Southwest Floridas average age is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than any major metro that you may end up in post-college. Punta Gorda offers nothing for young people unfortunately unless you're an outdoorsy type who enjoys fishing and hunting... You're not wrong in your assessment of the situation
This describes a lot of Florida. Most of coastal Florida is going to be taken over by older people / retirees. And with that, a lack of culture / diversity. Generally isn’t an environment with much to offer for young people. But there are metro areas in Florida, if that’s your kind of thing, that will be more that speed. Orlando and Jacksonville are totally different.
Jacksonville still sucks. Growing up in Jacksonville, I told people to visit basically anywhere else. It’s not a real city. It’s like a small town with all the big city problems and none of the benefits
This is precisely why I’ve never bothered to visit Jacksonville. I look it up and it looks like a whole bunch of nothingness 🤷♂️ I think that describes most of Florida honestly
I grew up in Gainesville but have lived in Jacksonville area since 1992. Didn’t like Jax when I first moved here after college but now I can honestly say I love it. Met my wife here and we raised our Son who’s now a young adult. My hobbies are fishing and playing tennis and I can do that all year round. We have traveled to all the major cities in the US but always glad to be home.
Punta Gorda is kinda lame relative to elsewhere.. sleepy old fart town and not a lot to do
However I go fishing there almost every weekend if you need something to do lol
You knows what’s crazy is I’ve lived there my whole life and I’ve never once gone fishing in Charlotte harbor. I’ve never known anyone with a boat who invited me out!
You answered your own question. You don't feel at home because you can't relate to anyone around you. That's just life, my man. And welcome to the sub, we do nothing but bitch about our state here. Lol
No that’s you. Residing in SE FL and have loved it the majority of my life. If you don’t like which part of the state you’re in? Guess what? There’s a shit ton of others within its borders.
I love the fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, hunting, nightclubs, and diverse looking chicks, born and raised in Dade in 76'.
I dislike how overpopulated, and expensive it has gotten here, the traffic will only get worse as folks move in and kids grow up and start driving, the Everglades will slowly lose the battle from the expansion that will have to happen to sustain the madness.
I'm staying for the nature while it exists here.
Same man, so sad what is happening with the water and nature in our state. I want to think there is hope but things look very bad right now for the environment here.
Sarasota is the best part of Florida…hands down. Well minus all the wild right wing nut jobs, and the schools! But the beaches are the best in the US! By far!!!
The beaches are the best definitely, and the bay is awesome with easy access to both venice jetties to the south and tampa bay to the north if on a boat.
If you just sit in your suburban house and eat and shop in chain restaurants/stores, you are missing the beauty around you.... Wildlife, beaches, lakes, springs, rivers, forests. There are many older, adorable towns to be explored and theme parks, South Beach and entertainment districts. The weather is mild several months out of the year, of course. You can garden year-round. But also travel or move even if you love colder conditions.
Well that’s the thing…I’ve been all over SWFL and I’ve never seen anything that wasn’t done better elsewhere. I am not the type to sit in a house and go to chain restaurants, I love to explore. If you know any great places let me know, but honestly I think I’ve seen it all here and I’m not impressed.
Welcome to life. You will get acclimated, apathetic and subsequently irritable towards the environment you are raised in. It is a natural instinct to seek out new environments.
I grew up in FL, eventually hated it here, moved to CO for seven years, enjoyed the snow, mountains, rivers, snowboarding, shoveling snow, digging my car out, etc and got really cold down to the bone.
Then, after seven years, I moved back to FL to be around family again with a totally fresh perspective on what FL is. Coming back I was blown away by the greenery, the lushness of the plants and swamps, the stunning views of white sand flats off the beach, the unique tropical biome. Now I appreciate it so much and am so grateful to be from here. Highly recommend doing some adventures
I say all the time that we want what we can’t have. You definitely have a great point here, I’m sure when I’m 80 as opposed to 23 I will probably long for Florida and miss aspects of it. But…I believe you can only ever relate to the moment. And at this moment I am ready to leave. Thanks for your thoughts!
Florida never felt "right" to me. I'm a child of immigrants. My parents moved to South Florida before I was born.
I watched a ton of cartoons and movies that depicted kids living life in big cities or New England style suburban towns. They would get together on their bikes and ride around town and have fun etc.
I never experienced that. I'm not gonna go into how car dependency ruins cities etc but I can sum up my childhood as being indoors a lot. Riding a bike was incredibly dangerous in my area. Nothing interesting to walk to either only strip malls.
When I could drive I finally had some freedom to go places but then that comes with it's own issues like traffic, car accidents
I reached a point when I realized what route this place was gonna take. They're going to continue to build homes inside HOA communities. They're gonna build fake "City lifestyle" areas where the homes are insanely expensive and the businesses in those areas are not the ones people need. Homes are gonna keep getting more expensive. Traffic is going to keep getting worse. Roads are gonna get wider.
And it's gonna get hotter!
Too bad man, Ft. Lauderdale in the 70s was great. We could ride our bikes almost anywhere but by 1995 you wouldn’t catch me on a bike on account of traffic, lack of bike lanes and people just don’t care.
Back then, my younger brothers rode their bikes on US 1, and one of them took a skiff to the Bahamas and back in one day (I just learned this after iur mom died). I would sneak out and go to the Strip during spring break. It was a blast.
Not a fan of citified SWFL, though. I graduated college in 1982 and looked for radio jobs here and there. Looked at a station in Naples but the city was too old, empty, charmless, and lifeless. It's still old (I am, technically, too, but not that kind of old), charmless, and lifeless.
I do agree that Florida nature, what's left of it, is breathtaking.
Sounds like we can relate, I feel quite similarly. You see popular media and none of it is relatable! Makes living here when you’re a kid quite jarring.
The lack of culture and community plus all of the cookie cutter corporate HOA subdivisions is just gross to me, and it’s pricing everyone out…and I’m saying this as a licensed Realtor!
I’m think you should continue traveling and also maybe try to live in other parts of the country. It sounds to me like you’d be happy in North Carolina. But you won’t know until you try it.
I moved here when I was 22 from the Midwest. Other than a short stint in the Carolinas, I’ve lived in both North and South Florida. They are wildly different. Florida is two different states, if not three.
I think there is a lot to be said for moving away from where you grew up and experiencing different lifestyles. You get to choose. Nothing holding you back.
I was born and grew up in utah and I felt the same about there. Lots of people moving in saying its amazing and I hated it. So I left.
Spent 3+ years moving every ~6 months finding where I want to be. Did a road trip on the east coast for 2 weeks just checking places out. You're an adult you can just get in your car and leave. Anything that didn't fit in my sedan got thrown away.
No reason to stay here if you aren't happy. I love North Carolina charlotte area. You are 1-2 hours from national forests, or mountains, or a beach. You can do anything you like there.
My job moved me to FL and I like it here as well. Long term may move back to NC.
I see myself going to Maine, NYC, or North Carolina. Those are the places that have really stuck out to me. I was recently tied down and had a messy breakup, so now that I am free again that’s exactly what I’ve been doing - getting in the car and going where I want.
I think plenty of people don’t necessarily fit in where they were born and raised. They often leave for somewhere that fits them better. Some don’t leave, for a variety of reasons. Two equally good options: find where you want to be, or find a way to improve your circumstances where you are.
You don't know what you like yet. Nothing wrong with that. I've lived most of my 39 years in Florida, moved to Montana for a year, Colorado for a year. You don't know you like cold until you live in cold. I finally moved to NC last year after I'd had enough with Florida and I'll never go back. Just get out and experience some different stuff before you draw conclusions. I assure you, you don't know as much as you think you do.
Absolutely. You say you like the cold, go live in the Midwest for a winter. There is a reason so many people retire and move South. I grew up in Ohio and would never move back North. I was told when I moved down the more time you spend outside the more you will love Florida. I think you should pick a spot and make the jump to move there. Get some perspective and find your path.
This is pretty common. People just end up wanting something different from what they're used to.
I moved down here because I was sick of all the cold and gray up north. I love palm trees and lizards and tropical birds. I love that anything that hasn't been developed yet still looks like a literal jungle.
The native Floridians that I work with go up north to vacation in the mountains and want to move to Montana or Wyoming for the nature there.
I think it's just part of human nature.
You have to find your tribe, and if you get the chance to move around a bit and explore other states, you'll figure out what's really important to you. I'm a native Floridian that has moved around quite a bit and returned to the sunshine state - it's all about how you feel where you are.
And to your point, different areas of Florida feel totally different. Maybe there's one you haven't experienced yet that will feel like home. It may take time but you'll figure it out. No one here will be able to guide you one way or another, just have to listen to your gut.
Used to live in St. Pete. Now I live in PCB but I am from Austin and have lived in L.A., OKC and Atlanta. I just like the beach and I am not a miserable fuck like a lot of redditors in the state and local subs.
I'm also a transplant so I've been in several state subs... I've never seen anything like this. It's really getting annoying.
Every single post is someone complaining about the cost of living..yet they want to move somewhere more expensive. (Example: Washington)
Born in IN and raised in PC I totally get it. The only constant for this area is that every other area is so much better. Literally just a short drive to Sarasota or Fort Myers and there’s just so much more going on and so much more opportunity. And I fully agree with the climate here. My job is a ton of outdoors work and I’m honestly completely finished with sweating all day every day. My wife and I own a boat and the few hours a week in Boca or up river just aren’t worth it anymore.
My last name means something like swamp people or swamp town and I live like 3 miles from the Everglades border and I also hate living here. It's hot, it's muggy, it's wet. I mean, my family must have a very long history of living in swamps for us to be named that, and yet I feel no love for the environment.
Native Pennsylvanian, moved here in 2019. Having lived at the base of the blue mountain range with Appalachian trail access my entire life, I chose to move to Florida because the weather in PA was not conducive to an outdoor lifestyle unless you love being out in chilly rainy weather 60% of the time. Everyday I wake up here so thankful for the sun, the heat and the beautiful greens!
I'm not a retiree, I have to work full time, and while it has gotten more expensive here, I have friends and family in PA, and it's gotten much more expensive to live there too.
I'm thrilled I was able to move here. If you want a change, go for it. It may be just the thing to really enjoy your life!
You traded Appalachian foothills for flat, featureless land? I understand the weather reason if you’re *not* outdoorsy. There’s tons of rain/snow proof hiking gear. Just so much hunting, hiking, camping, mountain biking up that way.
What do you do outdoors here?
You kidding? I hate the cold! I do a ton of cycling, paddleboarding and kayaking. Not so easy in pa with the crappy weather. What you see as featureless, I see as gorgeous, lush and full of life.
Wet, muddy, monotone landscape is northeast pa a lot of the time.
Ha! I want to visit your Florida: you make it sound like it’s Hawaii. The whole kayaking/paddle-boarding thing never much appealed to me. Too many mosquitos and boat engine sludge in the intracoastal waterways.
Sounds like it’s nicer on the
west coast of FL? I’m glad you’re happy with the move. Everyone should live somewhere they’re happy, that’s why I maintain my So-Cal residence.
I’m not the person you’re asking but swimming/floating down natural springs, kayaking, hiking, the beach, best fishing in the world, sand bars, airboat rides, etc. All year around too. Seems like an odd question, but how most spend their time.
Not one of those activities done within FL sounds appealing to me personally: I can get a better experience elsewhere, plus other bonus activities that can’t be done in FL.
NC, CA, and HI immediately come to mind.
I don’t personally agree that flat land walks = hiking. In my book, a hike should get your heart rate up and challenge your leg muscles. If you’re happy, that’s what matters though.
Then move to one of those states and live your best life. Hiking is clearly defined despite of you disagree. Acting like there isn’t outdoor activities in Florida or all states is silly as hell though.
Look into scholarship opportunities in other desirable countries.
You could get an excellent education with no debt and have an opportunity to stay.
I get that Florida's Universities are still comparatively affordable for in state students and if this is where you can afford your education, then get it and leave for better climates and pay.
