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- David, 58, had loved the slow pace and friendly community in West Palm Beach, Florida, since 1987.
- But home insurance costs and property taxes rose, making life less affordable as retirement loomed.
- Then newcomers moved in with flashy cars and bad attitudes. So David is moving to Georgia.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with David, 58, who is moving to Savannah, Georgia, next year after almost 40 years living in West Palm Beach, Florida. He asked to be identified by his first name for privacy reasons, but Insider has verified his identity. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.
I am from a small Midwestern town outside of Chicago, and as a child I dreamed of moving to Florida. My grandparents were snowbirds. We would drive down to see them, and West Palm Beach held some mystique to me.