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S. FL freeze !!??!?


surgeon83

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As I have mentioned before, I am hoping to move to FL next spring, but the question is where (and it partly depends on where I get interviewed).  Anyway, althought my first choice has been Tampa (or perhaps commute from St. Pete), I am again considering Miami but I started looking into real estate in outlying towns to save money and get out of the ghetto.  

Tamarac, FL seems like a pretty clean place from the pictures I've seen BUT....

Weather.com says it got down to 21  :o  there in 2/1995- and froze two other nights (at LEAST that were record-breakers) in that same month!!!  Then in 2/1996 it froze three more nights that were record-breakers (low ->23).   :o

Pictures of houses for sale show Adonidias and Coconuts in the yards- did these die in '95 and '96 or somehow recover??   ???   How about Royals?

It just seems outrageous that being 10 miles inland (and more north) of Miami makes the difference between a record low of 32 (Miami) and 21 (Tamarac).  

Does this sound right?  21 degrees just last decade seems like it would really put a cap on what can be safely grown there...

Sorry for this post, I'm just stressed over my dismal prospects of settling in the perfect climate for the next 4 years.

Zone 10B, starting 07/01/2013

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I haven't been here too long to comment on the weather aspect, but Tamarac is pretty far from Miami.  The distance itself might not be that great but the drive would be horrendus.  You might as well rent out a room in the hospital!  Good luck on the move to where ever you go.  Are all the programs pretty equal that it doesn't matter as much which one you go to?

South Florida

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Tamarac is almost a lightyear from Miami when you factor in the drive and traffic. There are also micro-climates that take place down here in South Florida, so it is not cut and dry in regards to relating latitude with temperature. Property located on a lake or canal can be warmer than a neighbor across the street. I have had a temperature difference of as much as 6 degrees from my front yard, and my backdoor neighbors yard, which is on a lake. You never know what the temps will be like down here. You keep your fingers crossed.

Ryan

South Florida

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Hi Surgeon83, I was surprised when you posted this. So, I looked some record lows and averaged them out to compare what could be seen on average as a record low. All of the places I looked at had records back into the 1940s at least so I figure that the results are comparable. I was surprised by the results to say the least!

post-228-1190565315_thumb.jpg

Parrish, FL

Zone 9B

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Thanks Bill.  Looks like St. Pete and Tamarac are neck-and-neck as far as lows- but Tamarac has considerably higher highs in winter (by 7 degrees on average).  Its incredible how much influence the water has.

May I ask what your data source is?  I could not find anything except absolute records for St. Pete- it would be nice to have a database of daily temperatures for the last 60 years or so, like I have for Galveston.  

Thanks

Zone 10B, starting 07/01/2013

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i'm in between Tamarac & Miami...10 miles inland. the coldest ive seen since '99 was @30...light frost on the grass.   21 in Tamarac doesnt sound right

i didnt have the variety of plants i do now...but not much damage...other than my 25' Magnolia.

Somehow...the western burbs get cooler...bur ive seen cooler temps in Homested than my place

Check out Memorial Hospital in Hollywood...get a couple of acres in Sunshine Ranches or Rolling Oaks...Jeff Searle makes a great neighbor

The Palm Mahal

Hollywood Fla

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I've only been in SoFla for two years, so I'm no expert, but 21F seems too low. I'm about 50 mi farther north and 5 miles farther inland than Tamarac. I'm sure it gets colder here than Tamarac, but there are plenty of 40'+ coconuts, 20' Adonidias here. I think most were probably planted (or replanted) since the '89 big freeze that hit FL.

I think Jupiter, FL is considered the northern limit to "safely" grow coconuts in coastal FL on the east coast, though I'm sure there are success stories farther north and inland.

BTW, Tamarac to Miami is not a bad commute for many people. I know people from Loxahatchee that make that commute (150 mi round trip)daily (not that I'd want to!).

SoCal and SoFla; zone varies by location.

'Home is where the heart suitcase is'...

_____

"If, as they say, there truly is no rest for the wicked, how can the Devil's workshop be filled with idle hands?"

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According to weather.com, 1989 was not a bad year for Tamarac- '95 and '96 seem to have been horrible, though.  But you can't argue with 40' coconuts!

Waykoolplantz- when I saw pictures of your place, I remember thinking how much I wanted to live there- so that straightens things out a bit  :;):

I don't WANT a commute, but if it comes down to choosing between location A where I have to worry about getting shot everyday while I'm out watering my plants and location B that's safer but I have a 35 minute commute and a few degrees cooler, I'll take B thank you.  

