Where are the best places to live in Florida-and which shoud I avoid?

I'm planning to relocate to Florida or maybe Georgia and from what I'm hearing there are places that are quite depressed in this economy and should be avoided since they don't support the economy. I'm thinking of moving to the area around Tampa or St. Petersberg or maybe futher south around Sarasota or Venice. I've also heard that Melbourne is a nice area. Any suggestions from people who've lived there or know the state would be appreciated. I want to have some land so I can do my gardening and grow orchids too.