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but some peoples sides are opinion based, and that opinion is formed while living 40 minutes outside of tampa, and then not substantiated with any factual information. for example... algia once said downtown tampa is dilapidated, which CANNOT be further from the truth. Tampa has one of the cleaner downtowns i have ever seen.
If you were an outsider thinking of moving to tampa, is it fair to you that someone who supposedly lives in tampa tells you it is dilapidated when it is a downright lie? no it is not. Nobody is picking on algia, well maybe a little bit from time to time, but a lot of what i have done in the past, like refuting what is being said with facts and references is done partially to provide real information, and YES, partially to discredit algia, because she can definitely give people the wrong impression of tampa with nothing to substantiate it. I actually like algia, just dont like the way she responds to peoples inquires about Tampa. Like the humidity thing brought up a few posts ago.... Tampa is far from the worst in the country when it comes to humidity. Try living in the northwest, like Washington and Oregon... it puts Tampas humidity to shame.
You're kidding about the humidity? I lived in Portland, Oregon for three years and didn't have A/C. While the winters are wet and and dreary the spring and summers are dry and quite comfortable, the humidity is very low and temps hover around 80 degrees. Every once in awhile there is a heat wave with temps in the 90s and sometimes even 100 degrees, but it breaks after a few days.
You're kidding about the humidity? I lived in Portland, Oregon for three years and didn't have A/C. While the winters are wet and and dreary the spring and summers are dry and quite comfortable, the humidity is very low and temps hover around 80 degrees. Every once in awhile there is a heat wave with temps in the 90s and sometimes even 100 degrees, but it breaks after a few days.
Nothing compares to the humidity down here.
Agree. The statement about humidity in the Pacific Northwest is dead wrong. I lived in Seattle for two years and never felt any humidity. None. It was rainy and cool almost all year and the summers were like dry spring days in DC.
I have lived in NY and I have lived in Tampa (and many other places). I am neither a NY snob ("everything is better in NY") nor a Tampa snob ("everything is better in Tampa"). Here's my take (and please note that my take is based on living in South Tampa; like everything else, your quality of life will depend on where you actually live & work in the TB area):
The Negative:
There is a limited amount of entertainment and just a lack of a sense of "vibrancy" (Hope I am wrong). There IS vibrancy, but like a lot in this area, you have to search for it. Downtown St. Pete has a bit of it, so does Ybor; it's not in your face like in NYC or Miami or LA. You have to look for the energy here. In terms of entertainment, it's spread out but it's here.
Downtown Tampa is strictly a 9 to 5 business city. People will tell you that downtown Tampa is improving. These same people believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus. It's not improving. It's the same. It's dead. It's an embarrassment. Especially compared to what Downtown St. Pete offers.
The local evening news is boring. The journalism here is not great. If you want good journalism, find it on the Internet or subscribe to the Wall Street Journal.
There is little cultural diversity. Not true at all, I am always amazed at how diverse Tampa is. You can find Indian grocers, Celtic pubs, Cuban picadillo, and Thai festivals all in the same city.
Too many chain restaurants. Actually there's a lot more indie restaurants here than where I moved from. I just don't see this whole "Tampa has too many chains" thing. The truth is that EACH AND EVERY CITY IN THE U.S. IS FULL OF CHAINS. In fact, every city really just looks like the next one, with the obligatory Best Buy, Walmart, Home Depot and Applebee's. Is there good pizza or Chinese food? Compared to NY? No. Compared to many other places in the US? Yes.
Many months of punishing heat. DEFINITELY, but Oct-April are sublime and makes the heat worth it.
Cars with the Stars n Bars flag of the Confederate every so often. Doesn't bother me, but I am a very open-minded person.
Everything is dependent on your car or you are in trouble. Very true, don't ever expect public transit in Florida. They don't know how to do that here. Besides, public transit is way overrated. I would much rather drive than stand in a 110-degree Paris Metro or NYC subway train, with everyone around me smelling of B.O. and the guy next to me feeling me up.
