Single 30 yr old woman, considering moving to Tampa (Miami, St. Petersburg: for sale, real estate)

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by floridadreamer

You know I thought about the YBOR thing after I wrote it and you are right

It's obviously spanish, and it used to be where alot of the cuban cigar making places were at one time. That is one thing I loved about Tampa, there are so many families that have lived there for generations and they are the heart of the area. There is alot of history if one wants to explore it. There is an Ybor City museum by the way if anyone is interested. I defitely prefer south Tampa and the hyde park area to north tampa area. There is so much more character.

I used to work with a lady who's family has been in Tampa for 3 generations. Her grandmother used to roll cigars and her mother was raised in Ybor before it went WAY down hill. There is somewhat of a revitalization going so hopefully that will be good. And yes, Channelside is awesome for shopping and other

I am one of those 3rd generation native Floridians! My grandparents came from Spain at the turn of the last century. My dad was a career waiter at the Columbia Restaurant for over 20 years, back when it was the place for all the movie stars to go when they came to town - he waited on Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio once! Back then Ybor was different, like a separate little town with regular shops and businesses. I am really glad they have kept the character intact - I really do love Ybor - I think it is full of character and totally unique!

Channelside does look nice, but I have yet to stop there. My husband works downtown Tampa, and the biggest problems we see are that it is disjointed- some nice stuff here and there but divided by big ugly parking lots or "seedy" looking areas. Also, too much high speed traffic downtown - Hubby saw a poor woman get run over crossing the street once.

Anyway, there are still a core of native Floridians (mostly Spanish and Italian descendents) that tend to live in the central core of Tampa. They are the friendliest, most helpful people you will ever meet. When I was a little girl I used to say "Daddy, you know everyone in town!"

[chestnuthead]

Does anyone know anything about the Ft. Myers area? I am considering a move there and would like to know about schools and social life. I am 45 and divorced and have a 9 year old son who has adhd, whihc requires special edication.

[tampaguy03]

1). Where would be a good neighborhood for me to move to? I am not a huge partier, but would like to be near some action. I like to go out to bars on occassion and like to go to nice restaurants. I would like to be at least 30 - 45 minutes away from a beach. I don't have a job yet, so not sure about my commute as of right now. I will be living alone, so I would want to feel safe. I would most likely rent at first to see how I like it. I would like to spend no more than $850/month for rent. I do have two small dogs.
2). How is the single life in Tampa? Is it hard to meet new people? I am concerned on moving there and not being able to meet new friends.
3). Anyone moved to Florida from up North and regretted it? If so, why?

1)I would definitley recommend South Tampa area(south of Kennedy Blvd), there are alot of condos/townhomes/private apts for rent, check tbo.com, or craigslist.com. My fav neighborhoods are Davis Islands, Hyde Park/SOHO, Palma Ceia, Beach Park, Bayshore Beautiful, Ballast Point, South Westshore)There are also many gated apt complexes(Camden and Post have a few complexes in South Tampa). Lots of dog parks in South Tampa too(Davis Islands, Gasden Park, Picnic Island for example). And your only 30-45 minutes from the Gulf Beaches. You could live next to a Bay Beach.
2) Very easy to meet people if that is what you want to do, lots of festivals, concerts, social clubs, parks, nightlife, etc. Lots of people relocate from all over, so there is there is something in common right off the bat...
3) Im from Long Island, NY, relocated 19 years ago to attend college, NEVER regretted it!

[cltsig]

I did my time in the midwest and endured the gloomy winters, 2 weeks of spring and heat. No thanks. With Florida you'll get nice winters, hot/predictable summers and the in-betweens fluctuate but are usually nice. If you like sitting on your deck in a pair of shorts at Christmas, come on down!

[duff30329]

I'm a 28 year old male and I too am considering moving to Florida.
I was told virgins and non-virgins live in certain areas. Is this true?

[cltsig]

Originally Posted by duff30329

I'm a 28 year old male and I too am considering moving to Florida.
I was told virgins and non-virgins live in certain areas. Is this true?

Sure, and they forcibly seperate people by race too. Way to kill a thread.