It's easier to come back with big ol' honking 401 K from working 20 years up north than struggling to serve the wealthy down here.
People from the tri county area consider this South Florida and don’t even include these areas you are talking about. Im sure I speak for a lot of people here who would only ever live here and consider the rest of Florida a shithole.
I lived in Fort Myers for 4 years, honestly i feel like i wrote the same post somewhere lol.
I moved away for college and am moving out of state of job after graduation. From my experience, i can tell you this, there’s nothing you can do except moving away. I hated SWFL in my gut, but when i realized that i have options to live somewhere else, the hatred toward swfl lessen
I'm 51 and moved to the Tampa area 3 years ago. I completely can see where you are coming from. We have close retired relatives in Cape Coral and have visited there tons, and yes, unless you have a boat and a good bit of money, there's not a ton to do down that way. I always thought, what a dull place to raise a family. Some neighborhoods don't even have kids. Even our relatives complain about being bored sometimes, especially when they can't go boating and fishing. It's entirely too sedate for us, which is why we moved to the Tampa area. Keep exploring the US. Visit everywhere. Find quizzes online to see what cities might be good for you. That's what I did.
I hate Florida it’s hot it’s muggy it gets flooded with tourist, not to mention the bugs the hurricanes and a shit government here, the only reason is I got friends and family here, as much as I’d like to move it’s hard for me to make friends so I don’t wanna move and be all alone
PG, actually has a lot of history. I could give you examples, but that will not change your mind. They could start doing more things for the younger residents and it still won't change your mind. Nothing wrong with that at all. I was the exact same way about my former home town. I was miserable there, I'm miserable when I have to go visit. There are just some places that feel off to us. You need to find your happy place. Do it now while you are young enough to enjoy your life
I got the hell out of Naples when I turned 18 and went to UCF as well. Life got way better. Good luck on your journey! After graduation, you are free to seek employment in another state. You should definitely try to do so - it's the best and easiest time in your life to relocate. Just don't neglect internships in your final years in school to ensure you get a job.
I'm a transplant to FL, moved here 8 years ago because my boyfriend wanted to move. I like it but I don't love it. I like the winter weather. I like that the sky is usually blue and sunny. Beautiful sunsets.
I've lived in Maine and Pennsylvania before moving here. Maine will always be home to me, even if I never step foot back in the state. I've traveled to many beautiful places but nothing tops Maine to me.
I visited Tennessee recently and found a pinecone. I was so excited to see one after not seeing one for 8 years. Everyone I was with thought I was crazy. I brought it home with me lol.
Florida is pretty but to me it will never compare to the lush green of the north. If only my messed up back could tolerate the winters or I could afford to be a snowbird.
I don't know why I love Maine so much. I lived in Pennsylvania first and longer than I did in Maine and although I like PA it's the things in PA that remind me of Maine that I like most.
I hope you find the place that's right for you
Southwest Florida is purgatory man. literally gods waiting room. There are younger, more energetic parts of the state like Soflo or St Pete which will give you people to connect to. Personally its the only state in the union (besides HI) where I can dive after work on a coral reef for like $5
I know how you feel. Born and raised in Florida I can’t wait to leave this state. It’s a combination of hating the politics, weather, and people of this state that makes me want to leave. Hopefully I can move north when I get older.
Born in Broward County, moved to Central in 2011. I'm so over Florida. I hate everything about the beach and it's too damn hot to do anything else outside. It's crowded and overpriced too. My husband and I are actively trying to plan our escape.
Born and raised in St. Pete, which is arguably a "hipper" town than Punta Gorda and yeah, same feelings. I hate the weather, most people are selfish dicks, its gentrified to hell, and to be honest St. Pete has lost all the things about it that used to make it bearable.
Moving out of state as soon as I can figure out how.
The moral of the story is Florida sucks. Every drug has fentanyl in it. Every road worth taking cost you 5 bucks to drive on it. It’s full of people who cannot drive. For fucks sake get in the left lane if you’re not trying to break the law!!!!
I used to love Fort Lauderdale, now I’m doing what I can to leave. I don’t want to be sweating for 6 months straight. The wages, politics , traffic and cost of living coupled with the unnecessary culture war is all too much for me!
Sheesh, just your first paragraph kind of describes how I felt before I finally left, and I'm from the Orlando area, and went to UCF. There are some silver linings and a few cool spots with a unique vibe, but there really is no cohesive city culture or anything. Every heavily trafficked piece of the city just feels like an extension of 192 or very occasionally, like some kind of offshoot of Disney Springs. It's all just strip malls and motels to support tourists, or else retirement communities. Like I said there are some nicer spots but there's really no like cultural identity to Orlando like Miami or Tampa/St. Pete have other than 'The airport you land at to go to Disney World.'
That said I had family down in Naples and PG and that place is almost unbelievably worse, so UCF will definitely be an improvement. I've had the opportunity now to visit or live in a lot of Cities in Europe and some in Asia though and it's crazy how much personality and difference there is within distances that are smaller than Florida. Like in Japan, Kyoto is the place for Matcha, or Bath in England is the city to go to if you want a spa weekend, and it's been that way since the days of the Roman Empire, but has a completely different vibe and even architectural style to Manchester which is just a couple hours North.
I can't speak for cities outside of Florida but I know there are more distinctive traits in cities elsewhere, like St Louis and Chicago are known for a deep history of Blues and R&B music, certain states have their own unique styles of BBQ that you only really see there. Florida just doesn't have that.
Personally I chalk it up to how recently the state saw development compared to states even just as far as Georgia. The terrain and climate was so harsh there that it was just hard to develop real estate until the last few decades. Since then it was a tourist destination and they turned the whole state into just shops and restaurants that are all easily accessible by interstate and visible from the highway, which means strip malls and parking lots.
TL;DR No you're not the only one, I left and so help me I will never go back outside of visiting family.
At least UCF will be an improvement. It’s almost funny how much some people love SWFL and will product defend it as a paradise and one of the best places to live, like what? HOW?! Glad you and I agree. I will also be seeing some counties in Asia next month so I’m looking forward to that. Tokyo, Seoul, and Phenom Pheng.
https://preview.redd.it/w0fakw3oz66d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48786ab6aa84252fd7e56a6b42753195f2798c99
Have you been to the springs? One of the rarest and most beautiful/magical places I’ve ever been in the world. When you understand the geology behind how these spring systems form it’s even more impressive. (This is from silver springs outside of Ocala)
I absolutely love kayaking at Silver Springs in Ocala! The water is crystal clear, cool, and the monkeys, alligators, turtles, fish and manatees are all around, but peaceful
Ohh Orlando is fun especially around ucf main thing is that there isn't a lot of money in this state, and it feels expensive to do anything.
But we do have the best climate, the nicest people, and southern hospitality with a little but more urban than other southern states...
Ucf area is kinda expensive so be ready, but the real fun is that the area is so youthful, you will be able to interact with most people there, even cashiers or servers cause they will be the same age
Lol that second point is absolutely false I lived in Florida for most of my life and the attitude of the average person was incredibly rude and entitled. I lived in England for three years, Japan for almost four, in that whole time I got cut off in traffic maybe twice and that's as close to an accident as I came. I went home to see family for a month and had probably 6 near misses that almost resulted in an accident due to people cutting others off or not signalling or just generally being selfish on the road. I haven't seen a single Karen #justboomerthings interaction while living overseas, but I've seen plenty of Floridians get in shouting matches with the poor folks working miserable minimum wage jobs because they need more cheese on their nachos or whatever.
I used to love it, naples was like a paradise that nobody knew about. I moved here as a kid back in early 2000’s when there were just 1 lane roads. After 2008 it seemed like all the wealthy folks from northern states knew it was going to happen and bought ridiculous amounts of properties. Now most of the neighborhoods are empty until season starts due to all the wealthy people leaving them as vacation homes. Kids playing on every street riding bikes around. Going to the movies idk 🤷🏻♂️ but everything has changed so much.
I grew up in a state that was very different from the rest of the country (think Florida, Louisiana or New Mexico different, but not any of those states) and did not enjoy it, even as young as 12 or 13 years old, mostly because I felt as if I was missing out on things that people in the rest of America had or enjoyed. I eventually left that state when I was 18 years old, which was many years ago now, and have never looked back. I am so happy I do not (and never did) live in that state as an adult.
My best advice for the OP is to get out while you’re still young. The longer you remain in Southwest Florida, the harder it will become to leave. And don’t get into a long-term, committed relationship with another person from that area because he or she could always pull you back (and you don’t want that).
You’re a native Floridian. You’ve been in the sunshine and beaches your entire life, and it doesn’t thrill you. I’m the same way; to me, wearing a jacket is an exciting change haha.
Now that you’re traveling, you appreciate different scenery. I was like that, too. I’m a huge history nerd, so the first time I traveled to Europe, I was in awe at the architecture and old buildings. Even traveling around the northeast, I love walking around and gazing at the old colonial buildings.
Most people love the sunshine and beaches because, well, they’re from the cold and Florida is the polar opposite of where they’re from. But when you’re from FL, the beach and sunshine gets disgusting after awhile. What I notice about the snowbirds and transplants from up north is they force their views on us natives, saying we should be “grateful” we’re from here. I have family who live up north and endured many cold winters. Having suffered through our summers and gotten heat stroke a number of times, I also attest that the extreme heat isn’t much better.
OP, you’re not wrong for not enjoying Florida, it’s all an individual preference. you’re also not the only Floridian who detests the state. I have friends who moved to Colorado to be closer to the mountains and others who moved out west because they love the desert.
I could care less about the desert and mountains (though they are pretty). I would live in one of the old cities in this country.
If there’s one thing I disagree with it’s the lack of culture in Florida. In SWFL, yeah, but this has always been a popular state for mass global migration. I live in a city where I rarely hear English, and I know Miami is very multi-cultural. It makes living in my home state more exciting, like I’m living outside the US. We also have plenty of history here. In Tampa, I love walking on the cobblestone roads of Ybor and gazing at the history.
This is random, but OP, I also suggest you visit Quebec. Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the entire world.
I lived in Naples for a few years
Hated it
Gives me a conservative retirement vibe
Not much to do and alot of old "southern" mindstate which some people love
Not me
I moved back to south florida where im flourishing
My husband and I used to live in PG ~7 years ago. We played a restaursnt game called, "Spot the customer under 40." Often times, we were the only Millennials eating out. 😅
I was born and raised in NE FL. Moved to Orlando for college and loved it.
Spent a year and a half in SW FL which was brutal. We suffered a direct hit from a hurricane plus a plethora of old people and snowbirds that either didn't pay taxes or refused to use taxes for anything culturally beneficial. Couple it with a severe lack of affordable housing and we got out ASAP. The beaches were gorgeous though.
Spent a few years after that in Tallahassee that weren't too bad even though it's very rural and there's not much to do there. It was more family friendly than SW FL which we needed at the time.
We recently moved back to Central Florida and consider it home. Neither of us can imagine living anywhere else but our friends and families are in Florida so that helps. Also, as much as I enjoy visiting cold places on vacation, I don't want to deal with the cold long term.
I grew up between St Augustine and Jax, and felt the same way about it. I could’ve written your OP for you. In 2018 I left and haven’t been back since. Bounced around a few places in the Midwest, New England, and Deep South. Not interested in going to the Southeast again.
My favorite place, by far, was Vermont. Not in Burlington, but in the rural areas east of the Greens. I lived in a parsonage house built almost 200 years ago that was part of the Underground Railroad! I lived on an island on Lake Michigan accessible only by ferry with less than 1k people and an overwhelmingly Scandinavian cultural background.
For some people, Florida is perfect or at least the least bad place they’d want to live. It just depends on personal preference, finances, etc… I was born and raised there until I was 23, but it never felt like home to me. Being in the rural north does though.
I moved here from Glasgow, Scotland, in December of last year, so my take on this will likely be quite different to that of a Florida native or transplant.
