There's a good chance I may just stay in CA.

Good God! What's wrong with people? I've been coal-rolled in Sonoma County but it's rare. People are going crazy in the US.

I haven't lived in Florida, but one plus of training in NYC is the density of competitive athletes. You'll find training partners, competitors, and people you just want pass during most training sessions.
Last year I went to a lame swim workout at my gym on a Friday night. I only went because I needed to be out of the house so my wife could host a Condo Assossciation meeting. The workout was mostly 25's and 50's fast with a lot of rest. This wasn't ideal for Ironman Training but the guy pulling my lane had raced Triathlon at the Olympics*. I did my long run on Monday morning and just happend to find 8 guys on a running team who were running at my pace for the first 10 miles of my run. When I start to fade on my long 9W bike ride I can always find a fast wheel to help me get back on goal pace.
It may be crowded in New York but that can really be a motivating plus.

-Bifff

*I could only stay on his feet for 25 yards (no brag here).

I lived in NYC for 8 years (manhattan), but only ran at the time. Then I moved to Florida for about 5 years, which is where I picked up triathlon (Ft. Lauderdale and Key Largo). I'm now back in NYC (Brooklyn this time around). The drivers in South Florida are absolutely horrifying. Not the old people either (although you need to watch for them too). There is a level of animosity against cyclists and runners that I've never experienced in my life. I've been run off the road multiple times on my bike, and hit 3 different times when running. All three were from people blowing stop signs and hitting me when I was in the cross walk. I had to start riding with a GoPro at all times and was constantly making police reports (they totally don't care by the way, they hate us too). It's the cycling and pedestrian fatality capital of the US, and not by a little either, by A LOT. If I ever had to go back to South Florida I would never set foot outside for training. Even on the rides/runs where you aren't being run off the road, having things thrown at you, or being hit, the level of anxiety and stress ruins any workout. And there's the heat of the summer too.

As for NYC, running and swimming are awesome. The masters groups here are definitely a level up, which is great if you're a good swimmer as you'll have people to push you. I've been biking in Prospect Park and I really like it. It's a ~3.4 mile loop which get's a bit tedious but it's got rolling hills (about 120 ft of elevation gain per lap) which keeps things interesting. It's also closed to traffic.

Thanks Bifff. Good stuff!

Great! I'll look at those Masters groups. Prospect Park looks nice for running. On layovers in Flushing I find myself down at Flushing Meadows on a loop run (not so good if there's snow or is wet with puddles) but it gets the job done. Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center for swim? That's the facility that is unfriendly to visitors though. Back to running - there's also a track in Queens next to JFK, as well as Forest Park near Kew Gardens/Forest Hills I've used. Must do more research before diving in I guess.

I would third Clermont and that puts you close to MCO/SANFORD/TAMPA. It is so dirt cheap here but the beauty is it is right on the gentrification zone which is where the lowest hanging fruit in terms of investment returns lies + they are building some 250+ acre mega-sports complex targeted at older individuals.

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Great, thank you.

Florida is indeed the bicycle fatality capital of the U.S., and yet at the same time, I would argue that athletic cyclists - as opposed to someone who just happened to be on a bicycle - have little to fear. BTW, I've been running and riding in Tampa, FL since 2002. Here are some points to consider:

1) In Florida you can ride year round. In fact, I would argue that the riding in the fall/winter months are superior to the spring and summer as it heats up...something you also mentioned. You would expect Florida to have a higher fatality rate since there is no end to our riding season unlike northern states where people retreat indoors for half of the year.
2) Similar to national statistics, in about 1/4 of all cycling fatalities, the bicyclist was legally intoxicated. You can lower your odds of getting hit just by not guzzling beer and downing shots before your ride.
3) About 60% of Florida cycling deaths occur at night (and 51% when it is completely dark, as opposed to dusk/dawn). If I were to paraphrase the typical cycling fatality I read about, it would be a sole person on a bicycle, riding in dark clothes without a helmet or a light, and possibly going to or from work in the middle of the night on a 4 or 6 lane major road without a bike lane. If this is you, then you definitely don't want to ride here because your days are limited. If by contrast, you ride in the day with a helmet, possibly in a group ride, and so on, your odds of being hit are extraordinarily low.

All that said, I would agree that drivers in the bottom tip of Florida are crazy (e.g., Miami up through Ft Lauderdale). But that is a less than ideal area to begin with.

