Big Bend area are reminiscent of what living in Florida would have been like in the '60s-'70s. Slow paced and gratefully missing Margaritaville and zip lines. Check out Cape San Blas or St. George Island if you don't need an airbrushed T-shirt.

I miss elevation and going on hikes. We have a fantastic trail system in my area that is great for feet and bicycles alike with incredible oaks and their Spanish Moss. At the end of the day, we're just walking through a defined path through a swamp. You had mentioned missing the geography of your area - once you spend some time here you'll really miss it.

Thanks for that insight. It is very helpful.

Interesting, the choice to go to Miami was done on a whim. We probably should've chosen Tampa or a similar area. I'll be sure to check out Cape San Blas or St. George Island as well.


I've only been to Florida once as a child (…Kennedy Space Center, Disney World/Epcot, etc) and I do remember the humidity being insane.

Originally Posted by 2000cs

What you two need to do is come out here and stay with a bunch of us. We're all over the state so you'd get a good sampling of different areas.

Like CA, Florida is a large state and pretty diverse, except in the elevation category. We are in Flagler Beach, pop 5k, half way between Daytona and St. Aug. I like the small town. I don't golf so didn't need to be near a big course or club. Plenty to do here, and all the big city stuff is within 90 minutes (Jax to the north, Orlando SW).

Negatives are the heat (but that is the same pretty much anywhere in the southern states) and humidity (which can be hard to adjust to). I wash my car by hand but it can be difficult to get it dry! We do most outdoor stuff in the morning and indoor stuff in the afternoon, just like folks in AZ. In winter the climate is really nice all day.

It is a red state now politically, but with lots of blue areas. Cities with lots of entertainment and quiet little towns. Water (lakes, gulf, ocean) and dry land. Lots of choices in FL.

Health care in FL is pretty good, with several excellent hospitals and lots of good docs. Who wouldn't want to practice here?

It is a low elevation state with hurricane exposure. Look up the 100 year hurricane maps (that helped us choose this part of the state). Insurance costs are rising, partly because of the perceived hurricane risk increasing but probably more because of roof scams and litigation.

For reference, we moved here from KY, but I've previously lived in MI, OR, CA and NH (as an adult, other states as a youth). I am retired, we chose FL for retirement living. I'm not sure how I'd like working full time here, probably about like anywhere else.

More great insight. I think I'll definitely plan a trip there and catch up with a bunch of you guys/gals who reside there. Getting the 411 from those living the life there is definitely important, especially since retirement living will be the priority.

[e90335e36m3]

Originally Posted by Conissah

Cheap-ER than the nice areas of Charlotte. The Davidson area is awesome. If I made more money that's where the wife and I would be, no questions asked.

I'd live there too, anywhere near water Is always great.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

What you two need to do is come out here and stay with a bunch of us. We’re all over the state so you’d get a good sampling of different areas.

Like CA, Florida is a large state and pretty diverse, except in the elevation category. We are in Flagler Beach, pop 5k, half way between Daytona and St. Aug. I like the small town. I don’t golf so didn’t need to be near a big course or club. Plenty to do here, and all the big city stuff is within 90 minutes (Jax to the north, Orlando SW).

Negatives are the heat (but that is the same pretty much anywhere in the southern states) and humidity (which can be hard to adjust to). I wash my car by hand but it can be difficult to get it dry! We do most outdoor stuff in the morning and indoor stuff in the afternoon, just like folks in AZ. In winter the climate is really nice all day.

It is a red state now politically, but with lots of blue areas. Cities with lots of entertainment and quiet little towns. Water (lakes, gulf, ocean) and dry land. Lots of choices in FL.

Health care in FL is pretty good, with several excellent hospitals and lots of good docs. Who wouldn’t want to practice here?

It is a low elevation state with hurricane exposure. Look up the 100 year hurricane maps (that helped us choose this part of the state). Insurance costs are rising, partly because of the perceived hurricane risk increasing but probably more because of roof scams and litigation.

For reference, we moved here from KY, but I’ve previously lived in MI, OR, CA and NH (as an adult, other states as a youth). I am retired, we chose FL for retirement living. I’m not sure how I’d like working full time here, probably about like anywhere else.

This plus no state income taxes and much lower cost of real estate than California. You can still spend a lot, particularly around cities but California is in a different league price-wise.

Somewhat negative if you consider it one is that there is a major population difference between summer and winter. Everyone is here is winter, especially from the northeast (east coast of FL) and Midwest (west coast of FL). The weather is awesome but everywhere you go is crowded, with quite a few annoying people.

Traffic in places like Miami is insane but suppose that it’s no worse than California. There are no vehicle inspections here so that increases the chance of someone running their beater into you.

Because of the climate, landscaping / gardening is a lot different here, especially in south Florida. Lots of stuff grows here, but lots won’t survive the heat and humidity. Northern Florida is a different growing zine with more choices.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

This plus no state income taxes and much lower cost of real estate than California. You can still spend a lot, particularly around cities but California is in a different league price-wise.

Somewhat negative if you consider it one is that there is a major population difference between summer and winter. Everyone is here is winter, especially from the northeast (east coast of FL) and Midwest (west coast of FL). The weather is awesome but everywhere you go is crowded, with quite a few annoying people.

Traffic in places like Miami is insane but suppose that it's no worse than California. There are no vehicle inspections here so that increases the chance of someone running their beater into you.

Because of the climate, landscaping / gardening is a lot different here, especially in south Florida. Lots of stuff grows here, but lots won't survive the heat and humidity. Northern Florida is a different growing zine with more choices.

This is important to me because I want my pension/deferred compensation to take me much further than it would in California. I would be okay here, but I would be even better in a state with less taxation.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

This is important to me because I want my pension/deferred compensation to take me much further than it would in California. I would be okay here, but I would be even better in a state with less taxation.

Lots of people move here for the same reason, especially from NY / Northeast.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by GERMAN M3

I’m with you on that one ///MPhatic . Wife and I were thinking somewhere around Greenville,S.C. or Asheville N.C. when we retire. However, based upon the survey I would tend to go with Charleston.

I haven't picked the exact spot yet, I just know I like that area. Charleston seems nice.

[FrankMstein]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

The last place I had in Atlanta was just south of Mercedes Benz Stadium, large groups of people would drive around on small motorcycles and quads and create quite the chaos. Hence the move an hour east to a small town and a little quiet.

They do that in CLT as well.

[tcphoto]

Sorry to hear. All the lofts that I lived in around downtown Atlanta were filled with these hip hop/rapper wannabes, the experience of living in a cool building turned sour and I left the city. A quiet Sunday would be disturbed by the quad groups and the loud music set.

[Turkish Pickle]

I'm in my 20s but I wouldn't move to any of those... all seem like boring places!

I guess though if your options are as follows I'd say Nashville. Atlanta was kinda boring, havent been to either NC/SC.
Bad to generalize I know but cars with Florida plates driving around Chicagoland strike me as simpler people, so I wouldn't go there.

But I also wouldn't move to "the south" unless a huge pay bump, so I guess my answer doesn't really count