Tampa, Florida Who’s Relocating?

amother

Babypink

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 7:25 pm

I live in another part of Florida (not Tampa) but am originally from Brooklyn, so are many people here!

I am very impressed by this initiative and think it is a wonderful opportunity. I was looking into it based on info I got to potentially move to that part of Florida. I'm happy where I am, but tuition here is crazy expensive and housing is double what the tampa estimates were.

I was told it's starting out Chassidish. If it grows, one day I might move there too.

One thing I will say, though, is it's almost impossible for groceries to be equal to that of Boro Park/Williamsburg. There's a lot of logistics in bringing things down so many miles, but you never know!

I was surprised there isn't a chassidish community in Fl already. It has all the elements for a successful community.

Ema of 5

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 8:19 pm

I was going to look into it, because I thought it was slightly cooler and less humid than Miami, but I was told it’s the same. I can’t move there for the same reason I can’t move to Miami- I get migraines from the humidity.

amother

Taupe

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:59 pm

Ema of 4 wrote:

I get migraines from Cold-dryness. Maxalt relieves me. But too much hot-dryness and hot-humidity kill me too. I need ideal temps.

amother

Puce

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 10:18 pm

I'm wary of Chasidim that would move to FL- most people walk around not tsnius all year as it's always hot.
I live in FL and not Chassidish and don't care about my neighbors walking in shorts and tanks, that's the norm here. How will spodiks and bekeshes work in the high humidity?
Most Chasidim that come here in winter, the other 6 months are very humid.
FL leans to a more conservative views, there's almost no coverage for things that NYers take for granted.
It's really difficult to get any services here, tuition is higher for many reasons.
Unless, people are coming with money or the people establishing this are bringing major funding, I doubt tuition will be as cheap as they think.

I work with wholesalers and unless it's subsidized, kosher food is more expensive as it's trucked down here.
The only way this is cheaper overall is this if subsidized, which sounds unrealistic.

amother

Slategray

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 10:50 pm

amother [ Saddlebrown ] wrote:

I'm not afraid to walk around in boro park. However, I and majority new Yorkers, are afraid to go to Manhattan. Its literally deserted. And that's where the base of shopping and business is.

This and I also wouldn't take the subway. It's very scary that police can no longer do their jobs properly.

Mothers

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 11:39 pm

amother [ Slategray ] wrote:

This and I also wouldn't take the subway. It's very scary that police can no longer do their jobs properly.

Have you heard of any actual scary incidents, or is this just your own feeling?

amother

Oak

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 12:17 am

Read the article, and my inner skeptic found it making the idea sound waaaay too utopian without giving enough weight to the obvious challenges this move would involve.

I'm all for ppl moving out of BP, but to Florida? Seriously?

#1-It's horribly humid there for half of the year at least. These are Boro Parkers who escape the city heat for the mountains for two months a year. Why would they want to move somewhere where they'll have that kind of weather for six months each year? And the bungalow colony won't be a hop, skip and jump away anymore.

#2- BP is full of multi-generational families. Picking up and moving down south means flying in multiple times a year just to keep up with the family--or accepting that you will be missing out on lots of simchas and special occasions.

#3-Like previous posters mentioned, people don't exactly dress modestly in 100 degree weather...

Another point, but this I may have misunderstood, is the tuition issue. The article made it sound like tuition is practically free in Florida. I have relatives there who pay top dollar to send their kids to frum schools. Definitely do not get free or subsidized tuition. Am I missing something?

amother

Babypink

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 5:29 pm

NY is miserable 3/4 of a year too. Summer is hot an humid, winter is freezing. In Florida winters are gorgeous. Bascially from Oct-May is very nice.

With the school situation, Florida gives income-eligible families a voucher of about 7K a year for tuition per kid. They explained that will be their budget. Most schools in florida charge 15K for tuition.

amother

Babyblue

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 5:34 pm

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

I would research that, hard. Is it across the state? In specific districts? Usually, these vouchers require you to be living in an area with "failing" public schools. I kind of doubt Tampa would qualify. I don't think there is any state that offers vouchers completely across the board like this.

amother

Peach

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 5:45 pm

Mothers wrote:

Have you heard of any actual scary incidents, or is this just your own feeling?

The incidents are of course not spoken about by the media but the videos and pictures are everywhere. I know first hand accounts too. It's really not hard to see what's going on if you want to.

amother

Wheat

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 6:26 pm

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

The Florida vouchers are across the state and can be used whichever district or area you live in. It does not have anything to do with the public schools in the area, but rather is based on income-eligibility.

amother

Babypink

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 8:51 pm

Right...effectively they are saying tuition is $7,000, free for families that can qualify for the vouchers. It's pretty impressive that they can run a fully functioning school for that price when most Florida schools cost around 15k.

However, the one thing I am wary of is what the motivation is for funding such a project? What incentive does the founder have to actually carry it through to fruition. It's a ton of work, coordination, planning, etc.

I do know a lot of Brooklyners had expressed to me that they wished they could move to FL but there is no chassidish infrastructure for their kids (schools, etc), and there are much stranger choices for locations than Tampa, by far! I think it will do well, if done right.

Ema of 5

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 9:53 pm

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

Succot in Miami is generally sweltering. There are a few weeks out of the year that are nice. Maybe it’s different the more north you go. Winters in Miami are not gorgeous, the few weeks of nice weather are gorgeous. Did you grow up there, or go there for vacations? People who go there on vacation say theiy would love to live there because they don’t know what it’s like to live there all year. I’d love to live in Miami or Hollywood or Boca, or even Tampa, but the year round heat and humidity really did a number on me growing up, and I can’t do that again.

amother

Slateblue

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 9:57 pm

weather is relative, winters are tough in NY
Florida has no state taxes
NY taxes are going through the roof
your dollar goes way further in FL and Tampa in particular versus NY
Sounds worth a look

amother

Aubergine

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 10:02 pm

Manhattan is in horrible shape. Many homeless problems on the Upper West Side, just google it. Hotels converted into shelters. Crime is way up. Car windows and buildings constantly vandalized.

https://nypost.com/2020/07/27/.....lter/

amother

Black

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 10:08 pm

Mothers wrote:

Have you heard of any actual scary incidents, or is this just your own feeling?

Check out the stats on shootings this year as opposed to last year.

My sister lives in BP and a woman was chased/ approached on her street so she’s scared to walk too early in the morning when ppl are not out. My father works in Manhatten and says it’s eerily empty and definitely doesn’t feel good.

amother

Chartreuse

Mon, Aug 03 2020, 10:49 pm

I have lived in both Brooklyn and Florida for over ten years each. They are both wonderful, in completely different ways. The biggest mistake when moving is to expect to have everything you liked and took for granted in your old community. That's just not the reality. So if they're indicating that they will duplicate Brooklyn in Tampa, only on a smaller scale, I would be very wary. There are reasons that things are different in Florida than they are in NY, and it's foolish to think they will magically overcome those differences. This doesn't sound very well thought out, based on what I'm hearing.