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Vanity: Raising a family in Florida

Posted on 05/10/2007 6:40:31 PM PDT by CertainInalienableRights

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To: Clemenza
Euclid Park, isn't that where Harvey Pekar is from?

I dunno but strangely quite a few folks in the comix biz are from Cleveland such as the creators of Superman and, well, I've done a bunch of comix writing. I love American Splendor comix.

61 posted on 05/10/2007 8:22:32 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (Join the DUmmie FUnnies PING List for the FUNNIEST Blog on the Web)
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To: PJ-Comix

I went to Cleveland for the first time on my drive cross country from Seattle last year. Asked a bartender if he could tell me where Harvey Pekar was, and the best he could come up with was “somewhere east of here” and that he once ate a burger next to Toby Radloff.


62 posted on 05/10/2007 8:24:23 PM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: jmj3jude

I actually live in the River Park area. Off US 1 between Rio Mar and Prima Vista. I am in the County not the City.


63 posted on 05/10/2007 8:25:01 PM PDT by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: lastchance

I live over by the Gatlin exit by I-95. How long have you been a freeper?


64 posted on 05/10/2007 8:28:20 PM PDT by jmj3jude
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To: CertainInalienableRights; Clemenza
Final advice for South Florida. Learn Spanish, drink lots of rum, and go native. Remember that scene of the Walter Huston character in Treasure of Sierra Madre being served by the local village women? That's sort of my scene here at the parties.

FUn Fact: Following the War of the Triple Alliance in the 1860s in which Paraguay declared war on Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, almost all its male population between 8 and 80 was killed off, leaving a nation of almost all women. As a result, the Paraguayan government advertised in Europe for men to immigrate to Paraguay in order to mate with the women to bring the population levels back. Imagine that job. Just lie around in the villages and service the women.

65 posted on 05/10/2007 8:30:42 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (Join the DUmmie FUnnies PING List for the FUNNIEST Blog on the Web)
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To: HarmlessLovableFuzzball

True but if you’re an eeevil capitalist you can winter somewhere nice!


66 posted on 05/10/2007 8:30:47 PM PDT by RushCrush (If gun-free zones work so well, how about an IED-free zone in Iraq?!)
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To: CertainInalienableRights

I love Florida. I moved here from New York City (I had spent about half of my life in NYC and half in California) and lived in Gainesville for several years. North Florida is beautiful, but filled with a combination of Protestants who do not believe Catholics are Christians, and raving university liberals who do not believe Christians are human beings. The Catholic Church in North Florida is, as a result, a little schizophrenic, although our relatively new bishop in the Diocese of St. Augustine (which covers most of North Florida above Orlando) is very orthodox and is restoring good faith and practice.

South Florida is a different ball game. I go to Miami occasionally to buy clothing, but it might be cheaper to go to New York. There are great stores in Miami, lots of fine restaurants, and a wonderful night-life culture, mostly because of the large, wealthy Latin American population. They dress up and go out for fantastic dinners every night after the paseo. I love it, but the problem with Miami is not whether you’re Latin American nor not: it’s whether you’re wealthy or not. It’s an expensive city; lots of fun, but very costly.

I live in St. Augustine now and I love it. It’s funky, although subdivisions are growing up around it and I fear its funky days are limited. But I plan to enjoy it for as long as I can.

I’m self-employed, so I have a flexible schedule. When I’m not working, I kayak, I go to the beach, I have a horse and go riding when I can. When I lived near Gainesville, I used to go to the springs and go tubing...if your family likes these things, they’ll be happy in North Florida. Feel free to ask any questions!


67 posted on 05/10/2007 8:32:21 PM PDT by livius
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To: livius
I used to go to the springs and go tubing...

Tubing. I used to do that in North Florida. Several folks in their own tubes and one big tube full of cold brewskis. Then float for miles down crystal clear spring water.

68 posted on 05/10/2007 8:36:34 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (Join the DUmmie FUnnies PING List for the FUNNIEST Blog on the Web)
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To: CertainInalienableRights

Wherever you go, you can find good people. I live in the Suncoast area (west central) and found great people and a nice church. The trick is not to expect it to be like the place you left, and you have to give anyplace you move time. Florida is different than anyplace else in the US.

Florida is loaded with strange people, but it is a red state - for instance, liberal gun laws and such.

Don’t expect too much of the state, police, etc - on the other hand, taxes are low. BEWARE OF HOUSE INSURANCE. In certain areas it is absolutely outrageous or impossible to get. It can be higher than your mortgage.

When it comes time to have kids, homeschool or go private.


69 posted on 05/10/2007 8:39:38 PM PDT by I still care ("Remember... for it is the doom of men that they forget" - Merlin, from Excalibur)
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To: CertainInalienableRights

We lived in Miami for several years. Had a friend who tried to move to Fort Lauderdale, wanted an acre of land. It was not possible/affordable. Land is at a premium and not too far from swamp areas. If you want land it is not a good place.

Also not family friendly. In our church, five members were crime victims [in good neighborhoods] in three years. One person got a brick thrown through the car windshield and the wife’s purse was snatched, husband was cut up from the glass. Another woman had her purse snatched in her driveway. She didn’t fight so no injuries. Another woman went with friends to a nice restaurant, had her purse snatched and arm broken in the process, and she didn’t fight them. They just decided to have fun with her.

People tried to break into our house in the evening hours when I was home with my children. They got through one lock but we had three on each door and metal bars on the windows.
Someone was arrested in our back yard for drug use, leading police on a chase.

Then there was the general nastiness. People cursed freely in front of my children at the library. We went to Wendy’s and stood in line and people tried to get ahead of us, pushing and shoving our young children and separating our family from each other.

