Questions about Florida????

[NocturnalDaze]

We're thinking of moving to Florida so I was wondering where the best area would be to live there.

Right now we live in New England (Taxachusetts to be more precise). We like Florida for the lower housing costs, warm weather all year long, therefore less money to spend on clothes. Seems like less to spend on things in general there.

So, how do you like the state in general. What area has lowest crime rate, good schools (maybe Montessori) houses that are not right on top of each other.

My DH just got his certificate for HVAC. How's the job market down ther for that field??

Any other helpful info would be appreciated!!

[earthpapi]

wow i am moving back to florida soon hopefully i love it there. me i am moving back to tampa because that is where i was born and wwhere my family lives. well actually i may not move to tampa but north of it called lutz. i like that area but have not been there in a couple of years my family says it is still nice and still a great place. HVAC is a great feild i work with HVAC all the time. I went to a couple of carrier classes i like it. i would think florida would be a great place for that job. well hopefully everything works out and i know i was no help i just cannot wait to move back. :hat :nod

[earthpapi]

:duh i cannot believe i forgot to mention the greatest thing about florida. THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANNEERS!!!!!!:thumb

[Avonlea]

Warning..I have nothing good to say about florida..skip this postif you don't want tohear what I think!

I lived in florida for about six years,and I HATED every single minute of it.

Why?

Florida is Hot, muggy, humid and HOT.

Florida is CROWDED with people. The crime rate is rather high. Houses are available..why just today I am sure another acre or so of valuable swamp land is being drained so some contractor can make tons of money to build McMansions on it...

Insects. Do you like insects, snakes, lizards , and Cockroaches?

Are you prepared to store ALL of your dry goods in seperate and closed containers..to put your plates/cups / and bowls UPSIDE down in the cupboards so GIANT COCKROACHES do not crawl in them ????

How do you feel about fire ants? Do you know what fire ants are? If not,ASK so you do not find out the HADR way what thye are..like some of us have had to do.

Do you enjoy humidity that lasts and lasts for MONTHS and does not pass after a fifteen minute rainstorm..

How do you handle pollen? Because there is PLENTY of it in florida. Gobs of it will land on your home, vehicle and everyother exposed thing on the planet a few times a year. I am not exxagerating..you will have a quarter inch layer of pollen on your car one day..and it will be sticky and gross.

Florida is NOT all Disney land, I promise. It is not all tree lined streets and pretty stucco houses.

I had no idea what we were getting into when we moved there, and when we left my step dad peed on the "welcome to florida " sign. Not the most mature act..I am sure..but it truley expressed the way we felt.

There are places there wherre if you happen to be anything except the following: White, white and southern and white..you had best just not even stop .Just keep driving.

One time my sister and step dad stopped in a conveniance store on a little back road. The clerk made the balck patrons move over so the "little white girl" could pay for her soda first.

There was a town called Jay, with a sign that said" welcome to Jay..*****rs be gone by sunset". This was in the late nineties that I saw this sign.

Now..that being said..there are folks who movve to florida and love it..and more power to them..but you need to know that Florida is not a great place..In my opinion.

I am not sure how you feel about certain beliefs..for instance. Santa rosa county, I think , has the highest number of churches per capita of any county in the state...and there are MANY towns where the very fundamentalist SCARY church runs the town.

It is an ODD place, and it takes a lot of getting used to.
I never could, even after six years...and I have NEVER set foot back there since.

I will not even begin to tell you the numberr of times I was told" yankee go home".

So, no, nothing positive from me about that place..sorry.

As far as I am concerned..go to the tourist places, enjoy your trip..GO HOME.

If you want to move south..try, oh..tennesee, south Carolina....But please avoid florida. It is not a very good place to live IMOHO!!!!

[earthpapi]

sorry to hear about the negative times you had there. i guess the only thing i can say is that everyplace always has bad places. the only thing i can say is that all of florida is not like that. i personally love florida. i am in hawaii right now and i am ready to get out. i love it here but really want to be around family again.

[Avonlea]

hey, no biggie. And I even lived all over the north of the state..from Jacksonville to Pensacola..and never liked ANYTHING about the entire state except the Gulf of Mexico..that was it!

