We have been coming to St. Augustine for years (from Orlando) and always parked in the lot behind the Columbia restaurant. The fee was always fair and the guy running the lot always did a great job directing people in and out. Well, we went back there about two weeks ago to see the lot had been bought out and now had hourly parking rates. First, the rates were astronomical, second we overstayed by 30 minutes and received a $75 fee in the mail. We did reach out to discuss the egregious price to which they reiterated we overstayed our time by 30 minutes and would be liable for the fee.

Safe to say, we will absolutely not be returning to this lot and I hope those reading this also know there are way better non-predatory options should you decide to enjoy St. George street.

For me, the whole situation has deterred me from even wanting to go back to one of my favorite places to make a day trip.

We have been looking on and off for a year or more and every time we think we find a house, we quickly realize there's some reason it's in our price range..

Looking now at a home in Ocala area, backs up to marshland . It is in flood zone A. But I've been reading that flooding and marshland also lead to greater chance of sink hole development. Is this a house we should just pass on?

accidentally dropped a flat auto flashlight like this in my residential apt dumpster https://www.outdoorlife.com.sg/nitecore-edc17-1500-lumens-uvgreen-laser.html

I tried to get it out for awhile, but I cannot get to the bottom of the dumpster and now it’s dark and I’m scared of getting bitten by raccoons. The trash pickup will come in the middle of the night while it’s still dark, and I’m worried that it could cause a fire when the trash company picks it up.

what should I do?

Also curious about any other aspects of living in the St Augustine area, or recommendations for other FL beaches we should look into.

Thanks!

I’m (41F) looking to move to Broward or Palm Beach County with my husband (43M) and two young boys (1 & 3). Feeling overwhelmed by how large an area it is. Can you fine folks help guide our search? We have 2 weeks to pick a spot.

We want a new or newish single family home and have a $2-2.5M budget. I want a nice/clean/manicured area. Schools (especially elementary) are important but it doesn’t have to be good zoned public schools; can be charter, magnet or private options. We don’t need to be by the beach but also would rather not feel isolated (“things” within 15ish minutes is ideal).

The main thing I need help with is people. I want diversity (in the sense that I don’t want an area where there a noticeable majority clique or group). I also prefer a “nerdy” or at least somewhat intellectual/professional vibe. Don’t want it to be stuffy or grungy. Don’t want it to be all retired boomers; need young families, ideally transplants ready to mingle.

Where should we go?

My family (w/ 2 young kids) is considering a trip to Florida this winter in Dec but we are having trouble narrowing down a place. We would love to skip all the touristy stuff and just enjoy nature. Beaches, shelling, wildlife/birds, hiking, fishing, etc. We also homeschool so we would like to do some learning along the way as well. Where would be a good place for us to visit? We would ideally love to avoid the resort / condo lodging options so bonus if you have any suggestions outside of that too!

For reference places we have on our radar - flying to MIA and heading to keys. Flying to Sarasota and heading to manasota key (worried it might be too cold then), Flying to RSW and heading towards sanibel. But open to any ideas! Ty!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

This will be my first time voting, as I recently got my US citizenship.
I live in Miami-Dade County: I just took a look at my ballot and I am unsure on WHO to vote for or if I should vote Yes/No on the following:
- Judges to retain and Judges on Group 5 and Group 69
- County Referendums 1 to 6
- Miami Referendums 1 to 3 & School Board Referendum

I am not able to find much info on WHO to vote for or if I should vote Yes/No, can anyone please help by chance?
Thank you

​Hey everyone! Planning a 3-night trip to Orlando with my 10-year-old daughter (2 full park days) and looking for park recommendations. Traveling in November.

​Our situation:

​Her: Huge roller coaster fan.

​Me: Not a fan of big coasters, but I love immersive dark rides, 3D/4D motion simulators, and interactive attractions.

​We want to spend 1 day at a Disney park and 1 day at Universal (or another Orlando park), but we're open on which specific ones to pick.

​A few questions:

​Which Disney park is best for us?

​Which Universal park (or other park) makes the most sense?

​Parent logistics: For parents traveling 1-on-1, how do you handle major coasters your kid wants to ride alone? Are Single Rider lines or queue waiting easy to manage?

​Thanks for any tips or park pairing recommendations!

Hi, been paddle boarding Florida for a few years now. Was wondering if there were any spots in Florida I could paddle to that are kind of like a sandbar that turns into dry land or close to it when the tide goes low. Anyone know of any good spots? Would be taking my girlfriend so wouldn't want to do any paddle routes that are too difficult. Would be looking for one where there'd be as few other people as possible. Also being in South / Central Florida would be preferred. Thanks!

