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I suppose the thing to remember is that you are the same person who arrives in Florida who left wherever you came from.
If you're a deadbeat pessimist from Portland you're going to be a failure in Florida. If you're stupid from Seattle you're still going to be gormless on the Gulf.
Moving to Florida doesn't automatically change you as a person but it does give you the opportunity to change if you want to.
Weather-wise, there is so much more opportunity to get fit and there is much more opportunity to pursue leisure activities - all year round rather than spending half your life dark,wet,cold and miserable.
And Florida is still growing rapidly as a state with a huge number of companies looking to expand and large numbers of people still willing to move here because of the lifestyle and opportunities.
There are downsides to every single place on the planet but I suspect the misery-guts Floridians who constantly post here about how lousy the place is can't appreciate what is around them.
Sometimes it takes a new pair of eyes to see the wood from the trees.
Moving to Florida doesn't automatically change you as a person but it does give you the opportunity to change if you want to.
Weather-wise, there is so much more opportunity to get fit and there is much more opportunity to pursue leisure activities - all year round rather than spending half your life dark,wet,cold and miserable.
And Florida is still growing rapidly as a state with a huge number of companies looking to expand and large numbers of people still willing to move here because of the lifestyle and opportunities.
There are downsides to every single place on the planet but I suspect the misery-guts Floridians who constantly post here about how lousy the place is can't appreciate what is around them.
Sometimes it takes a new pair of eyes to see the wood from the trees.
I agree, the near perfect weather all year round allows me to be outside every day of the year pursuing activities I enjoy. I garden and can now do so each day of the year rather than just a few months. I also enjoy walking, swimming, and biking without getting cold. Playing sports all year long is a new concept to me and I'm having a blast because there's no down season. If a person wants to have an active outdoor lifestyle this area affords you that opportunity.
The natural beauty of the area still amazes me as I drive around. I just love the water, flowers, seabirds, palm trees, dolphins, etc. Every drive reveals something lovely and unexpected. Plus the roads here are so smooth. What a joy to drive on roads that aren't filled with pot holes, orange barrels, and constant construction! Road projects actually get finished here - who knew?
The Tampa area isn't perfect for everyone, but for those of us who did our research, planned, and relocated here with eyes wide open to the area's pluses and minuses, it's pretty darn good.
I suppose the thing to remember is that you are the same person who arrives in Florida who left wherever you came from.
If you're a deadbeat pessimist from Portland you're going to be a failure in Florida. If you're stupid from Seattle you're still going to be gormless on the Gulf.
Moving to Florida doesn't automatically change you as a person but it does give you the opportunity to change if you want to.
Weather-wise, there is so much more opportunity to get fit and there is much more opportunity to pursue leisure activities - all year round rather than spending half your life dark,wet,cold and miserable.
And Florida is still growing rapidly as a state with a huge number of companies looking to expand and large numbers of people still willing to move here because of the lifestyle and opportunities.
There are downsides to every single place on the planet but I suspect the misery-guts Floridians who constantly post here about how lousy the place is can't appreciate what is around them.
Sometimes it takes a new pair of eyes to see the wood from the trees.
I do not understand only wanting the positives- that's not reality. If you have money any place is great- if you have kids, Tbay is good for kids lots of parks/ beaches etc and mickey mouse around the corner, if you have a job and it pays well- fantastic- you can build here, if unemployed- will be harder. If you need to go to school, lots of universities etc in the area. If you are middle aged and single, not a place to mingle, but if over 70- lots of planned activities if you live in a 55+ condo. If you like a big city feel- this is not it, but Tampa offers many amenities with out the big city prices. I love the city- living amongs all kinds of people and being able to walk-shop eat and bustle in it. Tampa is toned down suburban living, with malls. Nobody can tell any one else what you would like or NOT, but i think to hear others complaints might give you a balanced picture.
I personally do not like tampa because its too toned down and too sprawled out, I prefer SE FL but tampa can be great for certain people- it has enough to offer without being a hustle and bustle, rat race kind of city
I don't know why people in central and north florida feel like they need to "prove" that their cities are as good as miami when there is just no comparison...miami is the hot spot city in the entire state of florida hands down- when it comes to vacations, young sexy people, movie shoots, models, south beach, nightlife and the fast paced lifestyle miami will always be #1 in the state of FL.
