Reply #25: Melbourne?

[SpecialK]

Hey there!

I'm from Melbourne - left 10 years ago and lived in NYC and Europe - and now I can't believe I'm back living in central Florida again. I'm in downtown Orlando,though, which is slightly more tolerable, but trust me - I feel your pain!

I have to say I never realized how RED Brevard was until I left and came back. My family was/is dem, although not really involved in the dem community, so I didn't realize what a minority we were (I left immediately when I was 18). There are LOTS of transplants from the north, which would lead one to believe that there'd be more diversity, but I think the issues are as follows:

1) The middle & upper-middle class are largely employed by Space/Gov/Defense-related corporations like Harris, Lokheed, Northrup-Grumman, etc. This industry naturally attracts your stereotypical Repug.

2) Those that are native to the area are generally, for lack of better term, quite red-neckish. Sorry if that offends anyone, but most of these confederate-flag-waving folk will say with pride that they are indeed rednecks. We know how these people tend to think and act....

What's changing, though, is as Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (largely dem) becomes expensive and overcrowded, those types are beginning to settle in Brevard & elsewhere in central Florida (downtown Orlando is going to see unprecedented growth over the next 10 years), which will change the demographic somewhat. I promise you that if you were to get a glimpse of central Florida 10 years from now, you wouldn't believe it was the same area as it is now.

And you nailed it on the head in your post why any of us stay here, really. THE WEATHER. THE WEATHER. THE WEATHER. I learned when I moved away to northern climates that I am spoiled by sunshine & warmth. I get depressed when it's overcast for one day here. I hibernate in temperatures lower that 60. And, of course, the beach is beautiful!

Although it's hard to tell amid the sea of W bumper stickers, there are lots of us here. You're NOT ALONE!! ;-)