My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Marathon in May of 2002 and have been back 18 or 19 times since. Our last visit was May of 2022. We love the Keys! We feel so much healthier when we are there! I wish that I would have discovered it when I was much younger. I would have saved every dime and worked out a way to live there, at least during the winter.
Ask yourself how long youve lived there Angie. Then ask yourself how you like it in 10 years. Especially when you get older and have health issues. I lived full time on Duck Key in a home i built for 10 years, and now live in Vero Beach.
Medical care is always a contentious discussion, but so is other options. One must understand the resources available in Marathon, in exchange for the way of living. Thank you for sharing
What you've described is called "gossip," not "small talk." Small talk is a different thing, it's a common way of talking that strangers use for getting acquainted.
I lived in Marathon for 10 years - |I would have stayed longer, but I needed to finish my degrees, so I had to move where there was a 6-year university. I loved it there; it was like one big awesome family, and I was sooo healthy there (except when I got stung by a scorpion on my eyelid). I ate nearly all seafood - and wow., did I feel good! It's a great place to live; like Frnak Zappa says in the movie 200 Motels (about sope small town he stumbles across), "it's a nice place to raise yer kids up"!
Most important thing for someone to know about moving to any of the Florida Keys .... Cost of Windstorm (Hurricane) Insurance. It's hard to acquire and cost is horrendous.
@@angelapalma952 I live in central NC. It has been cold at night but mild during the day.The weather here is like it was in my teen years in the 70's in gulf central Florida. Who said there is no global warming? 😂🤣
Duck Key is not part of the City of Marathon, it just uses the Marathon post office. The rich folks on Duck Key did not want to be part of the city, although they will come into town and use the parks and other facilities that city residents are paying taxes to maintain.
The golden rule of traveling...........Every place seems so much more fun when vacationing......... I live in Flagstaff, AZ. Its the same thing here. People roll through thinking WOW the mountains in Arizona...ITS GREAT!! living here is so boring and transient.......Its stupid expensive and so many Californians have moved here it no longer feels like AZ. Its a great town for a few days to visit, but I am looking forward to moving on.........The winters are terrible and there is nothing to do, too damn cold......The locals keep to themselves and assume your another tourist which most people are......... The part about watch what you say in small towns made me smile because I learned that the hard way.......haha yup, be careful who knows what about your personal business......I miss Florida and will be coming back
My parents lived there for awhile. After irma they had enough. Can’t say im a fan of the conchs or ocean hippies, to say the least, but im the visitor and it is there home, but the dealings really put a sour taste in my mouth. Our saying was you had to beg “to get ripped off”. There
So you have hurricanes, rising sea levels, an average elevation of 3 feet. What am I missing here? A wonderful place to visit for sure but living there, it is just a matter of time.
Global warming is a real thing, but the building codes have considered many of these concerns you share, including FEMA updating their flood map to take into account rising sea levels, especially when storms approach
Did the "Gulf Coast Living" scene for 5 years (Galveston Island, TX -- was there for Hurricane Ike) and missed having 4 seasons -- don't care for Summer all year long (Hawaii would be worse in that regard). For me, Colorado would be my place to go (back) to (for the weather and OTHER reasons as well)...that is, in 2-3 years when (IF!) the housing market (home buying/apt renting) gets back to SOME semblance of sanity. -- BR (presently back in West TX, at least for a while)
Not me! I am retired and I could live anywhere. I’ve got a good retirement I’m young and go to bed and get up what I want to stay up as late as I want drink as much as I want and go where I want.😂
@@angelapalma952 Covid kicked their butts on the Keys' resorts, both employee wise and guests. You no longer have to wait 6 months to a year for a reservation. They are always having Specials and Sales to get people to come now. Even with their contracts with Jamaican and South African workers, they still need help.
Yeah, about your list. First, you obviously never heard the old joke about the person who was disappointed with life in Florida after moving there. It’s too long to repeat here but the gist is the person came on vacation and loved beach, the tropical breeze, the boating, the restaurants. After moving the person complained that he was surprised at how expensive everything is, long lines in the grocery store and post office, spending half the year preparing for a hurricane. The punchline is, before, he was a tourist, now he’s a resident. Affordable housing is nonexistent because there’s more money to be made by selling upscale homes to wealthy Northern retirees. Insurance rates are going up again but wages and salaries are not. Before the deluge of Northerners, many families in the city were related by blood or marriage, so, yeah, watch your mouth because word does get around. Marathon is a city that extends from Hog Key in the west to Grassy Key in the east. You try driving north or south and you’ll end up in the water. (Btw, Key Vaca is not called “Marathon Key”). Island time, like Keys disease, is real. A lot of people decided to move to the Florida Keys to live like Jimmy Buffet but without his money. Some of them spend significant amounts of time sleeping one off. Check the state data to find out how many registered sex offenders live in the county. Rich people who want their children to attend private school are going to have to drive (or have their people drive). The cities of Marathon and Key West have significant Spanish speaking populations. It’s helpful but not absolutely necessary to have a working knowledge of the language. I’ve been here over 20 years and I have seen so many people move away because they can no longer afford to live here. Richly Rich and his wealthy buddies are pushing them out. But lots of newcomers move away in their first five years when they find out that the tourist and real estate industries’ hype doesn’t always jibe with reality.