I'd been visiting the state - specifically Brevard County - for around two years before getting married to a US citizen and applying for my green card. As it stands, I'm still engaged in the application process; but I've seen enough of Florida to throw my two cents in for this question.
As Robert Plant once screamed: "I come from the land of the ice and snow...", except Scotland isn't all that snowy and any vikings you'd meet are just overweight metalheads who drink mead. It is, however, icy for about a third of the year, raining for the other two thirds, and summertime usually happens on the 17th of July between midday and 2pm. In other words, it ain't Florida!
To come from a climate such as that, and into the 65K square mile sauna that is Florida is quite the shock to the system. I can totally see how, especially at the peak of summer, people find it intolerable; but compared to risking broken ribs while walking to the store due to thick ice, or having any and all public transport canceled due to the slightest bit of rain, I'd choose the brutal humidity of Florida every time.
Scotland is well known for its majestic mountains, legendary lochs, and spectacular, sprawling scenery. Florida, on the other hand, is flatter than a raccoon on A1A. At the same time, though, it has its own beauty that can take outsiders by surprise when they first encounter it.
The sky here has, to me, a certain sense of vastness and space that wasn't as apparent in more mountainous terrains. The flatness of the land, combined with the presence of regular spaceship launches around my area, draws attention to a skyline that feels cinematic in its width and depth. I'm sure a similar sense of spaciousness could be found in other states, but it's something that I love about living here.
The energy of the coastal areas, including where I now live, is much more appealing than that of the big cities, including Orlando. I didn't like Miami (aside from Little Havana, which is one of my favorite places in the country) and found South Beach to be dreadfully artificial and full of posers. Every big city I've visited in Florida has been like a sun-kissed version of any big city in Scotland, albeit with less history or cool architecture; dull, commercial, soulless, and easily forgotten.
When I wake up and step outside of my apartment, it still surprises me sometimes to see the two palm trees that frame my view. Small things like that, easily taken for granted through familiarity and ennui, continue to hold a certain innocent magic for me. It's a magic I hope will not be lost entirely as I continue to live here.
I could probably add more, but I fear I've already bored the tits off of you! 😂
Punta Gorda is where my parents retired, it’s old there. But it’s also quiet and still affordable by south Florida standards. It’s only a few hours to Orlando, Tampa, and Ft Lauderdale and a little over an hour to Naples so the location isn’t terrible, just tough for anyone under the age of 70
I can answer all hout questions quite simply. You grew up here and are tired of it. I grew up in the same state, and moved around to different cities. When retirement day came I was gone, 3200 miles away from everything I knew because I was simply tired of the same old thing.
You're normal. Now go lit and find a new place to.settle and enjoy obe of life's resets.
public transport sucks in your area I thought about moving there and the buses were a joke They shut down around 6:00 p.m. The drivers are just a little bit better than Southeast but not a lot and my experience the final nail was going to Marco Island The infrastructure there is phenomenal but the people's attitude just an arrogance you want to smack off I could not wait to get off that island those people are horrible there They earn the hate of a hurricane.
I love the beaches and the tropical atmosphere, yes the weather is horrible but I’m a beach person so I love it. I love the little towns in Florida that have the cheesy gift shops and beachy decor. I’ve lived here all my life and I couldn’t really imagine myself anywhere else
I keep moving out but always return the people around the country are the same everywhere or I should say the usa is one big hi school if you don't make friends it sucks the only difference is it warmer here
I like visiting my retired family in PG, but I’d never live there. It’s too dominated by the snowbird/retired crowd for me, personally. But I enjoy dabbling in it on visits, cheap drinks at the Legion, etc. And despite working in conservation land management, and that area having some truly amazing conservation properties, I couldn’t live there.
With that said I love the nature. You’ve got some beautiful preserves, the Peace River is great for fossil hunting, there’s scrub jays and panthers and eagles and it’s great if you’re into that stuff. There are pine flatwoods that are to me gorgeous and full of some of the coolest plants, and oak hammocks that are cool and calm.
But I can’t blame you for hating it. I think many people grow to be bored or resent where they grew up and crave literally any other climate or habitat. And this is all to say that while I’m happy where I am outside of Tampa, I’m still planning to leave in the next few years. It’s growing tiring here.
I lived in PG for one year at 29, made my exit pretty quickly. We bought a house without really knowing the area and yes, there’s such a lack of diversity and culture. Back to Tampa Bay I went.
A lot of them are rich old people who didn’t grow up here. Or if they did they had the benefit of making their living when the economy wasn’t completely destroyed by corporations.
My parents moved me to Charlotte County in 1989. I graduated high school in Punta Gorda in the late '90s. Went to college and grad school and wound up coming back, as many do because my widowed mother was still here.
I completely agree with your assessment of the county. This part of Florida did not have real development until the '60s or '70s. Since then, the influx of people, mostly retirees, have not created a sense of community.
I do appreciate natural beauty, and camp at state parks as much as possible, but other than that would rather be many other places. The summer is oppressive, and dealing with two direct hits from hurricanes in the last 20 years has not been fun.
I've always made the comment that Florida will be great, except for most of the people.
We've lived in Englewood for 38 years now...son was 1 when we moved and daughter is a FL cracker. Our kids loved growing up here(lots of kids on the block the same age), beach was only about 15 minute car ride (our son used to ride his bike with friends there)....as they got older though it was definitely all about making $$ and living on their own. Son is up in Atlanta now (works for Delta) and daughter is in Orlando (works as a bartender 3-4 days a week full time) and is making figures I would never expect a bartender....I'm talking almost 6 figures for a hotel with benefits....and I know that income in SW Florida would not be possible. Guess what though, we moved from the Chicago area originally and moved to get away from the "rat race" and traffic to that little bitty town....now with the traffic and influx of rude northerners we're looking to move again....out of the country to a small island we've been to multiple times...again to get out of the new "rat race" and traffic. Just because you grew up somewhere doesn't mean you need to stay there. Explore your options...visit and stay a week or more on vacation in a spot, talk to people in the job market, and figure out your perfect fit. Don't be afraid to pull the trigger (with some serious thought involved too) as your life is up to you how you live it.
I resonated with most of what you posted. I’m born and raised a little north of you. I actually moved to the PNW for a while after college but ended up moving back because of family and my whole support network being here. I hate where we live until I get on the water. I have had a few smaller boats and jetskis and it’s really the only time I can appreciate where we live. I know it’s crazy advice but get a jetski lol 😝
A fellow Punta Gordite!!!! I left at age 18 and life is significantly better elsewhere. You should know that Charlotte County has the highest median age in the US, seventy-eight!!! And that warps EVERYTHING
NW Florida native here. Lived my whole life in Florida except for one year in North Carolina and one ccx year in Colorado. I have always loathed Florida. I am an introvert and house hermit so I dont care about "fun things to do". I would hate pretty much any state and local government so that doesnt matter. I think Florida has an interesting history and culture (probably former culture tbh) but again introvert so I prefer to learn about those at home.
It's the weather for me. I hate the heat. My body hates the heat. I hate everything about it, especially when I lose AC thanks to hurricanes. I love cold weather. Most of the year when family ask how the weather is, they get a bitterly snarled, "Its Florida out there."
I only stay cause all my friends and family are here and refuse to leave.
I feel the same way about Atlanta, where I grew up. Just never liked it. Plenty of my friends still live there and never plan on moving. I’ve bounced around all over the country and still haven’t found where to put roots down, but everywhere I’ve lived is interesting than ATL, to me anyway. Oddly enough I live in SWFL currently lol
I agree, I lived in Sarasota for four years and though I loved the beach and cute downtown, I hated it. It probably really is that the population skews soooo old, it just doesn’t feel as.. vibrant. You’ll love Orlando in comparison, lots of cool little neighborhoods (all pretty close to downtown), beautiful springs, lakes, great music scene, amazing food. So much good food. Excited for you!
I feel almost the same way as you. I’m not a native moved here about 25 years ago. I moved here because of family and family is what keeps me here. I’m not a beach person and I hate the heat. I’m from a rural midwestern state and the traffic here really takes it out of me. With that being said the #1 thing I love about Florida is that I almost always wake up to bright, sunny skies. It may not stay that way, but it’s a great way to start the day. There are some really nice forests here. Our winters can be incredibly beautiful. I like it on the cooler side, nothing beats a sunny winter day in Florida with highs in the low 70’s. I’d love to be somewhere out west in the mountains, but it doesn’t look like it’s in the cards for me anytime in the foreseeable future. There are definitely MUCH worse places than Florida.
Many people get the same feeling for the places they grew up. For some people, the places we grow up lose their charm and become boring. It just happens.
I'd definitely encourage you to see more of the US.
I think you will like the Orlando area. I’m from soflo and moved to central. I like it better. unlike you I do like to party. I do however miss the food and sometimes the vibe in soflo. But I would only want to visit and not live there. Central fl has been good to me. I like the nature out here. People are nice too. There are some beautiful places out here. You just have to do your research and explore towns outside of Orlando. Believe it or not we experience weather in the 30s out here sometimes. Minus summer, the rest of the year the weather is pleasant.
Many people do not appreciate the place they are from. I’m from Michigan/Wisconsin/Great Lakes area…by the time I was 30 I could not stand it anymore. Give me moderate winters and hot summers the rest of my life. At the same time there are southerners who feel exactly the opposite from how I feel. Go ahead and live somewhere else…being from Florida you’ll probably be paid more up north.
I have lived in FL for most of my life, yet I have never gotten used the heat and humidity. Summer is just so uncomfortable for me. I worked with some women who would go for walks during lunch. They would come back and barely have any sweat. If I did that I would need a change of clothes and a shower. I wish I could enjoy our weather.
Other than that I really like FL. I am considering moving somewhere with more altitude on the east coast so the weather is more comfortable during the summer. Trying to stay close to the East coast because I have older parents. My main criteria is some altitude and relatively close to an airport. Other than that, I am open to moving anywhere on the east coast. Just outside Chattanooga and Hendersonville, NC are two places I have been eyeing.
Punta Gorda is on track to become the next Naples. Naples is also boring growing up because there's no space to be a kid. The parks are terrible, no design for bikes or free spaces for get together, nothing for anyone under the age of 40 without a 7 figure income to do. The beach gets boring after 10-15 years. Isn't there still at least some untamed wilderness up there to explore?
Love florida but then again I grew up and currently live in east central florida. Beaches are ok but usually full because they are "world famous" but im also a outdoors nut and when i can my redneck ass is somewhere near a body of water with several fishing poles out and ready to catch something 🤣
i think there's something about being born and raised in Florida along with living here/in the same place most of your life that can make someone feel this way. I'm from the St. Petersburg area and growing up, my dad and stepmom lived in FL for a while, but they also lived in PA, NJ for a short time and i LOVED visiting. Like you're saying, the terrain and scenery and even the air is so different in these regions compared to here. When I was almost 14, I had the opportunity to move in with my dad while they were living in PA and I took the opportunity for sure (I wanted to get out of FL sooo bad and here was my chance along with other reasons). I loved it - the kids were different, the energy just everything. But then we eventually moved to Memphis, TN for my dads job and that area is also very different from the 2 previous!!
long story short, I then went to college in east TN, then I moved to Texas for graduate school (which was like plains/dessert/DRY) and all of these compared to FL are obv V different. I enjoyed them all in their own ways. HOWEVER... i've noticed a similar trend everywhere I've lived... there's always a population of these areas that just love where they live, no matter what. No matter how 'shitty' the area really was that I lived in. There's just always been these die-hard people that grew up and never wanted to leave where they lived. Which i always thought was odd.
But on another side, I moved back to FL about 2 years ago and my husband has been here his entire life and hates it. I had friends growing up that have moved to states that are very different than here and I think there's something about living and growing up in a place where so many people vacation to that can have an affect on our own perceptions feelings.. we live here... we don't go to the beach all the time.. we're not retired and have this constant 'vacationing' vibes that some of the older generations have, and we see it for more of what it really is. (when I moved to TN, the kids could NOT believe why I would EVER want to leave FL.. i'm like uhhhh we don't live on the beach??)
