Moving to Florida from Tennessee... Where should I go? (Jacksonville: spring break, apartment complex)

[kentk]

Ok! I am 20 years old and moving to Florida for school hopefully in January, August at the latest. I have a few options and I can't seem to choose.

• Pensacola
• Fort Walton Beach
• St. Pete
• Jacksonville
• Panama City Beach
• Tampa

My first priority is it has to be SAFE and then an awesome beach. I would also like a lot of young people. Affordable housing and jobs isn't an issue. I know a lot of people do not like PCB, but I am young and I think that is going to be the most fun out of all of these.

Boca Raton is my first choice, but I can't really go anymore south than St. Pete. My grandparents are old and that's too far to be away from them.

I would really appreciate your help!

[beachmouse]

PCB also has drug issues- plenty of demand for that kind of thing during spring break, and the suppliers are willing to chase that. And it's the classic nice house/small apartment complex next to decaying trailer court kind of town. I'd probably pick Tampa or St. Pete's as a first pick- lots of different education options, big city amenities, and the best winter weather of the cities on your list.

[Gee-3-PSJ]

If you are looking for an awesome beach and a slower pace area you should try the Cape San Blas, Port St. Joe, and Mexico Beach area. It is close enough to tourist areas to visit, but far enough away not to be caught up in the traffic. And the beaches are awesome!!!

[PcolaFLGuy]

All of these are fine. I say let the school choice/fit dictate where you go.

Otherwise (and possibly in relation to educational choices), I'd personally suggest Pensacola or St. Pete.

[kentk]

Originally Posted by PcolaFLGuy

All of these are fine. I say let the school choice/fit dictate where you go.

Otherwise (and possibly in relation to educational choices), I'd personally suggest Pensacola or St. Pete.

I hear that Pensacola doesn't have the best weather. Is this true?

[beachmouse]

Pensacola still has seasons other than Raining and Not Raining. It will have a couple weeks ever winter where the daytime high struggles to get over 45F, it's overcast, and the wind seems to be coming straight from Alberta. Still far better than Tennessee winters, but not the Florida mild you get from Tampa and points southward. The Gulf side also tends to run warmer and more humid than the Atlantic side.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by kentk

I hear that Pensacola doesn't have the best weather. Is this true?

The only problem with panhandle weather is when moisture is brought up from the gulf. These days usually have a rain chance of around 40-50%, and even though it may seem nice and sunny, a sudden thunderstorm can pop up within 30 minutes. The storm may last an hour, and then it's back sunny again. On the other hand, when high pressure is over the area, we may go a month with no rain at all.

And as mentioned, the winters can get cold. You won't be getting in the water at the beach from about October till May, although walking along the beach is still nice on milder sunny days. I don't think the winter here would be a huge difference compared to what you're already used to.

[floridabum]

Panama City has a very large college and young crowd every year, through most of the year. I think that this would be an excellent choice. The beaches are some of the most beautiful in the entire world, with pure white sand, and emerald green clear water. You wont be able to find much better anywhere else. If you interested in Panama City and Panama City Beach, then check out http://www.panamacityera.com here. I used them when i moved into the area. I hope that this will help you make your choice a little easier. Hope to see ay around PCB soon!

[AT9]

Originally Posted by kentk

Ok! I am 20 years old and moving to Florida for school hopefully in January, August at the latest. I have a few options and I can't seem to choose.

• Pensacola
• Fort Walton Beach
• St. Pete
• Jacksonville
• Panama City Beach
• Tampa

My first priority is it has to be SAFE and then an awesome beach. I would also like a lot of young people. Affordable housing and jobs isn't an issue. I know a lot of people do not like PCB, but I am young and I think that is going to be the most fun out of all of these.

Boca Raton is my first choice, but I can't really go anymore south than St. Pete. My grandparents are old and that's too far to be away from them.

I would really appreciate your help!

Which schools are you looking at? The best options for school would probably be Tampa (USF and U of Tampa), Pensacola (UWF), and Jacksonville (UNF).

[kentk]

Originally Posted by AT9

Which schools are you looking at? The best options for school would probably be Tampa (USF and U of Tampa), Pensacola (UWF), and Jacksonville (UNF).

Those are the three schools I am looking at, but if I were to go to USF I would go to the St. Petersburg campus.