The first red flag is that you would ever consider *setting foot* in Florida, let alone living there. The level of crazy there is off the chain. I wouldn't live in that state if you paid me.
The longer you live in the Keys, is similar living on Gilligan's Island. US1 is the only road. The Keys are tiny town USA. If you don't love to get onto a boat, living in Keys might feel confining. Everyone knows your business. I spent much of my snow bird days living on upper Mudicumbee Key, just east of Craig Key, 20min east of Woody's. My favorite red neck biker bar, where a fat Indian had a band called, Big Dick and the Extenders rocked to roof off the place and verbally abuse the audience. Those days were allot of fun. If I ever go back, I will be on a boat living in Boot Key Harbor.
Thanks for your frank discussion about living full time. Definitely gives one some things to think about.
Its sooo much different when you live here vs when you vacation here... thank you for the good vibes
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Marathon in May of 2002 and have been back 18 or 19 times since. Our last visit was May of 2022. We love the Keys! We feel so much healthier when we are there! I wish that I would have discovered it when I was much younger. I would have saved every dime and worked out a way to live there, at least during the winter.
Your story is what inspired our family to take the "plunge" and move.... Dont stop and make it happen
Dont beat yourself up Angie, most people come to realize eventually that its just a nice place to visit.
Its a gorgeous place to both live & visit
For Sure.
Ask yourself how long youve lived there Angie.
Then ask yourself how you like it in 10 years.
Especially when you get older and have health issues.
I lived full time on Duck Key in a home i built for 10 years, and now live in Vero Beach.
Medical care is always a contentious discussion, but so is other options. One must understand the resources available in Marathon, in exchange for the way of living. Thank you for sharing
What you've described is called "gossip," not "small talk." Small talk is a different thing, it's a common way of talking that strangers use for getting acquainted.
Thank you for pointing out the difference..
I lived in Marathon for 10 years - |I would have stayed longer, but I needed to finish my degrees, so I had to move where there was a 6-year university. I loved it there; it was like one big awesome family, and I was sooo healthy there (except when I got stung by a scorpion on my eyelid). I ate nearly all seafood - and wow., did I feel good! It's a great place to live; like Frnak Zappa says in the movie 200 Motels (about sope small town he stumbles across), "it's a nice place to raise yer kids up"!
thank you for sharing
Most important thing for someone to know about moving to any of the Florida Keys .... Cost of Windstorm (Hurricane) Insurance. It's hard to acquire and cost is horrendous.
To say nothing of volcano insurance in Marathon. That's just highway robbery! 😆
@@fredWaxBeans11111 There are no volcanoes in Marathon. My son lives on Duck Key in Marathon.
@@dianabrewer6213 sure there are no volcanoes now, but who knows what the next 5 million years will bring. better safe than sorry.😆
@@fredWaxBeans11111 God knows.
@@fredWaxBeans11111let’s hope we don’t awaken the volcano gods
My son lives on Duck Key in Marathon. Haven't been down to visit from NC. I was born in Hollywood, near Miami.
Duck Key is Gorgeous, the free flowing canals are special...... Hope the northern weather is not keeping you from visiting
@@angelapalma952 I live in central NC. It has been cold at night but mild during the day.The weather here is like it was in my teen years in the 70's in gulf central Florida. Who said there is no global warming? 😂🤣
Marathon is a fabulous area . Senior citizen drivers are horrible though !!!!
@@donaldperrotta8514 That's everywhere though.
Duck Key is not part of the City of Marathon, it just uses the Marathon post office. The rich folks on Duck Key did not want to be part of the city, although they will come into town and use the parks and other facilities that city residents are paying taxes to maintain.
The golden rule of traveling...........Every place seems so much more fun when vacationing.........
I live in Flagstaff, AZ. Its the same thing here. People roll through thinking WOW the mountains in Arizona...ITS GREAT!!
living here is so boring and transient.......Its stupid expensive and so many Californians have moved here it no longer feels like AZ. Its a great town for a few days to visit, but I am looking forward to moving on.........The winters are terrible and there is nothing to do, too damn cold......The locals keep to themselves and assume your another tourist which most people are.........
The part about watch what you say in small towns made me smile because I learned that the hard way.......haha yup, be careful who knows what about your personal business......I miss Florida and will be coming back
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences. All the best on your new adventures.
My parents lived there for awhile. After irma they had enough. Can’t say im a fan of the conchs or ocean hippies, to say the least, but im the visitor and it is there home, but the dealings really put a sour taste in my mouth. Our saying was you had to beg “to get ripped off”. There
We love Marathon!
