Why old people like Florida so much?

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by Syzygys, Aug 26, 2008.

  1. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    I never really understood why old folks, specially with hard breathing move to Florida to retire. For the record, I did live in the state for a WINTER, but I had the good sense to move away when May came. If old people prefer mild weather, Georgia, NC, Tennessee, specially SC are way better to spend a pleasant summer or winter.

    FL has some special laws, thus criminals like OJ prefer it so their money can not be touched, but that doesn't apply to most old folks. Also there is no state income tax, but most retires, well, retired....

    Now for the snowbirds it makes sense, but they have 2 homes and they only stay for the winter. So why is FL so attractive to retirees and live there all eyar around??
     
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  3. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    Interestingly, CNNMoney's best places to retire top 35 only mentioned Jacksonville from Fl. Oh yes, among the top 10 worst crime rate among big cities, 3 are from Florida. Did I mention hurricans???

    Let's compare Venice, FL with Smyrna TN, both mentioned in the USA Today's best places to retire. Smyrna's median house price is almost half of Venice's.
     
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  5. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    I never understood it. All my grandparents lived there, and one still does. It's cold in the winter, because the houses aren't insulated, and they don't have good heating systems. I think it has an aura of being exotic and tropical. I hate it. The retirement communities there are nauseating. Furthermore, they are far from their children and grandchildren and then they complain that we don't visit them.
     
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  7. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Because the cosmictraveler lives here! :itold: :yay:
     
  8. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    I thought more were moving to Arizona. My Mom and most of the people she knows are. Or New Mexico.

    I plan on retiring to Puerto Rico.
     
  9. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    You made statistics out of a too small sample...

    Now healthcare could be another reason. When you have cities with a 50+ average age, you bet it has excellent hospitals...
     
  10. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    Old people rarely get hot, and they're always cold. So Florida is perfect for them.

    Just the other day a patient left before his exam was over. The guy was in his seventies. He was dilating and knew he was supposed to come back in a half an hour.

    The guy had just experienced a significant loss of vision in one eye, so it was imperative that I get a look inside.

    I called the patient at home. I said, "Why did you leave? Did you forget I needed to check your eye again? You know, the eye you're not seeing out of?" He said, "Well, my wife was cold. Your office is kind of cold....."

    The end result was that I had to sit and wait for this guy to come back to the office because, of course, he was my last patient.
     
  11. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    Well, maybe that is the reason, but still Georgia or SC would be still nice and warm with less hurricanes and humidity... Or Arizona and Nevada with dry heat...
     
  12. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    But AZ and NV are running out of fresh water and soon won't have any!

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  13. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    That doesn't explain why old folks didn't prefer it to FL 10 years ago...

    Well, actually, they kind of did, because Las Vegas has been one of the fastest growing metropolitan area....
     
  14. Diode-Man Awesome User Title Registered Senior Member

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    Warm warm warm..... sandy..... beaches.... Paradise?
     
  15. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    I guess they like to carry the metal detectors looking for pennies...
     
  16. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Actually there's to many people here already in Florida and our roadways are always tied up with never ending blocked lanes of slow moving cars, trucks and other vehicles. There's not enough roads to handle who is here and the new roads are 5 years from just catching up to what we already have. Traffic is a nightmare in most larger communities. Also the humidity is a real killer, so if you don't enjoy sweating allot then don't move here!
     
  17. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    Hey Cosmic, I will give you a homework for the weekend. Interview 10, oh let's make it 20 old people and ask them why they moved to Florida. OK?

    Here is my theory:

    This whole thing started probably in the 70s or even before, when Florida was way, way less populated and developed with huge cheap lands. Once Disney moved in and the boom started people started to flow in. And if you already have relatives or friends retired there, you might just chose the same place to live. So this initial cheap land, cheap living started the boom and it never stopped...
     
  18. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Most of the ones I know of came here because there's no snow, no ice and no winter.
     
  19. Dr Lou Natic Unnecessary Surgeon Registered Senior Member

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    Yeah "dry heat" means "cold at night", florida and louisiana are the only places in the US that are warm all the time, and louisiana is full of blacks (more so).
     
  20. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    Let me see states with the same: Georgia, SC,Texas, the rest of the gulf states parts of NV, Arizona, etc.etc.

    So that doesn't explain the question....
     
  21. oiram Registered Senior Member

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    Everyone’s failed to mention that the old people might have moved to Florida to be close to 100% Fresh Florida Orange Juice but I doubt that has anything to do with it.

    I personally agree it had something to do with a big push in the late 60’s when land was cheap and Florida was considered a tropical climate vacation resort place that was inexpensive and far enough from where they had lived previously but still in the USA. Most old people retire in one of four places it seems and they are in specific order,

    1) Tropical places like Florida
    2) Golf communities in hot dry climates like Arizona or New Mexico
    3) Exotic places like private beaches in Mexico http://www.estrelladelmar.com/ (Been here myself its very nice)
    4) Or the unlucky ones get stuck in some used RV jacked up on blocks somewhere in the middle of nowhere Kansas

    I never hear anyone say hey we are thinking or retiring in the arctic or way up in Des Moines Iowa where the snow fall is predicted to be 5 feet this winter and one foot in the summer. Either way Florida probably has the best place for old people as one person said the more people 60+ the more healthcare and health services there are in one location.

    For me I want to retire in a small out of the way but fun energetic city in Latin America, (More the culture and diet) what about you people?
     
  22. Syzygys As a mother, I am telling you Valued Senior Member

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    That's why we didn't mention it.

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    Google "best places to retire" and see how many are in Florida. Hint, very few....
     
  23. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    The new generation of retirees is not as excited about roasting to death in the summer. A lot of them are moving up to northwestern California where we live. I'd say within ten years the biggest industry in Eureka will be elder care. Retirees are building homes out in the forest, and the towns are sprouting new assisted-living facilities.

    The highs in the summer are 70-75 (22-24C) and the lows in the winter are 40-45 (5-8C). Nobody even has air conditioning. We old folks love the mild weather. Screw Florida.
     

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