I don't know if Tamarac to Miami is really a 35 minute commute like yahoo maps says... but even if I wind up moving to the Tampa area, I'll want to live in St. Pete for the climate, so I'll have a commute either way.  They just don't consider microclimates when setting up residency programs, except for Mount Sinai on Miami Beach!!

Zone 10B, starting 07/01/2013

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I've seen mature royals well inland around Lake Okeechobee, 30 miles inland and 100 miles or whatever it is north of Miami., that obviously made it thru the 80s freezes (they had damage on trunks, if I remember correctly).  The chances of ever seeing low 20s are somewhere between slim and none.  I'm sure they get further north than that, that is just what I remember seeing several years ago in FL.  Palms don't lie.

ANYWHERE in south FL is going to be better than Galveston imo.  Winter highs are in the upper 70s to 80 as opposed to 60s for Galveston.

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When Miami's airport dropped to 28 or 29F back in the 80's, 21F for Tamarac was very possible.

Tampa, Interbay Peninsula, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10A

Bokeelia, Pine Island, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10B

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inland gets very cold.  soil type and lack of canopy play a big role in how low it can go.  limestone 'soils' and wide open skys can mean low temps, 20F or lower even way south.

A Journal of Florida Horticulture Society from the 50's or 60s I think had denuded and demucked areas of the Everglades showing bad winter lows of 6F.  

Alan

Tampa, Florida

Zone - 10a

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(fastfeat @ Sep. 23 2007,14:17)

QUOTE
I've only been in SoFla for two years, so I'm no expert, but 21F seems too low. I'm about 50 mi farther north and 5 miles farther inland than Tamarac. I'm sure it gets colder here than Tamarac, but there are plenty of 40'+ coconuts, 20' Adonidias here. I think most were probably planted (or replanted) since the '89 big freeze that hit FL.

I think Jupiter, FL is considered the northern limit to "safely" grow coconuts in coastal FL on the east coast, though I'm sure there are success stories farther north and inland.

BTW, Tamarac to Miami is not a bad commute for many people. I know people from Loxahatchee that make that commute (150 mi round trip)daily (not that I'd want to!).

The 89 freeze did in most of the coconuts in Jupiter other then ones on Jupiter island. Royals fared better, Adonidias where toast.

Things grow fast in FL, many of the things you see today where not around for the 89 low.

If you looked around at Jupiter today you would never know how low it can go.

Jupiter FL

in the Zone formally known as 10A

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Then how do we explain the Cuban Royals I have personnaly seen at inland locations of S. FL??? (Central FL?)  I gaurantee you they were there before 89, because I remember seeing damage on trunks at the time.  I was driving up 441 around Lake Okeechobee a few years ago and vividly remember seeing MATURE royals that were huge and very obviously had made it through the big freezes.  They are also in inland locations like the Redlands, supposedly a cold place by S. FL standards.  Palms don't lie, unless they are hardier than the 28F or so that they are reported to be.

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(syersj @ Sep. 26 2007,12:43)

QUOTE
 Palms don't lie, unless they are hardier than the 28F or so that they are reported to be.

Jim-

There are many large old Royals around here (in the warmer spots).  I believe big Royals will take into the low 20's and survive.  Otherwise, as you stated, "palms dont lie" and these palms wouldnt be there today.

Larry 

Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b

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The point is SOME places are subject to extremes of cold weather as an artifact of immediate environment.  Denuded land got much colder than land with vegetation so from this one can assume that microclimate can be altered through action (by people) or as a result of other conditions. The inland royals and other plants not fond of cold give evidence that that area is not one of the very cold pockets of death.  

I only mentioned this because it seemed that people are reluctant to accept that very cold temps are possible in close proximity to more mild temps during the same freeze event.  

The article also mentioned that nearby areas with intact Everglades muck and such were only in the 20F's that same night.

Alan

Tampa, Florida

Zone - 10a

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(spockvr6 @ Sep. 26 2007,13:14)

QUOTE

(syersj @ Sep. 26 2007,12:43)

QUOTE
 Palms don't lie, unless they are hardier than the 28F or so that they are reported to be.

Jim-

There are many large old Royals around here (in the warmer spots).  I believe big Royals will take into the low 20's and survive.  Otherwise, as you stated, "palms dont lie" and these palms wouldnt be there today.