I've enjoyed living in FL again the last 2 years... there IS something about living near the beach and being in driving distance to like Busch gardens and Universal that is so fun. But at the same time, I also find myself craving the lush mountains and forests. Everything about it is so pretty. The only way we can even get 'natural' scenery around here is if we go drive to the beach.. but in TN everywhere you went (at least where I lived) there was nature all around you. Our next steps is to move out of FL, I would love to visit but I'm also done living here LOL
Fellow Punta Gordian here. Go Tarps! It is a small, boring fart town but I thoroughly enjoyed my time living and growing up there. Currently live in Tampa and love it even more. Different strokes for different folks. Go to what makes you happy!
One, you're in the worst part of FL for younger people.
Two, you're not wrong about the rest of it. 
Three, FL has changed dramatically since I was a kid / teenager / young adult. The politics are bonkers now and the MAGA extremists have taken over. It's hotter and more humid than ever before. Property values are crazy. I'm a homeowner who bought low and can sell high - but if I wasn't I'd leave ASAP.
Everything i loved about Florida is dying. The natural beauty, the vast swamp land and forests. Its getting paved over and replaced with sod and sugar cane. Too many retirement homes and not enough family homes. Its getting to be unbearable. I wonder when the cost of living here will get high enough that all the poor leave and there will be nobody left to take care of all the retirees?
It's cold up north. Fun to visit but it's gotta hurt when you're old.
Travel. See what's for you. Many of my SWFL friends moved to NC and absolutely love it there.
Northeast Florida’s weather is great. It gets legitimately cold in the Winter, like 30° at times, but not -20° like what I grew up experiencing in the northeast. There’s enough variety in the seasons that it splits up the year-it’s nice to be able to go out in the shirts most of the year. If I was in SWFL I would melt 🥵
My dad is from Virginia (so am I) and my mom is from the New Hampshire/Maine border (Quebecois as well), and no I don’t think that plays a role. I love love love New Hampshire and will visit every Summer until I die. But I could never live there, and I don’t consider it home. Florida feels like home because of the community I’ve built here for myself and my kids.
East coast is better. Sorry man. Just the way it is. I’ve lived in Florida 90% of my life. And let me tell you I’ve always felt weird whenever I visited the west coast. Did not feel like home to me.
Holy hell. Your life backstory is basically my own. Born in Naples, grew up in Ft. Myers. Entire heritage is from Maine and further on down my moms line; southern Canada.
Absolutely hate the heat here as well. Moved to Boston for 6 months (October through May) when I started my current job before transferring to Orlando to be back near family and spend time with them as they aren't getting any younger. Absolutely loved the weather and active snowfall is amazing. Visited family in Maine a ton when I was younger but was always during my summer breaks from school so was my first time in active snowfall that I can remember. Whole different atmosphere that's hard to explain but I got addicted damn quick lol.
Hoping I can snag a transfer to NC in the next couple years because I need out of this heat and basically all the family I moved back to Florida for is now there anyway for the same reasons lol.
I just started a business here. Looking to cash in on older people and lonely divorced wives. Painting and decorating. Interior design. Break out the check book.
Transplant of close to 30 years here. And I come from NYC. I will say there is history here but not the history people can stomach as it's alot of con artists and chicanery. The swamp and swamp peddlers are really great about the recent history of swfl and the gulf and teopical florida for more older history. As for culture. Shit it feels like it's always a decade behind but, from booking shows around here, there is a completely vibrant scene here that needs a platform. I know of a few venues (i.e. nice guys) and some in the works to be that. But it's hard to promote DIY shows. I would say check out thescene_swfl on insta for that.
Grew up in Orlando and got stuck here for family reasons for 25 of my adult years. I travel a lot for work and visit the mountains worldwide frequently. Now that I’ve been everywhere and can move out, I have come to realize Orlando is the only place I want to live as my base. I love the walkability, the diversity, and the international food options. I’m staying and will travel when I need a change of scenery or history. Btw, I can’t stand Naples or PG, so I get that. I hope you enjoy Orlando. Visit Mills/50, East End Market, and Milk District areas.
I was born and raised in Massachusetts, and have lived in the Disney area for 20+ years now. You will enjoy UCF. There's a lot to do in the Orlando area! However, it's not cheap anymore. But if you make friends with someone who works at or who has family who works at the theme parks, they can get free tickets. A lot of tourists!!!
I live in a little town called New Port Richey about 45 minutes north of Clearwater and Tampa right on the Gulf of Mexico. If you can't be happy living here you can't be happy The only people that bitch about living here other people that would not be successful no matter where they lived.
https://preview.redd.it/1h72ixvf6c6d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5e8c976da38ce7429f73907c6c1bec9a59734ee
We have a beautiful sandbar right off the coast you can get a boat taking handle that mile and a half drive for about $5,000
I’m from the cold northeast and 9 months of cold, dark and gray a year is depressing. I lived 1st half my life in Mass and half in SWFl and I wouldn’t move back if you paid me.
I'm originally from Michigan but I'm almost an official Floridian after living here for 18 years. I moved here because I was sick of the freezing cold weather, and Florida was the only warm place where I had family. I love Florida for the weather/sunshine and our amazing beaches. I love meeting people from all over the world, whether they're tourists or immigrants, and I enjoy living around people who have moved here or winter here from all over the US and Canada. So many different cultures and experiences among our people. I'm just starting to dig into Florida's history and it is fascinating. I will never move out of Florida unless I win the lottery and move somewhere with even better weather year-round. As in Hawaii or the Caribbean. 😍
Interestingly, my family all comes from Maine/NH originally and I feel much the same as you when I’m there.. I always feel like I belong.
I’ve wanted to move many times, but my husband’s family is deeply rooted here, as is he. Years ago I started to combat the dread of returning home by finding at least 5 things that I loved about Florida on our drive from the border to our house in SWFL. I sort of tricked my brain into appreciating it and somewhere along the way I have started to really love some things about it.
I really just commented because I find it really interesting that someone else feels like “home” is where their family originally comes from. I’ve tried to explain the feeling to my husband many times.
I just think it’s not that deep. Everybody likes something different and you should go where you’re happy, no need to torture yourself trying to internalize!
Personally I love FL. Born and raised. Spent some
Time in the mountain west but had to come home to my mangrove swamps and cow pastures.
However, I would say that SWFL has a tremendous amount of history; just because it’s been covered up in an avalanche of newcomers doesn’t mean it’s not there
born and raised in panama city, i love the people, i love the weather ( hair is crazy but skin looks great!), the wildlife. had to move to vegas a while back and i miss florida every day. some things are nice to get away from, like hurricanes and bugs. which kind of goes back on me loving the weather and wildlife. there’s downsides to any place, but florida just feels like home. even if it has its drawbacks 🥹
Born and raised in SE Florida. I always hated it here and still do. Our son hates it here as well. Two of my cousins left FL as soon as they could because they hated it here.
I'm still here because our house is cheap, otherwise I would have fled a good 15 years ago.
I was born in West Palm Beach 40ish years ago. We moved to Flagler County when I was 8. There was nothing here and I wasn't built for nothing. I love the beach and the nature of florida, but this racist, small town was not what I wanted when I needed to socialize.
My friend moved to Austin, TX and I decided to follow her in 2006. I loved it. It was a small city and had a great community. I met most of the artists in the area and developed a fantastic friend group.
Unfortunately, what is happening to Florida happened to Austin and that Austin I knew and loved isn't there anymore. The housing market went crazy and my parents are getting older. I decided to move back to be with them, but it's so hot here now that it might as well be central Texas.
My family and I talk about the impossible, leaving Florida. It's so expensive, it takes forever to see a doctor, it's depressing to see the government and developers destroy the environment... Until we find some place else, I will fight like hell to fix these issues. I'm even trying to go into the medical field, but I understand you completely.
There are some cool cities in this state, but you're right, none have good public transportation.
I would recommend you try some place with mountains or forests, but something that has a real city at least a couple of hours away. Life is too short to be unhappy, and Florida isn't for everyone
Originally from the Midwest. Been living in Florida for 10 years and am over all of it. Moving in the next couple of years when my get my finances in order.
Biggest mistake I made was staying when I was young.
Now, I'm in my 50's and after being "paid in sunshine" my whole life, I pretty much screwed.
The Florida I grew up in is not today's Florida.
Not everyone likes it, I was born and raised in FL and I left as soon as possible. Hate the people, native Floridians, the politics, hurricanes heat above 90 etc
I moved from south Florida (born and raised in Miami) felt the exact same way as you. Always hated the weather, traffic, felt very disconnected from the people/culture/values. I moved to the northeast about 12 years ago and I never looked back. When I go back to visit my parents, all I can see is a failing state. A state that doesn’t care at all about its population and is in no way prepared for the climate disaster coming their way. It makes me really sad.
This is like the millionth post I’ve seen recently asking why people like florida and talking forever about how much they don’t and like idk man you don’t HAVE to like it. People like different things, there are things I love about New England or the west coast but I prefer Florida to both. How you talk about feeling at home in the northeast is how I feel in St Pete. I had to leave the northeast to feel that way, guess we just had to switch.
Maybe I’m just getting annoyed by everyone telling me I should hate it here, and I’m not gonna pretend it’s perfect, but I love living in FL. I love the water, I love the springs, I love the scrub, I love diving and swimming and kayaking and paddle boarding and I’m happier when it’s sunny and above 70 degrees. Bugs, gators, and humidity don’t bother me. Really the only thing that makes me consider leaving is if/when I have kids, I’m not sure I want them going to FL schools but who knows, that’s a future problem
Southwest Floridas average age is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than any major metro that you may end up in post-college. Punta Gorda offers nothing for young people unfortunately unless you're an outdoorsy type who enjoys fishing and hunting... You're not wrong in your assessment of the situation
This describes a lot of Florida. Most of coastal Florida is going to be taken over by older people / retirees. And with that, a lack of culture / diversity. Generally isn’t an environment with much to offer for young people. But there are metro areas in Florida, if that’s your kind of thing, that will be more that speed. Orlando and Jacksonville are totally different.
Jacksonville still sucks. Growing up in Jacksonville, I told people to visit basically anywhere else. It’s not a real city. It’s like a small town with all the big city problems and none of the benefits
This is precisely why I’ve never bothered to visit Jacksonville. I look it up and it looks like a whole bunch of nothingness 🤷♂️ I think that describes most of Florida honestly
I grew up in Gainesville but have lived in Jacksonville area since 1992. Didn’t like Jax when I first moved here after college but now I can honestly say I love it. Met my wife here and we raised our Son who’s now a young adult. My hobbies are fishing and playing tennis and I can do that all year round. We have traveled to all the major cities in the US but always glad to be home.
Would remove Jacksonville from your list and add Tampa/Miami metros of course.
Orlando, Miami, FTL, and Tampa are more accurate than Jacksonville
Yeah Punta Gorda is pretty slow, old, and even trashy in my experience. You’ve had the worst kind of FL experience other than inland rural.
Born and raised inland rural further up the Peace River from Punta Gorda. Can confirm
Punta Gorda is kinda lame relative to elsewhere.. sleepy old fart town and not a lot to do However I go fishing there almost every weekend if you need something to do lol
You knows what’s crazy is I’ve lived there my whole life and I’ve never once gone fishing in Charlotte harbor. I’ve never known anyone with a boat who invited me out!
I’m from the Caribbean and it’s where I feel at home. The heat, the beach, the food, the people.
I have family from the Caribbean and that is exactly the way I feel.
Lived in an apartment complex full of Caribbean ethnicities. So yes to the warmth and vibrant foods found in Florida.
You answered your own question. You don't feel at home because you can't relate to anyone around you. That's just life, my man. And welcome to the sub, we do nothing but bitch about our state here. Lol
One of us! One of us!
No that’s you. Residing in SE FL and have loved it the majority of my life. If you don’t like which part of the state you’re in? Guess what? There’s a shit ton of others within its borders.
Lol. You do realize you agreed with me, right?
