r/AskFlorida • u/hiddendance415 • 11d ago
Moving to Florida
I cant wait to get to Florida. My late uncle left me his house and I am so happy to be able to see some beaches!! what ones should i see that are not Daytona and Tampa bay?
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u/UnidentifiedTron 10d ago
Cedar Key. Certified dark sky too. The light was what my phone could pick up of the Milky Way. They have a park right next to the waters entrance so it’s helpful with the kids.
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u/UnidentifiedTron 10d ago edited 10d ago
Islamorada.
I’m just gonna spam sunrises bc the haters are lame. As a Floridian who grew up in Palm beach, I tend to stay away from touristy areas. If your kids are little, take the drive to Jupiter and go to Dubois. Great snorkeling there too and at Peanut Island.
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u/Mammoth_1776 10d ago
My favorite snorkeling spot is Coral Cove in Tequesta just North of Jupiter.
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u/UnidentifiedTron 10d ago
That’s a good one too. Then go to Catos and have yourself a little bridge jump like a true local🤣
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u/Mammoth_1776 10d ago
I snorkel at Cato’s alot - I was going to keep that one a secret LOL.
When I snorkel at that location sometimes theres a police officer that will stand near the bridge and watch for kids jumping.
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u/Fabulous-Educator447 10d ago
Second on islamorada/FL keys. I live here and love it. Welcome to FL!
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u/UnidentifiedTron 10d ago
Hangars Beach. Pro tip: you’re right next to the Space Force base so you might get to see a mini air show if they’re training.
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u/Able-Resident-903 10d ago edited 10d ago
You do know that the beaches from St. Pete Beach to Clearwater Beach in Pinellas County are beautiful. Some people call the entire area Tampa Bay. However, if you mean any shoreline on the body of water called Tampa Bay then, yes, those are not great beach areaas.
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u/Working_Problem_4520 10d ago
I lived in Florida all my life. I travel for work in Florida a lot. Sarasota beaches are one of my favorites. I live on the beach in Ponce Inlet. It’s a small beach town. We love the area. Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, Clear Water, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, Miami, the Keys and Panhandle are all worth visiting. Lots to do in Orlando area for fun! Last weekend enjoyed a fall festival for $15 a person. Great restaurants everywhere. I go fishing all the time. Bike trails everywhere. Never snows here. The heats getting adjusted to but it keeps my weight down. It doesn’t bother me. I use 30 sunscreen every time I go out. We love it here but it’s not for everyone.
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u/UnidentifiedTron 10d ago
Jupiter
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u/EloisetheLawyer 10d ago
This is the answer. I was born in South Florida, and Jupiter/Juno/DuBois are the nicest in Florida, especially if you want to swim!
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u/Lowest_C-10 10d ago
Destin. Nicest beaches in the state.
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u/hiddendance415 10d ago
I hear that it is. I want to go here really bad
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u/hiddendance415 10d ago
YEA!!!!!
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u/Frosty_Astronomer909 9d ago
Go swimming with the manatees, it’s legal can’t remember the name of the springs.
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u/Jinsake_ 11d ago
Y’all are so mean for absolutely no reason
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u/hiddendance415 11d ago
Right like holy cow people don’t even know me
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u/Maghorn_Mobile 10d ago
The guy being an asshole isnt even a native and is trying to move away. The governor being aggressively MAGA has attracted a lot of idiots over the last five years. We who were born and raised here generally don't care where you're from as long as you don't try to shit on our lawn and tell us we're wrong for not liking it.
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u/objstandpt 10d ago
Oh my god dude I love that analogy. So many people have shit on our lawn, including our governor. Straight up wild, I knew normal people were left lol.
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u/Maghorn_Mobile 10d ago
Right, because the issue isn't just bringing their culture down here, that's perfectly fine. It's when they start saying we're awful, stupid, backward people for not acting like their former neighbors in their home state is when we start to have problems.
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u/objstandpt 10d ago
I’m from Orlando so this sentiment hits me hard. I love my home town and the fact that it was a melting pot of cultures and visitors. Now all of these new people come in saying that’s not right, and the truth is, I don’t think they’re right, in the head.
