OldPete

Lived within a couple of miles of the ocean for most of my life. I keep coming back to a totally different way of life. River life. The land, the people, the options - are all very appealing to me and my family.

In this case, it would a 130 mile, round-trip just to get to the ocean... but there would be no fixed bridges -- so, options for our traveling by boat are still there.

I understand that there are lots of tributaries, and other areas to fish and, obviously, hunting, etc. etc. etc...

Has anyone made the "jump". We are starting to narrow things down with our next chapter. I love Florida, and I really don't want to leave. But I don't see much in the way of staying where we are. I've seen this movie before. It doesn't end well.

somethingfishy

You'll probably think to yourself that you'll just buy a small condo with a dock near the ocean where you can keep your boat. And have the best of both worlds.

OldPete

LOL. I wouldn't own a condo if my life counted on it. LOL.

But I see what you're saying.

nicecast

I once bought a boat from a guy in Savannah (I'm in SFL) and we agreed to each do some driving and meet roughly half way at a random public ramp on the St. John's to sea trial and do the deal.

Can't recall exactly where it was but it was well inland - somewhere between Daytona and St. Augustine.

Bottom line: I was stunned by how beautiful the area was. Big tall oaks and pines with lots of Spanish moss, plenty of land and not too many people.

20biminitwist

Your the main attraction in the movie you have seen.

Look what you just wrote. Think about it long and hard.
You came, you complained, you told others.
They came and they did the same.

What happened to where you are now? People just like you showed up running from the same BS and then tried to make it just like the BS they ran from.

Florida is doomed.

dpdash

lol

mgd

You r just a ray of sunshine aren't ya

vc

I live on the St John’s just about due west of south Flagler county in Welaka.
I was not sure when I first moved here how I would like it coming from saltwater my whole life. I love it! It’s beautiful “old” Florida. And when I get the urge for salt water, I get the boat on the trailer and pull it to the coast. No big deal.
otherwise I hit the lift switch to drop boat in the water and go enjoy it.

OldBigBucks

Pete, you should be able to find your 100 acres there somewhere and not get too cold in the winter. Just be aware that area of the state is inhabited by real Floridians and you could end up like a scene from "Deliverance," especially after they heard your New Jersey accent.

20biminitwist

Lived here all my life and the ray of sunshine is getting dim.

I have no issues with Old Pete but he needs to be realistic.

He has stated he ran from a shit hole, moved to at the time a paradise with many others and now is trying to escape that. I would bet a million bucks a long time resident of this state won't buy his home. Damn near everyone I know that are living in that area for more than 30 years are trying like hell to get out. "Pete didn't even last that long"

It speaks volumes his desires and I don't blame him.

If you had been here for 60 years you would agree with me.
I suppose for many newbies that know no better the place still is paradise compared to where they came from.

I will say it again that this state is going to shit. It will be the next California!

OldPete

When I read this ^^ I thought maybe you were drinking... then I read your next post... I think we're on the same page -- but if you're being an jerk, then - best I have is God Bless.

Ha. You just know I'm right.

Hehe.

Yeah... I think we may go that way with the boat for a couple of weeks and just "hang out" and get really immersed... I don't know yet.

Yeah... not right on the water. The best I can find is 20ish acres... which isn't ideal, but if I can have ocean-access (albeit a long way) no fixed bridges... and a nice piece of land AND stay in Florida... that checks off all of our boxes. Wife and I both REALLY want to stay in Florida. I love this State... I just misjudged how quickly Broward was becoming NJ. Then again... I can't believe that we've been living here almost 10 year already!

I still can't tell where you're coming from - but I can assure you, I don't vote NJ or CA when I'm here... and I go out of my way to be nice to people who treat me the same.

slickster

St Johns county, including St Augustine, is totally overrun with out of state peeps, the development is over the top, traffic, boat ramps packed etc....they just opened a new 7 mile parkway with a planned 10,000 homes, a mile from my house...We are also considering finding some acerage to the west, but where? Putnam county? We live 15 miles from the beach but rarely go....sold my boat...

jellington

I agree that maybe taking a few weeks, few months even better, in the area you are thinking of an immersing yourself in it would help to uncover the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm with you. I love this state. I'm a native, avid boater, fisherman, and diver. Now...Broward County and Miami - Dade ...God Bless all of you who live there. Way too busy for my taste, too many boaters, too much traffic, just too much. I have a house in Brevard and a few in the Keys. I really appreciate what Brevard has to offer. New Symrna (and surrounding area) is another great area without a gazillion people like South Florida. Be careful moving so far from Saltwater and culture at the same time, that would be the only thing I would caution you to. Not that I'm trying to give a lecture lol. Good luck in your decision

sac56fire

I agree with this. I retired from Miami to NSB 4 yrs ago and that was enough of a culture shock. 60 yrs in Miami.

nicecast

That describes every nice place on earth. It's the cycle of human existence, yet none of us ever see ourselves in the dynamic.

guardrail

NSB is hitting all sorts of news/headlines as the next boomer 'quiet Florida town'. It's only a matter of time before it's a rinse and repeat of all the other areas people are scrambling from. Housing prices are soaring, development is booming, out-of-towners are coming in and staking their claim.

lobsdiver1

Pete

Just curious what you are getting away from?
traffic, schools, certain ordinances?