Maybe they can take lower than 28 then, because I have relatives in Okeechobee county, and I specifically remember seeing mature, old (planted before the 80s) royals in towns around Lake Okeechobee, when I was driving up 27/441 or whatever road it is from south FL and passing through towns such as Belle Glade, Pahokee, Clewiston, Okeechobee, etc.  Also specifically remember seeing them in inland Dade and other supposedly cold areas like the Redlands.

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There were a few Royals left along Tampa's Bayshore Blvd before they were taken out for "development".  At least three that I know of survived low twenties but this is the exception and not the rule.  We can all chat about this again in three months when the big freeze makes its reappearance.  We're overdue baby and this is the year.  Gloom and Doom Ray is back in class and earlier than normal this year.  Sorry, this is what the lack of a true rainy season does to me.

Tampa, Interbay Peninsula, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10A

Bokeelia, Pine Island, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10B

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Ray

Hehe, the perpetual optimist.

I think the odds were better last winter for a major cold outbreak, which did in fact happen out west. Right now the sea ice up around the North Pole is the lowest on record, the previous low being 2005 (and '05-06 was a very mild winter). I also recall last year at this time there were already some relatively strong fronts pushing through (not that that has to be a predictor of a hard winter). At the very least it looks like the polar fronts are going to be late out of the gate, temps are reportedly 7-10 above average right now up north and  warmer than last year. If you for some reason were WANTING a hard freeze the best Ray of hope I can offer you is that it is supposed to be a La Niña winter, which have been cold in the past (then again many La Niña winters have been warm).  

Unless some funky circulation pattern sets up in the Arctic for a few days I would think the odds of a hard freeze all the way to the Gulf are not all that great this go-round. The possibility is still there: one bad kink in the jet stream coupled with a good snow cover over North America would be all it would take, but the probability window of that happening seems low at this point (it's low in any given winter, especially the kind we've been having lately). Things can change though.

Hard winters are not entirely random events and there is plenty of evidence of a cyclical nature to them, much like hurricane activity. If anything we're overdue for a moderately hard freeze (a la 1982), which have historically occurred much more frequently than the truly catastrophic events. The really big freezes (1989, 1899) usually require a rare, fairly precise set of unfavorable conditions to be in place before the motherload comes down (and even then many times it won't drop down in spite of it all)

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(Ray, Tampa @ Sep. 26 2007,08:29)

QUOTE
When Miami's airport dropped to 28 or 29F back in the 80's, 21F for Tamarac was very possible.

I keep hearing Miami got to 29, but why do most sites list 32F as the all time record low for Miami.  Don't they take the official reading at the airport??  And if so, why is 32 listed as the all time record low??

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The NCDC (Nat's Climate Data Center) has 30F for a low in December 1989.  I believe the 29F low was recorded in the late 1800's.

Tampa, Interbay Peninsula, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10A

Bokeelia, Pine Island, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10B

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(Ray, Tampa @ Sep. 26 2007,14:44)

QUOTE
We can all chat about this again in three months when the big freeze makes its reappearance.  We're overdue baby and this is the year.  Gloom and Doom Ray is back in class and earlier than normal this year.  Sorry, this is what the lack of a true rainy season does to me.

Ray,

It's been 9 months since you have espoused such optimism!Glad to see your in school early,do you have your paper ,pencils,compass,protractor, and all other mandatory supplies?

If only to live in a place where you didn't have to worry about 3or 4 days out of the year! :(

Scott

Titusville, FL

1/2 mile from the Indian River

USDA Zone COLD

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(Ray, Tampa @ Sep. 27 2007,13:14)

QUOTE
The NCDC (Nat's Climate Data Center) has 30F for a low in December 1989.  I believe the 29F low was recorded in the late 1800's.

Miami AP logged 31F on 12/24/1989 and 30F on 12/25/1989 according to the Climate Center.  31F was also logged on 1/20/1977.

Ft. Lauderdale AP data also matches up.  The lowest was two consecutive nights of 28F (1/19/1977 and 1/20/1977) and also two consecutive nights of 30F (12/24/1989 and 12/25/1989) or the same as Miami AP on the same nights.

Larry 

Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b

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(gsn @ Sep. 27 2007,14:40)

QUOTE
If only to live in a place where you didn't have to worry about 3or 4 days out of the year! :(

Move to Key West Scotty!

I personally am not really worried about a big freeze coming down.  Its not that I dont think it couldnt happen again, its just that I know that my yard could be recreated again.   Theres no use fretting too much over the "what ifs" as it can ruin one enjoyment of the hobby.