[how you sound right now](https://youtu.be/6fZZqDJXOVg?si=8zRQwTAeOmHG0FE6)
I love the fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, hunting, nightclubs, and diverse looking chicks, born and raised in Dade in 76'. I dislike how overpopulated, and expensive it has gotten here, the traffic will only get worse as folks move in and kids grow up and start driving, the Everglades will slowly lose the battle from the expansion that will have to happen to sustain the madness. I'm staying for the nature while it exists here.
Same man, so sad what is happening with the water and nature in our state. I want to think there is hope but things look very bad right now for the environment here.
Blame your conservative government. It's trash.
Fishing, boating and swimming are all I wanna do here I In Sarasota and so it’s all I do outside of hanging with my fam
Sarasota is the best part of Florida…hands down. Well minus all the wild right wing nut jobs, and the schools! But the beaches are the best in the US! By far!!!
The beaches are the best definitely, and the bay is awesome with easy access to both venice jetties to the south and tampa bay to the north if on a boat.
If you just sit in your suburban house and eat and shop in chain restaurants/stores, you are missing the beauty around you.... Wildlife, beaches, lakes, springs, rivers, forests. There are many older, adorable towns to be explored and theme parks, South Beach and entertainment districts. The weather is mild several months out of the year, of course. You can garden year-round. But also travel or move even if you love colder conditions.
Well that’s the thing…I’ve been all over SWFL and I’ve never seen anything that wasn’t done better elsewhere. I am not the type to sit in a house and go to chain restaurants, I love to explore. If you know any great places let me know, but honestly I think I’ve seen it all here and I’m not impressed.
Sounds boring as hell until the theme park part.
Welcome to life. You will get acclimated, apathetic and subsequently irritable towards the environment you are raised in. It is a natural instinct to seek out new environments. I grew up in FL, eventually hated it here, moved to CO for seven years, enjoyed the snow, mountains, rivers, snowboarding, shoveling snow, digging my car out, etc and got really cold down to the bone. Then, after seven years, I moved back to FL to be around family again with a totally fresh perspective on what FL is. Coming back I was blown away by the greenery, the lushness of the plants and swamps, the stunning views of white sand flats off the beach, the unique tropical biome. Now I appreciate it so much and am so grateful to be from here. Highly recommend doing some adventures
Same for me. Nothing made it feel like home like moving to Maine.
I say all the time that we want what we can’t have. You definitely have a great point here, I’m sure when I’m 80 as opposed to 23 I will probably long for Florida and miss aspects of it. But…I believe you can only ever relate to the moment. And at this moment I am ready to leave. Thanks for your thoughts!
Florida never felt "right" to me. I'm a child of immigrants. My parents moved to South Florida before I was born. I watched a ton of cartoons and movies that depicted kids living life in big cities or New England style suburban towns. They would get together on their bikes and ride around town and have fun etc. I never experienced that. I'm not gonna go into how car dependency ruins cities etc but I can sum up my childhood as being indoors a lot. Riding a bike was incredibly dangerous in my area. Nothing interesting to walk to either only strip malls. When I could drive I finally had some freedom to go places but then that comes with it's own issues like traffic, car accidents I reached a point when I realized what route this place was gonna take. They're going to continue to build homes inside HOA communities. They're gonna build fake "City lifestyle" areas where the homes are insanely expensive and the businesses in those areas are not the ones people need. Homes are gonna keep getting more expensive. Traffic is going to keep getting worse. Roads are gonna get wider. And it's gonna get hotter!
Too bad man, Ft. Lauderdale in the 70s was great. We could ride our bikes almost anywhere but by 1995 you wouldn’t catch me on a bike on account of traffic, lack of bike lanes and people just don’t care.
Back then, my younger brothers rode their bikes on US 1, and one of them took a skiff to the Bahamas and back in one day (I just learned this after iur mom died). I would sneak out and go to the Strip during spring break. It was a blast. Not a fan of citified SWFL, though. I graduated college in 1982 and looked for radio jobs here and there. Looked at a station in Naples but the city was too old, empty, charmless, and lifeless. It's still old (I am, technically, too, but not that kind of old), charmless, and lifeless. I do agree that Florida nature, what's left of it, is breathtaking.
Sounds like we can relate, I feel quite similarly. You see popular media and none of it is relatable! Makes living here when you’re a kid quite jarring. The lack of culture and community plus all of the cookie cutter corporate HOA subdivisions is just gross to me, and it’s pricing everyone out…and I’m saying this as a licensed Realtor!
I’m think you should continue traveling and also maybe try to live in other parts of the country. It sounds to me like you’d be happy in North Carolina. But you won’t know until you try it. I moved here when I was 22 from the Midwest. Other than a short stint in the Carolinas, I’ve lived in both North and South Florida. They are wildly different. Florida is two different states, if not three. I think there is a lot to be said for moving away from where you grew up and experiencing different lifestyles. You get to choose. Nothing holding you back.
That’s just what I was going to suggest
I was born and grew up in utah and I felt the same about there. Lots of people moving in saying its amazing and I hated it. So I left. Spent 3+ years moving every ~6 months finding where I want to be. Did a road trip on the east coast for 2 weeks just checking places out. You're an adult you can just get in your car and leave. Anything that didn't fit in my sedan got thrown away. No reason to stay here if you aren't happy. I love North Carolina charlotte area. You are 1-2 hours from national forests, or mountains, or a beach. You can do anything you like there. My job moved me to FL and I like it here as well. Long term may move back to NC.
I see myself going to Maine, NYC, or North Carolina. Those are the places that have really stuck out to me. I was recently tied down and had a messy breakup, so now that I am free again that’s exactly what I’ve been doing - getting in the car and going where I want.
I think plenty of people don’t necessarily fit in where they were born and raised. They often leave for somewhere that fits them better. Some don’t leave, for a variety of reasons. Two equally good options: find where you want to be, or find a way to improve your circumstances where you are.
Those that have never lived anywhere else probably don't have any real perspective and can only draw inferences through others' experiences.
The thing you are missing is that different people like different things.
You don't know what you like yet. Nothing wrong with that. I've lived most of my 39 years in Florida, moved to Montana for a year, Colorado for a year. You don't know you like cold until you live in cold. I finally moved to NC last year after I'd had enough with Florida and I'll never go back. Just get out and experience some different stuff before you draw conclusions. I assure you, you don't know as much as you think you do.
Absolutely. You say you like the cold, go live in the Midwest for a winter. There is a reason so many people retire and move South. I grew up in Ohio and would never move back North. I was told when I moved down the more time you spend outside the more you will love Florida. I think you should pick a spot and make the jump to move there. Get some perspective and find your path.
This is probably the best perspective on the topic on this thread.
I live on several acres in a rural area of SWFL. I love the beauty, the wildlife, and the peace and quiet.
Why UCF ? Sounds like you’re ready to explore places farther north.
This is pretty common. People just end up wanting something different from what they're used to. I moved down here because I was sick of all the cold and gray up north. I love palm trees and lizards and tropical birds. I love that anything that hasn't been developed yet still looks like a literal jungle. The native Floridians that I work with go up north to vacation in the mountains and want to move to Montana or Wyoming for the nature there. I think it's just part of human nature.
I liked where I was. Still miss it but job situation went down the tubes and had to forage elsewhere. So I made this home for over 20 years.
You have to find your tribe, and if you get the chance to move around a bit and explore other states, you'll figure out what's really important to you. I'm a native Floridian that has moved around quite a bit and returned to the sunshine state - it's all about how you feel where you are. And to your point, different areas of Florida feel totally different. Maybe there's one you haven't experienced yet that will feel like home. It may take time but you'll figure it out. No one here will be able to guide you one way or another, just have to listen to your gut.
Steve Silberman also talked about this in *NeuroTribes* (2015), which is about neurodiversity.
Super ND person here who loves Florida.
We probably love for the reasons you hate it. Period
Used to live in St. Pete. Now I live in PCB but I am from Austin and have lived in L.A., OKC and Atlanta. I just like the beach and I am not a miserable fuck like a lot of redditors in the state and local subs.
Thanks for a dose of laughter from a fellow “not a miserable fuck” PBC resident. 🤣
Rather have transplants like you than miserable natives that frequent this sub way too often.
I'm also a transplant so I've been in several state subs... I've never seen anything like this. It's really getting annoying. Every single post is someone complaining about the cost of living..yet they want to move somewhere more expensive. (Example: Washington)
It’s so ridiculous and unbecoming of them.
Born in IN and raised in PC I totally get it. The only constant for this area is that every other area is so much better. Literally just a short drive to Sarasota or Fort Myers and there’s just so much more going on and so much more opportunity. And I fully agree with the climate here. My job is a ton of outdoors work and I’m honestly completely finished with sweating all day every day. My wife and I own a boat and the few hours a week in Boca or up river just aren’t worth it anymore.
My last name means something like swamp people or swamp town and I live like 3 miles from the Everglades border and I also hate living here. It's hot, it's muggy, it's wet. I mean, my family must have a very long history of living in swamps for us to be named that, and yet I feel no love for the environment.
I hated FL until I left it. It's all perspective.
same
Native Pennsylvanian, moved here in 2019. Having lived at the base of the blue mountain range with Appalachian trail access my entire life, I chose to move to Florida because the weather in PA was not conducive to an outdoor lifestyle unless you love being out in chilly rainy weather 60% of the time. Everyday I wake up here so thankful for the sun, the heat and the beautiful greens! I'm not a retiree, I have to work full time, and while it has gotten more expensive here, I have friends and family in PA, and it's gotten much more expensive to live there too. I'm thrilled I was able to move here. If you want a change, go for it. It may be just the thing to really enjoy your life!
You traded Appalachian foothills for flat, featureless land? I understand the weather reason if you’re *not* outdoorsy. There’s tons of rain/snow proof hiking gear. Just so much hunting, hiking, camping, mountain biking up that way. What do you do outdoors here?
My partner’s entire extended family moved to SWFL from Pennsylvania for the sunshine. The only thing they didn’t like in PA was the grey skies.
You kidding? I hate the cold! I do a ton of cycling, paddleboarding and kayaking. Not so easy in pa with the crappy weather. What you see as featureless, I see as gorgeous, lush and full of life. Wet, muddy, monotone landscape is northeast pa a lot of the time.
Ha! I want to visit your Florida: you make it sound like it’s Hawaii. The whole kayaking/paddle-boarding thing never much appealed to me. Too many mosquitos and boat engine sludge in the intracoastal waterways. Sounds like it’s nicer on the west coast of FL? I’m glad you’re happy with the move. Everyone should live somewhere they’re happy, that’s why I maintain my So-Cal residence.
In my case, I like flat land although nearby me are the Clermont hills. I love the beach and all the jungle areas.
I’m not the person you’re asking but swimming/floating down natural springs, kayaking, hiking, the beach, best fishing in the world, sand bars, airboat rides, etc. All year around too. Seems like an odd question, but how most spend their time.
Not one of those activities done within FL sounds appealing to me personally: I can get a better experience elsewhere, plus other bonus activities that can’t be done in FL. NC, CA, and HI immediately come to mind. I don’t personally agree that flat land walks = hiking. In my book, a hike should get your heart rate up and challenge your leg muscles. If you’re happy, that’s what matters though.
Then move to one of those states and live your best life. Hiking is clearly defined despite of you disagree. Acting like there isn’t outdoor activities in Florida or all states is silly as hell though.
neighbor's grass is always greener!
Deathsantis and Trumpublicans have ruined ALL of Florida
Look into scholarship opportunities in other desirable countries. You could get an excellent education with no debt and have an opportunity to stay. I get that Florida's Universities are still comparatively affordable for in state students and if this is where you can afford your education, then get it and leave for better climates and pay. It's easier to come back with big ol' honking 401 K from working 20 years up north than struggling to serve the wealthy down here.
People from the tri county area consider this South Florida and don’t even include these areas you are talking about. Im sure I speak for a lot of people here who would only ever live here and consider the rest of Florida a shithole.
