Deciding where to move to

In the last few months I have decided that I have had enough of NY.  New York City especially. The recent snow storms have sealed the deal for me. There is no way I can continue to live 'up north' anymore. My ankle surgery last Feb is way too valuable to me. I've been in pain since the snow started in November.

My son is supposed to graduate high school this coming June. He plans on going away for college. I will have free reign to decide where I'm going to start a better life. I have looked into a few major cities in Florida, which I love to death, and right now it looks like the winner will be Tampa - the city I was born in, and have not lived in for thirty years.

I found this:

Why Tampa Florida?
		20 miles of beach. Tampa Bay beaches have been rated among the best in the state and in the country.
		Beautiful weather. The Average High Temperature is 82 degrees. Average Low Temperature is 63 degrees.
		3 Cities in one. The dynamic tri-city area includes Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater which is centrally located on Florida’s west coast right on the Gulf of Mexico.
		Business growth. Many public and private companies have headquarters in the Tampa Bay area, creating a very healthy business climate.
		Many activities. Tampa Bay has many activities for locals and visitors including dining out, shopping, golfing, cruises, water sports, fishing and visiting local attractions such as Busch Gardens Theme Park, The Florida Aquarium and Lowry Park Zoo.
		Golf. This area is home to many of Florida’s finest golf courses and the world’s finest country clubs.
		Schools. The Tampa area is home to 25 colleges and universities with over 138,000 students.
		Tampa’s cost of living is 3% lower than the national average.
		Tampa was rated one of the Top 10 cities nationwide for Healthiest Lifestyle.
		The area is expected to experience one of the largest employment growth in the country.
		Tampa is about an hour away from Orlando, less than an hour away from Sarasota, and about 2 hours away from Naples.

I have to say that I hate being hot, and sticky. But there is air conditioning everywhere. I also know many of the beaches in the area, that most tourists don't know about from visiting so often as an adult. Northerners move down and expect to make friends right away, but the way of living is so different. You don't have people living on your floor and meet waiting for the elevator, or help each other shovel driveways. But I understand the way of life down there and know what I'm getting into. For many years I've wanted to move back, but I've always been to scared to make the leap. The pressure is now off since I don't have to worry about my son any longer.

I know I need a change. If anyone out there has any suggestions, please comment. All opinions, good or bad, are welcome.

Comments

[Susan Finn]

Kim,

I just read this post. I'd be sad if you left NYC, but happy for you if you made the move. (Is it selfish of me to want to come and visit you in Tampa so that we could go shopping at Target? Do they have Target in Tampa? Picture me with my big red sun hat and sunscreen and you pretending not to know me.) A thought: have you brought this up with Peter F. to possibly discuss the option of working for Guilford from FL? That way you'd have your job when you moved down there (until something else came along, possibly). That's what one of my coworkers did when he moved to (I think) Clearwater to care for his dad, and he's really happy working from home down there.

Hope this helps,

Chap