Only thing I like about it is the weather
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7/14/2013
The Sarasota-Bradenton area might be right for you if you’re from the Northeast. I’m from the Midwest and I’ve lived here two years. Except for Latinos, the vast majority of the population is from New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, etc. There’s only a handful of Florida natives and people from the rest of the country. Fact is, the demographics of Florida are just plain weird. My experience is that people here are often rude and antisocial, even though you'll hear the word “socialize” a lot for some reason.
There are a large number of ex-military people, or recent veterans and military retirees. Perhaps a result of being in the military so long, many of them have no concept of civilian law and therefore no qualms about breaking it. So don’t be surprised if you meet with massive privacy invasion, slander, or even stalking by former soldiers and sailors. All this should come as no surprise considering that the military has a history of prisoner torture and a current epidemic of crimes against women in the military. This is obviously condoned or even encouraged. So a little privacy invasion or slander never hurt anybody, right? Florida has a high crime rate compared to other states.
Healthcare is mediocre at best. There is only one major hospital. Doctors and other healthcare people can be surprisingly rude for no reason at all.
My advice? Go elsewhere.
Sam | Gulf Gate Estates, FL