Now does that mean places like Orlando and Tampa aren't great? No, they both have their own unique charm and amusement parks galore but it just all depends on who you are, how old you are, what you want in life and what kind of lifestyle you are used to
Central Florida-Tampa and Orlando
Pros-
Great for families
Much less crime than south florida
Cheaper than S.FL
More places to rent than S.FL
More "Green" than s.FL such as pastures, "woods" cattle, pine trees and such
Drivers arent as crazy as south florida
People are friendlier than south florida
Schools are better in terms of size and less problems than the ones in miami
Everything a person "needs" is available without the crazy fast paced lifestyle
Definitely more jobs available than miami and you dont have to speak spanish
Clearwater beach is very clean and pretty but thats not in tampa obviously its about a 40 minute drive to get there from tampa
Weather is more mild than South Florida, it does get colder for longer in tampa/st.pete than south florida but if you have experienced northern winters the cold is absolutely nothing
Cons:
Dead nightlife compared to miami/south beach
If you are from somewhere like LA, SD OR NYC you will get tired of tampa/orlando very quickly
This is just my opinion but south florida native (miami, fort laud, boca raton, palm beach) women are the hottest in the state, and other than a few transplants you wont find a lot of them in central and north florida unless they are attending college
Beaches arent as pretty and tourist friendly as miami beach, fort laud beach, palm beach etc, the best beach in tampa isnt even in tampa its in clearwater-however the view from the bridge from clearwater to clearwater beach is gorgeous it looks like a postcard, the first time you see it, especially if you have never been to FL, it will take your breath away, I definitely recommend a drive from clearwater beach down to st.pete beach, if you look on a map it looks like a long skinny peninsula near the side of clearwater, it has a cute oahu/island type vibe to it, very pretty drive
More rednecks and hillbillies than south florida, think confederate flags, pickup trucks with huge tires, and lots of bumper stickers- this seems to be a common observation from people who are from big cities like miami, nyc, and la that visit places like tampa or even orlando
Lots of q tip tourists from places like north carolina, virginia, texas, south carolina ALL year round so instead of those hot, cute college girl tourists coming down from California for spring break you will have to deal with 40 year old+ tourists, and families from the north visiting all year round especially during the winter time, and they tend to stay closer to clearwater beach but it spills over to tampa and some people visit tampa for families and relatives so expect to see cars with northern state license plates all year
SINKHOLES
tampa is known as the lightning city- guess why? rain rain rain and lightning. Some people like that so it could be a pro but I think most people dont so I put it in con
Economy is still not that good in any part of Florida, reports stated that when the economy crashed florida was the hardest hit state in the entire U.S., make sure you have a job lined up or at best you will get paid $9 an hour to work at circle k gas station in cities like Tampa, and Miami/SE FL you need to speak atleast some spanish because that'll raise your chances of getting hired anywhere just like hawaii where you need to know some japanese to get a job
[/font] I have lived in both cities. Tampa is completely different from miami in so many ways, but unless you visit it's just not going to register. I'll just make a list below of some pros and cons
Tampa
***************
*Lower cost of living than Miami
*Lots more places to rent than miami, there are many more apartments and homes to rent in tampa than miami and theyre definitely cheaper than miami
*Less crime than Miami
*If you are white you are not a minority in tampa unlike miami
*Quiet, slower paced lifestyle -this could be a con depending on what you like
*People are less aggressive and much friendlier than miami
*Most days in the summer the temperature doesn't get higher than 89 degrees
*Lots of "natural" beauty, pine trees, forests, cattle, horses, even some ranches
*possibly more jobs than miami depending on what you do
*Drivers aren't as bad as miami, but still not excellent, you'll see a lot of umm "crushed" cars driving around with dents and bumps in various spots but still not as angry and aggressive as miami drivers
*Lots of golf courses if you like that kind of thing
*Has a seminole hard rock just like the one in hollywood, fl8
*Has a colder and longer winter...depending on what you like this can be a con
*Peninsula next to clearwater is gorgeous especially when you see it for the first time, it has a hawaii island vibe that is very appealing, if you visit tampa definitely drive to clearwater beach, indian rocks beach and all the way down to treasure island and st. pete beach its a very pretty drive
Cons:
*Tampa is known as lightning city..wanna guess why? Lots of rain and lightning I personally love both so doesnt bother me but I think for most people this is a con
*The population from my observation consists more of older people than miami, lots of Q-tips
*Little to no nightlife compared to miami/south beach, a lot of people will tell you to go to hyde park The Hyde Park Cafe - Providing the Best Nightlife in Tampa Bay heres the link...they have a gallery where you can see pictures of the type of crowd that hangs out there, you might like it
*Quiet slower paced lifestyle I put this in pro and con because depending on how you feel it could be either one, and the slower paced lifestyle affects all things from how many bars there are to how many malls there are, just to give you an idea Tampa does not have a Costco you have to go all the way to clearwater just to get to a costco and imho tampa only has one mall that is worth going to its called the International plaza
*LOTS OF TOURISTS all year round and although most of the tourists visit and stay near clearwater, a lot of tourists stay in tampa and its just annoying, and tampa attracts a lot of older, retirees as a vacation spot so its not like miami where you get hot sexy 20 yr olds from san diego coming down for spring break its almost always 40yrs old+ people and families coming from states like North carolina, ohio, texas and virginia in their SUVs, it gets annoying after awhile -there are a lot of good opinions on this website as to why tampa attracts mostly older retirees as tourists and the main point that everyone agrees on is this "Miami is a little much for older people who want to bask in the nice weather and just golf or check out Spring Training, and also a bit much for underage kids who do want to go to Orlando. Miami is more for single 20-30 somethings, and better if you are well off financially than not. Tampa is cheaper and has less crime, and is a less socially and racially stratified place than Miami."