[earthpapi]

you know, thinking about it you are not the first to say something like that about north florida. someone told be something like that before and i just did not beleive them but wow maybe north florida is not so great after all. i have lived in tampa, and have family in west palm, ft lauderdaule, miami,plantation and all over south florida, never really had intrest to go to north florida, now i really have not interest. so i guess emysmum stay away from north florida. but again just my $0.02

[El Casey S]

Avonlea and I have similar feelings about FL. Hate it! Consider it He--! My family has lived there since 1977 - mostly west Coast - which is better than the eastern coast, but still - the bugs, the heat, the traffic, the ignoramusi:eek. The lack of culture - Ft. A(?) in NE of FL is nifty, and Sarasota with the home of the circus and interesting architecture - but that's it! Houses all look the same, boxes - can't built too high, can't build to low! Sand bugs, grass is pointy, bushes are pointy, trees are pointy - no fluffy trees or soft grass. NO Fall, NO Spring . . . hate it!

[ladylee]

North Fla is so different than south. I lived in Miami-loved it, -but it's not for everyone, and it is very crowded and congested. I also spent a lot of time in New Smyrna Beach--which is a sleepy little beach town just south of Daytona. There are nice areas around there. I also like St. Augustine. The northern gulf (Panama City, Pensacola, etc.) is a little frightening to me-lots of military and fundamentalist religious groups, and lots of racism typically associated with the deep south. Yes, there are bugs. Yes, the heat and humidity are oppressive unless you are right on the water. I've found FLA attracts a lot of transients and people on the run from something. I wouldn't want to live inland, but if you live on the coast the population swells at spring break, vacation time,etc. And nobody knows how to drive--you always get stuck behind a retiree going 10 miles an hour. Forget it when the bridges go up on the intercoastal waterway and people are trying to leave/get to the beach. The coast is ridden with condomania--it's very difficult to find unspoiled beach, and in places like Daytona & New Smyrna they allow cars on the beach.

[Ms. Sisko]

I absolutely love TAMPA, FLORIDA - I will never live anywhere else again.

I have written like 10 "I love Florida, move here" PM's so I'm going to copy my post from one of them - please don't be offended that I didn't write it all out new for you!

BTW, Avonlea - I"m sorry you had such a horrid time here. Yes, it is hot, but I'm used to it. Yes, it is humid - I'm also used to that. Crime? Auto theft IS high in all of Florida, I'll give you that - but violent crime is VERY LOW compared to most areas or comparable size. Maybe you mean areas like Miami? BTW: I've got census and crime links if anyone is interested! I've got LOTS of links!

Just to let you know - if you have ANY SINGLE LITTLE questions about Tampa, Fl, feel free to PM me or email me or whatever.


Ok - the rest is going to be from a PM I wrote someone months ago:

I just wanted to let you know how much I love the Tampa Bay area! I was just lurking around, reading what people had to say about FLA and I CANNOT AT ALL relate! I've lived between Tampa Bay and Russia most of my life and have also lived in PA, GA - but never on the west coast. Also, I am in my early 20's so my knowledge of the school system is still pretty recent.

First off - Tampa is REAL. Much more real than West Palm, Jax or any of the East Coast of FLA. This is a very diverse area with people from all walks of life here. There are upscale areas and not so upscale area - just like any place - but I've never had a problem getting along with people from ALL areas. People are TRULY pretty accepting here. I also do not consider FLA a part of "the south." Yes, yes, it's SOUTH alright - but not like GA, SC, NC or even VA. No accents or all that! I don't really know what all to say...no religious fanatics - none of the stuff you see in the movies that take place in "the south."

It does get HOT. I'd say most people UNDERestimate just how hot it gets. Now, having been here 20+ years I AM used to it. I don't sweat in the summer but it is sticky - and yes - some will say that "the heat is worse than the humidity." They may be right. Oh, and yes, we do have big cockroaches. They aren't ALWAYS around - you'll get 5 or six in a year and they aren't always in your cupboards. At least not anywhere I've lived - and I grew up on a farm just south of Tampa.

BEACHES ARE BEAUTIFUL! I prefer west coast FLA beaches to east coast. Of course - I may be biased! There is something magnetic about the water - and once you give in and get in...you feel so at peace. The beaches around Tampa are clean, beautiful and you're greeted by the coolest, most diverse crowd on a Friday or Saturday night. Lots of families, as well.

My DP is from a Chicago suburb and has now been here in Tampa for 3 years. First off - he NEVER wants to go back up north, more specifically, he never wants to be in the Midwest again. He feels the people here are much more accepting and friendly but the weather alone is worth it. In fact, his father, step mother, uncle, aunt and a few various cousins followed and now all live in the Tampa Bay area. The only thing his family complains about is how slow paced everything is here compared to Chicago. I can only say - why rush? This is a very laid back and relaxed area. OK, maybe not during rush hour - but that's every city's story.

