Florida has seen a population boom in recent years, but many longtime residents and recent transplants say rising costs and divisive politics have them fleeing the Sunshine State.
One of the first signs Barb Carter’s move to Florida wasn’t the postcard life she’d envisioned was the armadillo infestation in her home that caused $9,000 in damages. Then came a hurricane, ever present feuding over politics, and an inability to find a doctor to remove a tumor from her liver.
After a year in the Sunshine State, Carter packed her car with whatever belongings she could fit and headed back to her home state of Kansas — selling her Florida home at a $40,000 loss and leaving behind the children and grandchildren she’d moved to be closer to.
“So many people ask, ‘Why would you move back to Kansas?’ I tell them all the same thing — you’ve got to take your vacation goggles off,” Carter said. “For me, it was very falsely promoted. Once living there, I thought, you know, this isn’t all you guys have cracked this up to be, at all.”
That’s exactly what I was implying. I used to live there - the asphalt would be hot to the touch at night and outright dangerous to touch with bare skin during the day. The heat island effect made for an unbearable outside temperature for most of the year.
I’ll never understand people who want to live in the desert; plants can’t even survive there. Phoenix is a monument to man’s arrogance.
Deserts can be fine to live in, but a city that uses that much asphalt and concrete shouldnt be built in a desert.
That’s all America knows how to build anymore: sprawling suburbs with a minimum quota for parking spaces per-capita. Stucco and pavement as far as the eye can see.
Maybe so, but I feel like on some level people are getting fucken sick of it. In my city for example they are discussing outlawing non native grass. Which would be fucken hilarious seeing the housing tracks throw a hissy fit.
I might move there for work in a bit over a year, and I’m trying not to already be a big baby about it. Summer will be rough for me.
I moved from there to Chicago as a young adult - best decision I ever made. Started my career in a beautiful city with 4 whole seasons and minimal magma pavement.
I grew up in Chicago! It’s the best city. I’ll probably go back some day. I’m so glad you enjoy it!
Definitely move back. Do whatever you can to avoid getting stationed in Phoenix. Whatever good it might do for your career just isn’t worth the inevitable misery you’ll experience getting into your car after it’s been baking in the desolate expanse all day.
I worked in Houston for a couple of years. I suggest just hunkering down and staying home in the summer.