East VS West Coast of Florida (The Pros and Cons of Both Coasts)

The east coast vs the west coast of Florida can be 2 completely different scenes. Things like cost, atmosphere, the beaches, the people who live there, among many other factors are exactly what we are going to be exploring in today's video.

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[jaynyce]

I live in Orlando. 45 minutes from the East Coast, and less than 2 hours from the west coast. I love it 👍🏽

[sunshinehappylady]

This is one of the best break downs & comparisons on East Coast Florida to West Coast Florida!!! Thanks for the heads up about the shade in the late afternoon from the tall buildings on the East Coast & missing out on the sunsets that the West Coast gets to enjoy... that comment really got me. Hard to give that up!!!

[redstreet]

The people moving from the Northeast is a good reason to live on the gulf coast.

[blaster-zyxx]

Yup, I live in Southwest Florida and he is pretty much right about everything. We came from the northeast but liked the lower traffic and laid back vibe of SW Florida and lower cost of living. We bought a house on the water with a boat dock, boat lift, pool, 2 car garage, in a waterfront town with waterfront resturants. We go boating and jet skiing alot all year long. We could not afford all that on the east coast. And the traffic is a small fraction of the east coast. All of my neighbors are retired mid westerners who brought their money with them. The joke we tell is that we don't have demographics. We have one demographic: Retired Midwestern white republicans.

[Tlyna]

When i was younger I lived for a time in Ft Lauderdale. It was great in my 20s for a singles party town. Now that I am older the west coast and its laid back lifestyle is much more comfortable for me (as well as less expensive). I've outgrown my party days and anyway I love our sunsets.

[Mrtraveler]

Can't beat a sunset on the West Coast.

If I were to move anywhere on the west coast, it would be the Tampa area. Just like you said Tampa seems to be up and coming too which helps compensate for how sleepy the rest of the West Coast is. Plus having another up and coming major metro 90 minutes away (Orlando) is a nice bonus.

[MelanieLovesTampaBay]

Thank you for all of the Tampa exceptions you put in there! Definitely different than the rest of the west coast. Loved the video!

[kschumacher]

I lived in SE Florida for 29 years and currently living in SW florida for the past 7 years. I thought this video was an excellent description of the differences of the 2 coasts.

[WildsDreams]

One really cool thing I like about living on the east coast of Florida is that you can go surf in the morning and go look for shells and just hang out on the Gulf in the afternoon.

[David-dzig]

I must say St Pete, particularly the downtown area, has really come a long way as far as development. I used to visit there in the '80s and 90's and it was a sleeper town but now you have beautiful high rises being constructed. Sarasota is also a lovely city.

[jdhjimbo]

You pretty much hit on the major differences between the two coasts, though there are variables within each coast that could sway one in favor over the other. Even on the SE Atlantic coast, there is a different level of excitement/activity from the Palm Beaches down to FLL and Miami. Regardless of which of the 3 you choose, you still l have access to the other two. As a tourist just looking for sun, sand and a party, many are lured to the Gulf coast, as it has nicer sand and the epic sunsets. However different parts of the Atlantic Coast have areas close to the Intracoastal, where you can see sunrise on the ocean, and sunset over the Intracoastal. Greater Tampa has lots of variety from Sarasota, Bradenton, St Pete, Tampa and Clearwater, and the downtown is happening now. Due to being more spread out, the traffic is not all funneled into one narrow strip along I-95, as it is in Miami. I wish there were better access between to the 2 coasts - quick, frequent cheap flights, or trains (I know Brightline will be expanding to include West Palm to Orlando, and Orlando to Tampa, but right now, the ugly boring drive across Rt 60, or crossing Alligator Alley and using I-75 are the only options. I think each coast gives you the chance to choose culture, quiet, high energy, etc. In the heat of summer, the breezes on the Atlantic are better, and the sun dipping behind buildings brings earlier shade to the beach (though that can be a negative in winter). I am no expert, and only 1 opinion (I love many different areas), but my favorites are the Palm Beaches on the Atlantic Coast and Sarasota/Siesta Key and Hyde Park in Tampa, on the West Coast, but lots of other beautiful areas. I could never live in a sleepy retirement area with no culture, and just early bird dinners and shuffleboard, but I also do not really want the intensity of Miami proper for year round living either - probably why I like the areas I mentioned the best. I think the suggestion of breaking down each coast into 6 or 8 mini-sections and doing a video on each, as well as Orlando and Ocala/the Villages would be valuable for lots of people, especially for those who have never been to Florida, or to only one small part. Interesting there was another video I watched about 10 best cities in Florida, and Dunedin came in #1 - the town where my grandparents lived for 40 years (just north of Clearwater Beach), and the first place in Florida I ever knew!

[kiremarinceski]

Went to Tampa and Clearwater area on a vacation with my wife back in October for 10 days and we had really good time. Great video like always

[luvslogistics]

West coast...heaven’s waiting room. Jax....Miami is world class but untouchable. Jax is great!

[juliusevans]

That's an excellent point about the Red Tide. My family and I experienced it personally before we knew what it was. We had just driven from Miami to visit my sister-in-law in Port Charlotte.

We stopped in Bonita Springs and thought we'd head to the beach. As we approached, walking through one of those long paths from the six-car parking lots to the beach, I told my wife, gosh, they must be cooking crabs out here on the beach.

As we got closer and started to enter the sandy area, we noticed there were no people on the beach, yet the smell of crabs got stronger and stronger. We did finally see one couple about 400 yards away. I scurried over to them as they lounged in their lounge chairs and asked them, 'what in the world is going on?' Why is the smell of crab and fish so strong - and where are all the people.

The guy said, "It's the Red Tide. Look over there, " as he pointed to a mass of something on the beach. I walked over and then noticed the mass was all up and down the beach. The mass were dead fish, all beached and rotting along the shoreline. No wonder it stinks out here. Of course, now that I realized what I was smelling, the smell matched with my senses and it dawned upon me how bad the smell actually pierced my senses.

That solidified my reason to not move to the Gulf Coast side of Florida. The Red Tide is a bummer. It's supposed to only happen only a few times every 10 or 15 years, but just in my five years of looking for where we are going to live, we have experienced it twice. The second time, we knew immediately what it was.

That was enough for me. Besides, like Michael Bordenaro says, the waves are non-existent. For me and my family, it's the East Coast. Now, to pin down exactly where on the East Coast - well, that's the next chapter!

[aquamoon]

I like calm beaches, so West Coast for me!

[jacobwallace]

I’ve lived in Panama City beach for 2 years but been all around Florida and other us beaches and I gotta say, the emerald coast in north west Florida are definitely the most beautiful beaches in Florida, and definitely high up there with the nicest in the world. The sand is just so soft and white that it looks like snow and the water is so warm and clear/emerald and so clean. Also the sunsets every day are epic. And this is one of the only places in the world with coastal dune lakes, and we have some of the biggest ones. Only cons are that it gets pretty cold here. I know I’ll end up moving to south Florida just for the warmer weather but these beaches are the only thing keeping me here.

[Prewittfit]

Good info Mike, that's how I compare the 2 also, I lived in Clearwater, Brooksville fl. Then moved to coconutcreek, south beach, now we stay in Pembroke pines for the winter. I love the east coast.great video.

[DG-omgd]

West coast is definitely where you want to be. Good luck with the chaos of the east coast

[peterbrimer]

Thanks again Michael for sharing your knowledge of Miami I’ve learned so much about your area through your channel and it’s very much appreciated. Best Regards

[jonahhex]

Sunsets mention! Totally right about 4 pm