I currently live in KC Kansas, and I am considering moving to Florida. Any advice or tips for relocating?

Question

This place, (kc) has taken its toll on me. I am young, just turned 21 two months ago, and think I would be better suited in Flordia. I dont know many people down there, but Ive heard that night life is amazing. I would plan on getting a job as a bartender to pay the bills, and contuine my education at a community college down there. Any advice you have about moving, location, weather, traffic or anything else about Flordia would be aprreicated!! I would love to find a small place on the beach, but I doubt that would happen. I was thinking about Palm Beach or Boca. Miami might be a little crowded for my taste. Any help or thoughts???? Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Hi, KC,
I'm writing from Fort Lauderdale, which is a cool place for young people.
Boca is a mix of rich Jewish northerners and some college students because of Florida Atlantic Univ.
Palm Beach is old money and very wealthy (forget the beachside apartment there) but West Palm Beach is a mix of different types.
Still, Ft. Lauderdale or Hollywood would be good choices for variety and young people.
As for Miami, it's big and traffic is horrible, a patchwork of beauty and ugliness, but has lots of bars and especially South Miami Beach is a major hotspot for young people, tourists, nightlife, etc.
As for community colleges, you could do that anywhere down here; there're a lot of them.
If you want the most urban scene, go for South Beach.
If you do choose Miami, just remember that the farther east you live, the closer to the beach, so don't come down here and move to the western suburbs.
I think you'll have a blast! I moved here from manhattan 12 years ago and I love the weather, though I miss the NY scene and restaurants, shows, art, shops, etc. that are all so closely packed in a small area. It's spread out here so I'd say come and find an apartment near the beach in Hollywood, Ft. Laud, South Beach, Surfside (Miami Beach), or Boca. Then it'll take some time to explore and see which part of this vast metropolis suits you.

Answer 2

You may also want to consider the Gulf Coast, especially the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Housing costs are lower there than on the Atlantic coast, the nigtlife is AWESOME and the bartenders I know there do VERY well. It is also a little quieter here than on the other coast. The weather is humid in the summer, unrelentingly so, for about 5-6 straight months. There are a number of community colleges in the area. The traffic is calmer on the Gulf Coast than on the Atlantic side, PLUS the Tampa Bay area hasn't yet been as ravaged by hurricanes as the Atlantic coast has...so far.

Answer 3

I relocated to Fla from NY in 1992 and live in Broward Cty, but 2 blocks from the Boca Raton city line. Beware- this part of Fla is much more expensive than people realize and for the most part salaries are not up to people's expectations. I live 7 miles from the ocean and one bedroom apartments START at 1000.00/month, plus electric, and you use AC 9 months of the year, so bills can be pricey. Maybe with tips you can do well and with a roommate..... but often people are suprised at the expenses in this area. Other, more rural areas, more inland, and north, are cheaper, but the pay too is even lower.

Answer 4

That part of Florida has two good community colleges - Broward Community and Palm Beach CC.

I'm not sure about the rental market.

The best place for Florida information is

myflorida.com. It was invaluable when we were moving.

The local newspapers are sun-sentinel.com (broward) and the palmbeachpost.com (not sure about the web address, but I think that's it).

There can be good money in bartending here - look at Boca, Delray and West Palm (all Palm Beach County). It can be expensive, though.

Best of luck to you