Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
These two are incorrect, I can tell you right now without having even visited in 10+ years.
You're "right"....because I go to DC several times a year, so I get to see what that's like, and I lived here my entire life! Sure...I don't drive every day here, so what do "I" know!? I love it when people from out of state make comments about "what life is like here"!
I drive for work...I don't get to sit in a pretty little office all day...
Last edited by PhotoProIP; 08-01-2013 at 04:34 AM..
These statistics are not calculated at what a real wage in FL is...
If you calculate housing in Florida and use a northern salary, then its cheaper of course...but if you use a Florida salary then it is NOT. This is where the misconception starts, and why we have so many homeless around here.
You forget that to live in a nice place here, you need to be on some pasture, far from city type conveniences, and where they have a ton of "fees"....CDDs, HOA, and then add gas for being so far from everything, at the end, unless you make $100k and know how to manage your money, it evens out and you're not coming on top.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trigger-f
Hard to believe food is cheaper up there. If you shop at Publix, maybe..their prices are higher. Try Walmart Neighborhood market or super Walmart and Target(i think their prices will be cheaper than in NOVA, given the COL is so much more up there-see below). There's even cheaper supermarkets than the above..
Housing is cheaper down here, anyone should know that..
Indices Difference Consumer Prices in Tampa, FL are 23.15% lower than in Washington, DC Consumer Prices Including Rent in Tampa, FL are 35.71% lower than in Washington, DC Rent Prices in Tampa, FL are 54.32% lower than in Washington, DC Restaurant Prices in Tampa, FL are 30.88% lower than in Washington, DC Groceries Prices in Tampa, FL are 25.33% lower than in Washington, DC Local Purchasing Power in Tampa, FL is 27.00% higher than in Washington, DCModerator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
These statistics are not calculated at what a real wage in FL is...
If you calculate housing in Florida and use a northern salary, then its cheaper of course...but if you use a Florida salary then it is NOT. This is where the misconception starts, and why we have so many homeless around here.
You forget that to live in a nice place here, you need to be on some pasture, far from city type conveniences, and where they have a ton of "fees"....CDDs, HOA, and then add gas for being so far from everything, at the end, unless you make $100k and know how to manage your money, it evens out and you're not coming on top.
bs.
Not for NoVA prices. It's still far out of proportion and in favor of Tampa. Have you checked comparables in Tampa to, say, Alexandria? Springfield? Arlington? Fairfax city? It's even worse if you want to buy in a chic, trendy area with new construction up there. Last time I was in NoVA, there was a sign at the new construction area of Potomac Yard (about 5 minutes away from DC w/ no traffic) for new condos. Efficiencies were starting at $700,000. This was 2 years ago so I assume those prices have risen.
Hi! I recently found out that we are making a move to Tampa from Northern Virginia in the Spring of 2014. I admit, I'm quite excited for the beach and weather, but I just wanted to ask you friendly locals if there is anything I should know before moving? Thanks! ;-)
Be prepared for a culture shock, depending on what part of NoVA you're leaving. If you live close to DC, you'll likely feel a sense of relief as Tampa is far less congested, stressed, and expensive. If you live in, say, the far end of Manassas, it's about the same, minus the traffic.
Don't look at the weather channel's raw temperatures when comparing the two areas, a common mistake of northern transplants. Factor in several key things - the dewpoint, humidity, "real feel" temperature, and the fact that down here you'll be @1000 miles closer to the equator so the sun's rays hit the ground more directly and feel more intense. We have cheerleaders who spread lies and misconceptions about the weather here; don't listen. You'll likely spot them pretty quickly, if you haven't already.
You forget that to live in a nice place here, you need to be on some pasture, far from city type conveniences, and where they have a ton of "fees"....CDDs, HOA, and then add gas for being so far from everything...
Everyone's got an opinion, but this is not true in mine. The best neighborhoods here, in my opinion, are within city limits (whether in St. Pete or Tampa).
These statistics are not calculated at what a real wage in FL is...
If you calculate housing in Florida and use a northern salary, then its cheaper of course...but if you use a Florida salary then it is NOT. This is where the misconception starts, and why we have so many homeless around here.
You forget that to live in a nice place here, you need to be on some pasture, far from city type conveniences, and where they have a ton of "fees"....CDDs, HOA, and then add gas for being so far from everything, at the end, unless you make $100k and know how to manage your money, it evens out and you're not coming on top.
Who said to live in a nice place you need to be on some pasture? I live by the intracoastal in Pinellas and don't have any fees for conveniences etc.. are you new to the area? I have everything within a 5 mile radius and there's plenty of residents living in similar neighborhoods in Tampa Bay.
I don't think the statistics are based on northern salaries. Why would they be? Clearly the COL down here is 25%-30% cheaper than DC metro. Also, I posted links that show the Quality of Life index down here is higher than in DC metro which includes NOVA. Go to "numbeo.com" and check it out. Plus the purchasing power index is significantly better/higher down here. Again, I only quote what i see.
Btw, I would expect DC to have more homeless being a larger metro area. Do not just compare NOVA. It seems people talk specifically about NOVA because inner DC's living standards are lower.
Who said to live in a nice place you need to be on some pasture? I live by the intracoastal in Pinellas and don't have any fees for conveniences etc.. are you new to the area? I have everything within a 5 mile radius and there's plenty of residents living in similar neighborhoods in Tampa Bay.
I don't think the statistics are based on northern salaries. Why would they be? Clearly the COL down here is 25%-30% cheaper than DC metro. Also, I posted links that show the Quality of Life index down here is higher than in DC metro which includes NOVA. Go to "numbeo.com" and check it out. Plus the purchasing power index is significantly better/higher down here. Again, I only quote what i see.