Now - the school system isn't so hot. To get a little specific for you - the average age here is probably 125. I truly don't mean to be disrespectful of the elder Floridians but we simply CANNOT get money for education around here because the older folks are not concerned with it. We can never get anything for education voted in. To get even more specific - Pinellas County (St. Pete/Clearwater) schools are much worse than Hillsborough County (Tampa) schools. There are more older folks in Pinellas County than young families and it shows in school funding. I had no problem, though, attending public school, graduating at 15 and going on to get my B.A. at 19. All with my start in public school in the Hillsborough County School district. I DID home school for the last year of high school, and while I am not aware of any difficulties in home schooling a younger child, I did so with NO problem and no hassles from the county. They simply met with my parents a few times, discussed things and made sure they knew what would be expected of me on County exams.

In my research surrounding the family I am trying to start - I discovered that in FLA it is law that a midwife is covered by insurance. I don't know much more than that.

As far as areas in Florida to consider - first, I've got to shout TAMPA! We are growing by LEAPS and BOUNDS. Crime here isn't like it looks when all grouped together. Violent crime is LOW here. I have never just heard gun shots as one person suggested they did in Ft. Meyers. I've never witnessed a violent crime and you don't hear about them on TV all the time as my DP said he did all the time in Illinois. I've never heard or experienced any hate crimes here as I have elsewhere. Now, car theft is said to be high here - and I don't doubt it - but I have never felt unsafe in Tampa.

Cost of living is LOW and there is NO state income tax. You may be surprised at the cost of the houses here compared to up north (if you come from a populated area). New homes in my area (described below) start at around 130,000$ for around 1600-1700sq ft. The cost only goes up in my area - but it's still MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE than where my DP comes from.

I live in an Area called "New Tampa" (33647) which is in north Tampa. It is very upscale, modern, brand new and filled with young professionals and young families. It's as close as Tampa gets to "suburbia." When I say upscale, I mean middle to upper class (if you like the whole "class" thing). It's just NICE here - and still just as diverse and laid back as the rest of the city. My DP works in downtown, which is a 20 minute interstate drive away. He works as a high level network engineer and has never had a problem finding a job - although he is sought after. If you have any specific questions about work in the Tampa Bay area - I can ask him for you! I've only worked in the arts so my advice there may not be what you need.

South of Tampa (but still very much a part of the "Tampa Bay Area") there are LOADS of great little communities. We have a great interstate system (with lots of traffic, yes - but it goes EVERYWHERE, LoL) so getting from place to place isn't hard. You say your DH prefers "woodsy" - and we've even got that in this area. Just north of us is Brooksville - which isn't very developed yet at all and it's even got rolling HILLS (a rarity here, I assure you!). I-75 runs RIGHT INTO IT so it's still easy to get to downtown. I REALLY want to live out there because it is rural but still so close to everything. I mean, when you go there, it's like you're a million miles away from everything. I can't explain it - it's great!

Also south of Tampa (and still right off I-75!) is a town called Wimauma which has the greatest community of people called "Sundance." The people out there own acres of land around their homes and most have horses and very mature landscaping - and while it's not as much of an "out there" feel as north of Tampa - it's an awesome place that I'd be proud to live.

Wow - I'm SO SORRY that I went on and on like that. I truly do love Tampa - and think it's a great place to grow up and to spend your adult life!!!!!! I don't think I could ever leave again!

Some links to help you on your search:

http://www.homestore.com - you can search NEW homes or older homes - even apartments (which Tampa has in abundance).

http://www.aptratings.com - if you plan on living in a Apt this is where you can read reviews.

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us - Florida Department of Law Enforcement

http://www.hcpafl.org - Hillsborough County Property Appraiser, you can search records here, too.

http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us - Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Again - I'm sorry I went so long. I can't sleep, was bored and LOVE to help! If you have ANY questions about Tampa or Florida in general - feel free to ask! I love hearing people are interested in being here - because I can relate!

