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Old 08-09-2011, 09:26 AM
 
23 posts, read 63,874 times
Reputation: 16

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Florida's a pretty big state that I haven't really given much thought to. I've mostly checked out cities up north. Here's what I'm looking for and hopefully someone could tell me if any places in Florida fit the bill. I've been visiting cities to find something that fits well with me. Basically, I would like ideas on which city might fit me best and then I can take a closer look at it.

Here are a few things I'm looking for:

Places with Museums , public art sculptures or just things to tour on weekends. I even love checking out just architecturally interesting areas.

I enjoy biking daily so parks & Trails are things I must have. A dog park nearby is an added bonus!

What sort of public transport does each area have?

What someone should expect to pay for housing in a generally safe area. Areas with Lower rates of break-in's & robbery etc. What areas should be avoided for a single female (25) who likes to be outdoors?

What areas are considered the most walkable?

With my job I need to be able to access the airport / and or train pretty easily. (Work is mostly online) So being within an 1hr/1hr 30 of one is good enough.

What areas or zip codes are usually not best for a single female?

What things should I know about Florida? Are utility rates crazy? HOA's gone wild? Is home owners insurance really that hard to get and that expensive?

How much does someone have to spend to get a Town home or Single Family home in a safe and nice area. I prefer to spend under 150k on a home just because I enjoy spending money on travel & family instead. However, that is not my top budget for the right home.
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Old 08-09-2011, 11:35 AM
 
Location: Amherst, MA
3,636 posts, read 9,770,980 times
Reputation: 1761
Tampa/St. Pete?
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Old 08-09-2011, 03:47 PM
 
27,215 posts, read 43,910,956 times
Reputation: 32272
Hope this helps:

Places with Museums , public art sculptures or just things to tour on weekends. I even love checking out just architecturally interesting areas.
St Petersburg st pete museums - Google Search

I enjoy biking daily so parks & Trails are things I must have. A dog park nearby is an added bonus! St Petersburg!...Check out the Pinellas Trail and Fort DeSoto Park (the only beach in Florida I'm aware of where dogs are allowed) Pinellas County, Florida - Park & Conservation Resources - Pinellas County Trail Guide
Pinellas County, Florida, Park & Conservation Resources - Fort De Soto Park


What sort of public transport does each area have?
Check out Pinellas Transit and the Suncoast Trolley
PSTA
Suncoast Beach Trolley


What someone should expect to pay for housing in a generally safe area. Areas with Lower rates of break-in's & robbery etc. What areas should be avoided for a single female (25) who likes to be outdoors?
The beach communities near St Pete (St Pete Beach, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, Treasure Island and Indian Rocks) are nice, safe places to look. There are plenty of two bedrooms condos in the 150-175K range and umpteen one bedrooms in the under 150K bracket. A smaller selection of single family homes exist in the 175K-200K range. I can't think of any sections within this area that are dangerous/to be avoided

What areas are considered the most walkable? Due to the peninsula geography I would recommend once again the St Pete beach communities since they don't have the land mass (particularly in width) where sprawl becomes an issue.

With my job I need to be able to access the airport / and or train pretty easily. (Work is mostly online) So being within an 1hr/1hr 30 of one is good enough. The St Pete beach communities put you within an hour of Tampa International Airport


What areas or zip codes are usually not best for a single female?
None in this area


What things should I know about Florida? Are utility rates crazy? HOA's gone wild? Is home owners insurance really that hard to get and that expensive?
Utility rates (electricity) aren't bad at all in my opinion, certainly not like gas utilities up north. HOAs aren't an issue in the St Pete beach communities, with mostly condos or ungoverned subdivisions. Condos have insurance coverage built in with your condo fee. A home in this area would average $2200-$2500 per year for insurance. CHOICES: $150,000 Value -- Pre-2001 Construction (http://www.floir.com/choices/HO150.aspx - broken link)

Last edited by doggiebus; 08-12-2011 at 08:05 AM.. Reason: please don't use red
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Old 08-09-2011, 03:50 PM
 
Location: Amherst, MA
3,636 posts, read 9,770,980 times
Reputation: 1761
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyle19125 View Post
Hope this helps:

Places with Museums , public art sculptures or just things to tour on weekends. I even love checking out just architecturally interesting areas.
St Petersburg st pete museums - Google Search

I enjoy biking daily so parks & Trails are things I must have. A dog park nearby is an added bonus! St Petersburg!...Check out the Pinellas Trail and Fort DeSoto Park (the only beach in Florida I'm aware of where dogs are allowed) Pinellas County, Florida - Park & Conservation Resources - Pinellas County Trail Guide
Pinellas County, Florida, Park & Conservation Resources - Fort De Soto Park

What sort of public transport does each area have?
Check out Pinellas Transit and the Suncoast Trolley
PSTA
Suncoast Beach Trolley

What someone should expect to pay for housing in a generally safe area. Areas with Lower rates of break-in's & robbery etc. What areas should be avoided for a single female (25) who likes to be outdoors?
The beach communities near St Pete (St Pete Beach, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, Treasure Island and Indian Rocks) are nice, safe places to look. There are plenty of two bedrooms condos in the 150-175K range and umpteen one bedrooms in the under 150K bracket. A smaller selection of single family homes exist in the 175K-200K range. I can't think of any sections within this area that are dangerous/to be avoided

What areas are considered the most walkable? Due to the peninsula geography I would recommend once again the St Pete beach communities since they don't have the land mass (particularly in width) where sprawl becomes an issue.

With my job I need to be able to access the airport / and or train pretty easily. (Work is mostly online) So being within an 1hr/1hr 30 of one is good enough. The St Pete beach communities put you within an hour of Tampa International Airport


What areas or zip codes are usually not best for a single female?
None in this area


What things should I know about Florida? Are utility rates crazy? HOA's gone wild? Is home owners insurance really that hard to get and that expensive?
Utility rates (electricity) aren't bad at all in my opinion, certainly not like gas utilities up north. HOAs aren't an issue in the St Pete beach communities, with mostly condos or ungoverned subdivisions. Condos have insurance coverage built in with your condo fee. A home in this area would average $2200-$2500 per year for insurance. CHOICES: $150,000 Value -- Pre-2001 Construction (http://www.floir.com/choices/HO150.aspx - broken link)
What Kyle said.... Nice post.

Last edited by doggiebus; 08-12-2011 at 08:07 AM..
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:11 PM
 
23 posts, read 63,874 times
Reputation: 16
Wow! Thank You for such an informative post.
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Old 08-11-2011, 04:28 AM
 
Location: Full time in the RV
3,418 posts, read 7,788,532 times
Reputation: 3332
I agree...Tampa Bay.

Close to the airport and a wide variety of housing options.
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