Huff - Interesting points from a guy who obv has lots of experience in riding in the Tampa area. Appreciate your insights. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

This past weekend I rode solo starting at 7am Sunday from the north side of Valdosta, Ga to Fanning Springs, Florida (109 miles) where my wife intercepted me heading South in our car. I was primarily on Highways 41, 129 and 349 in the middle of a very rural area -- pick-up country if you will. I've done many such rides heading towards Tampa starting either in Panama City or South Ga (we have family in both areas). I was never bothered, buzzed, or felt unsafe, apart from baking in the 108 heat index towards the end. North central Florida is exceptionally safe in my view.

Like everyone else, I do worry about people on their cellphones. In all the years in the Tampa area, I am aware of only one cycling enthusiast killed by a young woman who was on her phone. There is no way to eliminate all risk, but my perception over the years is that the area around Tampa is very safe for "cyclists" but not as safe for casual riders due to their own behavior and lack of precaution.

Hey, were you in my group last year? LOL

@Kid

Having moved from Virginia to Tampa about 3 years ago I do feel less safe on the roads for the simple reason that it's the Wild West down here! There is absolutely no (zilch) traffic enforcement. Whereas in VA you could never be certain that there would not be a cop or trooper behind the next tree or in the next ditch you can be absolutely certain that even if you encounter a cop in FL unless you are literally going 150 miles an hour you will not be stopped and ticketed. This translates into the way people drive here. On their phones, with head phones and eating a burger all at the same time. Worst thing is if they run you over and kill you they just say they were distracted and get away with a minor traffic ticket. I used to be mostly concerned about the country boys in their pickup trucks and confederate flags but those guys a rare here (at least in the area of Tampa where I live). I mostly ride indoors with the occasional early morning outdoor ride. Running and swimming is pretty good here though.

Where do you ride outdoors?

Mostly South Tampa over the Gandy bridge to downtown StPete. Very rarely I join the Davis Island group tearing it up at 5 in the morning.

During several winter seasons leading up to us relocating, my wife and I rented Airbnb houses for a month at a time all around Florida. A month's rental allowed us to experience life in that location, with a eye to SBR activities. We started at Amelia Island and went down the east coast, including Ft Lauderdale. Stayed in Clermont, and did the west coast, including St Petersburg/St Pete Beach.

St Pete clicked all the boxes (and we had many), including clubs for us to meet people and participate in activities; St Pete Mad Dogs, and the St Pete Bicycle Club. Many people have relocated here, so they're welcoming of other newcomers. Two years ago we made the move from Madison, WI and have been having a blast.

If you'd like to check it out sometime send me a note and I'll hook you up with plenty of swims, bike rides, and runs. A few races too if you time it right.

John Hollenhorst
President
St Pete Mad Dogs

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John Hollenhorst
St Pete Beach

Queens is become a very cool place to live, many describe it as the next "Brooklyn" But Queens is a much different place for training than the Upper West or Upper East Side. I actually work in Queens and wife does too but we live in Manhattan because it is really good for training. Better gyms, bigger parks, there is a running or cycling race almost every weekend in Central Park. Queens is a great place to live but Manhattan is a better place to train.

The perimeter of Davis Island is decent, but South Tampa is too constrained, and therefore too dense for biking. It would be like choosing to bike in Manhattan instead of Central Park. I should have been more specific and suggest that biking 'around' Tampa is excellent as opposed to within it. Between Flatwoods, San Antonio, the Suncoast Parkway Trail, Wilderness Trail, and Van Fleet Trail, the area just to the north of us offers a myriad of options. But pretty much anything south of Kennedy is not where I would want to spend much time in the saddle.

I wasn't familiar with the Van Fleet Trail, I usually drive from N St Pete up to the Suncoast Trail. Van Fleet is a little more of a drive but looks ideal for extended high speed runs. I'll have to check it out.

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"They know f_ck-all over at Slowtwitch"
- Lionel Sanders

It is flatter than flat. And yes, there are only a few places in the northern section where a road crosses and you have to slow in the unlikely event a car is coming through. Likewise, very limited support on the northern part of that trail so you have to carry ample water. You can go off trail south of I-4 to pick up some supplies but pretty much nothing in the Green Swamp. There is water and bathrooms at the northern trail head on State Road 50 and also where the trail intersects with South Bay Lake Road.