[Missgrl]

Much of my family lives in Bradenton Fl.....my brother recently
just moved there with his family. I loved visiting there. The
beaches are beautiful. It is extrememly hot and muggy and tons
of biting bugs!
BUt I lived in Houston for 33 years so it seems the same to me!

moving this to the Florida forum now!:hippie

[mojomom]

I was born and raised in Florida you will soon discover we are a rare find in the Sunshine State. I hated living there the heat was not an issue really because it was all I knew. I was from South Florida and what I hated is that the pace is fast people are always coming here and then leaving, no one has any roots. There is no natural beauty left in Florida everything is landscaped and concrete. It is growing so fast I visit my family every year and there is some new shopping mall and the highway is being expanded yet again. The school system sucks everywhere in Florida I went to school there I know, they also just had a big deal about having to hold back a ton of seniors and kindergartners this year because they were so far behind. I do not liek that there is no season change, see I do put up with 6 months or more of winter for Spring, Summer and Fall. Rednecks every where and I can say that because my Father and all his buddies are Rednecks. Big trucks with huge lifts, swamp buggies in every other backyard. But I love the beach and still need to go to Florida once a year to get my fix. Don't think living in Florida is like visiting, being on vacation for ever does get old fast.

Also wanted to add if we ever moved back i would move to Northern Florida like Bradenton, they still have real trees there not just palm trees and the pace is slower. I lived in West Palm/ Royal Palm Beach. by the way.

[TranscendentalMom]

I have heard that Vero Beach (East Coast) is a really mellow nice town that is good for raising families. I also have a friend who just moved to Jupiter, FL and says it is so awesome. My parents live in Bonita Springs (near Naples) on the West Coast which is really nice but I don't think it is good for families - too many retirees.

[beachmama]

I have lived in Florida all my life and it wasn't until I moved away for three years to Kansas (which has the hottest summer's I have ever experienced!) that I realized the sentimental impact Florida has on me.

Maybe I see a different view, as I was raised in rural FL on a ranch with my grandparents where we had horses and cows and chickens and we stopped and stared if an unkown car passed by or drove up the lane.

Winters seemed colder when I was little, and we'd ride our horses miles and miles in the woods and forage for blueberries and oranges. We'd travel 15 minutes on the weekends to spend lazy days on very private beaches with no cars. (they still exist!)

I lived in New Smyrna Beach for awhile....I think someone mentioned it here...and it is a nice slow town. Alot of parrotheads..lol! Some places in Florida are very touristy, overgrown dirtly, construction everywhere.

There is still a very rural part of Florida. My grandparents ranch is gone, as they are gone, but the house still is surrounded by 1,000's of acres of unspoiled land, that probably won't be developed in my lifetime.

There are alot of little coastal towns that are still sleepy and don't want to wake up, and that is the reason you don't hear about them. You have to look for them!

alot of people move here because it is cheap, but you don't make that much at all. In fact the county that my husband works in pays the lowest wages in the state and he makes slighty above average and we struggle, even though our Mtg is only $600.

A woman I met bought a house here, but her husband has to go back to NY to make good money because he can't find decent work here.

I think HVAC is a good thing, dh has alot of friends that are in that field. Firefighters get paid well, or atleast are in demand here..

Sometimes Florida can be an acquired taste. It is hot and crowded and we have the biggest bugs ever! And squirrels and snakes will find there way in, and the ants..the hills pop up overnight, so stock up on fireant killer. But please don't complain about all those things when you move here, because you've been warned!

I look past all that, (mostly...lol!) because I love having the beach right near me and at the same time I have the natural rural areas near me too with large oak hammocks and shade and wildlife, etc. If I could only have my own little mountaintop with a little snow everyonce in awhile that'd be great!

[Lucky Charm]

I lived in South Florida for 23 years. I would have to agree with avolonlea and mojomom. I lived in a ft lauderdale suburb, then in west palm beach/royal palm beach suburb.

hot, muggy, rainy, lots and lots of bugs. the mention of seperate containers for food, flour sugar, etc is not an exaggeration. the traffic is awful, overcrowded, houses on top of each other. I am not a fan of the north east side either...jacksonville isnt the nicest, kwim? orlando can be ok, but with all the theme parks its overrideen with lots of people and tourists, and because its in the middle of the state, they dont get the ocean breezes, so its stagnant, kind of like a hot sweaty armpit.

good luck with your decision.

[Kelly71]

Emysmum,
I am leaving Massachusetts for FL as of July 1st. I will be in a Ft. Lauderdale suburb. I will let you know how it is as soon as I get settled. Feel free to PM me anytime.

