moving to tampa as an 18 year old student. (spring break, apartments) - Tampa Bay - Florida (FL) -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

dbirdrm · 10-06-2010, 09:58 PM

Hi my friend and I are both 18 and presently live in NJ. We want to move out on our own and start a new life. We are thinking about Tampa but it doesnt really matter. We want to move somewhere where it warm year round. We want to rent an apartment or condo. A 2br place around $700. We are two 18yr old males so im wondering if there is a certain place in tampa that would be good for us. We are looking to have a good time and meet many other college kids around our age. We want to be able to party and drink on weekends and have a good time. We want to be able to live in a place around young people, If i have a few friends over to drink or w/e at our place i dont wanna have to worry about being surrounded by old people who are going to call the cops. My friends plan is to just find a job and start working. my plan is to transfer from my community college in jersey to one in florida for a year mayb HCC. graduate with an associate degree and then since I will have lived in Florida for over a year and have built up my residence(florida license, voting, residence) I could transfer to USF and get it state tuition price. Correct me if im wrong on being able to get in state tuition after living here for a year. So is Tampa the place for us? or is there another place in Florida that would better suit us.

1) If I rent a place here and live there for over a year. Get a job, go to school, get a florida license, insurance, and everything to make me a florida residence. Am i eligable for in state tuition?

2) Is Tampa a party town for young people? are there alot of people around the ages of 18-21?

3) any suggestions on a town? or housing for a 2br place for around 700-900 a month that will we will be around a lot of young people. (dont want to live at a place related to a college, since i cant became a permanent residence if i were to stay in a dorm.) I want to live here year round.

MAniacTHW · 10-06-2010, 10:50 PM

First and foremost, our drinking laws are 21+. Trust me, underage drinking doesn't make you cool.

Second, yes it's possible to find a place around USF for under $700. Check Craigslist.

Third, in state tuition is 2 years with proof (if you're looking into HCC, good luck. I was born here and have given them every piece of proof they want and am still marked as out of state.)

Fourth, it's not "warm" year round. It's HOT. Know that before moving down. Last thing we want or need is another whining northerner. This sounds harsh. Move down here and you'll see what I'm talking about.

craigm1841 · 10-07-2010, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAniacTHW

First and foremost, our drinking laws are 21+. Trust me, underage drinking doesn't make you cool.

Second, yes it's possible to find a place around USF for under $700. Check Craigslist.

Third, in state tuition is 2 years with proof (if you're looking into HCC, good luck. I was born here and have given them every piece of proof they want and am still marked as out of state.)

Fourth, it's not "warm" year round. It's HOT. Know that before moving down. Last thing we want or need is another whining northerner. This sounds harsh. Move down here and you'll see what I'm talking about.

In state rates is one year. I work full time but did exactly what you did. I had to pay out of state rates at HCC for a year. All you need to do to legally establish residency is get a job or go to school. I am well versed on the law regarding in state vs out of state rates as this is something I have not only lived through, but researched in depth... If you are in the middle of a school year with HCC when your in-state time hits, you need to finish the entire year at out-of-state. you cant be a freshman both in and out of state. Once you finish up the year AND meet the 1-yr residency requirement you are eligible for in state rates.

FYI, HCC out-of-state rates are outrageous.

AND... I am a northerner and I complain about the cold, not the heat. It was 66 degrees this morning and i am miserable!

housingcrashsurvivor · 10-07-2010, 06:12 AM

I'm one of those old guys who are going to be complaining about your drinking.

Damned little brat didn't leave me any vodka.

As to residency: Let me google that for you

dbirdrm · 10-07-2010, 07:51 AM

Thanks for info I just wanted to see if any1 had done this to gwt in state tuition. Also underage drinking happens everrywhere with college kids I'm not tryin to sound cool but its gonna happen, I just wanna find a place where I'm surrounded by other people my age. I love the heat too, I will not complain about it being too hot hah. Any suggestions on where I should look into for renting? I wannna live close to a place with a lively atmosphere with things to do at night.

rezfreak · 10-07-2010, 08:40 AM

Pretty sure the legal age of drinking didnt change to 18.

ferret111 · 10-07-2010, 08:42 AM

I don't know why everyone in this thread is acting like underage drinking is some new and controversial issue. It's going to get this thread locked for straying too far off topic.

To the OP: I suggest you avoid the apartments ("dorms") at HCC, assuming you even considered those. They're an absolute dump and lots of sketchy people hang out there. It's a shame, really, since they're only three or four years old.

dbirdrm · 10-07-2010, 09:44 AM

Yea I can't stay in any kind of dorm because then I can't build up my residence. Sorry I brought up drinking but I'm jus sayin I don't wanna move into an aprtment complex where iim surrounded by families that go to sleep at 8 that's all. Im not gonna know anyone besides by roommates so it would be cool if I had neighbors iand a town I can relate too.

rezfreak · 10-07-2010, 10:20 AM

So being respectful to your neighbors is something you dont wanna do then? Pretty sure there are noise ordinance laws regardless. You'd rather just find a place where you dont have to be respectful and can be as loud as you want? Sounds like you need to go live in the country then.

craigm1841 · 10-07-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rezfreak

So being respectful to your neighbors is something you dont wanna do then? Pretty sure there are noise ordinance laws regardless. You'd rather just find a place where you dont have to be respectful and can be as loud as you want? Sounds like you need to go live in the country then.

I know what he means... I am 27 and WAY past that phase, matter of fact I dont think I ever was in that phase. Dont get me wrong, On sunday i'll have friends over to watch football, and we'll partake in some fairly heavy boozing... sometimes we'll do a friday night in thing too. Even with 5 or 6 friends over and music on, we are still respectful. We obviously dont blast gangster rap though either. We do have security at night that roams the halls listening for loud noses or people at one of the pools or jacuzzis. 98% of the time i enjoy my peace at home. I live there. When school came back in session a bunch of UT kids moved in on mommmy and daddys dime and were partying it up on a weeknight at one of the pools. It was pretty loud- security let them have their fun, but at 10 PM they got shut down. It hasnt been bad at night since. Saturdays and sundays bring out Beer Pong and a lot of drinking at the pool, but security started checking IDs because it was getting to look like spring break at the pool. Luckily it was mostly hot chicks, but loud non the less. Its fun if your in the mix, but as a 27 year old, I am slowly finding myself not so much in the mix.