Gateway/Gandy area of St. Pete (Tampa, St. Petersburg: apartment complex, condo, violent crime)

[silvio]

I'm going to be moving to that area in a month or so, from Orlando, can anyone tell me anything about it? Crime? Flooding? Safety? I was previously looking at places in central St. Pete and out towards Tyrone but wasn't all that impressed. Where I'll be leaving is an apartment/condo community off 9th Street North off Gandy.

[FedUpInFtMyers]

I used to live in St. Pete and know the area well. I am still up there at least once a month, and it is one of the areas that I am heavily considering in my return to St. Pete. I also looked at an apartment complex in that area. It is a fine area. I also like the location as it is easier access to Largo, Clearwater, other St. Pete areas, and even Tampa which makes for even more job opportunities if and when you find yourself seeking employment or changing employment. Where you are going is NOTHING like Orlando (based on what I've seen here on the Forum), and you do not need to be overly concerned about crime, flooding, or personal safety. I never had any problems while in St. Pete, any of Pinellas, or most areas of Tampa, and that remains true to this day. After being down here for some time now, I am of the opinion that the Tampa Bay area is one of the best areas to live in Florida. There are a lot of problems specific to FL that you won't have to deal with there. So, once you are settled in, if you enjoy being there, don't think that another city can offer the same lifestyle because there is a good chance that you will have a very difficult time trying to find something that even runs close to the quality of life there. You have made a great choice. Good luck to you!

[silvio]

Thanks for the response. It seems that area (Gateway/Gandy) is a little nicer and cleaner than southern St. Petersburg. The farther north on 9th and 4th you go from downtown, seems to be nicer. The apartment place I'm looking at is Bay Isle Key or the two complexes with "Brighton Bay" in their name. Are you or anyone familiar with places?

I only asked about flooding because it looks like that area is right on the marshland near Tampa Bay, so I was wondering....if a storm comes through (not like a Cat 3 hurricane, but smaller), does that area get hit worse than others?

Any other info in that area, its actually zip code 33716, would be helpful. Thanks.

[FedUpInFtMyers]

I never knew that area to be of concern regarding flooding. The apartments I looked at and considered is Camden, and they have quite a few different locations. All seemed clean and in pretty decent areas.

You don't have to be worried about your safety in St. Pete in areas south of your area you are looking at. The only truly unsafe area in St. Pete is SOUTH St. Pete. Downtown St. Pete and any Avenue N. or Street N. addresses are fine. Coming from Orlando, I understand and appreciate your concerns.

[silvio]

Thanks again. I feel as if I must defend Orlando (on the Tampa board) in light of recent bad press we've recieved. It's no secret that Orlando unfortunately has experience a huge spike in violent crime recently and it's sad. However, most of the violence, assaults, murders, etc occur in the same areas over and over again. Speaking primarily about Pine Hills (AKA "Crime Hills"), WEST downtown, and along OBT. If you've ever been in those areas, it's not suprising. I would say Pine Hills is analogous to south St. Pete mixed with Ybor City (but without all the entertainment and police presence). I've lived in Orlando over five years now and never had a problem...knock on wood.

However, I look forward to moving to St. Pete and starting classes at Stetson law school in the fall.

[SunKrist]

There usually isn't much flooding in that area, west of 4th street. Crime also isn't a problem. It's a very nice area. The main roads are somewhat commercial, but the residential areas are fine. You have Target and Publix just down the road at 78th avenue and 9th street. Take Gandy to Hwy 19 and there's a Wal-Mart a couple of blocks up. The interstate isn't very far. Gandy takes you to Tampa, also. It's very central, and you should be able to get places quick.