affordable neighborhoods in St. Petersburg OR Tampa? (rent, student, low income)

[verlorenersohn]

Originally Posted by user8

but *not* if you have to commute across the bay every day. stick to living/working on one side or the other.

ok I think I'm down with st petersburg. I'm planning on attending st petersburg college, so all I need now is a job down there and I should be fine with a scooter (no insurance, no license required )

just out of curiosity why can't I use a scooter to commute across the bay?

[BBI]

Originally Posted by verlorenersohn

oh ok thats good info... I've checked craigslist a few times but it seems like that most of those apartments are scams, so I actually rather go around and look for rent signs and by owner apartments. thanks to you I now have a few neighborhoods I m going to check out.... still can't believe how cheap the rent is compared to NYC . seem like you could actually make it with a minimum wage job.

since you give me such good information I d like to ask another question. Is it possible to get by with a 49cc scooter? since car insurance is such a major expense plus gas and whatnot, I was thinking about getting a scooter for the beginning... good or bad idea?

thanks a lot for the input, really appreciate

The cost of living here is very, very low compared to NYC. Salaries are also much lower here.

The scooter will only work if you live near where you work/go to school. Like another poster points out, it is not an option if you plan to cross the bay. There are three bridges across, and the slow one is 50 or 55mph (and, of course, most folks go 10+ over). Your 49cc's top speed is 30 or 35mph, right? Highly dangerous to get on one of those bridges where everyone's going more than double your speed. And you may ticketed (for going below the minimum speed limit) if there's a cop on the bridge.

In addition, there are a TON of bad drivers here (old people, drunk vacationers, etc.). If some 90 year old hits your scooter with her Cadillac, game over. That's not worth the risk. So if you're commuting only a short distance and can take secondary/residential roads, it's fine. But if you need to go a long way or you need to take a major road, there's no way I'd do it.

If you're living in/near downtown St. Pete, working in downtown St. Pete and going to school at SPC's downtown campus (there are a bunch of SPC campuses...), you should be fine on a scooter.

[Sunscape]

Driving a scooter here is dangerous like the other poster says , if you are going to cross bridges.
Do you know that the amount of motorcycle accidents here is very, very high?
In fact, many cars have a sticker that says "Watch out for Motorcycles" .

And that's not counting the 90 years old driving their Cadillac's !

[user8]

Originally Posted by verlorenersohn

just out of curiosity why can't I use a scooter to commute across the bay?

because there's no dedicated bike or scooter lane on any of the bridges and people drive like maniacs on them.

you mentioned you have a 49cc. that'd basically be a death sentence on the bridge(s).

[verlorenersohn]

I don't have anything yet neither a car nor a scooters, I was just playing with the thought in my head and wanted some input on it. Thanks a lot for all the answers, really great people here.

I ve just checked out the public transportation in st petersburg and it doesn't look so bad to me. definitely not comparable to NYCs MTA but pretty decent for a small city. I am originally from a small city in europe so I'm used to not having a subway and whatnot. It seems like that having a car is good because u faster and u can reach places further out of the city but is it really necessary, especially if one works in the city (st petersburg/tampa)? Any bus riders out there? Any input on it?

[thethinktank]

I've got a car, but use my moped to get around on local trips. I have a restored 1976 Puch Maxi with a stock engine that can barely break 25 mph, and most of my area in Hyde Park is blocked off by roads where 30 is the speed limit. Sure, I could ride down Swann going 24 mph, but don't want to do that to the commuters behind me.

I've learned a very intricate network of connecting side streets to get me from home to grocery stores, restaurants, even as far away as Ballast Point. If you just want to get around, a 49cc moped or a larger engine scooter will do you just fine. (although old school mopeds are a hell of a lot cooler), but only if you live in a very specific area and plan to eventually get a car.

Would I ever cross the bay on a moped? Only if I was already diagnosed with something terminal. It would, however, be hilarious to ride down the shoulder of the I-4 during rush hour traffic. I think I'd lose it if I was stuck bumper-to-bumper and some dude on a moped screams by on the right.

[Angler]

Originally Posted by BBI

If you're living in/near downtown St. Pete, working in downtown St. Pete and going to school at SPC's downtown campus (there are a bunch of SPC campuses...), you should be fine on a scooter.

I second that. I see scooters all the time in-and-around downtown, out to where I live, on the west side. You can also commute across and up/down the city and out to the beaches using a scooter.