Tom

I was wondering if anyone could help me. I'm originally from Queens,NY now living in the Ft.Lauderdale area with my wife and 2 year old son.We have lived here for 3 years and have come to the conclusion that this is not the place to raise a family. Everything about South Florida stinks, from the rude,obnoxious people to the horrendous overcrowding. Not to mention the weather(10 months of dog day afternoons does take their toll on a person) the high crime and the fact that Floridians don't even know how to vote!! We are looking to move back to the northeast but not necessarily to NY. I have heard positive things about Pittsburgh and Providence,RI and would appreciate any information that would us make a decision. Such as what are the people like, the schools, is it a family friendly environment and so forth. We of course are going to visit these places first so any info that could help us would be appreciated. Thanks.

xxx

Didn't you already post this about a week ago? And didn't you get lots of responses? What's changed?

Jim

Tom, if you are thinking of Rhode Island at all please consider Tiverton RI. I lived there for about 8 years. It is just about the furthest you can get south east in RI. It borders Fall River and Wesport Massachusetts and also has some wonderful hidden beaches. It's a very small town about 8000 people. Are you renting or buying a home? Another town in RI is little compton but homes are quite pricey there. These towns are not too far from Newport. It's just a hop, skip and a jump over a bridge and in 20 minutes you are there. We loved it there but it depends on what your tastes are.

melissa

sorry you don't like south florida. i grew up here and think it is a perfectly wonderful place, aside from the various things that have been going on recently.

i moved to NY but only stayed there 2 months because it was terribly dreary in winter and the people were WAY ruder than in south florida. (btw, most of the really rude people in south florida happen to be from new york; no offense directly to you since i don't know you. the major crowding happens in oct-may when all the northerners are down here. )

i (and others) find the weather perfectly enjoyable, especially come "winter" when everyone up north is buried under snow and is stuck inside w/ cabin fever. that is the time of year when we really enjoy the outdoors here. you can't beat year-round palm trees, blue skies, and sunshine.

so for those possibly considering moving to florida, it's a nice place. on the other hand, maybe i should keep that a secret

gail

The endless debate about northeast and Florida as place to live rages between my brother (WPB area) and me (Boston area). The northeast winters will demoralize you faster than the heat of Florida, in my opinion. Housing prices in the northeast have gone up dramatically in the few years since you have lived here. But the northeast rarely has weather that can kill you (hurricaines, tornados).

I love Rhode Island - Providence is now a decent city (unlike when I lived there 25 years ago) and there are many nice towns within an easy drive.

Seems to me that job considerations and proximity to extended family might enter into the decision. But life is too short to live in a place you hate. Just don't fall into the "grass is always greener" trap.

Donna F

Tom, you should make up a list of questions based on your family's likes and dislikes. Check the local newspapers for lists of activities such as Little League, 4-H, theater, and music. Our son attended a regional high school and I'm not sure that school spirit is as high as you would find in local high school. I think you will also have to think about neighborhoods. We live in a rural area with a lot of woods. Our son enjoyed building tree forts, sledding and later snowmobiling and swimming in the river. We can let our children roam around when they are old enough. Long bike rides to the next town to visit friends was ok. We did not have to worry about child molestors but our son once surprised a moose while walking in the woods. With a regional school, it is harder to know the other parents but OTH certain youth activities include children from a wide area and families can make a wide range of friends. Extra-curricular activities that can include the whole family have been important to us. We have been an active 4-H family but do not own animals. 4-H appealed to me because the whole family could be involved. One summer we hosted a French teen who had never learned how to use a hammer nor seen an unpolluted river. I you like sports, look for a community with a good program AND be involved parents. Volunteer, whether it be coaching or running a hot dog stand. Have a home your child(ren) can bring their friends to. Be an active member of your community. Good luck in your quest.

Jen

My family, like Gail's, is in the midst of debates between New England and the WPB area. Those of us who live up north argue that when the weather's cold, you can still go outdoors comfortably -- just bundle up! But when the weather's hot and HUMID, there's nothing you can do about it to make the outdoors comfortable. Our Prividenec contingent just loves it.

Tom

Well thanks everyone for the replies.
I think Melissa that you would agree that the congestion and the development of strip malls on every block are becoming increasingly worse. I have talked to native Floridians and most of
them are worried about the overcrowding
and overdevelopment.Blame it on the corruption or ineptitude of the local state workers all this is true and more. From the Oliphant elections debacle to missing children out of the DCF.This state is a laughing joke to the rest of the country. As far as people being rude, I agree that there
are a lot of transplanted NYers down
here, but I think this hot humid weather
makes people more impatient and hostile.
Add the congestion of all these cars on
the road(nobody uses public transportation down here)the horrible driving etiquette of everybody and I
think you get the idea. Believe me melissa there is no secret, despite
all the problems this area has it still
attract more than 300 thousand people
have moved down her since last year.
Good Luck.




lived here

DeeDee

Yes, Tom, as a local who has lived here all my life I can tell you that your complaining will not be missed. We are so glad you know how to do it better up North. Yes, we know it's hot and we figured you knew that too before you moved down. Please don't let the "Welcome To Georgia" sign hit you on the ass on the way out of Florida.

xxx

ha ha Dee dee. Tom can go back norht and pay state income taxes and dig himself out of two feet of snow while we have a tropical drink and hope for the rest of his rude yankee friends to follow.

true

Take away the humidity and florida is alabama with more ignorant local rednecks.imagine florida without tourism and retired seniors. Oh,thats right,you have the cuban refugees to support the economy.

DeeDee

Yes True, that is correct in that we are all ignorant rednecks. Is that why you and your family vacation here every year?

If you had a sudden influx of southerners to your New Jersey home and all they would talk about is how much better things are up north, you would also be a little fed up. I'm not talking one or two but a lot of people.

I hope you enjoy your retirement in the tundra.

true

Who said anything about vacationing there every year. Many other places to retire than Florida.Again,ignorance.

xxx

I currently live in New England but spent 6 straight years +8 summers (staying with relatives when I was a kid) in Florida. I much prefer NE but it does have it's drawbacks. The weather is harsh and dangerous (excluding Andrew, driving in snow is more dangerous than waiting for a hurricane to hit), I find people much more urde in NE, if you live anywhere remotely metropolitan, traffic sucks, the roads are bad, taxes are high (but wages are also), property is expensive (but the appreciation rate is high).

The good things are:
Schools are much better, medical care is much better, there is more art/culture/architecture, etc., there is a greater density of quality colleges, more research jobs in the tech/medical sector, much more liberal (not necessarily better or worse - depends on you), diverse seasons - you can swim/boat in the summer and ski/snowmobile in the winter, change of seasons...

I like certain things about both but feel more at home in NE. It really depends on you but I think the medical/eductaion/financial opportunities make it better to raise a family but Florida is nice when you want a break from it all.

One thing many friends from the South say when they visit up north is that life in the South seems to stand still once you've experienced DC,Jersey,NYC, Boston. That can be good or bad, depends what you like...

Wefferman

Keep out of Northern New England...we want to keep it a secret! (lol!)

Tom

Whoa DeDe and triple xxx, sorry to knock
your town but Iam just speaking the truth. True you can knock back tropical
drinks on some terrace overlooking the
intercoastal and not give a damn about
anything.But if you worry about the
quality of life and education for a
child, South Florida is a bottom of the
list state.