Larry 

Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b

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(spockvr6 @ Sep. 27 2007,15:40)

QUOTE
I personally am not really worried about a big freeze coming down.  Its not that I dont think it couldnt happen again, its just that I know that my yard could be recreated again.   Theres no use fretting too much over the "what ifs" as it can ruin one enjoyment of the hobby.

Larry,

I'm going to remind you about this post one night in January when it 33 degrees at 8:00 PM, and the forecast is for it to drop to the low 20's overnight! :D Anything can be recreated with enough time and money,but it would still be a shame to loose alot or most all of it over night!

Please just don't happen,I would love never to bring up the subject again! :;):

Scott

Titusville, FL

1/2 mile from the Indian River

USDA Zone COLD

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(syersj @ Sep. 26 2007,12:43)

QUOTE
Then how do we explain the Cuban Royals I have personnaly seen at inland locations of S. FL??? (Central FL?)  I gaurantee you they were there before 89, because I remember seeing damage on trunks at the time.  I was driving up 441 around Lake Okeechobee a few years ago and vividly remember seeing MATURE royals that were huge and very obviously had made it through the big freezes.  They are also in inland locations like the Redlands, supposedly a cold place by S. FL standards.  Palms don't lie, unless they are hardier than the 28F or so that they are reported to be.

There are indeed many large royals and coconuts near the Lake in Belle Glade, South Bay, and into Clewiston. Also some large black olives, Ficus benghalensis, Lagerstroemia speciosa,  etc. I'm sure that the amount of heat stored in the water accounts for this.

The area between Loxahatchee and Belle Glade along Southern Bl/SR 80/US 441, planted predominantly in sugar cane, is probably too far from the coast or the Lake to grow any of these previously-mentioned palms. Indeed, vegetable growers here suffered from a record February freeze this past winter.

Belle Glade is probably, dollar-for-dollar, the cheapest place in the state to grow coconuts in Florida. Of course, bullets are also plentiful there...Also, given the state of the H. Hoover Dike and the inability to purchase flood insurance there, I think I'd purchase my dream lot elsewhere.

SoCal and SoFla; zone varies by location.

'Home is where the heart suitcase is'...

_____

"If, as they say, there truly is no rest for the wicked, how can the Devil's workshop be filled with idle hands?"

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I've lived in the tundra too long to fret Larry.  If an 80's type decade comes back, you can replant again and again.  It was 19F in Dec 1983 and then 21F in Jan of 1985.

Tampa, Interbay Peninsula, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10A

Bokeelia, Pine Island, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10B

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(Ray, Tampa @ Sep. 27 2007,20:36)

QUOTE
I've lived in the tundra too long to fret Larry.  If an 80's type decade comes back, you can replant again and again.  It was 19F in Dec 1983 and then 21F in Jan of 1985.

Ray-

It will give me something to do :D   My lot is pretty much planted out now and the planting (for me) is the fun part.  I hardly know what to do with myself now as just sitting back and watching things grow is teaching me some patience.

Larry 

Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b

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(gsn @ Sep. 27 2007,16:17)

QUOTE
Larry,

I'm going to remind you about this post one night in January when it 33 degrees at 8:00 PM, and the forecast is for it to drop to the low 20's overnight! :D Anything can be recreated with enough time and money,but it would still be a shame to loose alot or most all of it over night!

Please just don't happen,I would love never to bring up the subject again! :;):

If its 33F at 8PM, I will in all likelihood be in the yard blasting the propane heaters (which will likely in vain if there lots of wind), but the next AM Ill be posting on here looking for palm replacements!

Ive thought about my yard and what it cost to plant everything and its really not all that bad.  My analogy is painting one's house.  Its costs a few thousand bucks to do it, and one knows they will have to do it again in another 5-10 years.  

Of course I am not wishing to have to do everything from scratch again (that would be sadistic), but if it happens I wont lose more than a few minutes sleep over it as its totally out of our control.

Larry 

Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b

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And, by the way, I didnt always think like this!  I used to be far more worried about things.  But, Ive grown up!  Worry took away too much enjoyment for me.

Larry 

Palm Harbor, FL 10a / Ft Myers, FL 10b

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(fastfeat @ Sep. 27 2007,19:40)

QUOTE

(syersj @ Sep. 26 2007,12:43)

QUOTE
Then how do we explain the Cuban Royals I have personnaly seen at inland locations of S. FL??? (Central FL?)  I gaurantee you they were there before 89, because I remember seeing damage on trunks at the time.  I was driving up 441 around Lake Okeechobee a few years ago and vividly remember seeing MATURE royals that were huge and very obviously had made it through the big freezes.  They are also in inland locations like the Redlands, supposedly a cold place by S. FL standards.  Palms don't lie, unless they are hardier than the 28F or so that they are reported to be.

