Florida Living
Florida
is leading the nation in tourism with its year round hot and
sunny climate, swaying palm trees and unique combination of
snow-white beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and crashing surf
along the Atlantic Coast. The Sunshine State's population is
rapidly growing and new construction.....
..... is popping up almost
daily increasing home values and offering all types of housing
options and many active homes for sale.
Prestigious
universities such as the University of Florida in
Gainesville, the University of Miami and Florida State
University in Tallahassee (Florida's capital) cover the state
from top to bottom. Beautiful residential real estate in Florida can
be found all over cities such as Pensacola or Destin in the
Panhandle, Orlando (Disneyworld!) or Tampa in the central part of
the state, the Atlantic coast's Daytona Beach or Cocoa Beach,
Miami's South Beach or, of course, tropical Key West down at the
tip.
Known as the “Sunshine State,” Florida is located directly in the
zone of tropical latitudes and rich of seaworthy heritage. It
encompasses approximately 65,794 square miles in land area with
1,350 miles of coastline. The highest elevation is only 345 feet in
Walton County in the Florida panhandle. The state capital is
Tallahassee but the largest city is Jacksonville. The state’s
current population stands at approximately 17.8 million, which ranks
as the 4th highest populated state in the nation.
Florida's climate is best described as sub-tropical with mild
winters and warm summers. The state is essentially a long peninsula
with no place.....
.....more than 80 miles from either the Atlantic Ocean or
the Gulf of Mexico. Florida skies are unusually sunny, except for a
short spring rainy season and the daily thunderstorms that come and
go quickly in summer. Temperatures are more moderate along the
coasts, particularly on the Atlantic side, which has a decent sea
breeze; the center of the state tends to be a bit colder in winter
and hotter in the summer. Located at the most southern tip of the
state, the Florida Keys are both a city and an island.
Major cities include, Destin, Naples, Orlando, Miami, Tampa,
Tallahassee, Ft. Lauderdale, Clearwater, Jacksonville, St. Augustine
and Sarasota among others. Family adventures abound in these areas,
with some of the best museums and interactive science centers as
well as one-of-a-kind boutiques, shops, galleries and restaurants
lining the streets.
Disney World, Busch Gardens, Kennedy Space Center, Epcot Center,
Universal Studios and MGM Studios are just a few of the well-known
attractions. Additionally, numerous beaches, zoos, aquariums and
theme parks are just minutes from Florida’s amenities. Daytona is
the ultimate Florida Oceanside park and one of the few Florida
beaches that allow vehicular traffic, radiating a party atmosphere
on its broad, hard-packed sands. Restaurants, clubs, bumper cars and
adrenaline rides make the beach a carnival. Florida’s racy
reputation is known in Daytona for its speeding 75-mph dragsters
across the street at the International Speedway.
Florida is home to many professional teams in the sports: NFL’s
Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers; MLB’s
Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays; NHL’s Florida Panthers;
NBA’s Miami Heat.
The gross state product of Florida in 2005 was $596 billion and
personal income averaged out at approximately $30,098 per capita,
ranking 26th in the nation. Florida is the 9th largest producer of
exported goods. Florida's economy relies heavily on tourism,
bringing in at least 60 million visitors annually. Other major
industries include banking, citrus fruit and juice production.
Statewide, the existing-home median price rose 11 percent in 12
months to $256,400, in June 2006. The housing market will continue
to adjust to provide a strong underlying base to the economy, while
slower appreciation will help to preserve long-term affordability.
Many home types are available, including condominiums, town homes,
manufactured homes, custom housing, luxury homes, exquisite golf
properties and local homes in retirement communities in the more
populated areas.
Florida has over 67
community colleges, independent schools and universities. Among
them, the University of Florida, which is ranked 4th highest in
student enrollment in the U.S. It is home to the Gators, where
Gatorade, the athletic sports drink was originally created.
Cultures don’t dissolve into one another here in Florida, they
remain whole, creating a collage of ethnic diversity that represents
the global community. It has become a land of fiery foods, sizzling
music, salty temperament, colorful accents, striking architecture
and passionate arts. Popular jazz can trace its roots back to the
Chitlin Circuit in the 1800s. This chain of establishments was named
after the popular menu item, as it was often served during the
shows. A number of well-known musicians have performed there,
including Ray Charles, B.B. King, Louis Armstrong and Bo Didley –
their contributions continuing to influence music today..
Florida’s population is predominantly 65 percent White
(non-Hispanic), 17 percent Hispanic (of any race), 15 percent
African American and 2 percent Asian. Many Cuban Americans reside in
the city of Miami, also known as “Little Havana” and Tampa is home
to native Puerto Ricans.
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