Moving next year - Omaha area or Fort Walton Beach FL?

[lilbean05]

We are making our next military move next year and we are trying to sort out the order of our location preferences.  At this point, it seems like it might come down to Omaha vs. Fort Walton Beach FL and I am having a humdinger of a time trying to figure out where we would want to live.  

 

Has anyone lived in either or both of these places?  Can you share some of your feedback?

 

Quick summary of why I am stuck--scared of the long dreary cold winters in NE (I don't like cold!) and PETRIFIED of the palmetto bugs in FL (grew up in SC and am all too familiar--ew!)  Perhaps you have some insight?

 

 

 

 

[Mama Geek]

I don't know that this helps, I like the beach and live in Florida so my preference is Florida. My dh sprays the yard regularly for bugs and I haven't seen a palmetto bug in ages. That being said, I lived in Alaska for awhile and if you have the attitude that you are going to buy warm clothes and get out and do things in the winter even when it is dark it is doable. Really the long days in the summer were much harder than the long nights until we put a black blanket up over the window in our bedroom to keep the light out. That help me to sleep better at night and if I did wake up I would be able to go back to sleep.

[FriedClams]

I've never been to Omaha - but I lived in Pensacola years ago. I'd move back tomorrow. Great weather, beautiful beaches, low cost of living. Loved it!!!

[Night Elf]

DH lived in Crestview which is right next to Ft. Walton Beach. He said it was a relatively low cost of living, but there is nothing really except the beach and the bay. He said the bugs were more of a problem more south, but that there were bugs in the northern part too, unfortunately.

[Trish]

When we went north for my annual vacation, the kids commented that they were more bothered/aware of bugs in the north than in Florida where we live. I'm guessing that's because in Florida we (and many others) have pest control, whereas in the north they don't. The dreary northern winters never bothered me when I lived there, but having lived in Florida now 10+ years I wondered why they didn't, since it's so nice here most of the time. Good luck deciding!

[lilbean05]

Thank you all for sharing your suggestions!  Pest control would definitely be a must have if we went to Florida (and probably Omaha too just because bug creep me out!)  I will show my husband this post when he gets home so he can read through and we can get it sorted out soon.  They are really almost polar opposite places, it seems!  It is kind of exciting either way--I love tons about both places.  Thank you!  

[tammyw]

I would choose omaha because we have family there but it's also a cute city. But I also hate heat/humidity combos and Florida is a big no on my list.

[Truscifi]

I also live in and love Florida, and hate cold weather, so that would be a no-brainer for me!  Really though, there are some gorgeous beaches in that area, and with regular pest control the bugs aren't bad.  There aren't a lot of major cities (any, really) nearby, so if being near a major metroplitan area is important to you Ft Walton would not be the best place.  I know nothing about Omaha so I don't know how it would compare.

[Samiam]

Grew up in Nebraska, (graduated from UNL) and spent time in Omaha.  Still have lots of aunts, uncles, cousins that live in that area.   It's a good mid-sized city.  There's a bit of culture and activities that are going on.   I know my relatives go to Jazz on the Green, etc.  So there's something to do.  One of the best zoo's in the country.  College World Series every June.   Crime isn't too bad.   Nebraska in general has a different personality...most people are natives (though the military base brings in different folks).  But a much slower pace of life.  BTW, it was rated as one of the "best" states to live in recently, based on cost of living, health care, economics, etc.   Yes, winters are ugly.  Some can be rough, this past winter was...quite a bit of snow.   Other years, it doesn't snow but only a couple of times.  But you also get a beautiful spring, muggy summer, and a nice cool fall.

 

Lived for 8 years in Florida, though not Ft Walton Beach area.   I hate Florida.  I love beaches, I love hot weather..(one reason why I moved from Nebraska...hate cold!).  I find Florida to be, well, just dirty.   I mean, of course, there are the beautiful beaches...it's often postcard picture beautiful.  By dirty, I mean the personality.   So many transients (I guess the weather brings them in).   In the 8 years I lived there, soooooo many child kidnappings/murders/phedophile stories.  I get that happens everywhere, but it happens ALOT in Florida.    People think of Florida, they think Disney, they think beach, they think the beautiful areas of Miami (ie lots of pastels and bright lights).   There's a WHOLE nother side...the country, redneck-ish side. Meth, anyone???? Lots of drug issues.  (And if Ft. Walton Beach is small town, like someone said, then yes, you will often find it's very "country-ish") Economy crashed BIG TIME in Florida during that whole recent "Depression" thing a few years ago.  So much of the economy was based on real estate and when that crashed, it was felt everywhere.      We've moved from Florida.   I'll always say it's a great place to visit but if I had to choose when raising a family, I'd pick Omaha, and that's coming from someone who RAN from Nebraska as soon as I graduated from college.

