Forget Ocala - 9/15/2013

This sleepy small town has the highest rate of unemployment of any city in Florida. There is an overflow of rednecks. There is no culture. Home prices are low because they are cheap. You children will go to school in trailers and the crime rate is among the worst in the nation.

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Ocala is a great place to live - 3/9/2013

I've lived in Ocala for most of my adult life. It is true that it is very hot here. It is also true that it is renamed slooow cala for a reason. If you like to live in a clean environment, then Ocala is right for you. If you want to raise a family, then Ocala is for you. Depending on your career choice, this could be a comfortable place to live. I live on eight acres & I love that I can see my neighbors but I can't hear my neighbors! Very laid back atmosphere here. If you want excitement, then take 2 hours a go to Orlando. People vacation & retire here for a reason! you don't here of anyone wanting to retire in Ohio! If you are outgoing, you will find lots to do here. Traffic is not bad, shopping is not bad. The cost of living is comparable to neighboring states. No state taxes here! Homes are reasonably priced. This is not a place for single people! So beware! I think Ocala is a great place to live.

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Ocala, Great place to live!! - 2/28/2013

After being in South Florida for over 20 years. Ocala has been a great decision for us. Housing is priced right & cost of living is great. No regrets for us as of yet. My wife teaches & I practice Respiratory Therapy. Try it. Better yet join us!!!

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living in ocala - 12/22/2012

we moved here in oct of this year. bought a house...lot of house for the money, are on fixed incomes s.s., not fond of doctors, and find community is 25 yrs. behind. moved here from sarasota, fl. beautiful place but not sure it is for us. laid back is a understatement. of course we have no friends here and are lonely

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Living in Ocala Florida - 9/18/2012

Lets just say if you like horses, beautiful pastures and a rural community the you will love Ocala florida. It is located 40 south of Gainesville right on I 75 and has a pop. of the low 50,000's The downtown area is home town america. It is 70 miles due west of Daytona and 40 miles east of the gulf of mexico. St Augustine is NE of here about 90 minutes and is the oldest city in america. There are lots of activities especially if you love horses.I can't think of a better location to live in than Ocala Fl. The weather is wonderful year round. Winters are what midwesterners would call spring. If you are considering Florida then consider Ocala.

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Life in Ocala - 10/10/2010

I was born and raised in the SE side of Ocala. I must say this is a very boring town for young people. Not much to do and most of the younger people are too broke to travel down to Orlando every weekend to have fun. The people are rude (most of them are from the Northern States) and good luck finding anyone who knows the meaning of customer service. I was an over-the-road trucker for over 2 years and I must say that Ocala is home of some of the WORST drivers in the country. I would have to suggest finding a different city to move to if you are under the age of 55. 55+ this is a great place to retire. Lots of golf and a decent nature park. I know Ocala is generally hotter than the other cities in Fl during the summer and can be the coldest in the winter. The unemployment rate is outrageous and this is a city where you are either poor, rich, or retired. There is not much in between. The property taxes are only once a year and on our .27 acre homestead it costs us anywhere from $1100-$1500 per year, depending on the year. Florida is a big forclosure striken state. You can find a good deal on a house but beware of the mold and sinkholes! Hope this information is helpful.

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sunny florida - 4/7/2010

moved to florida for the warmth. had over 97 days of cold this year so far! need to go further south

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You get what you pay for - 12/13/2009

Florida in general spends less on its citizens than nearly every other state. Florida's legislative leaders have proudly declared that Florida is either 49th or 50th (depending on which study you are citing) in state spending on its citizens. State employees have had no or very small salary increases in recent years. In Marion County, public safety has suffered. Sheriff's Office Deputies and civilian employees have had no pay increases in 3 years, and this has been compounded by requests from the County Commission to decrease the overall budget. Fire and EMS are also at risk and face budget cuts. Other services such as Building Inspection, Code Enforcement and Animal Control have also been cut due to budgetary constraints. Many major intersections in Marion County are populated by people claiming to be homeless and soliciting money from motorists. Law enforcement is unable to effectively deal with this problem largely because the County Commission is reluctant to pass a county ordinance prohibiting this activity. Both the City of Ocala and the Marion County Commission seem to believe that keeping taxes low is more important than delivering services that would improve the quality of life in Ocala and Marion County.

