Moving from New York to Florida is a relatively common occurrence for people who decide to leave New York City. Florida is the number one destination for departing New Yorkers. Most New Yorkers primarily find their beach in areas like Tampa, Miami/Ft Lauderdale, Palm Beach County, and Orlando.
Florida is a beautiful, highly-diverse tropical state that is very different from New York. Here are some important considerations you should be aware of before making the leap to Florida. Is the grass greener in the Sunshine State? Let’s find out.
Be Aware of Extreme Weather
New York has historically been a relatively safe place to live, when it comes to extreme weather events. That being said, the city has been experiencing extreme weather and hurricanes at an increasing rate.
With all this taken into account, you still need to be aware of what you’re getting yourself into when moving from New York to Florida. Florida has more lightning storms annually than any other place in the US. Annually, you can expect to receive about 50-60 inches of rain over the course of a year. If you’re in South Florida, expect a little more.
This may have you thinking that Florida is only sunny part of the year. This isn’t so. Florida is still sunny almost everyday at some point during the day. For most of the year, a late afternoon rainstorm should be expected every day as well.
One thing you do not want to underestimate in Florida is the devastating power of extreme weather given the state’s natural features. The average elevation in Florida is only 6 feet above sea level, while New York City is at an average of 33 feet above sea level. Florida is the flattest state in the US. For this reason, hurricanes have even more dire implications than they may in New York City. There have been times where entire regions of the state are evacuated.
Also, Florida has a very hot climate. Most tourists visit during the winter months when the temperature is moderate and the season is dry. In the summer months, there is some pretty serious heat that persists through the night. Humidity is almost always at least 85%. For this reason, you’ll find that you need to be in a temperature-controlled environment most of the time, just like New Yorkers have to do when it gets below freezing in the city.
Be Aware of How Water-Logged Florida Really Is
The entire metropolitan area that stretches from Palm Beach County to the bottom of Miami-Dade could not have existed naturally. The entire megapolis was built on landfill, with all of the water being directed in a multitude of directions in canals around these landfill plots. Many people think safety can be found closer to the Everglades. However, the land right along the coast is at the highest elevations, with the western parts of the megapolis needing tons of landfill and canal construction to even exist. Some of the most devastating hurricane damage has occurred inland, and the threat of overflowing canals should not be taken lightly.
Florida has one of the highest and deepest water tables in the US. Many people in and out of the state rely on the freshwater that Florida provides. With the water table and sea levels being so high, flooding is a very common occurrence in Florida, even on rainless sunny days.
This is because, when it rains or tides are at their highest, the water will actually start seeping up through the drainage systems, flooding many parts of the state without even needing rain to do so.
Florida is an incredibly beautiful and fun place to live, but the weather and water situations absolutely need to be considered before you make any major decisions about moving here.
Be Aware of the Natural Environment You’re Living In
Florida is largely swamp and wetlands. Therefore, you should expect to be living in proximity to a variety of cute and not-so-cute critters. The most obvious of these is the alligator population. Just about every body of freshwater in Florida is going to be home to at least a few alligators. They are formidable beasts who you do not want to get on the wrong side of. Therefore, extreme caution should be used when swimming in freshwater, or saltwater Mangrove forests.
You will also need to adjust your ways of living a little bit when you move from New York to Florida. New York City has freakishly large and tough mice and rats. Florida has cockroaches and waterbugs. Florida is a natural environment for these nasty, indestructible creepy-crawlers. You can never really get rid of roaches in Florida, only keep them at bay. Some newly-constructed buildings may not have roaches initially, but unless you plan on moving to a new construction every couple of years, you will have to deal with roaches and water bugs at some point.
Ultimately you should adjust your ways of living a little bit. You’ll need to keep all food and pantry items in sealed containers, leave no dishes unwashed in the sink, and take out the trash at least daily.
Be Aware of Crime and Scam Artists
Though New Yorkers are probably the most well-equipped Americans to relocate to Florida, it is important to be aware that the state as a whole, especially in the major cities, has a higher crime rate compared to New York City. The state has some arguably draconian self-defense laws, so you will really want to think twice before confronting anybody, especially if you start coming off as threatening to them.
Another thing to keep in mind when moving from New York to Florida is that the relative lack of rock-solid industry and jobs means that many people have to come up with creative schemes to run on unsuspecting tourists and new locals to separate them from their money.
New York City absolutely has this too, but be careful of just how high up the scams and schemes can go, and do your research before you get financially tied-up or involved in anything.
Florida, especially South Florida, is known as “a sunny place for shady people.” Remember that there is the world you want to live in, and the world you actually live in, and don’t take unnecessary risks. This means that you need to be very careful how you talk to people, how you act in rowdy environments, and who you accept drinks from. You also absolutely need to keep your road rage in check.
Be Aware of the Economic Opportunity in the State
Generally speaking, New York City has more white-collar opportunities than Florida. Most of the State relies heavily on people visiting the state, and people buying property in the state. While the Miami and Tampa areas have seen an influx of Tech workers and companies migrating to the state, Florida has a long way to go before it can call itself a hub of economic prosperity.
That being said, many people are choosing to move to Florida with remote jobs from other places. Without a doubt, that is a fantastic idea, and a great way to take advantage of remote flexibility. Just be aware that some companies are adjusting their pay depending on where their remote workers reside. Most workers in Florida will make less than workers in New York City, especially if your remote job starts scaling your pay based on where you’re living.
All of that considered, the tourism and hospitality industries flourish in the state, so if you’re looking for that kind of work it may be a good place to be.
Be Aware That Moving from New York City to Florida Will Not Be a Magic Bullet.
Florida is a wonderful place to live, there is no doubt about that. However, there are a small portion of people who move to the state with expectations that if they could just live in the warm weather, eat tropical fruit, and lounge in the sun all day, they would be happy.
While all of those activities are often what people do when they come to visit Florida, living in the state is a different reality.
If you’re moving to Florida, you need to have realistic expectations about what your life will look like. Getting settled-in will be a challenge, and you will always be wishing you had a little more time for the beach or for the amazing parks. Expect daily life to be about the same, perhaps requiring a bit more patience.
But you can also expect to take easy weekend trips to world-class beaches and parks that people who don’t live in Florida wait years to be able to experience. Also, your evenings after work will be lots more fun too, as a nice evening stroll in one of the gorgeous parks or along one of the pristine beaches makes the perfect weeknight activity. If you have the right expectations about Florida, you will love it.
New York City to Florida Movers
If none of those topics seem to sway your decision about moving from New York to Florida, it might just be the right move for you. Now all you have to do is get yourself down there.
Metropolis Moving has gained the reputation of being one of New York City’s most courteous, careful, and friendly professional moving services. We have completed thousands of moves to a variety of local and long-distance destinations. Get a quote today and you’ll be on your way to living the life you envision for yourself in Florida.