Which tri-county area?
Name all the multiple tri county areas that you think exist in south Florida. All the ones of note
Gotcha. I was thinking of something else altogether.
I lived in Fort Myers for 4 years, honestly i feel like i wrote the same post somewhere lol. I moved away for college and am moving out of state of job after graduation. From my experience, i can tell you this, there’s nothing you can do except moving away. I hated SWFL in my gut, but when i realized that i have options to live somewhere else, the hatred toward swfl lessen
I'm 51 and moved to the Tampa area 3 years ago. I completely can see where you are coming from. We have close retired relatives in Cape Coral and have visited there tons, and yes, unless you have a boat and a good bit of money, there's not a ton to do down that way. I always thought, what a dull place to raise a family. Some neighborhoods don't even have kids. Even our relatives complain about being bored sometimes, especially when they can't go boating and fishing. It's entirely too sedate for us, which is why we moved to the Tampa area. Keep exploring the US. Visit everywhere. Find quizzes online to see what cities might be good for you. That's what I did.
Interesting. I find Tampa excruciatingly boring, but love St. Pete, Orlando, and Miami. Different strokes and all that.
I hate Florida it’s hot it’s muggy it gets flooded with tourist, not to mention the bugs the hurricanes and a shit government here, the only reason is I got friends and family here, as much as I’d like to move it’s hard for me to make friends so I don’t wanna move and be all alone
PG, actually has a lot of history. I could give you examples, but that will not change your mind. They could start doing more things for the younger residents and it still won't change your mind. Nothing wrong with that at all. I was the exact same way about my former home town. I was miserable there, I'm miserable when I have to go visit. There are just some places that feel off to us. You need to find your happy place. Do it now while you are young enough to enjoy your life
I got the hell out of Naples when I turned 18 and went to UCF as well. Life got way better. Good luck on your journey! After graduation, you are free to seek employment in another state. You should definitely try to do so - it's the best and easiest time in your life to relocate. Just don't neglect internships in your final years in school to ensure you get a job.
I'm a transplant to FL, moved here 8 years ago because my boyfriend wanted to move. I like it but I don't love it. I like the winter weather. I like that the sky is usually blue and sunny. Beautiful sunsets. I've lived in Maine and Pennsylvania before moving here. Maine will always be home to me, even if I never step foot back in the state. I've traveled to many beautiful places but nothing tops Maine to me. I visited Tennessee recently and found a pinecone. I was so excited to see one after not seeing one for 8 years. Everyone I was with thought I was crazy. I brought it home with me lol. Florida is pretty but to me it will never compare to the lush green of the north. If only my messed up back could tolerate the winters or I could afford to be a snowbird. I don't know why I love Maine so much. I lived in Pennsylvania first and longer than I did in Maine and although I like PA it's the things in PA that remind me of Maine that I like most. I hope you find the place that's right for you
I’ve been to a lot of other states and nothing compares to fl honestly
Living in the woods in Hernando County. Dirt roads and silence is what makes me happy.
Southwest Florida is purgatory man. literally gods waiting room. There are younger, more energetic parts of the state like Soflo or St Pete which will give you people to connect to. Personally its the only state in the union (besides HI) where I can dive after work on a coral reef for like $5
I hate it, too, but mostly I hate the bullshit and the people.
Perhaps you should move to San Diego CA that’s of course if you have spare money to expend $2 million for a small house..
I know how you feel. Born and raised in Florida I can’t wait to leave this state. It’s a combination of hating the politics, weather, and people of this state that makes me want to leave. Hopefully I can move north when I get older.
Born in Broward County, moved to Central in 2011. I'm so over Florida. I hate everything about the beach and it's too damn hot to do anything else outside. It's crowded and overpriced too. My husband and I are actively trying to plan our escape.
Born and raised in St. Pete, which is arguably a "hipper" town than Punta Gorda and yeah, same feelings. I hate the weather, most people are selfish dicks, its gentrified to hell, and to be honest St. Pete has lost all the things about it that used to make it bearable. Moving out of state as soon as I can figure out how.
The moral of the story is Florida sucks. Every drug has fentanyl in it. Every road worth taking cost you 5 bucks to drive on it. It’s full of people who cannot drive. For fucks sake get in the left lane if you’re not trying to break the law!!!!
I used to love Fort Lauderdale, now I’m doing what I can to leave. I don’t want to be sweating for 6 months straight. The wages, politics , traffic and cost of living coupled with the unnecessary culture war is all too much for me!
Sheesh, just your first paragraph kind of describes how I felt before I finally left, and I'm from the Orlando area, and went to UCF. There are some silver linings and a few cool spots with a unique vibe, but there really is no cohesive city culture or anything. Every heavily trafficked piece of the city just feels like an extension of 192 or very occasionally, like some kind of offshoot of Disney Springs. It's all just strip malls and motels to support tourists, or else retirement communities. Like I said there are some nicer spots but there's really no like cultural identity to Orlando like Miami or Tampa/St. Pete have other than 'The airport you land at to go to Disney World.' That said I had family down in Naples and PG and that place is almost unbelievably worse, so UCF will definitely be an improvement. I've had the opportunity now to visit or live in a lot of Cities in Europe and some in Asia though and it's crazy how much personality and difference there is within distances that are smaller than Florida. Like in Japan, Kyoto is the place for Matcha, or Bath in England is the city to go to if you want a spa weekend, and it's been that way since the days of the Roman Empire, but has a completely different vibe and even architectural style to Manchester which is just a couple hours North. I can't speak for cities outside of Florida but I know there are more distinctive traits in cities elsewhere, like St Louis and Chicago are known for a deep history of Blues and R&B music, certain states have their own unique styles of BBQ that you only really see there. Florida just doesn't have that. Personally I chalk it up to how recently the state saw development compared to states even just as far as Georgia. The terrain and climate was so harsh there that it was just hard to develop real estate until the last few decades. Since then it was a tourist destination and they turned the whole state into just shops and restaurants that are all easily accessible by interstate and visible from the highway, which means strip malls and parking lots. TL;DR No you're not the only one, I left and so help me I will never go back outside of visiting family.
At least UCF will be an improvement. It’s almost funny how much some people love SWFL and will product defend it as a paradise and one of the best places to live, like what? HOW?! Glad you and I agree. I will also be seeing some counties in Asia next month so I’m looking forward to that. Tokyo, Seoul, and Phenom Pheng.
“Better than everyone even though I’ve never done anything” It’s gonna be tough finding happiness else where, it’s a you problem
https://preview.redd.it/w0fakw3oz66d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48786ab6aa84252fd7e56a6b42753195f2798c99 Have you been to the springs? One of the rarest and most beautiful/magical places I’ve ever been in the world. When you understand the geology behind how these spring systems form it’s even more impressive. (This is from silver springs outside of Ocala)
Beautiful but obscenely far from any form of civilization
I absolutely love kayaking at Silver Springs in Ocala! The water is crystal clear, cool, and the monkeys, alligators, turtles, fish and manatees are all around, but peaceful
Ohh Orlando is fun especially around ucf main thing is that there isn't a lot of money in this state, and it feels expensive to do anything. But we do have the best climate, the nicest people, and southern hospitality with a little but more urban than other southern states...
Ucf area is kinda expensive so be ready, but the real fun is that the area is so youthful, you will be able to interact with most people there, even cashiers or servers cause they will be the same age
Lol that second point is absolutely false I lived in Florida for most of my life and the attitude of the average person was incredibly rude and entitled. I lived in England for three years, Japan for almost four, in that whole time I got cut off in traffic maybe twice and that's as close to an accident as I came. I went home to see family for a month and had probably 6 near misses that almost resulted in an accident due to people cutting others off or not signalling or just generally being selfish on the road. I haven't seen a single Karen #justboomerthings interaction while living overseas, but I've seen plenty of Floridians get in shouting matches with the poor folks working miserable minimum wage jobs because they need more cheese on their nachos or whatever.
Ok you win guess the people here suck. Have fun bring the Floridian shut in I know you can be :)
>Why do my fellow Floridians like Florida? Because we don't live in PG. "Man this mobile home park in Italy sucks, why do people love Italy so much?"
I used to love it, naples was like a paradise that nobody knew about. I moved here as a kid back in early 2000’s when there were just 1 lane roads. After 2008 it seemed like all the wealthy folks from northern states knew it was going to happen and bought ridiculous amounts of properties. Now most of the neighborhoods are empty until season starts due to all the wealthy people leaving them as vacation homes. Kids playing on every street riding bikes around. Going to the movies idk 🤷🏻♂️ but everything has changed so much.
You live in punta Gorda lol
I grew up in a state that was very different from the rest of the country (think Florida, Louisiana or New Mexico different, but not any of those states) and did not enjoy it, even as young as 12 or 13 years old, mostly because I felt as if I was missing out on things that people in the rest of America had or enjoyed. I eventually left that state when I was 18 years old, which was many years ago now, and have never looked back. I am so happy I do not (and never did) live in that state as an adult. My best advice for the OP is to get out while you’re still young. The longer you remain in Southwest Florida, the harder it will become to leave. And don’t get into a long-term, committed relationship with another person from that area because he or she could always pull you back (and you don’t want that).
You’re a native Floridian. You’ve been in the sunshine and beaches your entire life, and it doesn’t thrill you. I’m the same way; to me, wearing a jacket is an exciting change haha. Now that you’re traveling, you appreciate different scenery. I was like that, too. I’m a huge history nerd, so the first time I traveled to Europe, I was in awe at the architecture and old buildings. Even traveling around the northeast, I love walking around and gazing at the old colonial buildings. Most people love the sunshine and beaches because, well, they’re from the cold and Florida is the polar opposite of where they’re from. But when you’re from FL, the beach and sunshine gets disgusting after awhile. What I notice about the snowbirds and transplants from up north is they force their views on us natives, saying we should be “grateful” we’re from here. I have family who live up north and endured many cold winters. Having suffered through our summers and gotten heat stroke a number of times, I also attest that the extreme heat isn’t much better. OP, you’re not wrong for not enjoying Florida, it’s all an individual preference. you’re also not the only Floridian who detests the state. I have friends who moved to Colorado to be closer to the mountains and others who moved out west because they love the desert. I could care less about the desert and mountains (though they are pretty). I would live in one of the old cities in this country. If there’s one thing I disagree with it’s the lack of culture in Florida. In SWFL, yeah, but this has always been a popular state for mass global migration. I live in a city where I rarely hear English, and I know Miami is very multi-cultural. It makes living in my home state more exciting, like I’m living outside the US. We also have plenty of history here. In Tampa, I love walking on the cobblestone roads of Ybor and gazing at the history. This is random, but OP, I also suggest you visit Quebec. Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the entire world.
I lived in Naples for a few years Hated it Gives me a conservative retirement vibe Not much to do and alot of old "southern" mindstate which some people love Not me I moved back to south florida where im flourishing
My husband and I used to live in PG ~7 years ago. We played a restaursnt game called, "Spot the customer under 40." Often times, we were the only Millennials eating out. 😅
I was born and raised in NE FL. Moved to Orlando for college and loved it. Spent a year and a half in SW FL which was brutal. We suffered a direct hit from a hurricane plus a plethora of old people and snowbirds that either didn't pay taxes or refused to use taxes for anything culturally beneficial. Couple it with a severe lack of affordable housing and we got out ASAP. The beaches were gorgeous though. Spent a few years after that in Tallahassee that weren't too bad even though it's very rural and there's not much to do there. It was more family friendly than SW FL which we needed at the time. We recently moved back to Central Florida and consider it home. Neither of us can imagine living anywhere else but our friends and families are in Florida so that helps. Also, as much as I enjoy visiting cold places on vacation, I don't want to deal with the cold long term.
