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[quote=Anonymous]We are looking to move to Florida. We used to live there and loved it. Loved the weather, loved the easy pace of life, and the friendly people. I recently switched to a telecommute job and DH is flexible, so we realized we can move literally anywhere. Florida makes sense for us because, as mentioned, we loved it - plus my husband is already licensed there and we have family there.

We previously lived in the Miami area and loved it, but now that we have kids and don't need to be close to a downtown core for work, we'd rather live somewhere "easier". What I mean by "easier" is: less traffic, a place where most of the schools are 'pretty good' (as in, you just don't have to sweat schools that much), a place where people are a little less busy with life and are a little less transient. The things that matter more when you have kids - like a good community, friendly neighbors, etc.

We don't want to live somewhere that is just a sprawling subdivision of single family houses. Ideally, there is a small downtown area, and not just 30 square miles of gated communities.  Would prefer a more established neighborhood.

We would like a 2500 sf+ house with a  nice yard and we aren't worried too much about cost. $400-600k would be easy to do.  We would like to live in the "nice part of town", but would love to find a town where that doesn't mean everyone is snooty. It's be nice if the nice part of town had doctors and teachers and city workers and other normal but not super high paying jobs. Like, where normal people live.  We are liberal and not religious, so we'd also like to be somewhere where people aren't batshit crazy conservative or racist!

I think SE Florida is out -- the fun parts are too traffic-y, and the rest is too suburban sprawl.  We know Sarasota, Naples, and Bradenton very well. Naples seems a bit too snooty, and Sarasota/Bradenton have a beautiful downtown area but not much community with families in those parts. Seems like the families all live in the sprawling burbs, which really lack charm.

I'm wondering about Gainesville? A friend is in Ponte Vedre near Jacksonville and loves it. What about the space coast?  I don't know those parts at all.  Other people rave about the communities outside orlando.  I think the Panhandle is too far away, so probably looking at central florida.  Any recs?? here's the recap of what we're looking for:

- "easy" living - low traffic, community and neighborhood feeling. Know the kids and families in the neighborhood, go through elem to high school with the same kids.  
- not looking for faceless suburbia; ideally an established community. Somewhere with a downtown or core area. 
- community that is a bit higher end, but not super snooty.  
- good schools. But don't have to be great. Schools were regular good kids go and have the chance to go to good colleges.  
- would love to be close to the beach - but that option seems to correlate directly with retirees and lack of family community. So maybe a pipe dream. 
- okay for liberals to live there.

I recognize that this sounds like a Unicorn on dcum, but I grew up in a place like this and know friends who live in places like this. I know they exist!! There has to be a few in Florida!
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