All Children's Hospital (Jacksonville, Tampa: to rent, buying a house, neighborhoods)

[mobroo]

I am considering a relocation to Tampa Bay area to work at All Children's Hospital. I was wondering if anyone has any information on the hospital.....particularly the PICU. Also, my husband and I LOVE beach life and would like to rent somewhere near the beach (10 min drive max). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We are young in our twenties without children. Thanks so much in advance!
~Monica

[lavender]

Love the hospital, been to the ER a couple of times and had great help and know several children who have been through their doors - and a couple of the staff who work there who love it. Tons of places on beaches to rent. Redington and south might be better if you are working there

[nursejerry]

I moved to St. Pete in late 2007 for a job downtown (near All Children's). I rented a house on St Pete beach and enjoyed living there because its quiet and near the beach, but I was single and in my twenties and found it to be a lot of old people and tourists. The commute was only about 10-15minutes to downtown and there are a ton of places to eat and drink out there. Plus, Tyrone Mall was about 5-10minutes away and around there are every commercial store/restaurant you could want. BUT - I was far from the highway and ended up driving 45+minutes to go out with people my age or do anything besides go to the beach.

I ended up buying a house downtown (less than a mile from All Childrens) on the northside in late 2008. There are several historic neighborhoods around downtown St Pete and that was one of the appealing things to me. My neighborhood is 90+years old and there are live oaks, spanish moss, brick streets, beautiful arts and crafts homes. Plus, there are literally 7 or more parks within walking distance from my house, I'm a mile from Tampa Bay waterfront, and there is a younger crowd/vibe. Downtown St. Pete is going through a transformation, there are new restaurants/shops/clubs opening up left and right and the city is super walker/biker friendly. I'm still only a 15minute drive to the beach (I go every weekend), but I'm also a 20-30minute drive anywhere in Pinellas, and about 20minutes from Tampa.

I wouldn't really recommend anything too far south of All Childrens because it gets kind of sketchy, but Roser Park and Old SE are also very beautiful neighborhoods.

I will be doing my 3rd clinical rotation at All Children's, and have heard good things about it, but really don't know much about working there yet. If you don't like All Children's, there are 3 other LARGE hospitals in the downtown area, plus you could always commute to Tampa General or any of the other dozens of hospitals in Pinellas (within a 20 minute drive).

So, it just depends on the vibe of the neighborhood and the lifestyle you're looking for. The beach has a totally different vibe from downtown. The only negative about downtown St. Pete is the bums and panhandlers. I LOVE St. Pete because it's beautiful, no traffic, and close to the beach.

Good luck and maybe I'll run into you at All Childrens

[Angler]

Was at the ER last night with kid (ended up minor). One of the most friendly, efficient, and top notch hospitals in the state. If only the regular hospitals were run as well!

[mobroo]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the feedback! We were living in Jacksonville, but had to move back to Indiana due to the health of my nephew (who is now much better!). We Love Love Love the beach vibe and living around people our age is a must. Thanks so much!