Update
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12/3/2013
I stand by my rather positive review posted on 2/15/2011. However, I am about to leave for a region with four seasons and three dimensions.
This is an ideal place for retired people but the timelessness is something I still find difficult to get used to. Winter, when and if it actually comes, is gorgeous. The rest of the year is too hot and humid. By the rest of the year we're talking nine months out of the year. Again, if I were retired and thus had control over my daily routine, I may be willing to get over it.
That said, the traffic has gotten worse as home sales have rebounded. Not terrible but as somebody who hits every single light on his way to Vero Beach everyday, it is too much for me (22 lights and/or stop signs in 14.6 miles). Moreover, my neighborhood is no longer distressed. A hundred plus homes have been built since I arrived. Good for home values but just about every wild animal has disappeared. I now definitely live in suburbia, unfortunately.
Finally, after a two year respite, my severe hay fever has returned with a vengeance. This part of Florida has no freeze and thus has a 12 month pollen season, especially grass and ragweed. Years ago I would get itchy eyes but meds kept me otherwise happy. Not anymore. Think having the flu for months at a time. Yes, for me it is that bad.
In some ways I will be sad to leave. Perpetual summer would be great if I were retired. The beach and river (increasingly polluted) are incredibly beautiful. The parks and undeveloped areas have their own kind of beauty, too. The commute, the development, the seasonlessness, and the pollen will not be missed.
Call me a "tweener" or a "halfback" because I am heading back north a bit. Not sure where yet but I am looking forward to it.
NKBC | Sebastian, FL