It may just be you desire a change of scenery every decade or two. What age are kids? I know that can be hard to pick up and set new roots as high school age approaches.

LWLoadie

It's a lot harder to swallow when your roots are very deep in an area. My family came to S. Florida over 100 years ago when there were about 10K people in all of PB Co. The changes I've seen in just my life time are staggering. Politicians have ruined this State by letting development run rampant, it's nothing new, but it will be the demise.

20biminitwist

When I read this ^^ I thought maybe you were drinking... then I read your next post... I think we're on the same page -- but if you're being an jerk, then - best I have is God Bless.

Not trying to be a Jerk Pete.

I am just going by what I have seen going on. I'm sitting just North of Tampa on 2 acres. Most near by properties are 2 to 5 acres. Growing up my parents kept moving North of town and In 1977 we were on 5 acres and so were most of the neighbors. Can barely find the place now and I am only 5 miles from it. The Expressway is now damn near running through the back of that property. The growth around me is staggering. The hwy 54 corridor was just a 2 lane road 20 years ago when I bought this place. It is now 6 lanes, all the cow pastures are full of concrete and the water ways are an absolute zoo.

The density due to small mini lot properties, multi story apartments and town homes is putting too many people on too little dirt.

Traffic is out of control, crime is increasing and access to the water is getting tougher and more costly.

It's tough for many to understand the feeling about the quality of life in this state as they haven't seen the rapid changes and many are coming from places that are a lot worse.

At 300 people a day we are running out of places to hide in these parts.

I don't blame you for wanting out of where you are. It just seems like the growth is so rapid you can't run far enough any more.

If I ever move again it may be a long ways from here.

OldPete

Great questions. First, setting roots/kids. For us, that's not a factor both kids make friends quickly - we travel a bit by boat and make new friends all over. Both kids go to non-neighborhood schools (magnet, private, etc.) -- so the tie with neighborhood kids is so-so... I know a lot of families use the "but the kids" excuse to not progress, but that's not really a factor. Thankfully. Wife and I can work for anyplace within the lower 48 that has FedEx, so we're good there too.

As far as running away from. At first glance, some might find that offensive - but it really isn't. I think it's reality we *are* running. Right? Because if there was nothing wrong, we wouldn't leave. Especially when I can tell you that when we first moved here... NOT that long ago, it was paradise. Now. I can't tell you for certain if that was because we were coming from cesspool-NJ... so the "shock" of being rid of the scum made it that much better? Possible? ...and now we see it a little more in a "greedy" way? (not a bad thing... if you never lived in a near socialist State like NJ, it is VERY hard to understand!)...

So, to answer your question. Traffic isn't a big deal - yeah it's annoying... but it's OK. Schools... that's a trick question. We hit a HUGE gland-slam with my son's school... and that has all been taken away because of the "pandemic"... so I DO think that is a factor. My daughter is moving to home schooling - but that's not really a geographic issue. Restrictive government, I don't know if that's the phrase I'd use -- again, I have to NOT compare to NJ... even with all the restrictions in Broward, it is still the wild west compared to NJ. So, I'm thankful... but here's the HUGE point:

I lived in NJ for 40 years. And there isn't much I'm certain of, but I *can* tell you that Broward WILL be the first part of FL to model itself 100% after NJ. I can see it. It's like watching a movie and realizing half-way through, "Oh! I saw this before! Ugh!"

The other dynamic is partially, just wanting "change" and wanting "more different" -- sorry, not very specific. But the allure of more land, a place for the kids to run and build shit in the trees, etc. -- especially while they're younger (10 and 12)... then, maybe, one day grand kids...

I will add -- and I know this sounds scummy - because I moved from NJ. But, SO many people moving into my neighborhood are from NJ/NY... and they are just SO unfriendly. Just another reminder of why the shift is coming. They come here, the vote the same way they did up there, and they destroy it. I moved here to vote the way FL votes and keep it great.

Who knows where we'll end up. And, honestly, this could all be subconsciously connected to the fact that my son had the rug pulled out from under his feet on something that was *very* important to him... and the people at the helm are idiots. Who knows? But I don't see us sticking around.