Don’t go to Fort Lauderdale. We lived in a supposedly good neighborhood and close to Fort Lauderdale.

Some places might be all right in Florida, like the panhandle, but not Fort Lauderdale.


70 posted on 05/10/2007 8:41:50 PM PDT by hoosierpearl (To God be the glory.)
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To: hoosierpearl
Some places might be all right in Florida, like the panhandle, but not Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale is fine. It is in the middle of the tri-county area.

71 posted on 05/10/2007 8:48:06 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (Join the DUmmie FUnnies PING List for the FUNNIEST Blog on the Web)
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To: HarmlessLovableFuzzball
I wouldn’t bat an eyelid before moving out of the Midwest. The Midwest is just depressing.. long dark never ending winters.

Lifelong Ohioan here and my favorite saying is "the last one out turn out the lights"

Moving to South Carolina in Sept.

72 posted on 05/10/2007 8:57:39 PM PDT by estrogen (I)
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To: CertainInalienableRights

I’d never move to Ft. Lauderdale. Move up that coast a bit to Vero Beach or Melbourne.


73 posted on 05/10/2007 9:07:14 PM PDT by Kryptonite (Keep Democrats Out of Power!)
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To: Vision

Yes, NPR wasn’t bad. My husband’s brother lives in Rockledge, which is probably quite a ways from Ft. Lauderdale, he’s right on the Indian River (and here I’m changing my tune), but his place was really nice, even the temperature was bearable, probably because they were right on the river. And I saw dolphins leaping in the river, too. And alligators! That place was really really beautiful.


74 posted on 05/10/2007 9:08:00 PM PDT by Auntie Mame (Fear not tomorrow. God is already there.)
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To: jmj3jude

About 3 years. Just when it was really interesting election time.


75 posted on 05/10/2007 10:46:30 PM PDT by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: CertainInalienableRights
I have an employment opportunity I am seriously considering. Although right now, it is local, there is a strong possibility that sometime in the future I would be asked, or could choose, to relocate to Florida, specifically the Fort Lauderdale area.

I work in FTL. I enjoy it, but I've been here nearly 20 years.

But I wouldn't move to the area.

We have incredible problems with taxes and insurance premiums. Broward has a hellaciously terrible educational system and you will be compelled to use private schools.

Crime is rampant in Fort Lauderdale, traffic can be heavy. Unless you're wealthy, housing is still too high and lots are tiny.

There are many better areas outside of South Florida.

I wouldn't recommend South Florida to anyone right now. Not even for investment. The state (mostly local government that has raised property taxes to incredible heights) has to work out a proper tax policy and the market has yet to settle the insurance crisis. The Democrats have a monopoly on politics in SoFlo. Don't look for solutions to appear any time soon.

Oh, and AlGore says we're all going to die when the polar ice caps melt and flood all of Florida. Bummer, eh?

Either wait to see what happens in the next year or two or look elsewhere, amigo.

76 posted on 05/11/2007 2:57:34 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: CertainInalienableRights
Hi CIR,

First, I am a native Floridian, born in Dade, but lived my entire life in Broward, just south of Fort Lauderdale. I went to public schools there and back then it was great (1963-1975). Then I had children, as you would like to. But by 1990 things had gotten a little too scary in the schools - the very same schools I attended.

I lived in Hollywood, just 8 miles south of Fort Lauderdale - unless you see a city limit sign, it's all urban - no open land in between.

It's not a good place to raise children. The schools are not safe, teachers are without the power to enforce real discipline, and devoid of anything Christian.

When I was in HS, I was in band and we played "Oh Holy Night" and Christmas was used. Today, those songs are off limits and forbidden and Christmas has been replaced with "Winter Holiday".

The local govt is mostly made up of former NYC residents, who never decided to become Floridians - it's more important that South FLA becomes the New NYC. Taxes have quintupled, and the housing prices have tripled since I left in October 1999.

If your company has any other Florida locations, please choose one north of Orlando - that will soon be what Fort Lauderdale is NOW!

Today, I live just south of Ocala - it is filling up with retirees from - you guessed it - from UP NORTH and from Fort Lauderdale.

I truly hate what has happened to my home town - a place that was a really great place to grow up and be a kid - always had fun going to the beach and climbing trees with friends.

Today, it's wall to wall malls, cars, homes, concrete, small trees, developments, and cranky people who rarely smile or say Hello.

77 posted on 05/11/2007 3:28:05 AM PDT by Florida native
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To: CertainInalienableRights
Also, I probably lived in SouthFLA the longest of most on this thread - 42 years.

There's no land, no acreage, you're slap against the house to your left or right. It's most zero lot line in the newer subdivisions.

Think about why your company can't get anyone to relocate there. It's a no brainer - it's not good anymore.

78 posted on 05/11/2007 3:39:14 AM PDT by Florida native
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To: PJ-Comix
Tubing. I used to do that in North Florida.

Great fun! Itchnatucknee (sp) Springs. Only negatives are that your arse becomes numb from the cold spring water in the runs. And, then there's the occasional gator.

79 posted on 05/11/2007 4:02:52 AM PDT by jslade (The beatings well cease when morale improves!)
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To: PJ-Comix
I dunno but strangely quite a few folks in the comix biz are from Cleveland ....

I remember the Russian comic Yakov Smirnoff. He used to have a joke.
"In Russia we make jokes about, Cleveland". (you had to be there)

But, hey, with all the hot chicks, who cares?

There is a classification of diseases, most incurable, unnamed tropical variety. They are under the umbrella of... 'jungle rot'.
:^)

80 posted on 05/11/2007 5:04:41 AM PDT by Vinnie (You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Jihads You)
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