[OK Family]

We live part time in Navarre which is 15 min west of Ft Walton Beach. It is a lovely area. There are alot of homeschoolers in the area. I have not had bad experiences with people or bugs. I hope no matter what decision you guys make enjoy. That has got to be hard to make a decision of where to live without going to visit first.

[Punchie]

Omaha - the base is nice, the area around the base is nice. I know there are several HS groups in that area (we were still in NE when I started looking into HSing). Omaha has an amazing zoo. Their botanical gardens are pretty nice as well, and there are a lot of activities/things to do in both Omaha and Lincoln.  I'd choose NE over FL any day. I'm not a fan of bugs, humidity, and near constant heat (I like having four seasons).

[carriede]

Lived for 8 years in Florida, though not Ft Walton Beach area. I hate Florida. I love beaches, I love hot weather..(one reason why I moved from Nebraska...hate cold!). I find Florida to be, well, just dirty. I mean, of course, there are the beautiful beaches...it's often postcard picture beautiful. By dirty, I mean the personality. So many transients (I guess the weather brings them in). In the 8 years I lived there, soooooo many child kidnappings/murders/phedophile stories. I get that happens everywhere, but it happens ALOT in Florida. People think of Florida, they think Disney, they think beach, they think the beautiful areas of Miami (ie lots of pastels and bright lights). There's a WHOLE nother side...the country, redneck-ish side. Meth, anyone???? Lots of drug issues. (And if Ft. Walton Beach is small town, like someone said, then yes, you will often find it's very "country-ish") Economy crashed BIG TIME in Florida during that whole recent "Depression" thing a few years ago. So much of the economy was based on real estate and when that crashed, it was felt everywhere. We've moved from Florida. I'll always say it's a great place to visit but if I had to choose when raising a family, I'd pick Omaha, and that's coming from someone who RAN from Nebraska as soon as I graduated from college.

FWB is not as bad as this description. I grew up in Niceville about 20 min from FWB, and the military presence makes for a much more stable community and economy. The rest of the panhandle is indeed full of rednecks though we call them boggies. :) The area is sometimes referred to as Boggy Bayou. I prefer the term Emerald Coast.

[jenn-]

I think it might depend on where you are currently living.  If you are in a warm climate right now, then Florida.  If you are already used to the cold, then Omaha wouldn't be so bad. 

[Myeightkiddies]

I have lived in the FWB area for 50 plus years (until we moved last year).  

 

The beaches are great, but typically people only go a few times a year.  There are some but not many homeschool opportunities.  It wasn't until I moved to Ohio that I realized how lacking the FWB area was.  It's fairly inexpensive to live, especially in Crestview compared to FWB.  There aren't any separate bike trails, and the park system lacks compared to other areas (such as Ohio).  However, there is no state or city income tax in that area.

 

20 plus years ago, homeschooling in the FWB area was not easy.  There weren't many homeschoolers, and the county required that we meet with a school psychologist for a portfolio evaluation on top of what the state required.  Of course, in time, they were called on that and dropped the psych. portfolio evaluation.  Today, it's the same there as other parts of Florida.  If you join an umbrella school, your children are considered private school students and need not register or report to the state.  The state does offer the Bright Futures scholarship which is great.  

 

The county (Okaloosa) had a program called Blended School Project that held classes for homeschoolers and allowed them to attend public school classes (or extra-curricular activities); however, I am uncertain if that is still active. At one time most of the support groups in the area were only evangelical and excluded Catholics and LDS.  Nowadays, they may be more open.  To find out more about the support groups, go to FPEA.com and contact the District 1 representative.

 

Other than the military, most natives are "southern".  Most people don't realize that the panhandle of Florida is southern unlike central and south Florida.  I have a thick southern accent from growing up there.  Certain areas are not as welcoming to new people - such as Baker.  They call anyone new a "transplant".  If you want land, more than likely you are heading toward the Baker area.  Defuniak Springs, the other rural area in the opposite direction, is just as bad as Baker. 