*Some people who move from miami to tampa complain all day that the city is dead and there is nothing to do
*No beach...well the only beach worth going to is in clearwater and imo its not as great as fort lauderdale beach, miami beach, palm beach etc but thats my opinion, clearwater beach is quite pretty when you're going over the bridge to get to it the view is fantastic it was breathtaking the first time I saw it
*Lots of people on here who moved to Tampa from more developed cities such as LA, NY or SD complain that some of the people in tampa are too "redneck" and hillbilly, and in some areas of tampa and clearwater it is true, think lots of bumper stickers on 1 out of every 10 cars, some cars even have 10 or more bumper stickers, I remember one that read "My other car is a broom" possible Harry potter joke? idk (a lot of people here make jokes about people in certain areas of pinellas and pasco county marrying their cousins and only going as high as the 7th grade etc theyre definitely exaggerating but there are more "rednecks" in tampa than miami, this isnt meant to offend anyone, just look at all of the threads on here Im not making it up)
*Lots of trailer parks, funny thing is some of them are gated communities
*SINKHOLES, miami has hurricanes well so does tampa but also SINKHOLES
*Tampa was voted one of the worst dressed cities not that long ago which only matters if you care about flashy or fashionable clothes, if not then you can walk out the door in the shirt you slept in, some shorts and flip flops, run all the errands you want and no one would bat an eye
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So to answer the OP well tampa is great for 30+yr old couples and married people, and for people with children (those are the type of people who will have the most "successful" moves to tampa) but for someone whos young(teens and 20s and early 30s) and single the tampa/stpete/clearwater area is quite boring and very small, unemployment is high, in the tampa area the business owners try to hire tampa natives and seem to not want to hire people from out of town making it even more difficult for people from other areas to get hired in the tampa area if they move to the area without having a job in place beforehand (to be fair though anywhere with a small town mentality does this, big cities like LA, SD, NYC, MIA don't have time to meticulously weed out the natives and out of towners there are just too many people and too many things to focus to waste time on things like that)
For senior citizens and 30+ couples and people with children the tampa area is GREAT, its pretty safe and quiet, its laid back, and pretty clean compared to other areas in FL like downtown miami (very ratchet) there is an okay mix or senior citizens and younger people compared to cities like Naples where the entire city is full of senior citizens (seriously just visit Naples and see for yourself everyone from the hotel employees to the people shopping at costco are ALL q-tips that city is senior citizen paradise )
Personally I prefer big cities and the big city mentality and that's the only reason I poo poo tampa because other than that tampa is a great place, but after living in several major cities I just can't get enough of big cities, I love the yearly fashion shows in miami (aka hundreds of models in bikinis week = Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week) and the hustle and bustle of huge cities with 8 million people like NYC its just so exciting but tampa is GREAT for people that really don't like the hustle and bustle and rat race feeling of big cities
it has everything you need to live while still being a quiet, calm, toned down and overall SAFE city
great websites to use for research Florida QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed hope that helps
When you have many coming to Florida thinking they are just going to sit under palm trees on a beach all day reality usually gives them an ooops moment after they have arrived.Many come down to escape winter only to discover Floridas summers are harder to deal with than the winters they tried to escape...ooops I can see why some might be a bit grumpy or irritable when all the dreams they had of Florida turned out to be not what they had in mind..
I usually see this line about sitting under palm trees on the beach from those that are not happy with Florida but they are using it stereotype those that move to Florida.
What I actually see in this thread is people that work but enjoy that amenities such as a beach are close by. Those people work and the vast majority of the time you do not see posts from people expecting to move to Florida and sit on the beach all day and survive without working. The sitting on the beach all day, not working, posts come from some imaginary poster that I see you refer to all the time but can't seem to find the actual original post. Maybe one day you can link to that post.
Yes, I am sure you may be able to find one or 2 beach bums that may have posted about that but not the 99.9999% of the other posts.
With the exception of Whole Foods none of those companies will have many jobs paying a living wage.
Gas stations and convenience stores will pay close to minimum wage usually. Why should a non skilled position get paid anything more? What have they done to deserve more?
The topic is about TAMPA... not about things that are not Tampa specific. Please stay on topic.
Insurance and how it relates to the state of FL is not revelent to Tampa but to ALL of Florida. This is suppose to be a POSITIVE post not a rant about insurance.
I usually see this line about sitting under palm trees on the beach from those that are not happy with Florida but they are using it stereotype those that move to Florida.
What I actually see in this thread is people that work but enjoy that amenities such as a beach are close by. Those people work and the vast majority of the time you do not see posts from people expecting to move to Florida and sit on the beach all day and survive without working. The sitting on the beach all day, not working, posts come from some imaginary poster that I see you refer to all the time but can't seem to find the actual original post. Maybe one day you can link to that post.
Yes, I am sure you may be able to find one or 2 beach bums that may have posted about that but not the 99.9999% of the other posts.
That's right.
This "sitting under palm tree on the beach all day long" line is getting old. I know no one that does that. In fact, I will bet the majority of people who live here will go to the beach may be once in a month or so. If they feel like to go any day of the week, it is there within driving distance. That's the point people who love it trying to make. I may leave Tampa Bay tomorrow but I wouldn't bash with is line of crap.
Last edited by Pragmaticus; 10-03-2012 at 07:12 AM..
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