Kelly:hippie

[mojomom]

Emysmum, I think this post just proved beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The funny thing is this post is a true taste of the opinions of people living in florida, If you polled a room of 20 Florida residents half would tell you its paradise on earth the other would tell you its hell.:D

Beachmama- Your description of your childhood sounded wonderful. The promblem is most people have to live in the city area to find work, if I knew I could give my children the childhood ou had in Florida I might consider moving back to be closer to my parents.I truly do miss the beach, it gets in your blood
:love

[saturnine25]

I lived in Northampton, MA, most of my life, and moved to FL when I was 21. Although I don't COMPLETELY despise it here, I did for the first 4 years (I've been here for 7). For me, it was culture shock. I can relate to much of what Avonlea is saying, but I also found that living here can be a positive experience, too. I live in the Tampa Bay area (St. Pete/Largo), and I really love this region (Seems like there's a lot of MDCers in Tampa, though, and not many over here). My biggest complaints w/FL are as follows:

*The educational system here is dismal. We are definitely going to homeschool dd if we are still here in a few years.
*Racist individuals and those afflicted w/ the "Good Old Boy" syndrome.
*An overall poor work ethic seen throughout all levels of commerce and industry.

What do I love about Florida? Hmmmmm..........

*Florida winters.
*Lower cost of living.
*I find the pace of life to be a bit more laid-back, which can sometimes be a very good thing.

There really is more, I just can't type it right now- my little one is waking up from her nap!

[beachmama]

Mojomom~ were you raised on the west coast?

I am on the east coast and we have our fair share of "rednecks" My father hunts locally and so do most of the men in our family..(the only time I eat meat..)

In high school we had the rednecks and the surfers and then we had the rednecks that surfed! Pretty much hunting and surfing..lol!

Unfortunately, my children aren't having my childhood..as I wish them to. I live in a little suburban area and my parents still live in the country. I want to find some land near them one day, or land anywhere...maybe not in FL. Maybe NC, or TN.

We visit my parents (who live on the same property as the old ranch) and they are surrounded by woods, but it just isn't the same without the working ranch there. There was always something for us to do.

[mojomom]

Beachmama- I spent the majority of my childhood in West Palm beach which is on the east side. I actually lived in a neighborhood right behind Palm Beach International Airport. Then when I was 13 we moved to Royal Palm beach and lived in an area called the acreage. Houses were spread apart by the minimum of 2.5 acres. Now Royal palm beach has grown at an unbelievable rate. When we moved there we had a Winn Dixie and Buger king. Now there is everything including a mall. We never lived in a slow paced area and we lived real close to Century Village which is snow bird suburbia. My parents still 10 years later do not understand how I could have left, they love it there.

[cinnamonamon]

I have to laugh at everyone saying the cost of living is so much better here! I guess it is all relative. I grew up in a bittie town between Lansing & Flint in Michigan, and the cost of living there was nice & reasonable.

I live in Bradenton now, and it took us 4 months to find a house in the $100,000 range that wasn't 800 sq.ft. and have 5 other houses on top of it. We had started out looking in Sarasota -- which is very pretty (landscaped pretty -- not natural pretty), but decided on Bradenton so we could have a bit of space. We're still in a subdivision, but it's a little one with "lakefront" property. Lakefront...that's funny. It is a pond about 75 feet wide by 300 feet long.... and then I visit my mom in MI and see her 5 ACRE POND...:LOL There are a few trees in the backyard that hide the other 10 houses clustered around the "lake."

After living in Sarasota in an apt. for the first year, I was ready to pull my hair out. I lived 5 miles from work and it took me 20 minutes to get there. I had not driven on a road less than 4 - 6 lanes in months, and I had not been able to stand outside anywhere and not see other people -- maybe that's because there are no hills in Florida (seriously -- NO HILLS -- except the fake landscaped ones...).

It's better now, though. I can take a few backroads and drive past *gasp* COWS!! And I'm told that Venice is another nice place, as well as North Port, although these are a bit of a drive from bigger cities/towns. And this is where the rednecks are. ;) I never minded a good 'ole tractor pull myself :LOL (okay, I've never actually seen one -- but I went to a mud bog once! hehe).

When it comes to bugs, we pay $300 per year to keep them out of the house & another $300 to keep termites away -- although that also cost us a $900 instulation fee. :eek I would seriously suggest you buy a house that is concrete block and NOT wooden. Termites are a BIG deal down here. That is probably the biggest reason why houses are more $$.

