Calling all former Floridians...

[Anonymous]

Floridians:
What's the vibe on Destin, Rosemary Beach, Miramar beach, Seacrest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard the public schools in Florida are not good anywhere. Period. And, most people with money put their kids in parochial or private schools. My family lives full time in the DC Metro area but we own a home in Boca Raton. I would never move down there with grade school children. I have kids in middle school now. At least in the DC area you have a wide variety of school options but not in Florida. Plus, people down there are stupid (culturally, socially, politically...) at least in South Florida. OP, you should think long and hard about it.

You must have missed the part where I said I lived in florida for 7 years and love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard the public schools in Florida are not good anywhere. Period. And, most people with money put their kids in parochial or private schools. My family lives full time in the DC Metro area but we own a home in Boca Raton. I would never move down there with grade school children. I have kids in middle school now. At least in the DC area you have a wide variety of school options but not in Florida. Plus, people down there are stupid (culturally, socially, politically...) at least in South Florida. OP, you should think long and hard about it.

You must have missed the part where I said I lived in florida for 7 years and love it.

But, you have kids now which is a critical component. You weren't concerned about schools when you were loving it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard the public schools in Florida are not good anywhere. Period. And, most people with money put their kids in parochial or private schools. My family lives full time in the DC Metro area but we own a home in Boca Raton. I would never move down there with grade school children. I have kids in middle school now. At least in the DC area you have a wide variety of school options but not in Florida. Plus, people down there are stupid (culturally, socially, politically...) at least in South Florida. OP, you should think long and hard about it.

You must have missed the part where I said I lived in florida for 7 years and love it.

But, you have kids now which is a critical component. You weren't concerned about schools when you were loving it.

I was mostly responding to the bolded. No one can be so stupid to think that there are literally no excellent public schools in the entire state of florida, so that I didn't even think to respond to that part of the PP's comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lived in Florida and HATED it. I found the majority of people stupid or slow (or both), the schools were very poor, everyone was new money and flashy about it (think NJ Real Housewives).

If you have kids, I do NOT suggest moving to FL, or be prepared to put them in private school. Look into Coral Springs, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach.

I'm the OP. We loved Florida when we lived there for 8 years, in part because of the total absence of self-righteous narcissists like the PP, that are so omnipresent in the DC area.

Huh? I'm not at all a narcissist. Not sure why you got that just because the schools are crap and I found people simple. Someone once saw me reading Newsweek magazine in the lunchroom at work and thought I was smart because of it. Despite disagreeing with your plan, I gave you advice on executing it. If you don't like it, don't take it - I don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard the public schools in Florida are not good anywhere. Period. And, most people with money put their kids in parochial or private schools. My family lives full time in the DC Metro area but we own a home in Boca Raton. I would never move down there with grade school children. I have kids in middle school now. At least in the DC area you have a wide variety of school options but not in Florida. Plus, people down there are stupid (culturally, socially, politically...) at least in South Florida. OP, you should think long and hard about it.

You must have missed the part where I said I lived in florida for 7 years and love it.

But, you have kids now which is a critical component. You weren't concerned about schools when you were loving it.

I was mostly responding to the bolded. No one can be so stupid to think that there are literally no excellent public schools in the entire state of florida, so that I didn't even think to respond to that part of the PP's comment.

NP. I grew up in Florida. Don't do this to your kids. You understand great school ratings don't work across state lines? And though UF is not a bad school, it is the only viable in state option and decent university for like 600 miles.

Culturally there is a reason why Florida is the butt of many jokes. And summers are unbearable unless you live on the beach. No one will be walking in your cute downtown area for 5 months of the year because of the blistering heat. And it is the south with a bunch of lower income folks who moved down from up north to live large.


If you must do this, Gainesville is cute college town but kind of grungy, St Augustine is decent option, bayside in Tampa, parts of New Tampa are where all my friends with professional jobs ended up (but suburban sprawl). Maybe Celebration, but snooty. Winter Park I think is ok but less familiar with Orlando. Space coast might be nice but has been in decline since NASA outsourced everything to SpaceX and Russians.

You will not find cats and dogs and teachers and doctors living together; teachers make $30k, it just doesn't happen unless teacher marries a doctor. Gated communities are EVERYWHERE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard the public schools in Florida are not good anywhere. Period. And, most people with money put their kids in parochial or private schools. My family lives full time in the DC Metro area but we own a home in Boca Raton. I would never move down there with grade school children. I have kids in middle school now. At least in the DC area you have a wide variety of school options but not in Florida. Plus, people down there are stupid (culturally, socially, politically...) at least in South Florida. OP, you should think long and hard about it.

You must have missed the part where I said I lived in florida for 7 years and love it.

But, you have kids now which is a critical component. You weren't concerned about schools when you were loving it.

I was mostly responding to the bolded. No one can be so stupid to think that there are literally no excellent public schools in the entire state of florida, so that I didn't even think to respond to that part of the PP's comment.

Florida is ranked below West Virginia.

http://www.edweek.org/media/grading-summary-education-week-quality-counts-2015.pdf

They have no state income tax and low property tax. School funding is always meager.

ALL people with means go to private schools which are ubiquitous and usually religious affiliated (Southern Baptist, Etc).

If you kids get into something like the Gainesville magnet school, ok that might be fine, but it's a gamble and you won't have a neighborhood school like you have here.

[Anonymous]

On a related note, why do I see Florida license plates all over here in DV region? I'd it s mass exodus after university graduation? I see way more FL plates than PA or GA or NC bits weird.

[Anonymous]

Fernandina Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Amelia Island, St. Augustine. Stay north and east is my suggestion.

[Anonymous]

I'm the pp at 15:18. Schools in St John's county are excellent. Better than our experience in Fairfax. Ignore the intellectual snobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the pp at 15:18. Schools in St John's county are excellent. Better than our experience in Fairfax. Ignore the intellectual snobs.

Can you elaborate how they differ and what makes St Johns shine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On a related note, why do I see Florida license plates all over here in DV region? I'd it s mass exodus after university graduation? I see way more FL plates than PA or GA or NC bits weird.

Because of the military population here. If you are military and have lived in FL you can keep your residency there. No income tax.

[Anonymous]

South Tampa or Winter Park

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On a related note, why do I see Florida license plates all over here in DV region? I'd it s mass exodus after university graduation? I see way more FL plates than PA or GA or NC bits weird.

Because of the military population here. If you are military and have lived in FL you can keep your residency there. No income tax.

Thanks that explains a LOT. No income tax is sweet, but get to live in Md.

[Anonymous]

I second the Winter Park rec.