Btw, I would expect DC to have more homeless being a larger metro area. Do not just compare NOVA. It seems people talk specifically about NOVA because inner DC's living standards are lower.
"Convenience" is not measured in "miles", is measured in steps. In DC that can be accomplished, in FL there are very few places where that can be accomplished. My old house in Miami was in steps away from shopping, and dining. THAT's convenience worth $2k per month.
The "quality of life" judged by who? you do realize that this by itself is a very subjective matter, because what "i" find to be high quality living is not what Joey from the south finds to be high quality of living. Its like art, subjective, which is why I don't give a damn about these statistics. You can't have valid statistics with things that are particular to every individual. I value convenience based on how we lived in Miami, and how we live when we go to DC. Fishhawk Ranch, where a lot of people want to move to & is well regarded "high quality supposedly place to live here" is not convenient to anything. I don't see many homeless in DC, except by the old post office where they have one of those soup trucks that come by in the evening...but you know what? those homeless there won't make CEO's here either. Being homeless has nothing to do with COL, it has to do with money management skills, personal worth + standards, and common sense.
The public schools here in Pinellas are reported to be pedestrian at best (other than charter/magnet/fundamental/IB programs). I haven't heard good things about public schools in Hillsborough other than whatever HS services South Tampa, and half the people I know in South Tampa send their kids to private school. Perhaps this area trails the state, I don't know. More important to me -- a hiring manager without kids -- is the quality of college/graduate programs in the area, and we are very weak there. The only USN top 50 school in the whole state is U Miami, which isn't local and sends more kids to NYC than this area. And our job market isn't big enough that we can support high-end entry level, which means we're not a "destination" for grads from good not-local schools.
But I do think primary/secondary/college quality are related. To my neighbors and co-workers (upper middle class types), if the kids go to UF or even FSU, that's a great result. In NOVA, the upper middle class target is an Ivy or some other top 30ish school. Considering the difference in admission standards, the pressure on a student's resume -- and required quality of primary/secondary education -- is significantly greater. I don't want to get into whether some particular school is a good target, only to point out that the targets are different. It's a much more laid back approach here. It's the same way when you talk to folks about your/their college experience. Down here, if someone asks where you went to school, it's to understand your college football allegiances. Up there, when folks ask, it's because they want to understand your academic credentials. It's just a different mindset altogether.
Anyway, I view education is part of the larger tradeoff when you move from the northeast pressure cooker to a more "laid back" lifestyle down here. And so the caution I'd give the OP is the same that sportster gave, which is: be prepared for the cultural difference. Lots of my fellow northerners come here hoping to live a laid back lifestyle, but then get frustrated when everyone else is laid back, too. Set your expectations for service right, whether your lawn guy, your waitress, your kid's teacher, or whoever. As for me, I love it here. If/when the day comes, and we have to pay for private school, that's well worth it.
Not all schools in Pinellas are considered pedestrian. Some you have to drive to! kidding..
The area I'm at has good schools, including one of the top HS's in Tampa Bay. Nobody (unless on an interview) has ever asked me what school-university I went to. People simply don't care down here. I understand up there is different because what else do residents have to look forward to? Inner city/congested life, traffic galore all the time, 2-3 hrs to go to the so-called mountains (where where?). Of course they feel like they are in the center of the world, after all it's the nation's capital/politics central. That's why jobs pay better. But they lag behind on other things, like quality of life.
Also lemme explain. Northerners will never give credit to any schools down here. They view FL as a retirement state, hence why it is perceived to be less competitive. USN is based in DC; don't tell me Ivy League schools do not lobby to be in their top 10 list? I was also wondering about that. Example: Embry Riddle Aeronautical U in Daytona, one of the best 2 institutions in the county in Aeronautical sciences. We're talking about a school that trains/cranks out pilots. No 13 in Regional universities in the South.
"Convenience" is not measured in "miles", is measured in steps. In DC that can be accomplished, in FL there are very few places where that can be accomplished. My old house in Miami was in steps away from shopping, and dining. THAT's convenience worth $2k per month.
The "quality of life" judged by who? you do realize that this by itself is a very subjective matter, because what "i" find to be high quality living is not what Joey from the south finds to be high quality of living. Its like art, subjective, which is why I don't give a damn about these statistics. You can't have valid statistics with things that are particular to every individual. I value convenience based on how we lived in Miami, and how we live when we go to DC. Fishhawk Ranch, where a lot of people want to move to & is well regarded "high quality supposedly place to live here" is not convenient to anything. I don't see many homeless in DC, except by the old post office where they have one of those soup trucks that come by in the evening...but you know what? those homeless there won't make CEO's here either. Being homeless has nothing to do with COL, it has to do with money management skills, personal worth + standards, and common sense.
Huh? Do you want to walk to the supermarket in 90F weather? Okay...
Quality of life judged by the people at the site I quoted. I don't come up with those statistics. I just did some research and it seems despite being advertized as a career oriented place, metro DC does not score that well on Quality of Life. To my understanding, most people want to relax and live stress free lives, not uber competitive robot lives.
Right, everything is subjective. My convenience is having an ocean nearby where I can swim (not just look at), snorkel, scuba, surf, kayak etc..etc.. I could care less whether my neighbors are Ivy League graduates, have MBA's,. or whether I can walk to everything. I like driving, so I take my car.
Homeless move down here because of the weather; it's a promised land to them, instead of freezing to death up north. So if they move down here, i guess they must have some common sense left in them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I love it when people from out of state make comments about "what life is like here"! 
kidding..
Example: Embry Riddle Aeronautical U in Daytona, one of the best 2 institutions in the county in Aeronautical sciences. We're talking about a school that trains/cranks out pilots. No 13 in Regional universities in the South. 