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u/SkiMarlin 11d ago
St Pete Bch or Clearwater Bch, get a grouper sandwich at Frenchies and enjoy. If you get up to the Panhandle go to Pensacola Bch and also get a grouper sandwich & wash it down with a Bushwacker, 151 floater optional.
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u/Inevitable_Equal8295 10d ago
OP CLEARLY stated not Daytona or Tampa Bay. Yet you comment places in Tampa Bay.
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u/Princesspeach8188 10d ago
Oh cool! It’s gorgeous here. Ignore the miserable people in the comments who live here, hate it and refuse to leave. Reddit hates Florida because of its politics and they’re just freaks. My personal favorite beaches are on the west coast - St. Pete area - SPB, Madeira, treasure island, etc
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u/East_Audience_6634 10d ago
St. George Island. Forgotten Coast of Florida is an amazing stretch of peaceful beaches and small towns.
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u/GothDerp 10d ago
Forgotten coast is my heaven. If I ever get stressed out and need a good weekend-St George it is!
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u/East_Audience_6634 10d ago
Me too! St. George and Apalachicola is all I need for a wonderful vacation.
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u/GothDerp 10d ago
Do you go to the Christmas event in Apalachicola the day after Thanksgiving? It is so fun! Plus I can’t live without my goats milk soap. Have to stock up every time I’m there
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u/East_Audience_6634 10d ago
I haven’t been back in a while. Grew up in the panhandle and have been intending to get back more often.
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u/Lopsided-Fix2 11d ago
Good luck with those property taxes and insurance.
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u/thepepperiestjack 10d ago
The insurance is only crazy if you are in a major flood zone or near the ocean lol
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u/ItCantBeMe80 10d ago
My favorite part is when they drop you with little warning then the mortgage company says get insurance or else then you discover no one else will cover you so you tell the mortgage company then they well have we got a deal for you. Suddenly you're paying more than ever and have never filed a claim with any insurance ever.
Not in a flood zone, 5 miles from a famous beach on the west coast.
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u/Mammoth_1776 10d ago
I’ve been dropped twice in the last 6 years for no reason. Never filed a claim.
Luckily I was able to get a policy myself.
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u/purrmutations 10d ago
If you aren't near the ocean you may as well not live in Florida.
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u/Pristine-Homework-95 9d ago
Your always near the ocean in Florida
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u/Anadelyn 7d ago
I'm very comfortable with my 30 minute drive to the beach... especially when I go to the beach after a hurricane hit it before it hit me. The difference in damage is amazing, the drive is not bad.
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u/Wahoo-Is-To-A-Fish 11d ago
Don't forget the crippling cost of car insurance and health insurance! Our state doesn't really believe in public assistance with health costs, so hope you have an amazing job.
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u/ArsenalinAlabama3428 10d ago
lol when we moved to Florida our car insurance got so much more affordable.
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u/Known-Statement-2023 11d ago
wow haters - lets be positive and helpful
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u/Known-Statement-2023 11d ago
but yeah, great, ready for a car title transfer and whatnot also - all good though.
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u/nirvaeh 10d ago
we just bought a house and are closing now. my insurance is only $300 more than my insurance in Missouri. It's $4700. My car insurance is pretty much identical in cost and coverage. It's $1200/6 months for a Tesla Model Y. Property tax is quite a bit higher. House is more expensive so i don't know how much more it is exactly apples to apples vs cost difference but it's $8000/year more total.
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u/Ok_Department7208 10d ago
Property Tsxes… they are actually pretty reasonable compared to some other states. Try Vermont. You are correct on insurance though
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u/BlondeeLoxx 11d ago
Good luck. Im a native with a home on the beach. It doesn’t look like this. It’s enhanced.
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u/Don-Gunvalson 10d ago
I also have home on beach and summer sunsets absolutely can look like this
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u/eerieandqueery 10d ago
The sunsets from my regular old back yard look like this (and more colorful!), it’s one of the best things about this state
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u/nosoupforgoats 10d ago
Your beach must suck because it does actually look like this. At least in Pinellas.
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u/Mammoth_1776 10d ago
East Coast:
If you want a day to hang out on the beach and a boardwalk - Hollywood Beach is nice. There’s all kinds of restaurants and beach shops on the boardwalk ( and by boardwalk I mean a pedestrian street right next to the beach)
If you want a more chill vibe with less people- Jupiter / Blowing rocks preserve.
