Anecdotal Praise for South Florida Lifestyle by Financial Executives

director of the Palm Beach County Education Commission touted the area’s benefits. I surveyed real estate and office space surrounded by miles of water without once having my foot stepped on by a tourist. You can see how all this might sway someone who’s on the fence. Exploring the sugary beaches of South Florida, one starts to wonder why Wall Streeters would be on the fence at all. Between the smiling locals and the shopping on Worth Avenue, the Hiaasen-esque stereotypes recede. What remains are the facts: Take-home pay is higher, commutes are shorter, and it’s just as fabulous as Manhattan, at least for four months of the year. Meanwhile, no one in Florida even owns an ice scraper. With the Internet allowing more and more money managers to perform their work from nearly anywhere, there are few reasons not to make the move. “Initially, it was a way to play golf and keep the wife and kids happy,” says Brett Langbert, managing director and head of sales at I.A. Englander & Co. “But once we moved down, it became a quality-of-life issue. There are unlimited things the kids can do outside. I have to tell you, my wife and I are so happy we haven’t had to go to one of those indoor bouncy-castle places since we got here.” HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_033161