[gimme it]

Are there any cities in Florida that you would describe as liberal, well-educated, down-to earth, very pretty, clean, safe and that have a walkable downtown and lots of culture? Also, not exhorbitantly expensive. A place where you can get a lovely house for under $300k. Tallahassee came to mind, but I'm not that familiar with Florida. Thanks in advance.

[bale002]

There is no one "city" in Florida that fulfills all those characteristics, though a few may touch on some of them.

Besides Tallahassee, other possibilities are Tampa, Delray Beach, Jupiter, St. Augustine, one or two in central Florida that others have mentioned in the past on similar questions.

[gimme it]

How do Tallahassee and St. Augustine compare? Is one more family oriented than the other? Is one prettier and more vibrant than the other. Much thanks.

[whippersnapper]

What about St. Pete? It's pretty nice, good downtown, quite a few cultural events, and the people seem to be pretty well-educated.

[Lilybeans]

I'd say Sarasota.

[gimme it]

Is Sarasota snooty? Any particularly nice established neighborhoods in St. Pete's with houses under $300k? The same goes for Sarasota. TIA

[agreatlife]

I'm with Lilybeans - Sarasota.

[gimme it]

Okay, Sarasota. Can you tell me about the established, family-friendly neighborhoods that have nice houses that cost less than 300,000?

[sunrico90]

Please answer the questions as the OP asked so he can get a better view. This is an excellent question...

[compelled to reply]

Try Tallahassee or Sarasota. Also Gainesville gets overlooked a lot, but has a lot to offer. Crime is fairly high in most of Florida's more interesting cities, but safe neighborhoods are not hard to find. St. Petersburg has a funky little downtown that's kinda walkable too. You can rent a little artists apartment for around 600 a month. Downtown is safe, but other parts have high crime.