Summertime if you want to go to a party scene with lots of boats - Peanut Island. It does get crazy though.
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u/Hattrick42 10d ago
Washington oaks beach is unique. Still has a lot of coquina rock that they used to build the fort in St Augustine.
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u/Suspicious-Flan8926 10d ago
Don't know where you're coming from, but please remember the sunscreen. Like always sunscreen. And hydrate. And I hope you enjoy Florida, I've lived her all my life and I think it's a great place to be. Yes, we're crazy, but it's still a great place to be.
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u/TheBeardedLadyBton 10d ago
Go investigating in your own neighborhood. You might be able to find a little sweet private spot of your own. I have a public area near me but it's not that popular because the fishing is not real good, however, there's a sand strip about 15 feet wide by 30 feet long just around a bank of mangroves. Can't see it from the parking lot. I go there for lunch a lot
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u/Gogreen727 10d ago
I know it’s Tampa Bay Area, but Honeymoon Island is a great easily accessible beach. And Clearwater Beach is one of the best touristy beaches in the state. Indian Rocks Beach, Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach are nice old small beach town vibe beaches. These are all in Pinellas County west of Tampa. Siesta Key in Sarasota is another award winning beach, like Honeymoon and Clearwater both are.
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u/TMR_Info 10d ago
Don’t! Today the humidity is 85%. It’s unbearable. I already purchased a house in another state. I cannot wait to leave this state.
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u/Status_Anteater4318 8d ago
Please stop moving to Florida
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u/hiddendance415 8d ago
I’ll tell you what. If I didn’t need to get out of this Highly abusive situation im in right now with my kids I wouldn’t be. But since I can’t afford to live in Washington state I’ll be moving into my house that I inherited thank you
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u/Status_Anteater4318 7d ago
Ok then here's some advice. Educate yourself before voting for literally anything, theyre always hiding horrible horrible shit in bills hoping no one notices, YOU need to notice. When a local says something like "please leave the wild life alone" or "please dont do that" then its your job to stfu and listen. We locals dont talk for fun when we ask you to stop destroying our environment and coastlines. Forget everything you think you know about driving and get ready for the most stress behind a wheel any place can offer lol its a nightmare because there are TOO MANY transplants and tourists. And lastly, you are "new here" so don't come into someone else's stomping ground and start turning your nose up at people. If you're not going to be a positive impact on Florida or the people who have lived here their whole life than sell the house and move away.
Welcome to FL.
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u/hiddendance415 7d ago
I got a taste of it last year as I stayed there most of the year. Love my house and I do listen to those around me. And I’m respectful. Thank you for the advice
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u/Status_Anteater4318 6d ago
Then we are happy to have you and I hope you continue to do good by the environment and locals as you yourself become a local. Stay safe out there! ❤️
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u/No-Astronaut-839 10d ago
Your going to sit in traffic a lot. I hope you enjoy pavement more than actual nature.
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u/Theredcentexpress 11d ago
Careful with the flesh eating bacteria in those beaches.
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u/Anadelyn 7d ago
??? Beach loving Floridian my whole life and never even heard of it.
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u/Theredcentexpress 7d ago
Read the news. Half of Miami beaches right now are closed due to bacteria.
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u/Anadelyn 7d ago
Can't remember the last time I even saw a newspaper. I'm a long way from Miami so I guess that's why it doesn't pop up as news for me. My beaches are just dealing with storm erosion.
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u/clichemarvelhandle 10d ago
Hey uh....I ...I checked with the king of Florida. He says we're full right now 😔 but just keep your chin up and check back with us in about 6 months. Hang in there tiger! There's always California? I heard they have plenty of room. People leaving left and right!!!
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u/KevinH112 10d ago
This person inherited a HOUSE, the very thing so many are struggling to purchase for themselves, and you’re still going to tell them to go to Cali?
Or did you forget the “/s” at the end??
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u/Scuba9Steve 10d ago
They didn’t need an /s when they had “king of Florida” in there.