 

Be sure to look at houses in Crestview.  It's a bit longer drive to the base than FWB or Niceville.  The houses in Crestview will be cheaper.  Destin will be too expensive for most.  Navarre may be too far as well as Mary Esther.  If your house is near a creek or is really shaded (grass doesn't grow well in that area in the shade) you can expect a lot of mosquitoes.  Piles of leaves (or pine straw) left on the ground will harbor palmetto bugs.  

 

I love Ohio.  My husband said his only regret about moving was not having done it sooner.  I personally would not return to the FWB area.  

 

 

[Tree Frog]

We lived in the Omaha area for 12 years (in Bellevue and Papillion) and Gulf Breeze, FL, which is about 45 min away from FWB, for 2. We loved both places for different reasons. Omaha was a wonderful place to raise a family. They have a world renowned zoo, Jazz on the Green, Durham Western Heritage Museum, and a wonderful children's museum. We loved the fresh corn in the summer (the kids still talk about the "corn man" we used to walk to), bicyclling, and the change of seasons. I don't remember seeing a lot of bugs, although it was in our backyard in Bellevue that a cicada flew down the back of my shirt while I was mowing. The shirt nearly came off while I tried to get it off me! I remember crickets chirping and trying to find where they were because they were so noisy at night in the house. There were many homeschoolers and the schools were homeschool friendly. The kids could take sports at the school as a hser.

 

We loved Gulf Breeze because we were so close to the beach, there were frequently breezes off the water that kept the summer a little cooler, and the fresh peaches from GA. For a northern family, it felt quite strange not to have seasons, and the first winter we were there, 50* only required a sweatshirt or light jacket, not the heavy jackets many people pulled out. When we first moved into the house, we had many palmetto bugs and I hated them! (it was a dirty house and hadn't been lived in for several months.) But after we used several bombs and hired a bug service, we rarely saw them in the house. We didn't spend a lot of time outside after dark when they're most active, so they didn't bother us then, either. We found very few homeschoolers in the GB/Pensacola area and the secular group we did find and joined for a year was not very welcoming. Depending on how you register as a hser, your child may be able to take some extracurriculars at the school. My dd was able to take band there and they were very friendly about it. I think FWB will have more traffic than we did in GB. That was the biggest drawback to living there because there was only one road that traversed the community and frequently there were accidents on it which caused all traffic to either come to a standstill or slow down significantly.

 

As far as the weather goes, Omaha can have tornadoes, but most of the houses have basements to go to if needed. The summers are hot and humid, the winters can be cold and snowy, but some winters are very mild. GB has hurricanes, which are a little more predictable, and which might require evacuation. The hurricanes can also spawn tornadoes.The houses won't have basements due to the high water table. The weather is hot during the summer, but with the breezes, it wasn't terribly uncomfortable. The winters were rainy and temps hovered between 35* and 60*.

 

When dh retired, our first 2 choices were to stay in GB or return to Omaha. The kids consider Omaha "home". Unfortunately, it didn't work out and we're now in another new place. I've found that finding the good in where ever we went always helped with the transition. I wish you much luck as you make your decisions. I don't think you could go wrong with either of them.

[lilbean05]

 I've found that finding the good in where ever we went always helped with the transition.

 

I love this!  And it is very true.  As a military family, we say each new station is an adventure, a chance to make new friends, and a chance to explore and make a difference.  Thank you so much!

Thank you everyone for taking the time to give me some really great first experience feedback about both homes.  What a great community we have!  We have to submit our request in the next few weeks and we will know where we are headed around December (my husband is wrapping up medical school and is choosing his residency location--this is the only way we have any sort of influence or solid timeline!!!  Most of the time, it is a last minute move to wherever the military sends us!)

 

Thank you again everyone for your great input! 

[Guest]

I am a bit biased, because I moved from Lincoln to FL, and all my family is back there so I miss it.  If I had the choice, it would be Omaha.  Any bigger cities in FL are going to be touristy.  Not to mention hot. :)  Nebraska in general is more laid back.  There are lots of state parks, museums, the zoo, etc, all within an hour or so drive.  Lincoln is an hour from Omaha, and has some great things for kids.  Both Omaha and Lincoln are college towns, but both have lots of activities to keep kids engaged.  Not to mention the Huskers. :)