Feeling a little sorry for you, lycheeluva! On the positive side, don't some neighborhoods have community gardens, and aren't there genuine farmers' markets at various locations in the city during spring/summer/fall? And a lot of upscale restaurants are getting their food directly from the source--small family farms. (Yes, I'm sure these restaurants are prohibitively expensive, like all things in NYC.) You need to make some friends down here in FL, and come for tropical-fruit-and-beach vacations! What was your country of origin?

I don't know. I imagine you could grow some ridiculously yummy stone and temperate fruits out there. In a way you have the best of both worlds: You can buy lychees at the asian markets and at the same time you can grow super yummy temperate fruits in your backyard.

Jeff

Jeff, would you rather be growing and eating peaches and plums?

LOL. My friend is in NY right now with his daughter and son-in-law enjoying some expensive Broadway show followed by late night dining!!!!!!!!

You hit the key word there - RETIRE! Once that happens the ball game changes. In the meantime enjoy Jeff's suggestions. A perfectly ripe peach really is hard to beat.

mangodingo

LL,
On the one hand I agree with you. But on another, wouldn't you agree that those folks in FL are a little spoiled? Don't you think our mangoes taste better because they are SPECIAL?

- Robert

in a word, robert, nope. nyc mangoes taste like crap. about the only time you can get a half decent mango in NY is in july or august and even then you are basiclly limited to tommy atkins which have been picked several weeks before ripening. every now and again you get a decent one but it is a rare event indeed.
the furtherest i have gotten in terms of personal mango production is a fairchild mango that made it about half way before developing some mystery rot/fungus. hoping for better luck with my maha chinook that is currently flowering away but certainly not expecting it.

plus in FL you can grow stuff all year round and houses actually come with real land- not the retarded 25ft by 100ft lot you get in brooklyn.
harry's garden in off season has nice fat avacadoes ripening up, canistel, carambola, citrus etc

and as for those who talk of ripe peaches- while they are good, as are my apples, nectraines apricots and cherries, i would definitly swap them for lychees, mangoes and jackfruit. and arent there some specialized stone fruit varities that you can grow in florida?

jeff- yes i can by lychees but limited to mauritus and brewster and as stated, extremly rare to find good mangoes here and limited to crappy TAs.

Peaches grow great for me here in Ocala fl. I have a tropic sweet and a tropic snow. Both put out hundreds of peaches last season that were better than anything I have ever bought in a store. Just as good as the fresh ones that I used to get up north.

Lycheeluva,
I couldn't agree with you more....except I have found some decent mango but like you said, nothing compared to what you get fresh. This year mango was not good at all. I NEVER found a fruit that I actually enjoyed. All of them were so damn dry and rubbery.

At least you can find lychee locally! I really need to get up to Niagara Falls, Canada. Kristi(ch3rri blossom) posted pics of her trip there and she found some awesome tropical fruits. I think this maybe my only shot at trying some jackfruits, atemoya, etc...

I also would gladly give up growing any stone fruits for a chance to be able to have my tropical fruit orchard! I live in western NY, which is prime grape growing grounds. We do have great apples, peaches, plums, but I would give that all up for a great mango! I too am hoping my 'Maha Chinook' will produce some fruits this year.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Andrew

It is easier for me in Tamarac Fl to electronically access NYC culture via the internet and cable TV if I want. Not as good as being there in person but about 80% as good. But you in NYC cannot electronically access a Florida backyard with mango, lychee etc trees. And houses here with adequate backyards for fruit lovers go for 60-100 thousand on up
If I had a yard up in NYC I would grow cherries and berries and greens like lettuce and kale. I like cherries and apricots as much as any tropical fruit. The economy is much better in NYC than Florida so don't get too entranced. Just visit here when you can. But your basic attitude is same as mine. They can take all those theaters and museums and sophisticated culture in a word....they can stick it. The culture I like is permaculture and arboriculture. (same as you) We are civilized and don't want barbarism....But the cultural joys and delights of cities are exaggerated and overdone. So overdone that as I am done. I have been to all the NYC museums, Lincoln Center, a few theaters. No need to see them again.
But every mango/fruit season is new and different.....I cannot ever get jaded and cynical about new growth and fruiting and eating it. New growth is always exciting.

zands- can you post a link to some properties in fl in the 60k range, that have decent sized gardens

Zands is totally correct. I've seen multiple houses in my neighborhood here in Tamarac go for 55k to 60k with 7k sq foot lots. (Those houses sold for 220k+ in 2005.) The banks unload them for pennies on the dollar. Folks are finally starting to wake up and are snapping them up.

Jeff

lycheeluva- 33321=Tamarac

Go here http://www.remax.com/homes-for-sale/33321/
Be sure to check the single family home box on the left
Then press search up above
Then sort from low to high
Go for 50 results per page

The above is just for starters. A good realtor might have others. Jeff had one near him the home owners association foreclosed on and was selling for $40,000 just to get it off their hands a few months ago. This is what his wife Elsy told me (hope I have it right)

Here is a link that might be useful: go here

What???NYC or South Florida?? I'll take the big Apple anytime.

JF

thanks Zands- will check it out

I should have reminded everyone to turn up their sarcasm meters... ;-)

I had a patient who just bought a house in central FL for $40K that 3-4 years ago went for $200K