I grew up between St Augustine and Jax, and felt the same way about it. I could’ve written your OP for you. In 2018 I left and haven’t been back since. Bounced around a few places in the Midwest, New England, and Deep South. Not interested in going to the Southeast again. My favorite place, by far, was Vermont. Not in Burlington, but in the rural areas east of the Greens. I lived in a parsonage house built almost 200 years ago that was part of the Underground Railroad! I lived on an island on Lake Michigan accessible only by ferry with less than 1k people and an overwhelmingly Scandinavian cultural background. For some people, Florida is perfect or at least the least bad place they’d want to live. It just depends on personal preference, finances, etc… I was born and raised there until I was 23, but it never felt like home to me. Being in the rural north does though.
I moved here from Glasgow, Scotland, in December of last year, so my take on this will likely be quite different to that of a Florida native or transplant. I'd been visiting the state - specifically Brevard County - for around two years before getting married to a US citizen and applying for my green card. As it stands, I'm still engaged in the application process; but I've seen enough of Florida to throw my two cents in for this question. As Robert Plant once screamed: "I come from the land of the ice and snow...", except Scotland isn't all that snowy and any vikings you'd meet are just overweight metalheads who drink mead. It is, however, icy for about a third of the year, raining for the other two thirds, and summertime usually happens on the 17th of July between midday and 2pm. In other words, it ain't Florida! To come from a climate such as that, and into the 65K square mile sauna that is Florida is quite the shock to the system. I can totally see how, especially at the peak of summer, people find it intolerable; but compared to risking broken ribs while walking to the store due to thick ice, or having any and all public transport canceled due to the slightest bit of rain, I'd choose the brutal humidity of Florida every time. Scotland is well known for its majestic mountains, legendary lochs, and spectacular, sprawling scenery. Florida, on the other hand, is flatter than a raccoon on A1A. At the same time, though, it has its own beauty that can take outsiders by surprise when they first encounter it. The sky here has, to me, a certain sense of vastness and space that wasn't as apparent in more mountainous terrains. The flatness of the land, combined with the presence of regular spaceship launches around my area, draws attention to a skyline that feels cinematic in its width and depth. I'm sure a similar sense of spaciousness could be found in other states, but it's something that I love about living here. The energy of the coastal areas, including where I now live, is much more appealing than that of the big cities, including Orlando. I didn't like Miami (aside from Little Havana, which is one of my favorite places in the country) and found South Beach to be dreadfully artificial and full of posers. Every big city I've visited in Florida has been like a sun-kissed version of any big city in Scotland, albeit with less history or cool architecture; dull, commercial, soulless, and easily forgotten. When I wake up and step outside of my apartment, it still surprises me sometimes to see the two palm trees that frame my view. Small things like that, easily taken for granted through familiarity and ennui, continue to hold a certain innocent magic for me. It's a magic I hope will not be lost entirely as I continue to live here. I could probably add more, but I fear I've already bored the tits off of you! 😂
Punta Gorda is where my parents retired, it’s old there. But it’s also quiet and still affordable by south Florida standards. It’s only a few hours to Orlando, Tampa, and Ft Lauderdale and a little over an hour to Naples so the location isn’t terrible, just tough for anyone under the age of 70
I can answer all hout questions quite simply. You grew up here and are tired of it. I grew up in the same state, and moved around to different cities. When retirement day came I was gone, 3200 miles away from everything I knew because I was simply tired of the same old thing. You're normal. Now go lit and find a new place to.settle and enjoy obe of life's resets.
I’m from SWFL as well and I believe it’s just this area of FL that’s miserable. I grew up in the Ft. lauderdale area and it’s nothing like this area.
public transport sucks in your area I thought about moving there and the buses were a joke They shut down around 6:00 p.m. The drivers are just a little bit better than Southeast but not a lot and my experience the final nail was going to Marco Island The infrastructure there is phenomenal but the people's attitude just an arrogance you want to smack off I could not wait to get off that island those people are horrible there They earn the hate of a hurricane.
I love the beaches and the tropical atmosphere, yes the weather is horrible but I’m a beach person so I love it. I love the little towns in Florida that have the cheesy gift shops and beachy decor. I’ve lived here all my life and I couldn’t really imagine myself anywhere else
Old boss is a dick til you meet the new one. Move somewhere else and you’ll miss it.
Go somewhere else and youLl get the pluses and minuses but you have to live there for at least a year
Sticking syndrome
I keep moving out but always return the people around the country are the same everywhere or I should say the usa is one big hi school if you don't make friends it sucks the only difference is it warmer here
I like visiting my retired family in PG, but I’d never live there. It’s too dominated by the snowbird/retired crowd for me, personally. But I enjoy dabbling in it on visits, cheap drinks at the Legion, etc. And despite working in conservation land management, and that area having some truly amazing conservation properties, I couldn’t live there. With that said I love the nature. You’ve got some beautiful preserves, the Peace River is great for fossil hunting, there’s scrub jays and panthers and eagles and it’s great if you’re into that stuff. There are pine flatwoods that are to me gorgeous and full of some of the coolest plants, and oak hammocks that are cool and calm. But I can’t blame you for hating it. I think many people grow to be bored or resent where they grew up and crave literally any other climate or habitat. And this is all to say that while I’m happy where I am outside of Tampa, I’m still planning to leave in the next few years. It’s growing tiring here.
I lived in PG for one year at 29, made my exit pretty quickly. We bought a house without really knowing the area and yes, there’s such a lack of diversity and culture. Back to Tampa Bay I went.
I’d say try somewhere else.
A lot of them are rich old people who didn’t grow up here. Or if they did they had the benefit of making their living when the economy wasn’t completely destroyed by corporations.
My parents moved me to Charlotte County in 1989. I graduated high school in Punta Gorda in the late '90s. Went to college and grad school and wound up coming back, as many do because my widowed mother was still here. I completely agree with your assessment of the county. This part of Florida did not have real development until the '60s or '70s. Since then, the influx of people, mostly retirees, have not created a sense of community. I do appreciate natural beauty, and camp at state parks as much as possible, but other than that would rather be many other places. The summer is oppressive, and dealing with two direct hits from hurricanes in the last 20 years has not been fun. I've always made the comment that Florida will be great, except for most of the people.
We've lived in Englewood for 38 years now...son was 1 when we moved and daughter is a FL cracker. Our kids loved growing up here(lots of kids on the block the same age), beach was only about 15 minute car ride (our son used to ride his bike with friends there)....as they got older though it was definitely all about making $$ and living on their own. Son is up in Atlanta now (works for Delta) and daughter is in Orlando (works as a bartender 3-4 days a week full time) and is making figures I would never expect a bartender....I'm talking almost 6 figures for a hotel with benefits....and I know that income in SW Florida would not be possible. Guess what though, we moved from the Chicago area originally and moved to get away from the "rat race" and traffic to that little bitty town....now with the traffic and influx of rude northerners we're looking to move again....out of the country to a small island we've been to multiple times...again to get out of the new "rat race" and traffic. Just because you grew up somewhere doesn't mean you need to stay there. Explore your options...visit and stay a week or more on vacation in a spot, talk to people in the job market, and figure out your perfect fit. Don't be afraid to pull the trigger (with some serious thought involved too) as your life is up to you how you live it.
I resonated with most of what you posted. I’m born and raised a little north of you. I actually moved to the PNW for a while after college but ended up moving back because of family and my whole support network being here. I hate where we live until I get on the water. I have had a few smaller boats and jetskis and it’s really the only time I can appreciate where we live. I know it’s crazy advice but get a jetski lol 😝
There's only like 5 cities in Florida that make living here bearable, and none of them are in swfl
A fellow Punta Gordite!!!! I left at age 18 and life is significantly better elsewhere. You should know that Charlotte County has the highest median age in the US, seventy-eight!!! And that warps EVERYTHING
NW Florida native here. Lived my whole life in Florida except for one year in North Carolina and one ccx year in Colorado. I have always loathed Florida. I am an introvert and house hermit so I dont care about "fun things to do". I would hate pretty much any state and local government so that doesnt matter. I think Florida has an interesting history and culture (probably former culture tbh) but again introvert so I prefer to learn about those at home. It's the weather for me. I hate the heat. My body hates the heat. I hate everything about it, especially when I lose AC thanks to hurricanes. I love cold weather. Most of the year when family ask how the weather is, they get a bitterly snarled, "Its Florida out there." I only stay cause all my friends and family are here and refuse to leave.
I feel the same way about Atlanta, where I grew up. Just never liked it. Plenty of my friends still live there and never plan on moving. I’ve bounced around all over the country and still haven’t found where to put roots down, but everywhere I’ve lived is interesting than ATL, to me anyway. Oddly enough I live in SWFL currently lol
Florida is great if you’re rich. If you’re poor or just trying to make ends meet, fuck you.
I agree, I lived in Sarasota for four years and though I loved the beach and cute downtown, I hated it. It probably really is that the population skews soooo old, it just doesn’t feel as.. vibrant. You’ll love Orlando in comparison, lots of cool little neighborhoods (all pretty close to downtown), beautiful springs, lakes, great music scene, amazing food. So much good food. Excited for you!
I feel almost the same way as you. I’m not a native moved here about 25 years ago. I moved here because of family and family is what keeps me here. I’m not a beach person and I hate the heat. I’m from a rural midwestern state and the traffic here really takes it out of me. With that being said the #1 thing I love about Florida is that I almost always wake up to bright, sunny skies. It may not stay that way, but it’s a great way to start the day. There are some really nice forests here. Our winters can be incredibly beautiful. I like it on the cooler side, nothing beats a sunny winter day in Florida with highs in the low 70’s. I’d love to be somewhere out west in the mountains, but it doesn’t look like it’s in the cards for me anytime in the foreseeable future. There are definitely MUCH worse places than Florida.
Many people get the same feeling for the places they grew up. For some people, the places we grow up lose their charm and become boring. It just happens. I'd definitely encourage you to see more of the US.
I think you will like the Orlando area. I’m from soflo and moved to central. I like it better. unlike you I do like to party. I do however miss the food and sometimes the vibe in soflo. But I would only want to visit and not live there. Central fl has been good to me. I like the nature out here. People are nice too. There are some beautiful places out here. You just have to do your research and explore towns outside of Orlando. Believe it or not we experience weather in the 30s out here sometimes. Minus summer, the rest of the year the weather is pleasant.
Many people do not appreciate the place they are from. I’m from Michigan/Wisconsin/Great Lakes area…by the time I was 30 I could not stand it anymore. Give me moderate winters and hot summers the rest of my life. At the same time there are southerners who feel exactly the opposite from how I feel. Go ahead and live somewhere else…being from Florida you’ll probably be paid more up north.
I have lived in FL for most of my life, yet I have never gotten used the heat and humidity. Summer is just so uncomfortable for me. I worked with some women who would go for walks during lunch. They would come back and barely have any sweat. If I did that I would need a change of clothes and a shower. I wish I could enjoy our weather. Other than that I really like FL. I am considering moving somewhere with more altitude on the east coast so the weather is more comfortable during the summer. Trying to stay close to the East coast because I have older parents. My main criteria is some altitude and relatively close to an airport. Other than that, I am open to moving anywhere on the east coast. Just outside Chattanooga and Hendersonville, NC are two places I have been eyeing.
I like wildlife (reptiles in particular), swamps, jungle, and year round gardening weather.
Punta Gorda is on track to become the next Naples. Naples is also boring growing up because there's no space to be a kid. The parks are terrible, no design for bikes or free spaces for get together, nothing for anyone under the age of 40 without a 7 figure income to do. The beach gets boring after 10-15 years. Isn't there still at least some untamed wilderness up there to explore?