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Life in Ocala - 10/14/2009

We moved here 9 years ago, from NYC and I know without a doubt that it was the right move. The quality of life here has indeed changed for us, We are able to enjoy more family times than we ever did in NYC. We frequent many of the town festivals, carnivals, parades,(and we love them.) we also have many good friends with very good family values. Needless to say I was born a NYker but I live in Ocala and I must say I love it here. IZZY

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No fun in the sun - 8/21/2009

Ocala,Fl has been hit very hard by the reccession, I have lived here for four years now and have found the people very unfriendly and on edge, As far as customer service or local business deals go a good deal of the local population seems to be challenged, I have seen several large factory's close there doors and now the smaller Mom & Pop operations seem to be following suit, There are still plenty of fine restaurants and local attractions to keep you occupied though, Ocala seems to be like most of florida where the gated communities are very nice, Just do not go beyond the fence... You will really see the red and blue divide in Ocala, to sum it up cost of living soaring ,Crime rate rising, bussiness closing down, school budget shot, I personally believe I have been here about four years too many,

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over all - 5/12/2009

i have lived in ocala Fl almost all my life.it is a pretty good place to live.crime is on the rise though.and you shouldnt go out after dark if your female and alone.also people seem to be complaining more to the city about other people noe than they use to.but the job market is gone.that is why me and my family are moveing to texas,so if any of you now a good place to live there plz tell me. thank yall

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need some printed ino - 4/18/2009

two srs in sc looking to relocate in fl warmer climate year round need someone to mail a map of the ocala area and mark the following for us clean safe neighborhoods for srs synogogues als delly hospitals grocery stores mails to sheila cohen 1016 augustus dr conway sc 29527 email tuvia123@aol.com

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education - 2/19/2009

because of city deficit they have already announced cutbacks which will decimate the school system next year.the recreational facilities for children are already non-exsistant.

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Ocala... - 10/9/2008

I think I chose the quality of life category because it involved so many facets of a city's personality. Our area is considered a "small metro" area. We were declared an All American City a couple of years ago...but, like every other area of the country, we are feeling the economic pinch. Jobs are scarce, pay is low, traffic is horrendous and gas prices are on the middle-high end of the scale. Educationally, we are a bit limited...we have only one higher education option in the immediate area (CFCC) though some higher degrees can be obtained through distance education at the community college. We have our share of community events and I during my twenty plus years here in Ocala, I have seen the whole community pull together to help someone in need. I know the younger set feel there isn't much to do here...some of the older generation (including yours truly) feel that we have grown so quickly over the last 10-15 years that it is difficult to make sure that our services/amenities keep up with that growth. Overall, it is a beautiful area, but the high unemployment, low salaries and unstable housing market make it a difficult place to recommend to somone looking for "paradise". For me, Ocala is home right now but I have to say that I would certainly be open to a move in the future.

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A Nice Place to Live - 7/8/2008

For the most part, Ocala's streets are not congensted and make traveling across town fairly easy. I actually live in the SW section of Marion county about 20 miles fro the center of town. There are still many horse farms in Marion county which put a lot of distance between different parts of the county. Travel time can be costly.

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Slooooocala - 5/19/2008

they don't call it slooocala for nothing.. First, it is extremely expensive to live here in Ocala which is why after five year's I am moving.. Thou must be rich to live here is really the motto here.. Second, the amount of undocumented people living here creates a job crunch for those of us that are citizen's and cause wages to be low.. The horse farm owner's appear to have a lock in on wage's.. Ocala used to be a nice place to live but not any more too many big name people living here has created a "money" atmosphere.. and talk about slowwwwwwwww moving..

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Ocala Life. - 4/2/2008

Ocala is a great place to enjoy life with your family. I enjoy working in this friendly city as well as I enjoy doing family activities with my wife and children. The weather is perfect. The public schools that my children attend, thus far has been an excellent experience. Izzy

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slowcala - 3/23/2008

They don't call it slowcala for nothing. Thing's move at a slow pace here. Moved to Ocala from Oviedo in 2003 when I bought a small home here which I sold in 2006. Being retired I thought it would be an inexpensive place to live, boy was I wrong. And the rent's are high for a single person on social security and a small pension. Ocala is for the rich and famous and that must be why so many of them live here and why the town is so star struck. I had lived in Naples Fla for four year's and Ocala is now catching up with them in cost of living and they also have star's in their eyes. Because the horse farm owner's here have a strong say in thing's it's hard to get a job in other fields that pay well the horse farm owner's don't want to lose their help to higher paying jobs. If your going to live here I hope you have deep pocket's and speak more than one language..

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Great place to live - 2/22/2008

OCala is a great place to live with a friendly small town feel, lowest housing cost in FL, easy access to larger towns.

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Living in Ocala - 2/7/2008

After living in Ft. Lauderdale for over 50 years and being a Realtor in that city for over 20 years, I moved to Ocala to get away from the fast pace, unfriendly people and high cost of living. Ocala is a dream come true. Talk about affordable housing, Ocala has it. You can have a new home built for less than $125,000 and nice existing homes sell for as low as $80,000. The people are VERY friendly and although the city is growing rapidly, traffic is very light compared to South Florida. My wife and I Love Ocala.

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