The area is spread out...I doubt people in Tampa get to St. Pete or people in St. Pete get to Tampa often?? This area is spread out, but every major/minor city has suburbs and exurbs and is also "SPREAD OUT." You can put NYC on that list with all of its burbs and burroughs. Try taking the train from Midtown Manhattan to Brighton Beach for some good borscht, takes 3 forevers! Every major US city is starting to look like the next one. Lots of chains (even Manhattan is FULL OF CHAINS, with 189 Subway sandwich shops in Manhattan ALONE), carbon copy apartment complexes, townhouses, subdivisions, etc. And as for Tampa/St. Pete not mixing, that is not true. If you live in Tampa, you have to go to downtown St. Pete. Where else are you gonna find a walkable & outdoor shopping/dining area?
Other negatives:
Cost of electricity (you will be 200-300 a month just to keep your house at 78 HOT degrees)
Cost of homeowners insurance
The Positive:
Property taxes, although at a steep 20 mil rate, are still lower than NY. Yes.
More affordable housing for purchase. Yes.
No state income tax. Yes.
Seems to be more choices for Individual health insurance and priced lower too than NY. Yes.
No winter cold, ice, snow. Yes (although I saw sleet in Sarasota last winter).
Some nice scenery. Yes.
Other positives
People are nicer than in bigger cities
No lines at the grocery stores, post office, etc.
Good libraries
Excellent airport
Excellent overall quality of life
Last edited by aquarius4; 12-19-2010 at 04:35 PM..
That's pretty harsh to say that Downtown Tampa isn't improving. How long have you been in the area? If you think Downtown Tampa is the same now as it was in, say, 1996, then you're mistaken. It still has a long way to go even to reach St. Pete levels, but it's not the void that some people make it out to be. There are quite a few restaurants open well into the night, there's usually something going on at the Tampa Theatre or the Performing Arts Center or something, there are always people hanging out at Curtis Hixon Park, and even just more people on the sidewalks at night due to the new residential towers down there.
It has a long way to go, that's for sure, and I don't think anybody is content with letting it stay as it is, but to say that it will never amount to anything is completely off.
I live in a downtown condo (Grand Central at Kennedy). It may be better than 1996, but Downtown Tampa has a long way to go to match Downtown St. Pete or Downtown Sarasota or any other downtown that has, as the OP put it, "vibrancy." Channelside is an absolute joke. They should just tear that monstrosity down and start over. Who goes there, other than the people who get off the cruise ships?
I am actually starting to wonder what the GOPers will think of the GOP establishment for choosing Tampa as its convention site. What are those people going to do in downtown? Other than walk into empty streets and comingle with homeless people?
I lived in NJ and went to NYC almost every weekend (mostly Little Italy, The Village, Union Square)- lived there for 25 yrs. Then Richmond VA for another 15 years.
We (hubby and 2 kids) just moved to Tampa and we love it! I think if I were single and younger and had no kids, I would live in South Tampa and love every minute of walking to great restaurants (not chains), coffee shops, bars, etc. I often take my laptop and work in the Soho area in south Tampa just to "people watch", go for a run in between work, and eat at a great restaurant, before I have to drive back to suburbia and the kids :-)
We live in Carrollwood (renting while looking to buy as we just sold the hourse in VA) and love the area, but are going to buy in Odessa b/c the schools are better and it's closer to the horses that I ride. Probably Van Dyke Farms.
I do have to say that the traffic here sucks compared to Richmond, VA and that seems to be due to 2 main reasons 1) larger city and 2) horribly put together highway system.
But no place is perfect.
I find the people to be incredibly friendly, the business is great, the restaurants are great, there is plenty to do, etc. Then again I am a ridiculously positive person who can have fun in China Town in NYC, on the back of a horse hunting across fields of Palmettos, at a TGIF's with my kids eating average (at best) food, or out with clients or friends at the Blue Martini at the International Mall in Tampa!
Too often, folks from NYC are stuck up about how awesome NY is - I was born there and lived most of my life there so I know. But most of these people do not have small children AND live on a budget AND enjoy the outdoors - that's MOST I said, not all.
If one really finds Tampa so revolting, just stay in NYC and don't come here and complain and spread negativity! Because I for one, LOVE LOVE LOVE this city!!!
But if you decide you are ready for a change, then come enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer...you just have to change your expectations because it is a totally different place than NYC.
Good luck!
I lived in NJ and went to NYC almost every weekend (mostly Little Italy, The Village, Union Square)- lived there for 25 yrs. Then Richmond VA for another 15 years.
