What do you like (or not like) about living in St Pete (Tampa: real estate, apartment)

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by xbillyx

Haha! Pasco does seem to be the epicenter. And, yes, there are rednecks everywhere. Hell, I take trips to NE PA and am always shocked to see lots of rednecks...and it's 1.5 hours from NYC.

You shared some good advice for people. If you'd like to avoid "redneck culture" steer clear of Pasco. Stay in Pinellas or Hillsborough.

Exactly, except for the eastern third of Hillsborough (Thonotosassa, Mango, Plantucky), most of the Bay Area lacks what you would call "rednecks."

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by ferret111

Exactly, except for the eastern third of Hillsborough (Thonotosassa, Mango, Plantucky), most of the Bay Area lacks what you would call "rednecks."

You forgot Methner.

I agree a large part of Hillsborough is bad.

A large part of this country is pretty redneck.

[xbillyx]

Originally Posted by craigm1841

A large part of this country is pretty redneck.

Yup. Just look at the redneck policies in the legislatures now that a lot of Republicans and Tea Party nutjobs got elected.

[Eastern Roamer]

I'm married without kids and live in St. Pete. Here's my two cents:

It's not so much "God's waiting room" anymore. It seems Sarasota is now the old folks haven these days. St. Pete has been re-geriatrified. There are enough good restaurants to offer variety, though there might just be one of each kind you're looking for. There are enough bars, too and again, there's a little something for everyone. If you go out a lot you will get sick of the same tired places. If you go out once in a while you can always find something that fits your mood. There's a couple of theaters, an outdoor music venue (Jannus Live) and an indoor one (State Theater), a couple of dance clubs, a little of this and a little of that. It's all very quaint for an urban area. We've actually got the 3rd largest public waterfront park system in North America.

I know you hear people refer to "the Tampa Bay area" but Tampa and St. Pete are different cities. What St. Pete has going on is centered on downtown whereas Tampa has more going on around the peripheral with downtown mostly dormant during nights and weekends. Tampa has been bringing people back downtown, too, however. I've lived over there, too. Tampa is just a bigger city so everything is more spread out. You can pretty much walk the extent of what St. Pete has to offer. It's more seasonal, too. Things get pretty slow in the summer.

Ask me about career opportunities and I'll have less positive things to say.

[Eastern Roamer]

Originally Posted by jp01358

Disagree as well. You haven't seen redneck if Tampa is your view of what it is to be redneck.

Really? How about the world's largest rebel flag... is that redneck?

World's Largest Confederate Flag, Brandon, Florida

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by Eastern Roamer

Really? How about the world's largest rebel flag... is that redneck?

World's Largest Confederate Flag, Brandon, Florida

That was installed by a private group on their own land. Either way, it's still in that no-man's-land of East County.

[gypsychic]

We don't live in St. Pete, we live in Sarasota and visit often, even toy with the idea that maybe someday we could buy or invest there. Here is what I like and dislike about the city:

What I love:

I LOVE the downtown! For me, that is the MAIN draw of St. Pete. The look of it is beautiful, set on the waterfront with all the wonderful parks. There are several museums, shopping, the gorgeous restored Vinoy, and many unique restaurants and businesses. We recently attended the Grand Prix race right downtown and had a blast!

I love the tropical look of the city and how it is surrounded by water.

I love that it has a "Bohemian" feel.

The cool old architecture - makes me think of how LA probably looked decades ago.

It has nice beaches (although I feel Sarasota/Bradenton's are nicer)

Good location, just a hop over the bridges to either Tampa or Sarasota.

What I don't like:

The high crime, and what I feel is a disproportionate amount of racial tension that I don't feel in Tampa or Sarasota. (The main negative for me.)

Shopping options seem somewhat limited compared to Tampa or Sarasota or even Clearwater.

Schools are of no concern to me since we don't have kids, but I hear they are not great.

Well, that's about it for me, for anyone concerned about jobs, it's probably not the best place to look, but that can be said about a lot of places right now.

[jp01358]

Originally Posted by Eastern Roamer

Really? How about the world's largest rebel flag... is that redneck?

World's Largest Confederate Flag, Brandon, Florida

I grew up in rural north Georgia. I stand by my statement that there aren't that many rednecks around Tampa. That's not to say that there aren't trashy people. Quite the opposite. It's just not really a redneck vibe around here.

[matt_sfl]

I live in the northeast part of St. Petersburg. It's not that ALL these people have cars on cinder blocks and fly rebel flags. And maybe redneck is not the proper word. I go to USF and yeah I'm a few years older than my classmates. They probably have money, or their parents do. But I'm looking at them and they're wearing flip flops, soured feet resting on a chair, T-shirts with fish on them, gold chain, tattoos, beard, and they're always sunburned. And I see this look all over St. Pete, even in the nice neighborhoods. Some might call it laid back but I call it scummy. Hell the blacks dress better than them. They might like they're clothes loose and bright, but at least they put in a little effort before they leave the house.

I feel like that Asian guy in King of the Hill, "it's all wedneck to me".

Originally Posted by craigm1841

Where is everyone getting this redneck thing from? What do you expect if you live 30 minutes outside of the city. You get an hour out of new york city and redneckism is rampant.

I hardly ever see rednecks, that is because I am not stupid and didnt move to Pasco county like a lot of people on these forums, then come on here and complain about rednecks. You got what you deserved. When I start seeing people riding lawn tractors down bayshore, or spitting dip on the floor of Capital Grill, we have a problem. Until then, Tampa isn't worse than anywhere else.

39 is a tough age in this area. In St Pete, you would be the young buck, in Tampa, you might be the old creeper. Any interest in the Westshore business district which is in Tampa, closest to st pete. I would say there are a lot of late 20s to mid 40s.

On the plus side, if you are in your 40s and 50s in Tampa, you can date some smoking hot women in their 20s, regardless of how ulgy you are, not that I am impying you are ugly.

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by matt_sfl

But I'm looking at them and they're wearing flip flops, soured feet resting on a chair, T-shirts with fish on them, gold chain, tattoos, beard, and they're always sunburned. And I see this look all over St. Pete, even in the nice neighborhoods. Some might call it laid back but I call it scummy. Hell the blacks dress better than them. They might like they're clothes loose and bright, but at least they put in a little effort before they leave the house.

That sounds like the Jimmy Buffet lifestyle that is so popular on college campuses now, especially with frat boys. I don't get it. Some people watch too many Bealls commercials.