There are indeed many large royals and coconuts near the Lake in Belle Glade, South Bay, and into Clewiston. Also some large black olives, Ficus benghalensis, Lagerstroemia speciosa,  etc. I'm sure that the amount of heat stored in the water accounts for this.

The area between Loxahatchee and Belle Glade along Southern Bl/SR 80/US 441, planted predominantly in sugar cane, is probably too far from the coast or the Lake to grow any of these previously-mentioned palms. Indeed, vegetable growers here suffered from a record February freeze this past winter.

Belle Glade is probably, dollar-for-dollar, the cheapest place in the state to grow coconuts in Florida. Of course, bullets are also plentiful there...Also, given the state of the H. Hoover Dike and the inability to purchase flood insurance there, I think I'd purchase my dream lot elsewhere.

I wasn't too impressed with the area, looked quite run down to me, but I do remember streets in Belle Glade and Pahokee lined with older mature Royal Palms.  They seemed to stop about halfway up the lake, I can't remember if the north side of the lake had streets lined with royals, but that was a few years ago, going off memory here...I have some family members that live in the town of Okeechobee, much nicer there than south side of lake, imo, although slightly colder...

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Surgeon,

Simply put, those temps of 21F and 23f are in error.  Take it from someone who worked there in the nursery/landscape biz.  '89 got down to 28F, but nothing anywhere near that event since.

Jerry

So many species,

so little time.

Coconut Creek, Florida

Zone 10b (Zone 11 except for once evey 10 or 20 years)

Last Freeze: 2011,50 Miles North of Fairchilds

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(Jerry@TreeZoo @ Sep. 28 2007,01:45)

QUOTE
Surgeon,

Simply put, those temps of 21F and 23f are in error.  Take it from someone who worked there in the nursery/landscape biz.  '89 got down to 28F, but nothing anywhere near that event since.

Jerry

As a Florida native...i agree

The Palm Mahal

Hollywood Fla

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Jerry and Mike,

Those temps are for my area and they are on the record.  Take it from another Florida native.

Ray

Tampa, Interbay Peninsula, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10A

Bokeelia, Pine Island, Florida, USA

subtropical USDA Zone 10B

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surgeon-

If tamarac really did get down that low it was probably for like 5 minutes....

Seriously though, temperature records dont mean as much as what is in the ground. In addition, minimum lows are one thing, but perhaps more important is duration. South Florida if it gets cold, usually warms up very fast.(89 was different but aside from that), If you are coming from galveston growing in Tamarac would be like paradise.

Others from south floirda can comment, but everytime I go down that way even after a supposed cold snap I have rarely seen much damage. And even if there is some minor damage everything recovers fast. IMHO S. Fla is the best palm growing area on the US mainland.

Now for quality of life and palms you cant beat the Tampa area, particularly St. Pete. Once again you can look at mature palms in ground. But then as I said before I am biased....but you really cant go wrong with either s. fla or tampa bay. good luck,

  • Upvote 1

NW Hillsborough County, FL (Near Tampa)

10 miles east of the Gulf of Mexico

Border of Zone 9b/10a

Lakefront Microclimate

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(surgeon83 @ Sep. 25 2007,18:03)

QUOTE
I don't WANT a commute, but if it comes down to choosing between location A where I have to worry about getting shot everyday while I'm out watering my plants and location B that's safer but I have a 35 minute commute and a few degrees cooler, I'll take B thank you.  

My wife and I had the same choice, and went with option A.  It's worked out extremely well, and all of our neighbors are really nice.  The people around here seem to be less snobby and more friendly than what I'd expect from option B.  There have been shootings nearby, but no one has any reason to shoot me.  I think the risk of injury/death from a shooting here is MUCH lower than the risk of injury/death from a car accident due to the longer commute.

Also, the best part is that the perception of El Sereno being a bad neighborhood keeps the housing prices relatively low.

Jack Sayers

East Los Angeles

growing cold tolerant palms halfway between the equator and the arctic circle...

