Moving to Florida: PROs and CONs

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    Moving to Florida: PROs and CONs

    Are you thinking about moving to Florida? Does the Sunshine State seem appealing or appalling to you? In the following article, we have created a list of possible pros and cons for any and all prospective Florida citizens.

    PROs to moving to Florida

    Weather

    If you are one of the people who enjoy warm weather, then Florida is the place for you. During winter, the temperature rarely drops below 60 degrees! The Sunshine State is also filled with tourist destinations and beach towns. Tourism actually makes up one of the largest economic sectors – for example, in 2016, 112.8 million tourists visited Florida! Moving to Florida would be like taking a permanent summer vacation (weather wise, at least).

    Beaches are common in Florida
    Is this a life you like?

    Landscapes

    Florida may not be the biggest state in the United States (it ranks 22nd), but it still is pretty big. The total area of the state is 65,755 square miles. Four example, it takes about four hours to drive from Disney World in Orlando to the shores of Miami Beach, and that’s still just a small part of the state. Within all this area, there are many wonderful landscapes and places to visit and see.

    There are about 900 fresh water springs, ranging from the small ones to Silver Springs – largest in Florida. Silver Springs emits over 550 million gallons of water per day! Visiting any of the springs is quite an adventure – you can even swim in underground caves! And the best part of it is that the temperature of water varies between 70 and 75 degrees year round.

    And let us not forget the Everglades National Park. It is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and, on average, 1 million people visit it each year. Instead of reading our list of all the amazing things found in the park, go to their website and explore it yourself!

    Things to see

    By moving to Florida, you get to be closer to the sights many travel the whole continent to see. Here’s our list of just a few of them:

    • Orlando.
    • Cape Canaveral.
    • St. Augustine.
    • Fort Lauderdale.
    • Morikami Museum.

    Orlando is the seat of Orange County, but it is also the place that houses an amusement park for everybody. There’s the Island of Adventure, Legoland, Seaworld, and Holy Land Experience and of course, the king of all amusement park – the Disney World (which includes four individual amusement parks, two water parks and a “Sports Complex”).

    St. Augustine is a city in northeastern Florida. Is it the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement within the borders of continental Unites States. Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is also the nation’s oldest city. With its street pattern and architecture that pull directly from Spanish influence, it is a place to see.

    Also visit Aviles Street - the oldest street in USA
    Aviles Street – the oldest street in the USA

    Fort Lauderdale is called “Venice of America” for a reason. Within the city limits, there’s a network of canals, adding up to 165 miles of waterways. If a trip to Italy is too pricey or time-consuming for you, then this is the second best place to visit.

    Finally, the Morikami Museum, located in Delray Beach, is significant for being the only museum in the country to be solely dedicated to Japanese living culture. The museum includes two buildings which contain beautiful gardens, a library, a gift shop, a Japanese restaurant, rotating exhibits and various demonstrations.

    CONs to moving to Florida

    Weather

    What might be an advantage to some is a disadvantage for others, especially when we talk about the weather. If you’re a winter person, then moving to Florida might not be for you – sometimes there are heat waves in December with temperatures of about 90 degrees! But it’s not just the temperature – the weather can also be quite unpredictable. Sometimes you can be lying on the beach, sunbathing, only to be forced to find shelter all of a sudden because of a rainstorm. Though they only last a few hours, thunderstorms can be a bother. The weather in the Sunshine State can be described as hot and humid, so if you’re not a fan of warm weather – think twice about moving to Florida.

    It’s not only the climate, though. Hurricane season lasts in Florida from June 1 to November 30. Since 2005, only one major hurricane hit Florida in 2016, but it’s still a thing to take into consideration.

    Another problem is the sinkholes of various sizes that appear across Florida. They can be small, but they can also swallow a car, house or in extreme cases a neighborhood. They occur because of the Florida Aquifer – one of the sources of Florida’s drinking water. Due to an increase of people moving to Florida, the water consumption has risen, and thus sinkholes appear. (you can read more about the reason for sinkholes appearing here)

    Finally, Florida is one of the most tornado prone states, however, they only rarely approach the strength of those in Midwest, but it’s still something to take note of.

    Even though not as strong, tornados do happen in Florida
    These do happen sometimes

    People

    The state’s population is exploding and it is placing an increasing strain on infrastructure and natural resources (such as water). Also, younger people might reconsider moving to Florida once they find out that Florida contains the highest percentage of people over 65 (it’s 17% of the population).

    Then there is a problem with tourists. Even though tourism is an important aspect of Florida economy, if you choose to move to or nearby tourist hotspots and destination, traffic can be a nightmare. There are stories to be found about multiple hour traffic jams on the roads near Orlando attractions. Sadly, public transportation is rarely an option, since the only alternative to a car is a bus, but the service is minimal in most places.

    Animals

    Finally, there’s a problem with animals. There is a lot of bugs and cockroaches, so you need to be tiny and thorough when dealing with food. Scorpions, spiders, and snakes, as well as hordes of mosquitoes also enjoy Florida’s climate.

    There are also some other animal sightings that might give some of you a shudder. For example, sharks inhabit all the ocean waters of Florida coast, but the attacks are rare and few (and there are also various guides online to help you deal with that fear). More stunningly, perhaps, there has been an increase in bear sightings. However, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has posted a number actions to take to discourage bears from going into human occupied areas. These things are not a daily occurrence, but they do happen, so keep that in mind.

    Hopefully, this guide helped you in deciding whether moving to Florida is something for you, and you are now ready to take the next step.

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