I would appreciate your expertise- TAMPA,ORLANDO, PT ST LUCIE (Hollywood: apartments, rentals)

[bru]

I have no idea where to go. Where do you suggest? I'm in my thirites no kids (single/fem) black/hispanic fem living in Broward. Cty. I would like a fresh start and have no idea where to go. I'm looking for an area where rent is reasonable for a 1 bdrm-clean, safe that's not trafficky. A place you would put your mom, wife , sister and know she would be comfortable and safe. I did like St Lucie but there is no downtown life and I feel like I would be very bored there. The only places left are Tampa /Orlando. Right now Orlando blog has many negatives- the crime,commute/tolls, traffic and so on. I don't have kids so school district is not top on my list. However safety is. Tampa from what I 've seen looks kinda old unkept not pretty aesthetically. I might be wrong because I haven't spent a lot of time there. I'm not worried about the jobs because I work for the State so I can transfer to any county there is an opening. Please help me. I'd appreciate your advise. I like living around different nationalities. I've previously dated interracially and continue to do so. Please keep in my mind I'm a single fem -I want to be in a safe still reasonable neighborhood(aesthetically pleasing) with a mixture of people. However I still want to have things to do nearby. I look forward to reading your input.

[tampaguy03]

Aesthetically Pleasing, Reasonably Safe, Mixture of People, Close to Things Nearby - Im thinking the following neighborhoods in Tampa:
Riverside Heights, Hyde Park, Davis Islands, Bayshore Gardens/Beautiful, Beach Park, Palma Ceia.
Check out the Tampa Neighborhood map here to see where they are:
http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Neighborhood_and_Community_Relations/files/Neighborhood%20Map_3_1_07.pdf (broken link)

One Bedrooms can start around $650 to over $2000. Check craigslist.com, tbo.com, apartmenthunters.com.

Here is some Info on Tampa's Downtown TDP Intro

[yukon]

You might want to spend a weekend over here, just driving around getting a feel. Tampa is very different from Broward (I used to live in Tamarac, worked in Hollywood).

Davis Island apartments are competitively priced but older, with smaller rooms and limited closet space. But, it's one of the safer areas in town. Do a google search for Davis Island Apartments Tampa and Palori Properties Tampa, these two own many of the units on Davis Island (and around Hyde Park).

Many of the Hyde Park apartments went condo, so your best bet there is craigslist or realtor.com.

Another option is Carrollwood, although it's is mostly condo and townhome (originally condo, not apartment converted) but convenient. Again, craigslist is a good spot to start. There are some apartments in the Carrollwood area, but I've found the condo & townhome rentals there to be a much better deal (often the water and cable is included with the rent on the condos & townhomes). Steer clear of the Pinnacle, however. It's apartments that converted to condo, not the best as apartments and not any better as condos.

Since you can work in any county, why not check out St Pete? I think it has more going on than Tampa does as far as things to do. There are some neat homes converted to apartments and other rental units around 4th/downtown, and the northeast part around Gandy/MLK is pretty nice too. That area has access to the I-275 bridge and the Gandy bridge, so getting over to Tampa wouldn't be a big hassle.

[gypsychic]

I am thinking the OP would feel most comfortable in Tampa, given the fact that she enjoys a lot of diversity.

I second the advice that tampaguy gave - these neighborhoods are very esthetically pleasing, and are near lots of social activities for a young single. I definitely feel it would be a good match.

Good luck to you!