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(syersj @ Sep. 28 2007,00:27)

QUOTE
I wasn't too impressed with the area, looked quite run down to me, but I do remember streets in Belle Glade and Pahokee lined with older mature Royal Palms.  They seemed to stop about halfway up the lake, I can't remember if the north side of the lake had streets lined with royals, but that was a few years ago, going off memory here...I have some family members that live in the town of Okeechobee, much nicer there than south side of lake, imo, although slightly colder...

Jim--

I haven't been up around the east and north sides Lake O yet. Maybe the next trip to Orange Co I'll make it out that way to check out the town of Okeechobee.

SoCal and SoFla; zone varies by location.

'Home is where the heart suitcase is'...

_____

"If, as they say, there truly is no rest for the wicked, how can the Devil's workshop be filled with idle hands?"

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(fastfeat @ Sep. 28 2007,08:44)

QUOTE

(syersj @ Sep. 28 2007,00:27)

QUOTE

I wasn't too impressed with the area, looked quite run down to me, but I do remember streets in Belle Glade and Pahokee lined with older mature Royal Palms.  They seemed to stop about halfway up the lake, I can't remember if the north side of the lake had streets lined with royals, but that was a few years ago, going off memory here...I have some family members that live in the town of Okeechobee, much nicer there than south side of lake, imo, although slightly colder...

Jim--

I haven't been up around the east and north sides Lake O yet. Maybe the next trip to Orange Co I'll make it out that way to check out the town of Okeechobee.

I actually thought about moving to your area in the Loxahatchee The Acreage area a couple years ago.  I have a longstanding job offer in South Florida, and I have put a lot of thought and research into the move.  But, I have 2 things going against me. 1) the job is Miami-Dade co. and I do not want to live in Dade co. I would have to commute from Broward or more preferably PB county. 2) The housing prices are ridiculously high compared to Texas.  I am talking 2.5 to 3 times higher.  Decent houses can be had easily around here for between 100K and 200K, at most.  The same house in FL would be 300-500K. and this job would not offer that big of an increase in pay to offset that outrageous price increase.  Anyway, I still might think about it, I did check out some houses in the acreage...

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Draw a line from Tampa/St Pete over to cocoa beach.  ANYWHERE south of that line is going to be better for palm growing than Galveston, hands down, with the possible exception of extreme interior locations, which while having higher winter maxes, will get slightly colder than Galveston in winter on average.

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(syersj @ Sep. 28 2007,11:41)

QUOTE

(fastfeat @ Sep. 28 2007,08:44)

QUOTE

(syersj @ Sep. 28 2007,00:27)

QUOTE

I wasn't too impressed with the area, looked quite run down to me, but I do remember streets in Belle Glade and Pahokee lined with older mature Royal Palms.  They seemed to stop about halfway up the lake, I can't remember if the north side of the lake had streets lined with royals, but that was a few years ago, going off memory here...I have some family members that live in the town of Okeechobee, much nicer there than south side of lake, imo, although slightly colder...

Jim--

I haven't been up around the east and north sides Lake O yet. Maybe the next trip to Orange Co I'll make it out that way to check out the town of Okeechobee.

I actually thought about moving to your area in the Loxahatchee The Acreage area a couple years ago.  I have a longstanding job offer in South Florida, and I have put a lot of thought and research into the move.  But, I have 2 things going against me. 1) the job is Miami-Dade co. and I do not want to live in Dade co. I would have to commute from Broward or more preferably PB county. 2) The housing prices are ridiculously high compared to Texas.  I am talking 2.5 to 3 times higher.  Decent houses can be had easily around here for between 100K and 200K, at most.  The same house in FL would be 300-500K. and this job would not offer that big of an increase in pay to offset that outrageous price increase.  Anyway, I still might think about it, I did check out some houses in the acreage...

Jim--

I agree that this area, though relatively low priced by SoFla standards, can't compare to what you get for your dollar in the San Antonio area. I originally came from SoCal, so Loxahatchee/Acreage is dirt cheap by comparison. The place I'm leasing (up this week, YIKES!!) is for sale (small 3/2/1 on 1.25 acres with a pond) is for sale at $265K; they'd probably take $230K now, with the market now flatlining. If I had more job security, I'd invest. Lots of places around here in the $700K-800K range would only serve to increase the value of my place eventually.

'Till then, it's Friday/payday. Time to go blow my check on Lotto tickets...  :(  :D

SoCal and SoFla; zone varies by location.

'Home is where the heart suitcase is'...

_____

"If, as they say, there truly is no rest for the wicked, how can the Devil's workshop be filled with idle hands?"

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