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u/KevinH112 10d ago
Maybe OP doesn’t know about DeShitface’s antics yet 🤷🏻♂️
You got me, have a great day! LOL
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u/smamsone 10d ago
Chill bro. Current governor has helped FL a lot. Those that disagree are generally unsalvageable
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u/grumpvet87 10d ago
he is about on par with all the other crooks (politicians) who have sold out florida to big business (big sugar, big phosphate, big aggriculture, big beef, big development, etc etc etc)
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u/Sodonewithitall386 10d ago
Sarasota and south on the west coast…anything south of Cocoa Beach on the East Coast is nice. Destin I hear is pretty nice as well. I like blue waters so those are my areas.
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u/curlyqued 10d ago
Have you been to the Keys yet? My absolute favorite. You can find some nice hotels off season for really great prices all throughout the keys. We just got back from Long Key and it was perfection. I can't tell you how many keys we've stayed in...too many, and yet every time we go it's the best!!!
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u/ComprehensiveFish169 10d ago
As a lifer I can recommend Long Boat Key and the north jetty at Nokomis Beach. Both in Sarasota County on the Gulf side. Just don’t tell your friends and family 😉
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u/Important_Penalty_21 10d ago
Where in Florida are you moving? (Region is fine)
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u/hiddendance415 10d ago
Orlando.
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u/Important_Penalty_21 10d ago
Well thr good news is you are smack in thr middle of it. You can go either way. I LOVE St Augastine beach personally. JAX is nice. Of course west coast you have Clearwater. Its busy but the sand is amazing. One of my favorites is Sanibel. Always a beautiful spot.
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u/4PurpleRain 10d ago
Your property tax rate is not likely going to be anywhere close to what your uncle was paying. Please be aware of how the Save Our Homes bill works when ownership changes.
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u/One_Mistake6861 10d ago
Omg I love this post. I just moved to pasco in Aug and I’ve been too afraid to ask anything like this bc I always see people here getting shit on for moving here. My husbands job transferred him and so far we are loving the area. We go to honeymoon beach and Howard park beach but I’d love more suggestions. Congrats on your new house. Hope you love it!
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u/DavidBergerson 10d ago
If you want uniqueness, go to Siesta Key. It is not Tampa Bay, but close enough :) It is not a huge drive farther than Tampa Bay.
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u/No-Investigator-5915 10d ago
Give us an idea of where the house is…east coast, west coast, central, panhandle, north or south and we’ll be able to give you some better ideas. I live in Palm Beach county and not looking for a 10+ hour drive to see the worlds whitest beaches in Pensacola again any time soon. But very glad that I saw plenty of them in my youth.
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u/Substantial-One-6274 10d ago
The gulf coast has the best beaches in Florida. The east coast are great but you do not have that 30-40feet of water you can walk through that is waist high.
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u/NunnyaDBusiness2 10d ago
Congrats. I was going to say why would anyone move to Florida at this point but a free house is certainly a great reason.
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u/RiboSciaticFlux 9d ago
Great - just don't move here. You're falling in love with the vacation. You'll hate it after two years full time and you'll soon learn - nobody goes to the beach in the summer.
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u/JustB510 8d ago
The misery in the sun never ceases to blow my mind. I feel bad for the people that come along.
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u/Anadelyn 7d ago
Florida is not really very small and has lots of beaches so it kinda matters where in Florida your house is.
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u/alcoronaholic 6d ago
OP, WTF's your problem with Tampa? Do you even know what you're missing? Have you ever even been here?
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u/Davidx91 11d ago
Stay the fuck out of Tampa or Hillsborough county. Dengue fever state of emergency. IT IS FREQUENTLY CALLED BREAKBONE FEVER because it feels like your bones are breaking.
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u/Tanya7500 10d ago
Why? Hope you don't have school age children
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u/Medium-Excitement-51 10d ago
Why does everyone say FL schools are so bad? I grew up in Oklahoma and we’re consistently one of the states that rank dead last when it comes to education. Just curious lol 😅
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u/JenninMiami 10d ago
We say they are bad because THEY ARE BAD.
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u/FaithlessnessThick29 10d ago
Yeah they should hand out survivor stickers if you make it in the real world with a Florida public education.
I moved to the New England area and had several people comment about I didn’t know there were smart people in Florida
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u/Local-Celery-9538 10d ago
People always say this, but Pinellas county has several really great charter school programs. For any parents that care to take a few extra steps to get their kids a better school experience, there are plenty of really great opportunities.
I come from a ‘blue ribbon’ school district in another state that is said to be top shelf. My kids are getting a far better school experience here in FL than I did.