And the heat.... :splat yea, that hot...but everyplace you go has AC, so I wouldn't worry too much. And some people even like the heat -- like my dh, but he is :nut :hammer :nut :firedevil :nut :nut :nut hehe :D

I don't know what utilities are like where you are, but we spend $40/month for water/garbage, and $170ish for electricity. We always have the AC on (set at 80, but still :rolleyes:) and we cannot have a clothes line because of deed restrictions...although I may be able to get around that, I'm still checking into it.

There is lots more that I could say, but you have already gotten lots of good info. Feel free to PM me!

[mojomom]

Carolynn's post about how flat Florida is reminded me of something. In Lake Wales Florida which is about an hour away from Orlando there is a beautiful place called Bok Towers, it is a garden and in the middle of the grounds it has a huge tower with a carilloun in it that plays on the hour. It is the highest peak in Florida like 500 ft. or something like that. Me and dh honeymooned their and when he would get sick of Florida, the short time he lived there, we would take a road trip to this place. It is wonderful, you bring your own nuts and the squirells come right up to you and grab them out of your hands, there is a valley full of weeping willows, gardens all over a beautiful pond with swans in it. Edward Bok who designed the gardens motto is" Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it." I highly reccomend this place as a road trip if you are close to the Orlando area, we of course would drive 3 hours to it we love it so much.Just wanted to share:love

[beachmama]

not even 500 ft!

"The State Bureau of Geology says the highest known surveyed elevation in Florida is located in the northeastern part of Walton County. That elevation has been fixed at 345 feet and is just south of the community of Lakewood. "

There are lots of hills near Ocala National forest and Zellwood. My Dh mountain bikes there.

[Ms. Sisko]

LoL - 500 ft - that's like in the mountains, right! ;)

Hell - I live grew up 5 ft above sea level and only live 32 ft above now that I've moved "inland." This page - http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1172/h9.html - says I would be could be out of a home in a few hundred years if global warming trends continue! :p

[NocturnalDaze]

Thank you all for so much information!!!! I think we have decided we will now move to ...uh...Maine:bolt

No seriously, I love the idea of being warm all of the time...but I guess I never really considered the bugs!! Yikes!!!

I'm really sad to find out that the school system is so poor, I figured there had to be some area that is good but that is one of the more important things for us to look into. I guess I could always homeschool!!

Thanks again!!

[uberwench]

i too am about to move (back) to South Florida - we are currently in Maine, where we moved when i was pregnant with ds (i was hot, hormonal and cranky, and should not have been allowed to make decisions and bully my husband into accepting them - but that's another story).

When we lived in Florida, we lived ina tiny oasis between the flashy highrises of Fort Lauderdale proper and the gated McMansions of the suburbs, called LAuderdale by the Sea. The beach is beautiful, the crime is lower than in most of Florida, the feeling is very neighborhood, even with the influx of tourists in the winter. It's not flashy - and we got so bummed we left that we're heading back as soon as we can manage it.



Check out http://www.lbts.com.

[RACHAELB4]

We just moved here from Taxachusettes also and I love it here! My husband is an electrician and the work is abundant! I live in charlotte county SW Florida, several montessori schools great beaches, neighborhoods etc. I have to disagree that all the schools are poor there are several in my area that are great! Don't get discouraged keep looking!!!! And Good Luck!

[KeysMama]

Raised in Tallahassee, married/birthed 2 babies in the Florida Keys...lost my freaking mind and lived in Ocala for 4 years in between.

The small towns like Ocala and other rural areas are like a page from the movie Children of the Corn so I totally second the motion that the white/right/uptight aspect of MOST of Florida is downright scary. Really scary.

I owned a birth center in Ocala and would get threats and protests because an OB spread the rumor that I was an abortionist. I literally feared for my personal safety there at night alone and would get harrassed weekly by the anti-abortionists.
I can't even put into words the racism and hate there. My dentist there actually had another dentist and a technician come into the room where I was to "do an intervention" on why I was not a Christian. Very spooky.

Tallahassee is a little better because of the Universities, but the Full time residents are about the same.

South FLorida ( Miami/Keys) is the best and worst for me so far. Diversity, tolerance, and culture, but pricey, far from anything/everything and HOT HOT WET HURRICANES BUGS , terrorist camps, Haitians and Cubans landing on our docks and
(literally MY docks) and we just built a 3/2 no where near water that will sell for $495,000 when complete.

So, it is a love /hate for me, but all I really know.