[Floridasunshine]

850.00 is pushing it for rent, most fair rated places are that much, most nice apts will be 900-1000 now. South Tampa is advertised as young but Idont really think so, there is crime there too.

[Playball40]

If beach and nightlife if what you crave I strongly suggest St Pete or Clearwater. Beaches are gorgeous, prices are reasonable and you are still close to Tampa for Ybor, Channelside, SoHo!

[Qacer]

Here's my suggestion:

Visit a few local forums to get an idea on what's happening and find some new friends to hangout at bars. I suggest going to www.tampaforums.com as a start. The people there always seem to have some gathering plans often.

If you want to be 30-45 minute from the beach, I suggest living in the Brandon, Riverview, and Apollo Beach area. These places are considered farther distance-wise from the beaches of St. Pete and Clearwater. However, if you take I-75 south to the Sunshine Skyway, you can get to St. Petersburg beaches in about 45-50 minutes without having to deal much with traffic on I-275 (Howard Frankland bridge) and the Courtney Campbell Causeway. You're pretty much smooth sailing the majority of the way until you hit the beach area.

Living in this area (Brandon/Riverview) will also allow you to go to the local hangout spots at either Ybor City, Channelside District, or Hyde Park. These areas are pretty close to downtown Tampa. The Brandon-Riverview area is about 20-30 minutes to downtown depending on the traffic. I always like to take the Selmon Expressway and get to downtown Tampa in about 15 minutes.

If you are into meeting other singles. I suggest the following places and events:

Hyde Park Cafe - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Whiskey Park South (Hyde Park) - Friday, Saturday
Whiskey Park North (Carrollwood) - Friday, Saturday
Banana Joe's / Margarita Mama's (Channelside) - Friday, Saturday
Downtown St. Petersburg - every first Friday of the month
International Plaza bars/clubs (near Tampa airport) - Friday, Saturday
Various night clubs (Ybor along 7th Ave) - Thursday, Friday, Saturday ... watch out for the teeny boppers and younger crowds... many of them seem to cause trouble.

Just note that Thursdays are normally college night, so you'll be hanging out with people around your age.

Also, on Friday and Saturdays, most of these places seem to pick up around 10:30PM - 11:00PM and most always get packed till they close at 3:00AM.

[ntfeldman]

Originally Posted by Qacer

Here's my suggestion:

Visit a few local forums to get an idea on what's happening and find some new friends to hangout at bars. I suggest going to Home as a start. The people there always seem to have some gathering plans often.

If you want to be 30-45 minute from the beach, I suggest living in the Brandon, Riverview, and Apollo Beach area. These places are considered farther distance-wise from the beaches of St. Pete and Clearwater. However, if you take I-75 south to the Sunshine Skyway, you can get to St. Petersburg beaches in about 45-50 minutes without having to deal much with traffic on I-275 (Howard Frankland bridge) and the Courtney Campbell Causeway. You're pretty much smooth sailing the majority of the way until you hit the beach area.

Living in this area (Brandon/Riverview) will also allow you to go to the local hangout spots at either Ybor City, Channelside District, or Hyde Park. These areas are pretty close to downtown Tampa. The Brandon-Riverview area is about 20-30 minutes to downtown depending on the traffic. I always like to take the Selmon Expressway and get to downtown Tampa in about 15 minutes.

If you are into meeting other singles. I suggest the following places and events:

Hyde Park Cafe - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Whiskey Park South (Hyde Park) - Friday, Saturday
Whiskey Park North (Carrollwood) - Friday, Saturday
Banana Joe's / Margarita Mama's (Channelside) - Friday, Saturday
Downtown St. Petersburg - every first Friday of the month
International Plaza bars/clubs (near Tampa airport) - Friday, Saturday
Various night clubs (Ybor along 7th Ave) - Thursday, Friday, Saturday ... watch out for the teeny boppers and younger crowds... many of them seem to cause trouble.

Just note that Thursdays are normally college night, so you'll be hanging out with people around your age.

Also, on Friday and Saturdays, most of these places seem to pick up around 10:30PM - 11:00PM and most always get packed till they close at 3:00AM.

Qacer

Thanks for your details. There are a lot of single people moving to the area at the moment and these details are exactly what they are looking for. Thanks for contributing.