Good, safe, cheap areas in St. Petersburg? (Tampa: budget, apartments)

[Chicken Wing]

27 year old male, not married, no kids.

I'd be renting a 1BR or studio apartment.

I'm looking for fairly cheap rent, a safe area, short drive to the beach, and preferably access to good running trails/routes/parks.

Any suggestions?

Is this a bad area? Brandywine Apts. on 1699 - 68th Street North

[parasol]

Brandywine is right across from Tyrone Mall, Publix (but will be moving in the coming months), Cold Stone Creamery, Chili's, and a great Greek restaurant to name a few. The apartments themselves I can't comment on but do be sure to check ApartmentRatings. As far as trails, you're a hop, skip , and a jump from the Pinellas Trail. St. Pete beach is a 15 minute drive away. Do you have a rent budget and will you be working in St. Pete?

[Chicken Wing]

Originally Posted by parasol

Brandywine is right across from Tyrone Mall, Publix (but will be moving in the coming months), Cold Stone Creamery, Chili's, and a great Greek restaurant to name a few. The apartments themselves I can't comment on but do be sure to check ApartmentRatings. As far as trails, you're a hop, skip , and a jump from the Pinellas Trail. St. Pete beach is a 15 minute drive away. Do you have a rent budget and will you be working in St. Pete?

No job yet. I'm in accounting so I'm not too worried about finding a job.

As far as my budget goes, I'd like to stay under $700....under $600 if possible.

Thanks for the help.

[parasol]

May I then suggest to you the historic Old Northeast neighborhood of St. Pete. Many historic homes, mature tree-lined streets and only a couple blocks from downtown and all the amenities you'd have right at your doorstep. There's apartments in this area as well as old homes converted into apartments with hard wood floors and a lot of character. Most are within your budget. Search Tampa Bay Craigslist for "Old Northeast". Northshore park is nearby with a dog park, long, winding sidewalks, tennis courts, etc.

Also, here's a link for you to get a feel of what kinds of things that make headlines around here (the good, the bad, and the absurd).
Breaking News | tampabay.com - St. Petersburg Times and tbt*