We (hubby and 2 kids) just moved to Tampa and we love it! I think if I were single and younger and had no kids, I would live in South Tampa and love every minute of walking to great restaurants (not chains), coffee shops, bars, etc. I often take my laptop and work in the Soho area in south Tampa just to "people watch", go for a run in between work, and eat at a great restaurant, before I have to drive back to suburbia and the kids :-)
We live in Carrollwood (renting while looking to buy as we just sold the hourse in VA) and love the area, but are going to buy in Odessa b/c the schools are better and it's closer to the horses that I ride. Probably Van Dyke Farms.
I do have to say that the traffic here sucks compared to Richmond, VA and that seems to be due to 2 main reasons 1) larger city and 2) horribly put together highway system.
But no place is perfect.
I find the people to be incredibly friendly, the business is great, the restaurants are great, there is plenty to do, etc. Then again I am a ridiculously positive person who can have fun in China Town in NYC, on the back of a horse hunting across fields of Palmettos, at a TGIF's with my kids eating average (at best) food, or out with clients or friends at the Blue Martini at the International Mall in Tampa!
Too often, folks from NYC are stuck up about how awesome NY is - I was born there and lived most of my life there so I know. But most of these people do not have small children AND live on a budget AND enjoy the outdoors - that's MOST I said, not all.
If one really finds Tampa so revolting, just stay in NYC and don't come here and complain and spread negativity! Because I for one, LOVE LOVE LOVE this city!!!
But if you decide you are ready for a change, then come enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer...you just have to change your expectations because it is a totally different place than NYC.
Good luck!
That was refreshing to read - thank you so much for posting, and I 100% agree!
Downtown Tampa is strictly a 9 to 5 business city. People will tell you that downtown Tampa is improving. These same people believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus. It's not improving. It's the same. It's dead. It's an embarrassment. Especially compared to what Downtown St. Pete offers.
I agree with everything except the statement about Downtown. In the past 10 years, Thousands of new residents have moved in with room for thousands more. There are new parks, museums, a history center, and tons of new events. Public art fixtures are popping up at almost every street corner. New restaurants have opened and are staying open later. The skyline itself has grown. The Tampa Riverwalk project has made big strides. Their is currently a lot of construction because the city is making the streets more pedestrian friendly, and are redoing intersections in brick for beautification and historic value. It will continue to get better with projects like ENCORE taking place. The paper even had an article about the city thinking about turning the surface lots under the downtown span of the crosstown into green space as a shaded trail as proof the city wants it to get better. Its not great, but it IS improving. I don't see how you can say it hasn't.
Mike, we are not talking about a country road here at cow's tail! NOR the north side of Dale Mabry FROM Van Dyke to 54!
We are talking about a MAJOR shopping stretch that happens between Mapledale and the south end of Dale Mabry! There are sidewalks on both sides, they appear and disappear the problem is they lead to nowhere because at that intersection I mentioned, along with others, there are no lines for a pedestrian crossing, yesterday we drove down Florida Ave, and ALL Intersections HAD pedestrian walks.
They are building those wooden sidewalks alongside now, but they too will lead to nowhere if they don't draw pedestrian crossings, Between Mapeldale and Ehrlich you have Home Depot, Target, Walmart, DSW, Olive Garden, Evans restaurant...Boston Market, Pep Boys, Sams, Sweetbay, Publix and a whole bunch of other little stores I don't have time to list now, this is within a mile if that, and people have to park, go to a store on one side only to the get back in the car to cross the street to go on the other side!!!!! if you don't have MAJOR shopping to do and there were pedestrian crossings, people could go back and forth without wasting anymore gas!
IF I need something at Pep Boys, a spark plug, and pick up some photos at Walgreens why do I have to be forced to get back in the car to cross the street, park again, engine on and of and on and off wasting gas....to get an envelope! makes NO sense when I could just cross the street with my FEET that don't require expensive gas and get what I need ECONOMICALLY!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Peterson
What the hell is a nortgener? NORTHENER! REALLY? running out of things to pick on?????
Please show me anywhere besides your delusional post, and maybe a few other posts on CD, that a city has to have sidewalks on both sides of the street.
It is also pretty convenient that first you said there was no sidewalk but when shown that there was indeed a sidewalk it now becomes mandatory (in your eyes) that there be 2. Is it that hard to use a crosswalk?
What does where I have previously sold property have anything to do with this? Is that you hint that you are running out of things to say?
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