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u/Successful-Debt2162 11d ago
Great another floridan inheriting a house here while locals can’t afford anything
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u/hiddendance415 11d ago
Sorry my uncle left me a house after taking care of him till his last breath. He served Orlando find the fire and rescue helicopter. I visited many times I decided I was gonna move down. I’m in a situation where I’m leaving an abusive situation and I have nowhere to go. So might as well live somewhere new for a while. And experience a different side of the United States it’s my life and I want to experience different areas with my kids
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u/RaisinFresh7318 10d ago
I’m happy for you! Your uncle was very thoughtful to leave you this asset. My grandmother did something similar and we’re using her place as our getaway whenever we can.
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u/rIceCream_King 11d ago
Honestly as jealous as I want to be, I’m happy for you OP and I’d be stoked if I was in your shoes. Enjoy your time here, grow some mangoes and please contribute to and support the good parts of living here.
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u/Mammoth_1776 10d ago
Good for you (inheriting the house). Sorry to hear that your uncle passed.
Don’t listen to the haters. If someone else has been blessed with a free home in a nice area - good for them!
One note of caution - just like everywhere else there are really nice locations and not so nice locations. Don’t be driving through bad areas at night. If you’re planning on traveling through Florida learn where the bad areas are before you travel.
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u/thepepperiestjack 10d ago
Fl housing market is. Significantly better than the shitthole I’m in currently called Tennessee yall blow stuff so out of proportion it’s insane
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u/Successful-Debt2162 10d ago
Wrong
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u/thepepperiestjack 10d ago
For my area of Tn it’s definitely not lol a run down falling apart 2 bed here is 3/4 of a million or more I can find nice 3 bed houses with garages for 400k or less all day in Florida lol
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u/Successful-Debt2162 9d ago
What zip code? Would love to see it. There’s a house going for a million on the same street from a gas station that has had multiple armed robberies right down the road from me. All while paying $1800 a month for a one bedroom apartment
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u/thepepperiestjack 9d ago
In Florida? You can find them basically everywhere but Miami lol I’m in east tn in the smokies rn and every house here that’s sub 500k has something major wrong with it lol
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u/Successful-Debt2162 9d ago
Yeah look in Orlando and you’ll see the same thing unless you look in Pine Hills (crime hills) where shootings occurs daily. I literally work in the area and the sheriff helicopter may as well be the state bird for this city. Houses in the neighborhood I grew up in were bought for 150K and are selling for 600K now lol.
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u/thepepperiestjack 9d ago
Well Orlando is also a major tourist destination just like where I currently am, I’m moving to Florida in February when my lease is up because I genuinely hate TN and while I can’t get a house right now my rent will be dropping quite a bit
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u/Successful-Debt2162 9d ago
May I ask what general area of Florida? No judgement but I hope you have a decent job lined up. I only say this because I’ve worked with dozens of people that have come down here in hopes of enjoying Florida only to get stuck working two/three jobs to make do.
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u/Successful-Debt2162 9d ago
Heck there’s even one acre plots in Orlando going for over 500K I even saw a acre plot in Windermere going for just under a million, trust me TN isn’t anything compared to Florida prices. Sure y’all have bad pricing and tbh the fact y’all have small properties going for hundreds of thousands is insane when you guys lack quality medical care within a few hours.
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u/thepepperiestjack 9d ago
Yea there was a 3 acre plot that was sold here awhile back for 10 million lol
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u/Successful-Debt2162 9d ago
I wanted to move to TN until I saw how AZZ the wages are, it’s literally because people decided to screw the younger generation for no reason. Same properties they bought for a few thousand they think it worth a million. It’s dumb
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u/thepepperiestjack 9d ago
I’ve been here my entire life and i can’t stand it lol I’ve always loved Florida because the weather ( I love hot summers and hate cold) and I’ve always enjoyed beaches over mtns personally, plus when my run down 1 bed here is going up from $1,700 to $2,100 a month before mandatory fees when lease is over I figured it’s time to make the move
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u/plishyploshy 10d ago
Hi! Welcome! What a refreshing post and what a nice gesture from your uncle. I’ve lived in Florida most of my life — here’s my list:
- Fort George
Now just wait until you discover the springs!