blownz281

Does anyone live in or near Naples? It looks pretty sweet online and my wife and I are looking for a warmer zone then coastal 8b NC. Zone 10 sounds sweet and it seems to be alittle more protected from storms then the other side of the state. Next summer we want to go and visit the area and see what it is like. But we are open to other area's as well but want to stay warm

Tell me where you live in florida and why you like it? How are jobs?

Thanks

edzone9

Just Relocated From NYC , Been here 9 month we Love NE Fl .
Weather is awesome , My Trees are growing well ,all is good in the hood

I work From Keywest-NC-Al & i love Florida .
Naples is Awesome ! Great Houses For Not Alot Of $ .
The More South You Go In The State The Hotter It gets .

What Ever You Decide , Good Luck ..

Dont Know about The Jobs , My Company Relocated Me..

JodoGarden

I've been in FL for two years now... relocated from New England. I'm in Englewood, FL which is kind of like one of those places that no one knows about... that's how I like it. I seriously looked at Naples in the beginning though. It was my first choice when I started the process of moving down here. At the time, the housing market in Naples was at rock bottom. Properties were selling so fast you couldn't even go look at them. I visited the area and really liked Golden Gate... which is basically the Eastern expanse of Naples... it's HUGE!! It can take up to an hour to drive to town from there. I was warned by real estate agents about how things were there at the time... fires getting out of control, crime etc. It had a lot of abandoned homes due to foreclosures. I did read some articles in the newspapers about stuff like that too so it was a reality but I don't know on what scale. Naples is a little bit of a bubble though. If you live there, you kind of have to work there b/c everything is far (depending on your location of course). I have heard of many folks that travel Alligator Alley daily to work in Miami... quite a haul to say the least. You will want to do a lot of research about Naples if you plan on making a living there. I don't know what employment is like there now, but I do know that it was really bad two years ago.. and to be honest I don't feel that FL is making a great comeback in this economy in general. Just today I was noticing how many businesses have disappeared that were here when I first moved into the area. I hope Naples has done better. I really like the Sarasota area, which is where I am... generally speaking. The beaches here are fantastic and there's a lot to do locally. Traffic isn't too bad here either. Every time I would bring up Naples in the past the first thing everyone says is "OH! The traffic there!". I do have a friend that lives in Naples and he seems happy there, but he was unemployed for a long time. When you come down to check out the area... I suggest that you try to look at the Southwest Coast in general to give you a feel of what the different areas are like depending on your wants or needs. Do a lot of research before coming down that way you have a plan of attack. Look at the areas you think you might want to live in... b/c I can tell you... I looked at houses for two years in SW FL... you can look at a house online and think "that's it!" and then find out that the neighborhood is falling apart. Very important to look at the neighborhoods down here do to all of the unoccupied homes. The foreclosures are still going on, just be careful. One last thing is that if you are looking at areas that are less populated, certain things can be an issue like.. no cable to that area, roads might not be maintained etc. I ran into that a bunch of times. Just food for thought. Good luck with your move... very exciting! Let us know the progress.

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blownz281

Sweet alot of info! Thanks, it will be a few years before we move. We lived in Ohio most are life.Ohio fell apart with job loss and crime rising. Moved to NC in 2008 because we always loved NC. BUT jobs are nowhere to be found unless your in the service.. Otherwise your working at food joints etc. We both work at a Hospital she cares for patients and I maintenance the grounds and other outside problems. We have to wait till she Grads from school. Your area sounds pretty good for a family and your warm Wilmington,NC is very traffic heavy as well,tons of places to eat,and lots to do. Its called the food capital of NC.

JodoGarden

Healthcare is a very competitive field here in FL as you can imagine. There are healthcare jobs here, that I know b/c I know lots of people in healthcare. There are certain parts of healthcare that seem to be growing, while others are saturated with people trying to find a job. Again, Naples is in its own bubble there and I believe there are only two hospitals... kind of small ones if I remember correctly... at least compared to other places. With all the changes in healthcare nationwide, I don't know where FL is in the scheme of things compared to the rest of the nation. You have time though... so that will be good for you to be able to take your time investigating.

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edzone9

Sarasota is A Great Place ! I worked there about 2 month ago , Its a pretty City .

I should be back there in 1 or 2 month .

P.s The Lead Singer Of AC/DC Lives There , Cool Cat !

Nicolas Naranja

I've lived in Florida for my whole life, except for 3 months when I lived in Seattle. I lived in DeLand when I was growing up, Gainesville when I went to school, Lake Worth when I moved to South Florida and Pahokee for the past 6 years. The fewest hurricanes are in the Northeast of the state, but it can get fairly cold depending where you are. Gainesville is a great place to live, but it gets really cold up there. Lake Worth is very urban, quite expensive, and in places has high crime. Pahokee is rural, impoverished, primarily black and hispanic and exists in its own little world where things haven't changed much since 1960. There are jobs out here for professionals, a new hospital was just built in Belle Glade, which is the next town down. Freezes are rare in Pahokee. The best bang for the buck might be in the southern ridge in towns like Avon Park, Sebring, and Lake Placid. They are rural, but still have all the conveniences you would expect in a town of 10,000+. Near a lake, you have some freeze protection.

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PR-Giants

It's been a few years but of all the areas I lived in Florida, I would say Bal Harbour was my favorite and if you have a boat, it's even better.

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blownz281

Awesome thanks for the replies guys..

edzone9

Not better Than Humacao .

You Have Palmas Del Mar , I Have Not Visited PR In 10 Years sure miss it ...
Im Originally from Ciales, My Dad From Fajardo ..

blownz281

On a side note does anyone know of a cool greenhouse in Palm Springs or around it we could drive too? Maybe I could pick up a banner I don't have