Really depends on what part you live in. Interior Florida can be a hell hole. Some of the towns around Lake Okochobee are impoverished and remind me of the Last Picture Show.
I live in Plantation, it's nice, but more crowded than I'd like.
I mean, I went running today in 84 degree weather, on Thanksgiving. Can't complain about that.
I'm from Northern California. I spent a month in Florida years ago, so I'm not sure how credible my criticism is. The place is unbelievably boring. It's flat. I mean flat. On every run I did the only elevation change was on freeway overpasses. Not a mountain, or even a hill, on the horizon. And the humidity was unbearable. Lots of black snakes, bugs, mosquitos and alligators, but none of that Southern hospitality I had heard so much of. No one seemed to have a zest for life. The political landscape speaks for itself. I couldn't wait to get home to the undulating landscape of Northern California.
Whenever I come down here to visit my boomer family members it's just suburban wasteland, traffic and oppressive heat/humidity. Plus all the Trumpers down here rolling coal, I regret everytime I have to come down here.
Good. Dont come. I direct access to a 10,000 acre nature preserve less than a mile from my front door that has miles and miles of running, hiking and cycling trails. I can ride out of my driveway, in 1/10 of a mile, I can be in a bike lane and still in my neighborhood. Less than two miles later, I have access to a 15 foot wide bike path that I can take north, South, east or west for over 100 miles and never have to ride on the road.
Yeah let's have a regressive tax system and screw over the poor in our society than make the rich pay their fair share to this country.
Please define fair share? 50%, 60%, 90%? The real problem is people who TAKE more than their fair share.
Alright Ben Shapiro wannabe, republican Jesus you worship (not the actual Jesus in the bible) must be so proud of you for screwing over the poor. Remember the actual Jesus in the bible said it's easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for the rich to get into heaven. But a fair tax rate for the rich can never be high enough since profit is theft from the workers who create the wealth through their work.
I am late 30's but have been thinking about where to retire and as much as I hate the cold, I just can't fit Florida into the puzzle. Despite some cool spots, the state just lacks character. It's a microcosm of the rest of the US but I seem to find more interesting culture in pretty much every other state. I may consider a 2-4 month lease if that's a thing and if I can afford it, but may end up somewhere not as manufactured.
What does Florida actually produce? People just want to chill there or have vacation homes. Thus they inject their capital into the state to build their vacation home, spend their money in the local economy etc. Businesses go to Miami, same deal.
It’s nice to visit for 2-3 weeks in the winter, but living there must be boring as hell. Endless sprawl, food chains, etc.
DeSantis-ites or Trumpers acting like it is some holy land success story is simply hilarious. The amount of money they will cost the US over the next 100 years might be in the 100s of billions.
There are many reasons the Tampa Bay Area is the fifth fastest growing area in the country.
We covered taxes, weather, and some of the best beaches in the country. Some of the cheapest in-state public university tuition, with a top 5 public university.
Three great pro sports teams, I only go to Lightning games.
St. Petersburg is quite progressive with museums, James Beard award restaurants, and a 40 mile dual purpose paved trail stretching the entire county. Cathie Wood just moved the Ark headquarters here. Raymond James is also headquartered here. Running 365 days per year, even though 150 of them are humid, it beats 20 degrees. I get to drive my sports car on summer tires all year.
Interior FL is bad, and 45 minutes from any city gets very redneck. St. Pete has also become very expensive. Not quite CA housing prices, but pretty much $1M for a decent 2,500 sq ft house on a nice area of St. Pete, Clearwater, or Dunedin. $2 million for a beachfront vacant lot. You have to go north or east of Tampa to get something decent in the half million range unless you want to live in a rough part of town, and that defeats the purpose of living in FL.
I don’t have a opinion either way, but isn’t Florida ground zero for the biggest liberal company in the world? And isn’t it why why most people go there?
Whenever I come down here to visit my boomer family members it's just suburban wasteland, traffic and oppressive heat/humidity. Plus all the Trumpers down here rolling coal, I regret everytime I have to come down here.
There are a lot of nice parts of Florida. Suburban sprawl is ugly, but most places in the US have that issue now.
Weather is often nice.
Boating on either side of the peninsula.
Tampa and Miami are interesting cities. Jacksonville is not bad.