Lipply's Blog: Florida Life

If you're new to Florida, then you've probably already realized how diverse culture is in the Sunshine State.  The cost of living, schools, and people will vary from the Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama connections of life in the Panhandle, to Latino influences in the most southern tip.  The good news about getting adjusted to life in Florida is that you're not alone.  Most of the people who live there have relocated from another state; therefore, you are surrounded by millions who know exactly what it feels like to be a newbie.  Besides contacting the Chamber of Commerce in whichever community you end up in to get all of their new resident information, you can count on the following to be consistent throughout most parts of Florida. Big tax breaks on… Read Full Post

Located on Florida's West Coast you will find such cities as Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.  Each is surrounded by water such as the Tampa Bay, and Gulf of Mexico and offer beautiful oceanfront views and white sand beaches.  If you live here or are just here for vacation you will find there is so much to do on the water or on land.  Tampa is a large city with a busy business district as well as great entertainment for the whole family.  BuschGardens, Adventure Island, Lowry Park Zoo and The Florida Aquarium are great places to spend the day year round with the weather in Florida being so warm.  If you love to shop, the West Coast is for you.  The International Mall and the Westshore Mall as well as many smaller boutiques in the area… Read Full Post

When you think of South Florida many people think of the words tropical, palm trees and gorgeous beaches.  South Florida consists of such large cities as Ft.Myers, Ft.Lauderdale, Naples, Miami, as well as the Florida Keys.  These cities are lined with large palm trees that grow perfectly in these warmer climates.  It is sunny and beautiful here and the favorite past time of most residents are water sports.  Boating, fishing, water skiing or swimming can be fun activities that help people to enjoy the beautiful weather surrounding them.  Away from the water, people also enjoy hunting, watching the hometown Miami Dolphins play NFL football and golfing.  You can get on the tee almost year round and enjoy a quiet day on the course.

Homes for sale in Florida… Read Full Post

The largest cities in Central Florida are Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford and Daytona Beach. The most popular of these being the Orlando / Kissimmee area.  Orlando is the most visited city in all of Florida.  The main reason is because there is so much fun to have in this city that you can't possibly do it all!  Orlando is home to Walt Disney World including The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, MGM Studios, Typhoon Lagoon and River Country.  You can also visit downtown Disney which has great shopping, animated dining and a great nightlife including Pleasure Island. Outside of the Disney gates you will also find International Drive and other great shopping locations. Filled with outlet and retail stores, hotels and dinner shows, you could have an entire… Read Full Post

North Florida is comprised of such large cities as Tallahassee, Panama City Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Pensacola.  Tallahassee is largely popular for being the state capital as well as home of Florida State University.  This school's mascot is the Seminoles and has an exceptional athletics department consisting of a basketball, baseball and championship football team.  While in Tallahassee you may want to visit the Governor's Mansion, the eclectic art districts or one of the more than 60 parks that make up this gorgeous city.  Hike, bike or walk and see why this area is so beautiful.

Rivaling FloridaStateUniversity is the University of Florida Gators which is located in Gainesville.  This city, joking called the swamp because of the Gator… Read Full Post

Florida is one of the most popular states for people to visit year round.  With its gorgeous warm weather, people can enjoy the white sandy beaches, theme parks and so much more.  In this article we will highlight a few of the top areas to visit.

Orlando is one of the top cities for Florida vacationers because it has something for everyone.  It has many large theme parks such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World.  There is a large assortment of hotels here catering the thrifty vacationers to those who want to indulge and getaway from it all.  You will also find many retail and outlet stores, dinner shows and entertainment as well as the Orlando Magic Basketball team.   Another popular attraction is the Cirque de Soleil show.  Located at…

When many people think of Florida the first thoughts they have are sunshine and beaches. That's because Florida has gorgeous sunshine year round and breathtaking white sandy beaches that attract residents and visitors year round. Some beaches are more well-known such as The Florida Keys, Miami's SouthBeach. The east coast has Daytona and CocoaBeach and on the west coast there is St. Petersburg and ClearwaterBeach.  Panama City has also become a popular spring break and summer getaway for younger beach goers who are looking for a great place to unwind and enjoy the sun.  No matter which location you choose, you can't go wrong.  Most locations have taken great care in preserving their shorelines, placing boardwalks or piers to sight see from, and offer low… Read Full Post

While the rest of the country is feeling the effects of frigid winter temperatures, here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida we are enjoying warm sunny days with temperatures averaging 75 degrees this week.  It's mid February! 

Last week we had a cold spell come in and temperatures dropped to the 40s and 50s and you would have thought it was going to snow here.  Floridians were not happy.  Most stayed inside with the heat on. We were quite miserable.  Thank goodness that only happens once or twice a year!

Some people from the north would laugh at us but most of us moved here because we really hate the cold or just can't take the cold extreme northern temperatures anymore.  It's certainly not for everyone but if you have been thinking that it's time to move…