Posted: 5/4/2026 1:46:52 PM EDT
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Some quick observations after finally leaving NY for Florida: Half of shooters at the public range have short ARs with braces. Nobody cares. Lots of suppressors too. Cops seem to be focused on criminals, not gun owners. That said, believe it or not, catch and release happens in FL too. Not sure how that happened. Not surprisingly, the photos of the perps in FL look just like the perps in NY. NY has a gun club in every town, holdovers from the 1930s. Not so FL; ranges may be an hour away. Government websites work; government employees are helpful. Amazing. You want a new drivers license or title? They print them right there, right then...no sending crap to Albany or waiting. Unlike NYSDMV's website, FL links are active, and easier to navigate. Even the employees have a can-do attitude. There's no rust on autos. We bought the kid a 2011 Toyota that still had factory labels on the suspension. That said, drivers in FL suck- the accident rate drives the auto insurance, which is 2x - 3x that of NY. You're virtually guaranteed to get hit once a year. People in FL are happier. Maybe that's because Ft Myers alone has a gun show every other month. But I think it's just the general freedom. Of course, the New Englanders in FL want to change it to be more like the Karen utopia they left. So there are plenty of morons around. That said, I've seen maybe two mask freaks in the past year. Rachet straps and bungees are unknown in FL. You just pile all the crap in the back of the truck and take off. It's just an odd cultural thing. It's flat and straight in FL. Hiking sucks; motorcycles are boring, and you can't come close to using a C8 Corvette. There are some very very long, straight roads with zero camber changes, perfect for stretching out a muscle car- but the cops are there, even if you can't see them. Yes, summers are hot. I like hot. If being cold is more important than freedom, well you get to make that choice. But if you enjoy freedom, a functional government, cops that actually work for you not against you, then perhaps you'll like FL too. |
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Boo this man! Kidding bro, glad you're liking it. The wife and I tend to vacation outside of NY (TN in years past, just visited FL last month, I think you were on the group text message). I have 20+ years before I can retire, wife probably 25+.. I can't wait to leave, even if most of our family is in this area. (like the wife darkly mentions.. by the time we retire most of our family won't be around anymore) |
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Originally Posted By MikeyCNY: Boo this man! Kidding bro, glad you're liking it. The wife and I tend to vacation outside of NY (TN in years past, just visited FL last month, I think you were on the group text message). I have 20+ years before I can retire, wife probably 25+.. I can't wait to leave, even if most of our family is in this area. (like the wife darkly mentions.. by the time we retire most of our family won't be around anymore) If you are that far out from retirement quit move to free America and start over. 20-25 is a prison sentence in NY for god sake Life is too short to suffer for a couple decades! I left NY over a decade ago - not to sound too dark or anything, but the final push was a bunch of young to middle age associates dying ( a lot were guys I served in the military with ) and we looked at it and said do we really want to deal with life in NY for another 15 years with the possibility we might not even make it to enjoying retirement? Hell no! When you are surrounded by people age 30-55 dying realizing they never will get to enjoy retirement or the prospect of getting out of NY it makes it easy to take the leap. I have zero tolerance for whiners that hate NY but continue to stay for a job “ career” or a retirement plan. Get out while you are still young!! In my line of work ( medicine) I see lots of people trudge on through a job/ career then retire and health goes downhill soon after and they get zero opportunities to enjoy retirement or relocating. |
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My brother lives in Port Charlotte and I fly down a couple of times a year - usually to shoot. IDPA, USPSA and steel challenges. The ranges I shot at were great (Webb and Hansen IIRC). Im a real rookie at pistol competition and every shooter I've met has been welcoming and a pleasure to shoot with. I've never seen so many guys (and Gals) shoot a pistol so damn fast and accurately. It's very humbling and it sounds like 1/2 these guys are shooting full auto based on the way they mow down a USPSA course of fire and they consistently shoot 2 Alphas to boot! I have a Looooooooong way to go to get proficient at it. My problem is the heat and humidity. I was shooting a USPSA match in August and the other guys in my squad were really concerned for my health. Sweating is an understatement and drops of sweat were continually dripping off my cap and my clothes were soaked. They actually told me not to "paste" and stay under the overhang (the only shade that was there) and kept feeding me gatorades..... Let alone 1/2 of my brothers house blew away when hurricane Charlie hit him with a direct shot. I just can't do the damn heat like that...... |
"One does not hunt in order to kill, quite the contrary, One kills in order to have hunted"
I got sunshine in my stomach, like I just rocked my baby to sleep
I got sunshine in my stomach, like I just rocked my baby to sleep
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Well I miss you being in NY, miss Knob Creek, but I do understand moving down there...I still have Family there as does the wife, friends, and people I haven't spoken with in years...I go to visit, and check the only piece of Property they can't take or fuck with: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=map+Hancock+Family+cemetary+fort+mead+florida&iaxm=maps&source=maps We are actively searching TN as I can be about anywhere the a fore mentioned need my presence in a day. |
