My husband and myself (late 50's) are living in south Louisiana and were caught up in the Katrina storm. We are considering relocating to a community in Florida. Because there are so many active adult communities to consider, I am asking for suggestions on places we can visit that would suit our needs. We love the outdoors and really enjoy fine dining. We travel often and would like to be near an airport. Would also like to be near good medical facilities. We do love the coast but are really burnt out on dealing with storms. Would be willing to spend up to $500,000 for a nice place. We are planning a trip out to Florida and will use your suggestions to determine the route we should take. Appreciate any help you can give us.

I'm not sure Florida is the best place to go if you are 'burnt out on dealing with storms! One area or another of Florida seems to get there (unfair) share of hurricanes.

That said, if you are bent on FL, considering your other likes, you may want to consider Jacksonville or Gainesville.

Belle

Would you consider the southwest instead? Lots of people seem very happy to retire to Arizona, for example.

The Villages near or in Ocala seems to be getting a lot of attention lately.

Gosh, there are so many here, I wish I could be more helpful. But if you like fine dining, you'll find nothing here like the food in New Orleans.

Your best airports for connections to major cities will be Jax, Tampa, Orlando, Miami and a few other cities near Miami (w. Palm).

I think Tampa has some really terrific restaurants. But I live here so my opinion might be a little clouded.

My cousin just moved from Sun City near Hilton Head (which is a great place for retirees) to The Villages. He loves the activities offered there, and the lower taxes are a plus!

I, myself, am moving from Ft. Lauderdale to Sun City HH because I'm sick and tired of the crowded conditions in South Florida. Too many people here. You may want to consider looking at the SunCity.com website because they have communities all over the U.S. and provide great communities.

Hello kmd - We moved to "The Villages" in Central Florida after 33 years in southwestern Connecticut. I really didn't want to leave....and now I wish I had done it much sooner. This is a very active community with a great lifestyle and many amenities. We're about 1 1/2 hrs. from both coasts, Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa. We have shuttle service to the Orlando airport for us and our guests, but prefer to hire private drivers for convenience sakes when we travel.

For "serious" shopping we go to Orlando or Tampa but national chains are continuously moving into our area as are new restaurants. Obviously, you won't find "big city" dining and theater here, but we do have our very own Philharmonic Orchestra and a plethora of entertainment, clubs and sports with emphasis on golf. This is a golf cart community which is great at this time of high gas prices ;-)

Have a look at www.thevillages.com
If possible, take advantage of their offer to put you up. It's a great deal. We were always in 2 BR houses, easily accommodating 4 people. I'd be very happy to answer any further questions.

Thanks everyone for your responses. We will definitely take a look at the Villages in Ocala

Just don't expect to still see horse farms in Ocala!
http://www.tampatrib.com/MGB7CWQ3PEE.html
Good luck with your relo!

I live in the North Central Florida area, and while the Villages has a lot going for it, I recommend you look around the area thoroughly before making a decision. Many people I've met wish they had done so before buying at the Villages. That doesn't mean you won't still pick the Villages, but at least you'll see what else is out there. The Villages have such an incredible advertising and marketing machine that it's easy to overlook other places.

Postal: Being from the area could you possibly suggest some other places that I might look into. Would appreciate suggestions from someone in that area. Thanks.

Hi

Del Webb has some communities in Florida and one near The Villages is called Spruce Creek Country Club. The community just north of The Villages toward Ocala and is beautiful and offers many amenities.

Somehow I hit eh post button before I was finished. You can find Spruce Creek and other 55 plus communities using Google by searching retirement communities.

Have you thought about places like Sun City near Hilton Head SC? It's near Savannah, Ga which has an outstanding medical center. Hilton Head also has at least one small but very good hospital.