Tonight I received an email that I was offered a job in Key West.  I already have an offer for West Palm Beach so I now have two offers.  I am not being rude or indifferent to those who remain unemployed - please forgive me if you feel I am.  I have a choice as to where to go.  For you Floridians, can you please provide some comparative advice on livability, affordability and provider action?  Please tell me if you had a choice, which would you take?  Thank you so much.

Key West is tiny, expensive and very remote from the rest of the state and the action. WPB, on the other hand, is slightly far but still quite within reach of Provider Heaven, Ft L and Miami.

I think the choice is clear.

If you are interested in this hobby then WEST PALM is the place for you. Key West is beautiful, but there is little action there for a straight male.

.....then put a point on the end (Key West) and at the middle (West Palm).....where would you want to be?????.....the answer should be obvious.

Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca to the South

Orlando, Tampa to the North and West

Pretty easy when you think about it.....

Or maybe you like being paraded across miles of bridges every time a hurricane gets close.  Key West is a nice place to visit, ONCE, but I couldn't imagine living there!  You must be either a chef, a bartender or a charter captain, cuz no  one else there has jobs.

Gee, can you guess which place I'd pick?  LOL

BTW food might be cheaper in Key West.  Just figure out how to make a good chicken trap.  Just make sure you put an alarm on it, so you can get the chicken before the damn cats do!  LMAO

you're within shooting distance from Provider heaven in West Palm.

Key West is a great place to visit, but not to hobby unless you bring a lady with you; selection there is slim.  Cost of living, at least as a visitor or tourist, is expensive.

West Palm Beach is not inexpensive either but a little more reasonable than Key West.  There are some providers in WPB but a bigger selection in Boca, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami; most of which are reasonably priced.

Depending on your actual job location, I would live south of WPB so that driving to Boca or Ft. Lauderdale would be shorter.

Key West seems to be one of those places that polarizes people...some go down there for a weekend and never leave, some make it through one night and get up early the next morning to drive north.  For me personally, a drink at Sloppy Joe's and a walk down Duval usually checks the squares and I'm ready to be gone.

It does have a large gay population that lens to the color of the area. Casual and let's hang out is the atmosphere. There are still plenty of places for live music and beer as main street is a tourist destination any day of the week. It is very expensive to live there but if you love fishing and people watching it's the best. It use to be a hippie community back in the 60's and the feel and lifestyle is still there along with plenty of commercialism.

WestPalm has a lot more to offer if culture and arts are for you. They have a beautiful theater, symphony , ballet and many events. Beaches are everywhere and 2 hours South is Miami, 2 1/2 hours north is Orlando. Housing has taken a nose dive in the Palm Beaches area so very affordable but look into the Boca or even a little north first. The drive won't be bad to go to work for you.

You didn't mention family and children. Schools are better in Boca than in WestPalm but it's a 30 minute drive to work at the most.

Hope where ever you choose it will make you happy

Kisses Haley

take the West Palm Beach. More cosmopolitan, more fun places to go to. I just don't get the Key West vibe, too laid back and feels like nowhere to me.

Plus I hear there are a lot more hot ladies up north...

Good luck with your choice, and well done for getting two job offers at once!

Tamara G x

As a Palm Beach County native, I can safely state that you will have many more opportunities here.  Palm Beach County is world class, the elite of the world come here every winter and drop major dollars into our beautiful county.  You can't miss here and with the economy the way it is, you should be able to find a nice deal on real estate.  Either way, I wish you the best.

Thanks for all of the advice.  I have decided to go with West Palm Beach.  It was easy when I did a cost of living comparison and taking into account Hobby Heaven in South Florida. Thanks to all.

there was nothing recommended there because there is no action there, so dont count on action in key west.