Best place to live… not bias wink
There are so many things too love about Marathon
Lol I know 😂🤣😂🤣
So you have hurricanes, rising sea levels, an average elevation of 3 feet. What am I missing here?
A wonderful place to visit for sure but living there, it is just a matter of time.
Global warming is a real thing, but the building codes have considered many of these concerns you share, including FEMA updating their flood map to take into account rising sea levels, especially when storms approach
Did the "Gulf Coast Living" scene for 5 years (Galveston Island, TX -- was there for Hurricane Ike) and missed having 4 seasons -- don't care for Summer all year long (Hawaii would be worse in that regard). For me, Colorado would be my place to go (back) to (for the weather and OTHER reasons as well)...that is, in 2-3 years when (IF!) the housing market (home buying/apt renting) gets back to SOME semblance of sanity.
-- BR (presently back in West TX, at least for a while)
Well People still move here like crazy
"Island time" is just a way to validate peoples laziness and irresponsibility.
I can definitely understand your conclusion... so that is why I advise to accumulate patience to combat the "island time" blues
Not me! I am retired and I could live anywhere. I’ve got a good retirement I’m young and go to bed and get up what I want to stay up as late as I want drink as much as I want and go where I want.😂
Wonderful. Enjoy your retirement! Thanks for watching :-)
How's the job market in Marathon, FL? Has it gotten any better over the years?
If you work on one of the resorts, you can make good money. Depends on what you do though.
Job market industry specific… plenty of service work
@@dianabrewer6213agree.. all service industries are hungry for good talent
The job market is a tough one, for both employers & employees due to rapid rising pricing of inflation and expenses.
@@angelapalma952 Covid kicked their butts on the Keys' resorts, both employee wise and guests. You no longer have to wait 6 months to a year for a reservation. They are always having Specials and Sales to get people to come now. Even with their contracts with Jamaican and South African workers, they still need help.
Yeah, about your list. First, you obviously never heard the old joke about the person who was disappointed with life in Florida after moving there. It’s too long to repeat here but the gist is the person came on vacation and loved beach, the tropical breeze, the boating, the restaurants. After moving the person complained that he was surprised at how expensive everything is, long lines in the grocery store and post office, spending half the year preparing for a hurricane. The punchline is, before, he was a tourist, now he’s a resident. Affordable housing is nonexistent because there’s more money to be made by selling upscale homes to wealthy Northern retirees. Insurance rates are going up again but wages and salaries are not. Before the deluge of Northerners, many families in the city were related by blood or marriage, so, yeah, watch your mouth because word does get around. Marathon is a city that extends from Hog Key in the west to Grassy Key in the east. You try driving north or south and you’ll end up in the water. (Btw, Key Vaca is not called “Marathon Key”). Island time, like Keys disease, is real. A lot of people decided to move to the Florida Keys to live like Jimmy Buffet but without his money. Some of them spend significant amounts of time sleeping one off. Check the state data to find out how many registered sex offenders live in the county. Rich people who want their children to attend private school are going to have to drive (or have their people drive). The cities of Marathon and Key West have significant Spanish speaking populations. It’s helpful but not absolutely necessary to have a working knowledge of the language. I’ve been here over 20 years and I have seen so many people move away because they can no longer afford to live here. Richly Rich and his wealthy buddies are pushing them out. But lots of newcomers move away in their first five years when they find out that the tourist and real estate industries’ hype doesn’t always jibe with reality.
Thank you for taking the time to compose this email and sharing your experiences. Enjoy the Keys.
Nope
Thanks for watching!
With the fall of capitalism this area could become a dangerous place to live. A typical half `s vs have nots created by our huge wage gap.
Thank you for watching.
WOW, you had to be clueless and talk to the clueless. yes buy TP
thanks for sharing
The first red flag is that you would ever consider *setting foot* in Florida, let alone living there. The level of crazy there is off the chain. I wouldn't live in that state if you paid me.
🤡
Finding happiness in where you live is Key. Thank you for watching.
Some people can't help inserting personal politics any discussion.
Well Prople r Borneo crazy …so these People were crazy before moving here :). I lived in N y prior to moving here so I know what u mean
@@angelapalma952I like that you incorporated the word "key". 😉
It’s gross there
Thanks for sharing. Some try to find the fun in gross
The longer you live in the Keys, is similar living on Gilligan's Island. US1 is the only road. The Keys are tiny town USA. If you don't love to get onto a boat, living in Keys might feel confining. Everyone knows your business. I spent much of my snow bird days living on upper Mudicumbee Key, just east of Craig Key, 20min east of Woody's. My favorite red neck biker bar, where a fat Indian had a band called, Big Dick and the Extenders rocked to roof off the place and verbally abuse the audience. Those days were allot of fun. If I ever go back, I will be on a boat living in Boot Key Harbor.
Thanks for sharing that piece of history.... There is live music at Dockside often. Hope you can make it back into town
😂