[laq8ty]

I have a pretty cush job in LA but I'm starting to realize that this city and state are way overrated.
cali has 13% state income tax, is expensive as fuck, and navigating anywhere in LA takes double or triple the amount of time. housing is super expensive, you pay over a million for a shack on the west side.

florida has me interested because of the warm weather, diversity and cost of living plus lack of state income tax. i can easily get a job in FLorida in my field though the pay will likely be substantially less (likely around 75-100k less).

what do you guys think?

[NewDayNewFace]

Depends on what do you do? Is 75-100k going to hurt you that much? For a majority of people that is their entire income.

Also what parts of Florida are you looking at? That makes a huge difference, also what are things you look for in a city?

[BrewDog]

I've lived in So. Cal and visited LA many times. I've been to Florida many times.

I'd much rather live in Florida than LA. Even if it meant less money.

[laq8ty]

I'd probably be looking at areas like Tampa and surrounding cities; naples; and some of the other beach suburbs. prob not miami. I think after several years in california, I am realizing what a rip-off it is. i know a number of forum members have been saying this for years.

last year alone; I paid over $53k in state income tax alone...

problem is- not sure about leaving LA being single- and heading to a smaller city with much less people and a lot less things to do, etc.

unfortunately, my work is not location independent.

[slothpiece]

What industry are you in that makes you so sure you'll find a good gig in Tampa without an offer already lined up for you to put in your notice?

[Steve H]

I lived in Florida for 20 years and now live in North Carolina. I am originally from the western USA. Here are some pluses and minuses from my perspective

Pluses
Incredible restaurants on both coasts.
Some great night life in some of the coastal areas.
If you love boating and fishing, it is an awesome place to be. Beautiful beaches but they become boring after a while. If you have a boat, you are living the dream.
Great access to the Carribean, Central and South America. You can fly to Colombia for $300 round trip from Ft Lauderdale.

Minuses
Its hot and humid as fuck for 9-10 months out of the year. If you are not at the beach or in a boat, you live inside with air conditioning. This truly sucks.
You are living in a reclaimed swap. Everything is flat. The landscape is boring as fuck.
Outside of the metro areas, the locals are dumb low-class inbred hicks.
There are millions of old nasty retirees from the Northeast living around you. They are obnoxious.


I was glad to get the fuck out of there.

[Cattle Rustler]

Have you looked into property taxes in FL?

Most states that don't have income tax will make it up with a higher property tax, Texas is a good example. It has one of the highest property tax rates in the US.

[BrewDog]

I just spent a few days in Tampa, but it seemed pretty cool. The people were nice. My best friend lived there a bit and he liked it.

[redbeard]

If it was 2013, this thread would devolve into an "East Coast vs. West Coast" player flame war between Mike, Ali, Gman, and El Mech

[chicane]

You can own guns in Florida with much less government interference. That might be of importance to you.

[BrewDog]

(09-18-2016 03:20 PM)chicane Wrote:  

You can own guns in Florida with much less government interference. That might be of importance to you.

In Mississippi, you can walk around WalMart with an AK slung over your shoulder. The police will likely come but they can't do shit. Merka!

[Cattle Rustler]

Yeah but then you'd have to live in Mississippi.

[BrewDog]

(09-18-2016 04:15 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

Yeah but then you'd have to live in Mississippi.

But guns and shit. Awesome.

[el mechanico]

(09-18-2016 07:04 PM)BrewDog Wrote:  

(09-18-2016 04:15 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

Yeah but then you'd have to live in Mississippi.

But guns and shit. Awesome.

I'd live there in a second. It's still gulf coast and down south you could pick something up on a river w gulf access. Good food and close to New Orleans.

[el mechanico]

(09-18-2016 07:04 PM)BrewDog Wrote:  

(09-18-2016 04:15 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

Yeah but then you'd have to live in Mississippi.

But guns and shit. Awesome.

Dizzouble pizzost.

[JackFrost]

I'm feeling the same way. I like Cali, but I've been here for 10 years and I'm tired of it. When I'm on the east coast girls literally will approach me. Not here in SoCal with stuck up LA chicks. And the ratios are a ton better back east.