Posted on 03/10/2006 6:24:51 AM PST by Hatteras
Thanks for the vanity vine.
Currently, I am in NC but a nice business opportunity is formulating where I will have to decide on relocating to the Tampa area for the forseeable future. I am hoping to get any constructive input from Tampa Freepers and former Tampa Freepers and Freepers that are familiar with the surrounding area.
I have traveled through Florida on numerous occasions (East coast and West coast) so I have a pretty good understanding of what to expect but I would love for anyone to share any "inside" information. Areas to avoid? Best "reasonable" housing areas? I want to do some research on real estate so I am interested in your recommendations. High Schools? etc...
So you got to let me know...
Should I stay or should I go?
I'm on the east coast, but am myself considering relocating to just south of tampa
beaches are great
Tampa PING, you might want to field this one
If you're willing to commute a little, Spring Hill, about an hour north of Tampa, is nice.
The baseball team sucks.
Clearwater is full of $cientologists, so I would steer clear of that entire area. Actually, with the weather patterns there, you couldn't pay me enough to live in Florida.
True, but the football team ain't bad, and the hockey team won the Stanley Cup, LOL!
Seriously though, we live in St. Pete...love it, beaches close, weather beautiful.
Cost of living, I think is reasonable...we lived in Charlotte, NC for a few years and I find it cheaper here.
Traffic can be a bear depending where you live and where you work. We live very close to my husband's job, so commute is minimal.
That would be my number one issue, finding housing close to where I work, or arranging my work hours so I could avoid the commuting traffic on the interstates and bridges.
I love the Tampa-St Petersburg area.
The traffic can be highly annoying and the Scientologists in Clearwater freak me out a bit - but all in all, it's good.
I don't know how your finances are or what part of the area you'll be working in but I loved Indian Rocks Beach. More residential than touristy. Tarpon Springs is a nice community. If you workplace is more on the Tampa Bay side, I suggest Plant City.
Visit Mon's Venus...
You asked:
share any "inside" information. Areas to avoid?
Anywhere south of the Georgia state line.
Ping
You bad boy!
Here's a St. Pete website.
http://www.stpete.org/
I now live in Indiana.
Tampa? A nice place to visit but I would not want to live there.
Single and looking for opportunities? It could be a good fit.
I am just not into traffic lights and reaching out your window and touching your neighbors house.
I lived in Tampa in the mid-late 80s, returned to Florida in 1993 and now live in the Sebring area.
I am currently commuting to Tampa on Mondays for a temporary job, and I have one strong suggestion. Live near your work location. While freeways and tollways are being built/added to, commute traffic is pretty heavy. I-75 on the east side of Tampa was a magnet for development, and the traffic jams reflect that.
Great golf course communities, nearby beaches, great fishing good entertainment venues, all await you. It's a fun place to live, and a growing city will only offer more things to do in the future.
Last numbers I heard Tampa area was getting something like 2000 new people a week moving to the area... now that was a while ago, but if those numbers are remotely true, that's a lot of business opportunity.
I lived in St. Pete in the late 80s, early 90s. For a young, goofy recent college grad--it was a phenomenal area. Tampa was just over the bay and had enough 'culture' and big city vibe for me, St. Pete was more laid back (admittedly, a little crunchy granola, which was fine). The beaches were phenomenal.
I think the area tends to be a little on the liberal side--but its still Florida, so it still wouldn't be like living in Boston or NYC. The cost of living down here can't be beat, although housing and rents are out of control--but will subside shortly, I'm thinking.
Traffic might be the only drawback. Florida roads aren't able to accommadate the influx of new people, so there are a lot of headaches these days.
Anybody who lives in North Carolina should never consider moving anywhere else. Nothing could be finer, and deep down inside you know that. Whenever someone leaves North Carolina, they regret it. There is a reason the sky is Carolina blue on a sunny day. North Carolina is the absolute best place to live in the entire country.
Check out Brandon, Valrico, Seffner. These areas are close to the interstate and are nice areas to live. Tampa has a lot of good sports. Hot in summer. Avoid Dale Mabry Highway on days that end in the letter "Y".
Best places to eat in Tampa:
The Columbia
Collanade Seafood on Bayshore
The Brunchery
Babes Pizza
Bern's Steakhouse
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