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Originally Posted By GTwannabe: I have ex-NY relatives in FL... been there many times. No thanks. |
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Originally Posted By Aardvark: I had an aunt and uncle in the Greater Tampa area and still have cousins around the area. The heat, humidity and reptilian life is not something I want to deal with. Humidity is bad enough here on Long Island but at least only lasts from June through the end of August usually. 4 years in SC and I don't even sweat when it is 90% humidity. You acclimate to the climate. It was rough the first few years. However, the trade-off is freedom. Getting out of NY was the best decision I have made. |
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Originally Posted By dsquared_5: 4 years in SC and I don't even sweat when it is 90% humidity. You acclimate to the climate. It was rough the first few years. However, the trade-off is freedom. Getting out of NY was the best decision I have made. The political corruption here in NY is getting worse year by year. Hochul slid another $4 billion into NYC to bail out Mayor Mamdani so he could present a "balanced" budget. She has a lock on the election no question so why the continued bribes I have no idea. And the state is about to give a big gift to the government worker unions with regard to their Tier 6 pensions which will be paid for by the local governments and school districts. So those taxes are about the skyrocket too. I am tired of being fleeced by this state with nothing really to show for it. |
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Really, there's two parts to our move: (1) leaving NY and (2) homesteading in FL. Of course, you can leave NY and go to KY or TN, both of which have beautiful areas not unlike the Finger Lakes. What they don't have is big water lakes or oceans. What I do NOT miss about NY is the incompetence, woke stupidity, Karens, corrupt government and oppression. The feeling of freedom in FL makes me realized how much "new normal" I'd taken in NY, that doesn't have to be. Just plain freedom, and everyone enjoys it! NY politicians are openly corrupt, and so are their minions such as NYSP and NYDEC. That said, and it's kinda funny, there's a few local sheriffs in the area here who have blatantly violated corruption and other laws...but nobody cares so long as the crime is held down. Which it is. So there. Food is a tough one, far more so than I expected. There is no Zweigles, therefore there are no hotdogs worth eating. Markets do not sell Italian sausage patties, nor Chevettas or other marinades. In FL they think that garbage Jersey Mikes is a real sub. There's no real bread here. Lots of food we took for granted in NY doesn't exist in FL. Meanwhile, no big deal, I'll just eat fresh seafood instead, right? Not so fast. Yes, the one great plus is gulf shrimp, fresh and cheap; and in season, scallops and some other fish. But most seafood isn't local, it's imported- from the northeast!- at high prices. A true blessing in Florida is fresh, tasty fruits and vegetables. All winter long. Tomatoes in January that are red and ripe and tasty; strawberries that don't taste like cardboard. And of course, the good oranges stay here. Hot. OK it's hot. On the weekend I was in the gulf and the water was 90. Great weekend. Meanwhile, up along Lake Ontario the air temp is probably 50, and so is the water temp. For the next two months. No thanks, I do not miss Spring that goes on until August. People here - whether working in markets or shopping or whatever- are friendly and helpful. My wife constantly remarks on how nice people are, going out of their way to be helpful, holding the door, etc. I had to write the county government and promptly got not only a response, but some very helpful suggestions! Florida is wild. If you don't like animals, it's not the place for you. In our neighborhood we've had racoons, pigs, a bobcat, a panther, otters, iguanas, and rattlesnakes. Oddly, nothing is afraid of humans- not egrets not rabbits, nothing- they just go about their business like you're not there. Snakes do the same, they just mosey on by, or maybe stop on your porch. For someone who waited 30 years for rights to be restored- only to see 2A be totally destroyed in NY- gun shows are like candy at the checkout to a kid. Hey this AR is only $350!! Oh, I need one of these AR pistols with a brace for $650. Oh, I can just buy this handgun and take it home. It would be VERY easy to blow a ton of money at a gun show here. That said, it's all NIB stuff- virtually none of what most people would call "collectibles". It's great to place an order at Apex for 30 round magazines, and voila they show up at the door. No more sending stuff to buddies in a free state then sneaking it in NY. Hey, are those "high capacity" magazines laying around my office, in open sight? Why yes they are, and it's legal. I wish we'd moved to FL decades ago. The freedom is palatable. |
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Lots of great options beyond Florida ! I live in the high mountain desert country of Arizona and it is Goldilocks weather! Low humidity means 90-95 doesn’t feel nearly as hot. When weather reports are showing phoenix at fry an egg on the sidewalk hot (115) we are 20 degrees cooler. Typical winter is a few scatters of snow each year with a “ snowstorm” with a foot or so every 3-5 years. Several months of perfection in the spring then fall, with low in the 50’s and high in the 80’s every day. Summer typically runs mid 90’s tops, with a rare 100 degree day. Best 2A environment you can find, easy CCW permit if you want, or constitutional carry NFA as much as your wallet allows. One of the best decisions I have made in life! |