By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON (Reuters) - A bevy of Wall Street executives, bankers and fund managers are abandoning New York for Florida, embracing the Sunshine State over metropolitan New York as the coronavirus pandemic has eliminated many benefits of working from a global financial hub.

Since legions of finance industry employees began working from home in March, Florida's warm weather, low taxes, affordable space and quick, easy flights back to New York, when needed, have elevated its status.

About 30 major financial firms are "kicking the tires" in South Florida, said Kelly Smallridge, who runs an economic development agency in Palm Beach County. A handful of them are serious about shifting staff there, she said.

Companies including Elliott Management, Citadel and Moelis & Co are among the latest to say they will open satellite offices there or allow their moneymakers to be based in Florida, executives have said.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is also looking at moving some asset management staff there, people familiar with the matter said.

In the past, Wall Street executives dismissed the idea of locating in Florida because of concerns about schools, culture and networking opportunities.

Much of that has been eliminated as remote working and learning have taken over New York, while restaurants, museums and other venues remain all but closed because of lockdown measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

That has made Florida's laid-back lifestyle and business-friendly practices more attractive, bankers and investment professionals said.

Florida is part of a broader trend, with big financial companies moving staff from expensive cities like New York and San Francisco to lower-cost hubs in U.S. states like Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

For many New Yorkers, Florida seems closer culturally and physically than other states. It is in the same time zone and has more Big Apple expatriates than one might find in Salt Lake City or Nashville, sources said.

Year-round open-air dining is another plus, along with the absence of state income tax. Houses and apartments generally cost less, and commercial rents are about half the Manhattan price in places like Palm Beach County.

"I absolutely love it here and am trying to get some friends to move down here," said Kevin Couper, senior vice president at Wealthspire Advisors, who moved to South Florida six months ago. "People are able to live their lives down here."

Couper's view reflects what many of his fellow executives on Wall Street are saying: If they cannot be in Manhattan's skyscraper offices and enjoy theater, concerts and restaurants, they would rather be close to the beach.