I suggest you fly down here, rent a car, drive South down I95 and just stop at places you see. It'd be a fun experience and you'd get to see if all for yourself! There are a lot of beautiful areas like Vero Beach that might appeal to someone like you but aren't well known. Or there's the Gulf Coast area like Ft Myers that's very nice. I also am a fan of Clearwater, Sarasota, Tampa Bay (if you like bad sports teams, that's your gig!)

 

New Smyrna Beach.

Just don't look for a job here. There aren't any.

 

The quest is now answered. No need for further replies. Zephyrhills is the best possible choice if you remain loyal to your priorities and objectives..... The S2000!! We have the bestest, most funnest roads available in the State, this side of the North Georgia Swails. Not to mention Auto-Crossing on the local Airport Runway. 35 minutes to the local Tampa International Airport. Consider this case closed. Just look us up on the map.....did I mention how great the water was?

 

funny ... but true in a lot of places lately. Merillat originally said they were going to just set their NEW Ocala plant in 'idle' mode. Now is seems they are actually closing it entirely.

I'm not sure if the Schools are hiring any teachers right now either.

 

Stay away from Brevard County... it sucks.




Personally, i would look closer inland, and then just deal with the short drive if you want to go to the beach (because then you could easily choose from either coast to visit). It isn't worth it to live near a beach (well, at least around here) unless you luck out and get a great job... they are few and far between. ALso, by the beach gives you rust on everything. UNlike up north where you can avoid rust just by having a beater for the winter, down here it invades via the air, so it doesn't matter.

As for where to go, for me personally Ocala is an area that i'm actually looking at, mostly because of land prices, and for a few of the reasons that Scott pointed out about it (centrally located to many things), and there are a few things about Ocala that actually interest me and would make me want to live near it... I'm also eyeing areas south of Jacksonville, and north-Orlando area. But the remote possability of me moving wouldn't be possible for a year and a half or so... But i'm looking

 

I live in Land O'Lakes/Lutz which is a suburb of Tampa. It used to be a smaller town with nothing but orange trees and cows. Now, it has grown up a little bit, but it isn't too populated. I'm about 30 minutes away from Tampa International Airport and about 45 minutes from the beach (With the way we all drive on the expressway).

Honestly, I have imagined living elsewhere but I don't think I ever could stray too far away. I like it,do some research on it, you may too.

 

I have some friends in that same area. It really is nice and isn't a bad drive to get to Tampa/Clearwater (either via the interstate or the Veterans Expressway). Lots of new shopping centers and housing

 

There really isn't a coastal county that isn't nice in Florida. Although Dade/Broward/Palm Beach counties are probably more urban than you would like.

Anywhere from Nassau to Martin on the east coast and Hernando to Lee on the west coast will be cozy and within 1-1.5hrs drive to a larger urban area.

The panhandle counties are nice too...a little rural but very relaxing (good for get-a-way vacation homes). The beaches from Santa Rosa to Franklin counties often show on lists of the worlds most beautiful beaches.

Don't expect much in the way of pay as a teacher. Non-math/science teachers usually start in the low-mid $30s.

 

zdave, with all due respect your facts are entirely wrong.

I don't know where you are getting them, but your numbers are made out of whole-cloth. The actual budget cuts from the legislature are in the neighborhood of $480,000,000.00, and while Gov. Crist has indicated that he might veto this bill because the cuts went deeper than what he wanted, at this point he has not.

It is completely inaccurate to represent what the governor may do and state that his wishes represent the final budget cuts. The rest of your facts about salaries are also suspect, and I am sure you don't get involved in public education payrolls.

Moreover, your allocation of these cuts over the all children enrolled in public education throughout the state is nonsense. OCPS for instance is cutting its budget by $100,000,000.00 in the next fiscal year, partly to account for a reduction from the state of $70,000,000.00. Given the fact that its total student population is decreasing, the per student allocation is much higher for OCPS than in your post. The state funds different districts differently, and its cuts affect different districts differently.

My point is still valid--Florida is not a great place right now for teachers.

 

I would be very careful to move to Florida without a teaching job already set up. I don't know the statistics but there will be serious cut backs in education (teachers and support staff) soon for the second time this school year. I suggest you come down, interview and then move, you don't want to get caught without a job as It is brutal to find a teaching job at this time in the state of Florida. Georgia at this time is a better option...