san antonio texas or tampa florida? (Howe, Lago: home, unemployment, college)

[midnite rider]

rd2007,you're absolutely right.a road trip is the way to go.thanks!

[majormadmax]

As far as I am concerned, it is Tampa that is VERY over-rated. And if you want a coastal town to visit, San Antonio has Corpus Christi only a few hours away. But a few hours of driving from Tampa puts you in the same kind of territory. Flat, muggy, hot and full of mosquitoes.

I grew up in Florida, and still go to Tampa (MacDill AFB) quite often for work. It is a constant reminder why we ended up living in San Antonio when we finally got a choice in the matter (nearly 25 years in the USAF meant I was told where to go all of the time). Every time I visit Tampa, I can never figure out why the place is popular. OK, maybe if you are a brainless teenager who thinks life is one long Spring Break; but for the most part I find it to be a very tacky place much like many other Florida cities (i.e. Daytona Beach).

So, if you are looking for strip joints, convenience stores and trailer parks, then Tampa is the place for you!

But if you want real culture, the Texas Hill Country, and all that is Texas, you'd better head to San Antonio!

Cheers! M2

[midnite rider]

tnx,m2

[midnite rider]

wow,interesting thread

[crittergal]

Originally Posted by midnite rider

hey critter,i'm visiting(?) wny right now...............

Then you must be enjoying the snow! We are loving our first winter in TX.

I can second what majormadmax said. If you want the shore, you have it in a couple of hours. You will not find the culture and diversity in Tampa that you find here, and not to mention the friendliness of San Antonians. Again, this is just my opinion.

[TX_AGGIE13]

Yea, I never lived in Tampa, but I did live in Jacksonville and made several overnight trips to Tampa - Saint Petersburg, and Clearwater. There are some very upscale nice areas in Tampa, but at a higer cost than the much nicer upscale areas of San Antonio. If your young and single the Tampa area would be a better choice, but if your looking to retire I'd say hands down San Antonio. The terrain is much nicer here, and although there is no beach in San Antonio there is MUCH more to do here. Some may say that Tampa is the smaller city, but the area is much more congested with a larger metro, and that to me is not a good thing. The nicest place in Florida if you don't have a 10million dollar St. Augustine, or West Palm Beach house is Ocala....it's the only "different" place in my opionion.

[staram]

I have to agree with Majormadmax!
I was born and raised in Florida....West Palm Beach, lived there 18 years, moved to Mexico for 10, went back to Florida for 8 more (not by choice), and finally, by CHOICE am loving it here in San Antonio as of a year ago. Tampa IMHO can not compare. It is beautiful here, there are actually notable seasons, and we don't have to worry about hurricanes, the people are great in general,not to mention the lower cost of living. My vote would have to be San Antonio!

[midnite rider]

hi crittergirl,yep,snowing just about everyday here.............7dgsF this morning.............brrrrrrrrr

[rd2007]

I'll trade you that 7 for our probably going to be 80 today..

and reading MMM's post reminded me about all the convenience stores around Tampa. I have never seen so many in my life, especially in the Bradenton/Sarasota area. It was like almost every other store was a Circle K. Here you have Walgreens/Sonic/nail salons every 50 feet.

[millie61]

San Antonio definately lived near Tampa and hated it, SA has much better weather too