Hi everyone!
I have 3 weeks off before i join new place so
My husband and me are planning a short 3-night, 4-day vacation to Florida from Toronto, Canada, around October 19-23
This will be our first time visiting Florida, and we’re mainly looking for beautiful beaches, ocean views, good food, and some fun sightseeing.

We’re considering flying into Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and staying around Hollywood Beach, but we’re open to other suggestions.

A few questions:
Is late October (19th to 23th) a good time to visit South Florida, especially considering hurricane season?
Would you recommend Hollywood Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or somewhere else for a couple?

Would really appreciate recommendations from locals or anyone who’s visited recently. Thanks in advance! 😊

Planning a trip to Key West from Nov 18–22 for our anniversary! ❤️
Will it still be hurricane season around that time? How’s the weather usually — should we expect rain or is it generally a good time to visit?
Also, looking for romantic getaway ideas and niche experiences in Key West — hidden gems, unique date ideas, romantic spots, or anything beyond the usual tourist attractions. Would love your recommendations!

Which area is more for a young single person in their late 20s? Also what Orlando suburbs do yall suggest? Thanks in advance.

We are stuck between these 2 locations! We visited in June and will be visiting again in January.

We really liked both areas! From our research, both areas have decent schools (esp. St. John’s).

Jacksonville has Mayo, which is where my husband sees specialists for his neuromuscular disease here in MN.

He’s keeping his remote job, and I’m an admin assistant with the Dept of Military Affairs (civilian state employee).

Any insight into living in these areas would be great!

We’re planning an anniversary trip next month, flying into West Palm Beach and looking for a quiet getaway. Beachfront property preferred but would like to keep budget below 300$ /night. Walkable downtown nearby. Any recommends?

We’re ok with an hour or so drive from West Palm, we like road trips.

We’ve lived in the Sarasota area for 25 years, been up and down the west coast. Looking forward to our first east coast ocean and sunrises trip.

Wife asked that I edited to add that access to fishing charters is necessary

Hi- looking for recs. Preferably a place that the dogs must be on leash

Seems like having a backyard would actually suck out there with all the rain and potential unwanted animals in the pool.

We are considering moving to Florida. How do you all deal with fear of hurricanes and potential property destruction? Talking about single family homes (single level) in Zone-X unshaded areas (minimal floor risk). We are looking at some houses between Melbourne to Palm Coast. So even though chance of flood is low in those areas when location is mainland and outside of flood zones, how do you all deal with the fact hurricane can come one day and destroy your property or damage it severely? Do you not keep any valuables when you leave during hurricane threats or just leave seasonally? Do newer houses built more wind-proof? So many listings for houses that are older between 1990 and 2010 - did they all experience damage at some point? Were most of them rebuilt at some point?

Hey all. My husband is retired at 63 and I had to quit my job with benefits due to health issues. We are currently on COBRA for $1,300 per month. I now work from home as a 1099 employee because it’s easier on me physically and mentally. I’m part time. I know there have been cuts and changes to what our options are. Other couples in the state of Florida without benefits thru an employer, how much are you paying for health insurance? And do you have any tips for us? We know we can’t stay on COBRA forever. Thank you. Again, if possible I want to know the DOLLAR amount couples are paying in Florida for private/ ACA heath insurance. Thanks

Hello everyone! so i currently live in michigan, born and raised, i plan on moving to florida when i graduate from college. i was just wondering how is it living there like how is the rent? How is the pay for jobs? mainly in healthcare, How is the insurance for a car and etc?
thank you! :)

We have 7-10 days over Thanksgiving to spend in Florida and my ten year old is interested in learning to surf. I've read Cocoa Beach would be the best option for that. We're debating staying there the whole time vs staying there for half the trip and then spending the rest in southern Florida, maybe near the Keys or Ft Lauderdale. We'd be interested in seeing the national parks and generally looking for a peaceful vacation. Will Cocoa Beach be warm enough to swim without a wetsuit at the end of November? How about Key Largo? Any suggestions from native Floridians?

A bit more info: we love to be outside and explore and are an active family. We love a good food scene, but that's not a dealbreaker as we stay in AirBnB's and love to cook. Kids are ages 6 and 10. We are not interested in going to Disney. We can fly into and out of different airports as we would rent a car.

Normally there are news stories about the abundance of help staged before a hurricane and I don’t think I saw it this time. Did I miss something? Are there any photos?

Looking for a good spot to rent a giant house with a large group of friends in early Jan. We'd like to either be on the beach, or no more than a couple blocks away. I want to be as South as possible so we don't risk cooler weather, but areas like Miami, which is my first choice, doesn't have big houses you can rent on the beach so I've been looking further North. I'm not opposed to the West coast either. Priorities are nice beaches, walkability, good restaurants, and not too far from some nightlife spots. Not looking for fine dining or clubs, but a very nice house. Any suggestions?