Areas to Live for a young couple?

[MarieH]

Hi all

Wonder if any experienced Florida visitors or residents could give me some advice? We are hoping to move to Florida some time over the next 12 months and are coming out in May to look for potential areas to live. It will just be my partner and I, we are 29 and 31 so want to be in a relatively 'young' area with plenty to do in the evenings and plenty of business opportunities.

As much as I love the Gulf Coast it seems to have a much older population, although I am sure this is not true of the whole of the Gulf Coast. If you can suggest places worth looking at please let me know as I have loved the Gulf Coast on every visit there.

Any advice on places worth a visit would be greatly appreciated as we don't want to waste our 2 week trip visiting places that are lovely, but not suitable to base ourselves.

An area with plenty to do, daytimes and evening, near the coast (don't mind East or West) and without astronomical house prices would be good!

I have been to Fort Lauderdale before and remember loving it but it was a long time ago so think that is somewhere worth another visit. Has anyone got more suggestions for places that might be suitable?

Would appreciate hearing your suggestions and what you thought of places you have visited before.

Many thanks

Marie

[esprit]

On the west coast, Sarasota is a beauriful city as is Naples, I wouldnt say either is cheap to buy in though, neither is Fort Lauderdale for that matter. Miami has a thriving young scene, though I have to say I dont find it the friendliest of places. What about the Tampa/St Petes area??

[blott]

Don't you need to find the business opportunity first and then that determines the area in which you live? Finding a residential property is relatively easy but finding a business that may qualify you for a visa isn't.

[MarieH]

Thanks for the tips, Sarasota has been recommended to us by someone else too so we will definitely have a look there. Have been to Naples before, loved it, but like you say I think house prices may be a little out of our reach there! We stayed in St Petes many years ago and I just remember the touristy areas but may also be worth another visit if it is one of the areas with a younger population and lots to do.

Totally agree about finding the business first, we certainly don't plan on looking at houses at this early stage but thought it was also important to base ourselves somewhere that we are going to be happy. As much as the business will influence where we go a great deal, neither of us want to end up somewhere with a great business but no life! If we can manage to get the balance right then I think we are giving ourselves a much better chance of making it work.

If you have any other suggestions of places to visit or general advice it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[flyrr100]

The First Coast.
Jacksonville-Ponte Vedra-St Augustine.
It's the best kept secret in Florida. If I wasn't working in Orlando thats definately where I'd live.
The beaches are the best in the state. Jax (Jacksonville) has great nightlife. And Jax is the largest city in the USA. St Augustine is the prettiest town in Florida. Also the oldest city in the USA.
Ever since the NFL came to town, The Jacksonville Jaguars, the city has boomed. In the first year the Jags were there over 500 corperations re-located there. It's also one of the last true Southern cities left in Florida.
They even had the Super Bowl there in January. You'll find plenty of opertunities for business investments.

I lived there for 4 years and would dearly love to go back.