Moving to florida??

Fort Lauderdale!!

Plenty of houses and apartments/condos with docks included or available.
Most important: Close to the Bahamas, paradise if you love nature..

Stuart area on East Coast is very pleasant. Highly rated schools, attractive downtown, good local boating waters and easy access to Bahamas and to West Coast via Okechobee Waterway. West Palm Beach, with lots of cultural stuff and shopping is nearby and Ft. Lauderdale not too far. Plenty of condos here with slips and deep water.

I have met a couple of people who moved to east coast of Florida from West Coast because it is much cooler in summers here if you can live near the ocean. West coast can be extremely hot and humid.

This may be obvious to you, but if you look at condo complexes make sure you review their dockage rules upfront. My complex in Boca Raton allows up to 50' LOA. They try to accommodate new requests and move boats around, but current slip members typically have to agree to be moved. We want the rental docks full so it takes some persuasion... There are often 30-40' spots open but not 60'.

As a physician, I would put Boca on your list of work possibilities. But it is a different boating experience than Pascal's Miami paradise. Lake Boca is hardly Biscayne bay!!

I would think the type of medical practice you have could influence things greatly. Whether you're looking to join a practice of family medicine or you're a specialist. Whether you feel the need to be near a teaching hospital. Pediatrics or Geriatric. Languages you have some degree of fluency with.

Then schools become a second issue. The system and the specific schools. Whether you're thinking public or private schools. There are interesting aspects to it all. For instance, a Miami public school would make your child feel a bit left out if they don't speak Spanish. But then finding oneself a minority and learning to adapt might be a great life experience too.

Now, one added education benefit, is that Florida has one of the best public community college and college system in the country. Wherever one lives there are many affordable options for college education for in-state students. When I say "affordable" I'm simply comparing to other areas. Three states led the way with community college systems and they were California, Florida, and NC. Today some others have followed.

I'm prejudiced to the southeast of Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Palm, but that's because of the milder climate and what I feel is better boating. I'm more specifically prejudiced to Fort Lauderdale where there are many condos available with dockage at the back door. But other areas may fit your need better. Fort Myers is an excellent area for a less congested, simpler life, as is Naples. The Tampa Bay area is great but congested like South Florida, just a less favorable climate. Up the east coast, you can get many of the benefits of South Florida but at more moderate costs and a less congested situation in places like Stuart, Fort Pierce, even Melbourne. I love Daytona and St. Augustine but then you're out of the South Florida climate.

If you are interested in the west coast take a look a Sarasota. Good cruising to the North and South, access to the Gulf, beautiful beaches, lots of cultural events and opportunities, very good medical facilities, rejuvenated downtown with a vibrant night life, etc., etc.

As to the east coast, I too like the Miami area.

Yup and Agree:

Biscayne Bay is good when the Gulf Stream crossing is too rough.

We did 27 Bahamas trips in 14 years and another 30 Biscayne Bay mini-cruises because of weather.

Biscayne Bay is like a bath-tub during a cold-front.//

I agree with olderboater; your job should dictate your location. There are condos and marinas all over Florida. I was an east coast guy, my brother was a west coast guy and my friend was a horse country guy, another friend was a parrot head. Whatever suits you is all good. I'd sugget you do what I did back when I moved there. I flew into Orlando and drove down the east coast until I hit a place that felt right. The homes suited me, the feel of the area suited me, and it looked like it could support me. I'd already decided the east coast, because I was lookinf for work as a captain. Once I found an area that worked for me I had my wife come down and see if she liked it. Maybe in your situation you have your wife do the drive. Two weeks of driving area to area. Wherever she feels comfortable, check it out on paper and the job market. Narrow your wife's list and you take a drive. Good luck and pack your sunscreen. I guess this winter in Rochester really put you over the edge. Come on Spring.

I agree with olderboater; your job should dictate your location. There are condos and marinas all over Florida. I was an east coast guy, my brother was a west coast guy and my friend was a horse country guy, another friend was a parrot head. Whatever suits you is all good. I'd sugget you do what I did back when I moved there. I flew into Orlando and drove down the east coast until I hit a place that felt right. The homes suited me, the feel of the area suited me, and it looked like it could support me. I'd already decided the east coast, because I was looking for work as a captain. Once I found an area that worked for me I had my wife come down and see if she liked it. Maybe in your situation you have your wife do the drive. Two weeks of driving area to area. Wherever she feels comfortable, check it out on paper and the job market. Narrow your wife's list and you take a drive. Good luck and pack your sunscreen. I guess this winter in Rochester really put you over the edge. Come on Spring.

m

There are about 1000 Family Practice Physician openings in FL alone, so it is highly likely that he can let his ideal location determine where he lives and a job will be there.

True, but.....

There is a huge disparity in the quality of those positions as there are many large practices geared almost completely to Medicare Advantage HMO's, paying very much on the low end of the salary scale. So there are certainly opportunities but finding the best place to be can be challenging.

Also, Florida does not have reciprocity, but does have endorsement so qualification is easy. Still it can sometimes take several months.

That's why I said take a drive. That's also why I said " I was an east coast guy, my brother was a west coast guy and my friend was a horse country guy, another friend was a parrot head. Whatever suits you is all good. " Everybody here will have a different idea of the best place. It's where they're living. Narrow it down by places that feel right by them (not others), then go with the one that has the job you want.

One more vote for Miami, as Pascal said you can't beat Biscayne Bay. Easy access to the Bahamas and the Keys and a vast and protected cruising ground when the weather is not cooperating. You'll also find better water than if you go up north, water is much clearer once you pass Miami to the south and get into Biscayne National Park.

Hi and welcome!

It sounds like it is an exciting point in your life!

I am also a physician and I am located in Sarasota FL. There are lots of opportunities for an FP here. I am based at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and it is the tenth largest public hospital in the country and an outstanding healthcare system. If you would like any further details please feel free to PM me.

Sarasota offers outstanding fishing and cruising with relatively close destinations from Tampa Bay/St Pete/Clearwater to Pine Island Sound.

Either way good luck with your move!

Blessings,

John

Depending on what type of cruising he likes to do, I too am a huge proponent of the SE Florida coast. From Vero Beach down to the Keys, and if I could do it, I would be in Boca Raton. However, I was in the Panhandle area for 3.5 years, and loved the cruising between Panama City Beach and Orange Beach, AL. Granted it's not that far, and there aren't any islands to cruise too, but Shell Island off of PCB is great, Crab Island in Destin Harbor is unbeatable on a weekend, and Orange Beach is up and coming. The water is absolutely beautiful, great fishing, diving, and it rarely gets rough. Plus, you can kick down to Tampa / St. Pete in a day's cruise if you've got the speed, and then on down to Naples / Marco Island area.

On the other hand, and I don't think it will matter for his purpose, but the wages are a little lower in the area, compared to South Florida, east or west coast. So I would take that into consideration.

My brother-in-law lives up by you and I used to work in the Corning area. Two seasons, winter and the 4th of July.

One other consideration is the sand. On Florida's east coast you have granular sand like on Long Island. On the west coast it's like talc. Also the west coast (away from the coast) tends to be more red neck.