Yea, I think so. I did some digging on yelp. There's a lot of restaurants toward the shoreline who's menus seem to reflect the new england "diet" so to speak. I'm from the south, I'm used to people making small talk at check out lines, maybe being a bit more patient, and not being rude.

I was down there smack in the middle of "the season" though.. snow bird city from what I understand. So you're very likely to be right.

Haven't heard anything yet. Not surprised. It's the holidays, decision makers are gonna be PTO.

Not worried though, if I dont get that one, I'll keep my eye out for something else.

One thing that does worry me though, and I did some research on this, it seems most inland areas (like where this office is, and where I would most likely find affordable rent) are non-evacuation areas as far as storm surge, but I seem to recall during the repub primaries tampa was looking at a bad storm. Have they ever had to evacuate? It seems like there's so many people there evacuating such an area would be like you see in apocalypse movies with lines of cars stacked with belongings out of gas along I-75.

 

Storm surge is a problem for the coast line but, not really at all once you get inland. Just like Katrina and Sandy, they were for warned and they still stood around like idiots A Hurricane is a miserable time no matter what level or how far inland you may be. Just leave a few days ahead of land fall and you won't get stuck with the other dumb *** people who leave 12 hours before or less.

 

True...i meet more people here from up north than people actually from here...and let's just say there is a noticeable difference between people from up north and folks from down south..of any age....

 

Yea, my company that I work for now is a national company, so I deal with people from all over.

Since it's almost 100% travel for them though, a lot of them are from the north, but choose to live in FL.

Honestly I don't blame them, but when you're used to the more casual attitude of southerners, it takes some getting used to.

No offense to anyone from up north, but the general attitude I get is that people are very "short" and to the point. They don't mess around with niceness and always seem to be in a hurry.

Still though, I think I can take that with a 75 degree high in January.

 

......and the 95 degree highs for 6-7 months. Add in the humidity too. Just had a revelation, they're in a bad mood because it's cold up there and come here and remain in a bad mood because it's hot. There ya go.

 

dont forget the 1 time $275 new plate fee for out of state cars. luckily i only had to pay that for 1 of the 3 cars i own. i got around it for my 95 t/a because i originally bought the car here in 2004 and was able to be grandfathered in since the law came later. the 83 ta i am using someones extra plate. its legally registered to my car i just avoided having to buy one.

as for FL itself i love the weather. i live in ft myers and drove my car with the t-tops off yesterday. i actually live in lehigh acres east of ft my. the traffic can suck in the winter because snowbirds cant drive for ****. ive seen some crazy **** here. old people going 25mph in a 50 zone in the middle lane while people almost smash into eachother trying to avoid them. left turns from the right lane etc. I saw one dumbass pull into a left turn lane coming up to a light only to realize he wanted to go right. so what does he do? he cuts across 3 lanes of 45mph traffic to get over into the right turn lane. this was about 20 ft from the approaching light. i should mount a camera in my car and make my own tv show "SW Florida's Dumbest Drivers"


jobs well im unemployed and have been for several years. i have some savings ive been living on. once that runs out i have no idea what im going to do. i currently rent a 2br 2 ba 2 car garage duplex for $595. its not the greatest neighborhood (friend about a mile up the road got burglarized a few months back) but its not terrible.

 

Living in Atlanta, I've seen what you just described about every day. This morning a guy was stopping at every green light and going 40 in a 55 zone for no good reason. Sometimse you go with the flow because you're not awake yet, but after the 4th time I had to get around this guy.

I find when I get on 75 north or south I run into people from Indiana and Ontario, and they're always doing something to **** me off.

When I was in FL it was mostly FL drivers I was around, and I found the driving style to be.. odd.. they had no concept of fast lane, people cruised in every lane equally and speeds on a 70mph road would vary between 53 and 85.. sometimes by the SAME PERSON for reasons that weren't clear at all.

I eventually gave up on my ride to to tampa.. trying to stay out of the fast lane, and just found a spot I was comfortable in and stayed with it. Here in GA people will run you off the road if you're in the fast lane and don't get out of their way. Flashing ligths, blowing horns, etc.

That is one thing that sort of worries me, and it's been a bit of a "cautionary tale" by many on the topic of living in FL. Largely, FL has 2 main industries.. agriculture in the northern parts of the state, and tourism for the rest of the state. I worry that if I pack my things, move down there, and find myself unemployed in a couple years, I may be having to pack up and leave again to find a job. I work in the technology field, and it SEEMS that there just aren't a lot of tech jobs down there.

Last summer my 5th gen's "outside temp" readout read 112F on a drive home one day here in ATL. I grew up in Augusta GA on the SC border, so I guess I'm pretty used to "liquid air" as I like to call it in the summertime. Just gotta keep the a/c working! I used to have friends in the car world online tell me "just get rid of a/c.. it robs power anyway." I always told them they were nuts.

 

I haven't worked since the summer of 2008 and I've been here in Florida since March of 2011 I moved down here after my dad passed away in November 2010 and I really don't know what I'm going to do once the savings that was inheretence runs out. If you're going to be homeless best to be homeless in a place with warm weather year round I guess.

 

Sarasota folks:

Are there areas nearby that are cheaper rent than Sarasota/Parrish etc?

I'm not finding decent homes below $1500 a month. I can do that, but that won't leave much mod money for my 5th gen.. and with the heat down there it's gonna need a kick in the pants if I get there.

Still not certain if I'm going, but things are looking optimistic, I'm doing some tentative planning and research now.

I need at least 2 bedrooms, perfer single family home (townhome MIGHT be ok) needs a microwave, and a 2 car garage. (must have garage for insurance purposes on my classic.)

I'm using trulia.com to do my rental property searches. I keep finding that the majority of non-ghetto homes are $1500-1800 a month for 3/2/2 car.

 

Thinking of is now going.

Moving to Palmetto FL on the 8th. Maybe I'll see yall around!

 

Rock on! You'll never regret!

 

Palmetto ?

Aint much down there to do

 

The cost of moving pretty much means for me that working is all I'll be able to do for a while anyway.

I'm used to Atlanta tho.. if I have to drive an hour.. or 2 hours.. to get to something to do, that feels normal to me.

 

Well I made it, and so far I love it.

Once I get a tenant in my house in ATL, I'll be lookin good.

Anyone know a good tint shop down ~sarasota area? I think I'm gonna need it.

 

My uncle lives in Palmetto. His area is pretty nice on the west side of 41.