If You’re Thinking of Moving to Sarasota Florida, Knowing the Pros and Cons of Living There, Before You Move, Couldn’t Hurt.
Occasionally, readers will leave an interesting detailed comment on this website that is so long, it can slow down the loading of the page it was left on. To keep page loading times fast, the comment below was given a separate page. Please keep in mind that what you are about to read is the opinion of just one person who lives in Sarasota Florida and there probably are residents that agree with some or all of what is expressed, and others may not agree with any of it, just like most comments left anywhere.
The Pros and Cons of Living in Sarasota Florida According to One 3 Year Resident…
“Moved to Sarasota after living the the District of Confusion (Washington, DC for those who didn’t get it) for 20 years. I see some parallels between moving to the District from Central Virginia and moving to the Sunshine Coast.
1) “Man is it nice here! It’s so clean” – well every place you live has a dark underbelly and Sarasota is no exception. There is a large differential between well off and almost dirt poor within a 30 minute drive no matter where you live.
2) Personal safety is a real issue for you after watching the local news for just one week. Yes, Florida’s climate attracts some nefarious humans and some down right scum. When your down on your luck and homeless, FL is not a bad place because you can simply sleep on the beach at night.
3) Assume that everyone you meet is packing heat. First thing to do is get your concealed carry permit and practice using your fire arm. Doesn’t make you Dirty Harry or some psycho on the loose. What it does make you have a fighting chance if something comes your way. The best solution is always to walk away and do not engage no matter what. The gun is a last resort no matter what the Self Defense Doctrine is.
4) When you own a home, it’s likely in a HOA restricted community. You better read the by laws before buying that dream home because in some cases they will tell you down to the littlest thing, what and what you cannot do to your home. Yes, they will put a lien on your house for non-compliance. The builders rule the roost.
5) Florida has 2 speeds, slow and stop. If you have to hire someone for a job, assume that you’ll have to call several different people in hopes that one will actually show up and from there, someone who will actually do the work correctly and within building codes. Don’t expect that honking your horn will make people go any faster.
6) Getting on the Interstate is like Death Race 2020! Cannot emphases this enough. Everyone things they are Speed Racer or Denny Hamlin. They will pass you on the left at 95+. They will pass you on the right at the same or greater speed. Best option is to stay the hell off your self drive and stay in the middle lane. Changes lanes with great care and get in your exit lane well before you have to get off. You will see or hear of at least one needless traffic fatality a day. This is sad.
7) In Sarasota, the beaches are well maintained and pristine. There is actually no sand but instead quartz shavings that actually keeps the sand from sticking on you. It’s remarkable and one of the reasons we have the best beaches in the World.
8) Yes, it hot and sometimes stiflingly humid. No sh**!. You live in a sub tropical climate, or didn’t you notice that when considering the move.
9) If you ache when it gets cold (In FL that’s any temp below 70), you won’t when moving to FL. You will almost always be able to get a good walk in when walking in the morning.
10) Hurricanes: Sh** happens. Do your homework before you buy your house and you’ll be fine. IT’s not the hurricane, its the storm surge that comes with it. Look at the FEMA flood maps. DO NOT buy a house in one of those prone to flooding and DO NOT take the realtors word for it (or anything for that matter). The hurricane history map is a good indicator of where new hurricanes will hit even though any hurricane in the Gulf (or Guff as the locals say) will effect your weather. Stay out of anything North of Sarasota or South of Naples. Check the history maps.
11) PS. I love it here, 3 years and counting. It helps to have family already here. They’ll love to see you!”
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with readers of this site JerseyChris
Ron’s Notes:
- A lot of what was written above can be said not only of Sarasota, but much of Florida today.
- No place in Florida was hit by a hurricane, before it was hit for the first time. I would not rely on history maps. Also it is the hurricane, not just storm surge, when it’s a category 4 or 5 event. This page explains the rating system and damage that can be expected. A false sense of security can be dangerous. The Florida Move Guide explains what hurricanes and their aftermath are really like, and how to reduce risk.
- This article shows where the true safest places from hurricanes in Florida are located.
- The Florida Move Guide explains why living near family in Florida increases the long term odds that all parties involved will remain living in the state longer
