Young Professional moving to Tampa from Toronto, Canada (St. Petersburg, Brandon: apartments, rental)

[SSK13]

Hi Everyone,

I could really use some help and hopefully I've come to the right place for that. I've creeped a few threads through google already so I have a rough idea but I'd like to get a bit more specific.

So I'm 24 and I'm moving to Tampa for work from Toronto, Canada. I've never been to Florida before but I'm quite excited about it. I'll be working in Brandon close to the intersection of the I-4 and highway 75.

My first question is where would you recommend I live? I'm definitely looking for something trendy and young and I've heard that South Tampa or Ybor City are the places to be. However my main priority really is SAFETY. I'll answer some of the questions below to give you a better idea..


Where is your employment and the hours you will be working.
- Near I-4&Highway75 intersection; hours are 8-5 with flexibility.

What is your budget for housing. Do you want to rent or buy?
- Renting a 1 bdrm, preferably under $1000 a month

What is an acceptable commute time?
- No more than 30 minutes, I would definitely wake up earlier to beat traffic if that's an option. I hate it.

What else is important to you?
- Safe Neighbourhood
- Other Young people in vicinity
- Things to do

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions. Thanks in advance!

[JProg305]

SSK13,
Welcome to the Tampa Bay area! It's funny, I'm actually in the opposite position you are in. I'm currently living in St. Petersburg (across the bay from Tampa) and I'm working on finishing my dissertation so that I can finally get my PhD. The GTA (and Canada in general) is one of the areas that I've seriously been considering relocating to. Both South Tampa and Ybor City have a younger presence than most other areas of Tampa but Ybor is quite transitional in some spots. It's a walkable area with intersting shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars, etc., but the surrounding areas, the overall seedy feeling (especially on weekend nights), and the lack of trees bothers me. South Tampa is definitely safer but is a little further from the downtown core. The old rule is anything south of Kennedy is desirable. I'd look in Palma Ceia or Hyde Park although both are pricey. Other options might be Seminole Heights or Riverside Heights. These two areas are even further from downtown and are also transitional but both have really nice housing stock and mature tree cover which is nice. Yet another option might be Channelside. It's very close to downtown (kind of in downtown really) and there are numerous types of apartments and lofts with views of the port and the skyline. I think some of these units are quite expensive but they would put you right in the mix with lots of other young professionals around. The trolley line also cuts through Channelside and you have easy access to the Tampa Bay Times Forum (Go Lightning!), Channelside shopping (lots of commercial restaurants, shops), the Florida Aquarium, and downtown amenities. If you hop on the trolley heading north/east from Channelside, it will take you to Ybor so you could always explore the nightlife there and take the trolley back to Channelside. Good luck!

[SSK13]

Thanks for the reply JProg305.

If I were to sacrifice the need to live close to entertainment and nightlife (I'm not that big on it) versus a safe community with a reasonable commute to work what would you recommend?

Also good luck with your move to the GTA or anywhere else in Canada!

[JProg305]

No problem,
I would say that a good balance might be somewhere in South Tampa. Hyde Park, anywhere along South Howard (SoHo), Palma Ceia, or any of the other neighborhoods south of Kennedy. Other posters might be able to give you more detailed information on these neighborhoods as I've only passed through them en route to Tampa from St. Pete. St. Pete is pretty great but driving to Brandon every day would probably be a bit of a hassle. The neighborhoods I mentioned above are safe and you'll be surrounded by young professionals. SoHo caters to young professionals so most of the restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. will have what you're looking for. If you're not that into the nightlife scene there's plenty of other things to keep you occupied. Plus, south Tampa is very visually pleasing. Nice architecture, good mix of housing stock, mature lush trees. Ybor would be the least safe of the places already mentioned. Seminole Heights and Riverside Heights have mostly old, restored (and some dilapidated) bungalows on nice sized lots with lots of big trees groaning with spanish moss. Some streets can be sketchy though. Lots of potential but still a ways to go in the safety department.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by JProg305

No problem,
I would say that a good balance might be somewhere in South Tampa. Hyde Park, anywhere along South Howard (SoHo), Palma Ceia, or any of the other neighborhoods south of Kennedy. Other posters might be able to give you more detailed information on these neighborhoods as I've only passed through them en route to Tampa from St. Pete. St. Pete is pretty great but driving to Brandon every day would probably be a bit of a hassle. The neighborhoods I mentioned above are safe and you'll be surrounded by young professionals. SoHo caters to young professionals so most of the restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. will have what you're looking for. If you're not that into the nightlife scene there's plenty of other things to keep you occupied. Plus, south Tampa is very visually pleasing. Nice architecture, good mix of housing stock, mature lush trees. Ybor would be the least safe of the places already mentioned. Seminole Heights and Riverside Heights have mostly old, restored (and some dilapidated) bungalows on nice sized lots with lots of big trees groaning with spanish moss. Some streets can be sketchy though. Lots of potential but still a ways to go in the safety department.

JProg has given some great advice. I would say SoHo or Hyde Park would be your best bet, and I know there is a poster here who if he pops in can advise you in more detail, but you should be able to get something in your price range there. Forget Ybor, Seminole Hgts, Riverside Hgts, because while they have some nice blocks, the surroundings are still way too sketchy. You can't go wrong with anything in S. Tampa, or say Channelside downtown, and your commute will be pretty easy.

Hope this helps!

[SSK13]

Thanks for the help guys!

How does one go about searching for rental housing in Tampa generally? Craigslist doesn't seem to have anything in those areas (SoHo or Hyde Park).

If anyone has some resources or realtors they would recommend that would be great!

[GoRays813]

Craigslist doesn't have much in Hyde Park because the properties that are available get taken up immediately after posting. I would recommend driving around the neighborhood and calling "for rent" signs, but this would be difficult in your situation. Keep looking on Craigslist every day.

[LCL111]

check out hotpads.com - very easy to search by map.

[SSK13]

Hotpads was a great help thanks!

How do people feel about living in Brandon? It could be less of a hassle to get to work and probably close enough to visit the city when needed?

[jnichols2]

Originally Posted by SSK13

Hotpads was a great help thanks!

How do people feel about living in Brandon? It could be less of a hassle to get to work and probably close enough to visit the city when needed?

I would feel horrible about living in Brandon. I don't know, you may be different, but if you're coming from Toronto and are used to a cosmopolitan lifestyle that is generally found in any normal urban center, then I think South Tampa/downtown is really your only option. I've lived in montreal, san francisco, tuscon, and other cities. As far as Tampa living goes, South Tampa is the only area I would even consider. Maybe if you're the ultra suburban big box store type of person you'll be fine in New Tampa, Brandon, Westchase, etc. But if you were generally happy in a place like Toronto, I'd be quite skeptical.