Newspaper Article

Sun and Green / East or west coast, ex-LIers pick their spots in moving to Florida

Ketcham, Diane

1999

Overview

When Purcell, the former Nassau County executive, and his wife, Barbara [Purcell], went looking for a Florida residence, he wanted golf. She wanted water. They wound up with both. Their home in PGA National in West Palm Beach overlooks the sixth tee and a water hazard surrounding much of it. Like many Long Islanders who move to Florida, Purcell and [Frank] Jones had to decide which coast to live on. Choosing between Boca Raton and Boca Grande is a lot like picking Manhasset or Massapequa. On Long Island, it's the North Shore vs. the South Shore. In Florida it's the east coast or the west coast. The migration of New York snowbirds first started near Miami. That city still has plenty of elderly former New York City residents, as well as the young and the affluent who flock to South Beach. But Long Islanders always preferred a more suburban atmosphere. As they began in New York, they continued in Florida, settling on the outskirts of a city, in the northern suburbs of Miami. They continued moving north, up the coast, to the communities of Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, then onto Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm, and finally Jupiter, Stuart and its barrier island, Hutchinson Island.

• Publisher: Newsday LLC
• Subject: Smith, Billy