Why do People Hate Living in Florida?

[manning]

The sinking feeling.... Sink holes

 

[momto2girls]

I lived in Florida for 13 years, and I never learned to like it. My husband knows that I will never ever consider moving back there. Why did I hate it?

-- The heat and humidity is brutal. I hated that my makeup would slide off of my face on the short walk from my house to the car in the driveway.

-- No change of seasons. I hated that the days were just different levels of hot.

-- Everything just looks sunburnt there. Whenever I return to Florida (except for Disney World), I am always struck by how it looks like the sun has damaged everything and leached the color out of the building/houses, the grass, and the pavement and blacktop.

--The bugs! Cockroaches, fire ants, spiders, etc. Nothing like going to the kitchen in the middle of the night, flicking on the light, and seeing a cockroach scurry away (and, yes, that was with monthly extermination). I've also had cockroaches fly into my hair. One was even inside my robe, which I discovered when I put my robe on and it ran down my naked body. It is the stuff of nightmares. I've never had anything close to these things happen in any other state I've lived in.

--The lawns there are horrible. The grass is sharp and prickly. If you can stand the prickly grass itself, there are also sand spurs in it. Oh, and there is also a good chance of fire ants as well. Getting bit by a bunch of fire ants is not a pleasant experience.

--The traffic/the crime/the bad schools...

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Florida would not be my first choice

Heat
Humidity
Bugs
SNAKES
alligators
SNAKES
no mountains, way too flat
SNAKES

Heat & humidity I can do, though I'd miss the seasonal changes. The rest though....

 

[katie01]

Ashland Oregon

Oooh, nice! I've never been to the West Coast, I will definitely have to put Oregon on my bucket list

 

[Dax]

Growing up in a tourist town that is only populated 5m out of a year, I thought I would love FL when I moved here in 99. I dont totally hate it, as I love being able to give my kids something to do all the time, something that lacked where I grew up, but the heat. OMG...the heat. We basically live like hermits from June through Sept. We slowly begin coming back to outside activities in Oct, but lately, thats hot too. Even a waterpark is way to hot. The traffic is horrendous. When I-4 is a mess, then people head to the back roads, which cannot handle it either, then they back up to. Then add in the people who don't know how to drive, drive like a**, or cant see to drive...its a nightmare. Also then there is the housing choices. Florida seems to not believe in backyards. Everyhouse is on top of the next, and your yard is so non existant, you can hand sugar to you neighbor through the window. Plus all the trees have been ripped out.

 

[DawnM]

Ashland Oregon

True. I lot of the coastal areas of OR, WA, and NorCal are like that too.

I didn't mind the heat in SoCal though because the 90 heat there didn't feel anything like the 90 degree heat I am getting in NC. I have been sweltering this summer!~

 

[powellrj]

I have lots of snowbird friends that are just now getting ready to head back to Florida. They all love it and I think if they didn't have family up here, they would live there all the time.

 

[SureAsLiz]

Humidity. That is the #1 thing I hate about Florida.

Before moving out here, heat and rain were my two least favorite weather conditions. They still are, but now it's just A Thing I have to deal with.

And the lack of season changes is almost stifling. I can't really look forward to any time of year because the weather never really changes, except for the few weeks when it could kind of be considered cold. I am a winter person, and that's been the hardest adjustment.

 

[pcstang]

My aunt lives near Naples. She complains about the humidity, huge bugs, snakes, and alligators--she has had all of the above right in her yard.

I get cold very easily and hate how long the winters are in Illinois. I really thought I wanted to move somewhere south, but after this summer of high humidity and many many days with temps near 100, I am not so sure. The sad thing about Illinois is that it gets SO cold in the winter and SO hot in the winter. And rains most of the spring. But oh how I LOVE fall. If I could find a place that has temps in the 70s for most of the year, three months of fall, and one month of winter without brutal cold but just some nice pretty snow, that would be great. I don't think such a place exists. Maybe Colorado?

My sister lives in Denver. They always have jackets in their vehicles because the weather changes so much. She sent me a picture last week of the temp...58f around 2 pm.

 

[pcstang]

I grew up in Orlando, specifically winter park, and loved it! Yes it's hot and there really aren't seasons but that's what I'm used to. I don't like the cold so no way would I live up north. I currently live in SE Alabama....hate it. Trying to figure out a way to get back to Orlando. I have family in Jacksonville, Tampa and Naples. They all love it.

 

[jt'smom]

I lived in Jupiter for several years before moving over to St. Pete Beach, and I can't imagine why someone would HATE living in Florida! Down in S. Florida you have amazing weather year round, tons of things to do that don't have to involve the beach, lots of cultural activities, gorgeous landscapes and easy access to travel. Up in Tampa/St. Pete, it's more laid back, but equally as beautiful, and if you need Greek culture anyway, all you have to do is go to Tarpon Springs, and it's like entering Greece! Dunedin is like Scotland, and there are pockets of serious culture here. The PP that said the festivals near her don't cut it, I can't imagine where she lives, but in my neck of the woods, the first generation immigrants would look at her like she was insane!

For us, we love living the salt life. I love going to my Publix, which is literally right across from the beach, and people are shopping in bathing suits. I live in flip flops. I can walk out of my house, and around the corner to any number of open air restaurants and grab a bite. I walk my dog up to the sand dunes at night and hear the ocean. It's like non-stop resort living. I guess it's not for everyone, but I feel like I've hit the lottery

 

[leebee]

Snakes, spiders, alligators, palmetto bugs, scorpions, high heat and humidity, no change in the seasons... As much as I am growing to hate the cold, I'll stay in New England awhile longer!

 

[Cubbiecakes]

Seasons are overrated.

 

[MomofKatie]

We lived in Gainesville for a year and a half in the 90s. What we didn't like about it:

-humidity
-heat
-daily rainstorms
-alligators, snakes, and bugs
-flat, swampy land
-lovebug season. Ugh!!!
-we weren't near either coast
-tourist mentality
-U of FL (I'm a GA Bulldog...)

 

[Jdbsfw]

If you move to Florida voluntarily and complain about living in Florida, its because you're a whimpy whiner.....Go back to where you came from.

 

[hereyago]

Hurricanes
Hot and humid weather
Alligator, boas and Pythons
Stupid tourists that cant drive
A whole bunch of senior citizens that can't drive
Sink holes
Swamp

 

[MrsDuck]

I've lived here my whole life and have no plans of moving... ever.

 

[Mac4life30]

speaking from someone who is living in Broward Country... I HATE this place and state because
1) HEAT is like 100 out there today
2) No seasons
3)No cool weather and if so is for one day
4)Drivers/Traffic
5)ive drivin through a lot of states and FL is the most boring of them all..

 

[JimMIA]

Whatever y'all decide on...please publicize it as much as you can to keep more people from moving to the third most-populous state in the US!

 

[rachel09985]

So you're telling me I shouldn't be reading this thread considering I am moving to Florida in three weeks!? Hahha