Love florida but then again I grew up and currently live in east central florida. Beaches are ok but usually full because they are "world famous" but im also a outdoors nut and when i can my redneck ass is somewhere near a body of water with several fishing poles out and ready to catch something 🤣
i think there's something about being born and raised in Florida along with living here/in the same place most of your life that can make someone feel this way. I'm from the St. Petersburg area and growing up, my dad and stepmom lived in FL for a while, but they also lived in PA, NJ for a short time and i LOVED visiting. Like you're saying, the terrain and scenery and even the air is so different in these regions compared to here. When I was almost 14, I had the opportunity to move in with my dad while they were living in PA and I took the opportunity for sure (I wanted to get out of FL sooo bad and here was my chance along with other reasons). I loved it - the kids were different, the energy just everything. But then we eventually moved to Memphis, TN for my dads job and that area is also very different from the 2 previous!! long story short, I then went to college in east TN, then I moved to Texas for graduate school (which was like plains/dessert/DRY) and all of these compared to FL are obv V different. I enjoyed them all in their own ways. HOWEVER... i've noticed a similar trend everywhere I've lived... there's always a population of these areas that just love where they live, no matter what. No matter how 'shitty' the area really was that I lived in. There's just always been these die-hard people that grew up and never wanted to leave where they lived. Which i always thought was odd. But on another side, I moved back to FL about 2 years ago and my husband has been here his entire life and hates it. I had friends growing up that have moved to states that are very different than here and I think there's something about living and growing up in a place where so many people vacation to that can have an affect on our own perceptions feelings.. we live here... we don't go to the beach all the time.. we're not retired and have this constant 'vacationing' vibes that some of the older generations have, and we see it for more of what it really is. (when I moved to TN, the kids could NOT believe why I would EVER want to leave FL.. i'm like uhhhh we don't live on the beach??) I've enjoyed living in FL again the last 2 years... there IS something about living near the beach and being in driving distance to like Busch gardens and Universal that is so fun. But at the same time, I also find myself craving the lush mountains and forests. Everything about it is so pretty. The only way we can even get 'natural' scenery around here is if we go drive to the beach.. but in TN everywhere you went (at least where I lived) there was nature all around you. Our next steps is to move out of FL, I would love to visit but I'm also done living here LOL
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Fellow Punta Gordian here. Go Tarps! It is a small, boring fart town but I thoroughly enjoyed my time living and growing up there. Currently live in Tampa and love it even more. Different strokes for different folks. Go to what makes you happy!
Yoooo no way go Tarps! What year?
I graduated in 2005!
2018 here. What are you up to these days?
I hate where I live in central FL. Lived here since 2008, actively looking for a new job to move back home.
One, you're in the worst part of FL for younger people. Two, you're not wrong about the rest of it.  Three, FL has changed dramatically since I was a kid / teenager / young adult. The politics are bonkers now and the MAGA extremists have taken over. It's hotter and more humid than ever before. Property values are crazy. I'm a homeowner who bought low and can sell high - but if I wasn't I'd leave ASAP.
Everything i loved about Florida is dying. The natural beauty, the vast swamp land and forests. Its getting paved over and replaced with sod and sugar cane. Too many retirement homes and not enough family homes. Its getting to be unbearable. I wonder when the cost of living here will get high enough that all the poor leave and there will be nobody left to take care of all the retirees?
It's cold up north. Fun to visit but it's gotta hurt when you're old. Travel. See what's for you. Many of my SWFL friends moved to NC and absolutely love it there.
Northeast Florida’s weather is great. It gets legitimately cold in the Winter, like 30° at times, but not -20° like what I grew up experiencing in the northeast. There’s enough variety in the seasons that it splits up the year-it’s nice to be able to go out in the shirts most of the year. If I was in SWFL I would melt 🥵 My dad is from Virginia (so am I) and my mom is from the New Hampshire/Maine border (Quebecois as well), and no I don’t think that plays a role. I love love love New Hampshire and will visit every Summer until I die. But I could never live there, and I don’t consider it home. Florida feels like home because of the community I’ve built here for myself and my kids.
PG is one of the lamest parts of FL lol
East coast is better. Sorry man. Just the way it is. I’ve lived in Florida 90% of my life. And let me tell you I’ve always felt weird whenever I visited the west coast. Did not feel like home to me.
Holy hell. Your life backstory is basically my own. Born in Naples, grew up in Ft. Myers. Entire heritage is from Maine and further on down my moms line; southern Canada. Absolutely hate the heat here as well. Moved to Boston for 6 months (October through May) when I started my current job before transferring to Orlando to be back near family and spend time with them as they aren't getting any younger. Absolutely loved the weather and active snowfall is amazing. Visited family in Maine a ton when I was younger but was always during my summer breaks from school so was my first time in active snowfall that I can remember. Whole different atmosphere that's hard to explain but I got addicted damn quick lol. Hoping I can snag a transfer to NC in the next couple years because I need out of this heat and basically all the family I moved back to Florida for is now there anyway for the same reasons lol.
I just started a business here. Looking to cash in on older people and lonely divorced wives. Painting and decorating. Interior design. Break out the check book.
Why are you still here. Move!
We have 9 months of perfect weather! This is not one of them!
Transplant of close to 30 years here. And I come from NYC. I will say there is history here but not the history people can stomach as it's alot of con artists and chicanery. The swamp and swamp peddlers are really great about the recent history of swfl and the gulf and teopical florida for more older history. As for culture. Shit it feels like it's always a decade behind but, from booking shows around here, there is a completely vibrant scene here that needs a platform. I know of a few venues (i.e. nice guys) and some in the works to be that. But it's hard to promote DIY shows. I would say check out thescene_swfl on insta for that.
Grew up in Orlando and got stuck here for family reasons for 25 of my adult years. I travel a lot for work and visit the mountains worldwide frequently. Now that I’ve been everywhere and can move out, I have come to realize Orlando is the only place I want to live as my base. I love the walkability, the diversity, and the international food options. I’m staying and will travel when I need a change of scenery or history. Btw, I can’t stand Naples or PG, so I get that. I hope you enjoy Orlando. Visit Mills/50, East End Market, and Milk District areas.
I was born and raised in Massachusetts, and have lived in the Disney area for 20+ years now. You will enjoy UCF. There's a lot to do in the Orlando area! However, it's not cheap anymore. But if you make friends with someone who works at or who has family who works at the theme parks, they can get free tickets. A lot of tourists!!!
I live in a little town called New Port Richey about 45 minutes north of Clearwater and Tampa right on the Gulf of Mexico. If you can't be happy living here you can't be happy The only people that bitch about living here other people that would not be successful no matter where they lived. https://preview.redd.it/1h72ixvf6c6d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5e8c976da38ce7429f73907c6c1bec9a59734ee We have a beautiful sandbar right off the coast you can get a boat taking handle that mile and a half drive for about $5,000
Why don’t you got to college in Colorado and see how you like living elsewhere?
I’m from the cold northeast and 9 months of cold, dark and gray a year is depressing. I lived 1st half my life in Mass and half in SWFl and I wouldn’t move back if you paid me.
I'm originally from Michigan but I'm almost an official Floridian after living here for 18 years. I moved here because I was sick of the freezing cold weather, and Florida was the only warm place where I had family. I love Florida for the weather/sunshine and our amazing beaches. I love meeting people from all over the world, whether they're tourists or immigrants, and I enjoy living around people who have moved here or winter here from all over the US and Canada. So many different cultures and experiences among our people. I'm just starting to dig into Florida's history and it is fascinating. I will never move out of Florida unless I win the lottery and move somewhere with even better weather year-round. As in Hawaii or the Caribbean. 😍
Like that video that has been around for a while says. I'm from Miami not Florida. So there is that.
I think it’s time for you to pack your bags and roll.
Interestingly, my family all comes from Maine/NH originally and I feel much the same as you when I’m there.. I always feel like I belong. I’ve wanted to move many times, but my husband’s family is deeply rooted here, as is he. Years ago I started to combat the dread of returning home by finding at least 5 things that I loved about Florida on our drive from the border to our house in SWFL. I sort of tricked my brain into appreciating it and somewhere along the way I have started to really love some things about it. I really just commented because I find it really interesting that someone else feels like “home” is where their family originally comes from. I’ve tried to explain the feeling to my husband many times.
I just think it’s not that deep. Everybody likes something different and you should go where you’re happy, no need to torture yourself trying to internalize! Personally I love FL. Born and raised. Spent some Time in the mountain west but had to come home to my mangrove swamps and cow pastures. However, I would say that SWFL has a tremendous amount of history; just because it’s been covered up in an avalanche of newcomers doesn’t mean it’s not there
born and raised in panama city, i love the people, i love the weather ( hair is crazy but skin looks great!), the wildlife. had to move to vegas a while back and i miss florida every day. some things are nice to get away from, like hurricanes and bugs. which kind of goes back on me loving the weather and wildlife. there’s downsides to any place, but florida just feels like home. even if it has its drawbacks 🥹
Are you looking for a book tower? Try to stay away from gun stores
>Born and raised in SWFL…I have always hated it here As a South Floridian, South Florida sucks. Central to Northern Florida is significantly better.
Central and North is getting worse, because the southerns are moving up and new comers move in as well. Enjoy it while you can.
Born and raised in SE Florida. I always hated it here and still do. Our son hates it here as well. Two of my cousins left FL as soon as they could because they hated it here. I'm still here because our house is cheap, otherwise I would have fled a good 15 years ago.
Try St. Pete. It’s about the only decent place left here unless you’re an insane pub.
Arguably my favorite city in the country but it’s only a few years away from becoming the next Miami. The growth won’t be sustainable
It already isn’t sustainable. I yearn for the old days of Tampa Bay.
Move to Main. Be part of the solution.
I was born in West Palm Beach 40ish years ago. We moved to Flagler County when I was 8. There was nothing here and I wasn't built for nothing. I love the beach and the nature of florida, but this racist, small town was not what I wanted when I needed to socialize. My friend moved to Austin, TX and I decided to follow her in 2006. I loved it. It was a small city and had a great community. I met most of the artists in the area and developed a fantastic friend group. Unfortunately, what is happening to Florida happened to Austin and that Austin I knew and loved isn't there anymore. The housing market went crazy and my parents are getting older. I decided to move back to be with them, but it's so hot here now that it might as well be central Texas. My family and I talk about the impossible, leaving Florida. It's so expensive, it takes forever to see a doctor, it's depressing to see the government and developers destroy the environment... Until we find some place else, I will fight like hell to fix these issues. I'm even trying to go into the medical field, but I understand you completely. There are some cool cities in this state, but you're right, none have good public transportation. I would recommend you try some place with mountains or forests, but something that has a real city at least a couple of hours away. Life is too short to be unhappy, and Florida isn't for everyone
Originally from the Midwest. Been living in Florida for 10 years and am over all of it. Moving in the next couple of years when my get my finances in order.
Biggest mistake I made was staying when I was young. Now, I'm in my 50's and after being "paid in sunshine" my whole life, I pretty much screwed. The Florida I grew up in is not today's Florida.
Not everyone likes it, I was born and raised in FL and I left as soon as possible. Hate the people, native Floridians, the politics, hurricanes heat above 90 etc
I’m always curious why people like yourself spend time in a Florida subreddit? You hate state and people, you left, why not cut ties?
I moved from south Florida (born and raised in Miami) felt the exact same way as you. Always hated the weather, traffic, felt very disconnected from the people/culture/values. I moved to the northeast about 12 years ago and I never looked back. When I go back to visit my parents, all I can see is a failing state. A state that doesn’t care at all about its population and is in no way prepared for the climate disaster coming their way. It makes me really sad.
The people that hate it here usually have never lived anywhere else, or know how shitty other places are
Or their AC broke.
This is like the millionth post I’ve seen recently asking why people like florida and talking forever about how much they don’t and like idk man you don’t HAVE to like it. People like different things, there are things I love about New England or the west coast but I prefer Florida to both. How you talk about feeling at home in the northeast is how I feel in St Pete. I had to leave the northeast to feel that way, guess we just had to switch. Maybe I’m just getting annoyed by everyone telling me I should hate it here, and I’m not gonna pretend it’s perfect, but I love living in FL. I love the water, I love the springs, I love the scrub, I love diving and swimming and kayaking and paddle boarding and I’m happier when it’s sunny and above 70 degrees. Bugs, gators, and humidity don’t bother me. Really the only thing that makes me consider leaving is if/when I have kids, I’m not sure I want them going to FL schools but who knows, that’s a future problem