Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Scientologists scare everyone away. Very few people like downtown Clearwater. St. Pete is 1,000 times better.
Like literally... As in discourage/vote away business, or just the thought of Scientologists in the area drives people away?
Reason I ask is I'll be graduating college pretty soon and I'd like to start my own business in the near future; with all the vacancies it looks like I could get a nice location for cheap-ish.
Like literally... As in discourage/vote away business, or just the thought of Scientologists in the area drives people away?
Reason I ask is I'll be graduating college pretty soon and I'd like to start my own business in the near future; with all the vacancies it looks like I could get a nice location for cheap-ish.
Stick with St. Pete. The Scientologists literally scare people away. Not that they hurt anyone, there are just so many of them. This forum is full of posts from people who feel (including me) that they give downtown a "creepy" vibe - I mean, they really dominate the downtown. That downtown will NEVER be a St. Pete, or even a Tampa. Depending on the type of business you want to open, I'd find a cool spot in St. Pete or Tampa. But if I were you, I'd really go downtown Clearwater a LOT and see how you feel about the area before committing to anything. Cheap rent means nothing if you have no business. JMO
Stick with St. Pete. The Scientologists literally scare people away. Not that they hurt anyone, there are just so many of them. This forum is full of posts from people who feel (including me) that they give downtown a "creepy" vibe - I mean, they really dominate the downtown. That downtown will NEVER be a St. Pete, or even a Tampa. Depending on the type of business you want to open, I'd find a cool spot in St. Pete or Tampa. But if I were you, I'd really go downtown Clearwater a LOT and see how you feel about the area before committing to anything. Cheap rent means nothing if you have no business. JMO
Yea definitely, I was going to spend at least two years researching and crunching before committing to anything. It's just downtown St. Pete seems a lot harder to "break through" given its recent renaissance, whereas in Clearwater it seems to be a lot easier to blaze a trail for new business given the lack of niche shops and eateries downtown.
Thanks for pointing that out:
I still don't know why St Pete is lumped in with Tampa, in this "Tampa Bay" expression!
The New York Metropolitan area is not a city it is a metropolitan area just as Tampa Bay is a metropolitan area.
That is why St.Pete is lumped in with it.
The OP said, "No Love For The Bay", "Taking the whole bay into consideration,", "I think Tampa Bay", but since you have some strange obsession with the name Tampa Bay you ignore those statements.
Manhattan is separated from Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island by water, why do you find it so strange that St.Pete is in the same metro area as Tampa? It takes much longer to get to Staten Island from Manhattan than it does from Tampa to St.Pete.
I'll assume you mean Georgia since I was comparing Florida as a whole, My reply was to a poster that was talking about jobs and the creation of jobs in Texas as compared to Florida.
Florida has 15 fortune 500 companies, Georgia has 13, both are located in a corner of the U.S.
Texas on the other hand, has 58.
It's not only the availability of a large port (which Florida does have several of) but the cost and efficiency to ship items.
For example, Houston to Los Angeles is a 24 hour drive, (2 day trip) Miami to Los Angeles is a 44 hour drive, (4 day trip)
I'll assume you mean Georgia since I was comparing Florida as a whole, My reply was to a poster that was talking about jobs and the creation of jobs in Texas as compared to Florida.
Florida has 15 fortune 500 companies, Georgia has 13, both are located in a corner of the U.S.
Texas on the other hand, has 58.
It's not only the availability of a large port (which Florida does have several of) but the cost and efficiency to ship items.
For example, Houston to Los Angeles is a 24 hour drive, (2 day trip) Miami to Los Angeles is a 44 hour drive, (4 day trip)
True - Texas has the advantage of being in the middleish of the country. But most of the nation's population is still on the East Coast, which FL has a significant advantage regarding access. We're close by boat, plane, train and truck.
True - Texas has the advantage of being in the middleish of the country. But most of the nation's population is still on the East Coast, which FL has a significant advantage regarding access. We're close by boat, plane, train and truck.
Yes, I'll concede the fact that Florida has an advantage with the population on the East Coast, however, it seems the Mid-Atlantic states have roughly the same or more Fortune 500's than Florida has and would make the Carolina's/Virginia/Maryland a much more viable distribution location as they're in the middle.
It's a small part of it, but the large parts remain people's unwillingness to have major factories and businesses in the state because of the environment, and the unfriendly business atmosphere of the state.
Personally, If I were to open a new company, from a business standpoint, I'd look at Florida in a second. You can pay people minimum wage and everyone's anti-union, it would be, IMHO a win-win situation. I wish this wasn't true, but it is.
You obviously know nothing of parenting. When you do...let me know how comfortable will you be with your kids "friends" making decisions for you. I allow my kids to try everything at least once...here's a good example: "I" LOVE guitar (both classic and Van Halen/Slash, and lean more towards the later), my daughter through some "friends" (and not pushed by me in any way, as I was saving that for the boys) decided she wants a guitar, and lessons, (and a guitar cake for her birthday which my husband made for her), so we agreed, signer her up...and then $350 later...she decided it is "too hard" in her own words! I said fine. Next?....I did ballet myself, and I know that my daughter doesn't have the coordination for it, so I only took her for posture, and to learn how to walk nice, and not slouch etc, but I gave her the opportunity. This is parenting; you have to expose your children to different things and see what they like best, and what they're good at! NOT what their friends like or what their friends are good at! because "their friends" are not the ones who pay the bills, and will be stuck with a career that they have no talent for in whatever field; they can play around with their friends all they want, but these "friends" will not be the ones deciding what my kid will do, my kid will try different things and pick for him/herself what makes him/her happiest(and of course work hard to be as good at it as possible). If your friends jump of bridge do you jump too? that is what I call "lack of parenting"! As parents WE have to guide them, and not their equally misguided friends! I despise imitation with a passion...it is one thing to share a passion for something, (e.g. have a band with your friends, and make good music) and whole other to imitate what your friends do because others think its cool!
Catering to "young professionals ONLY" is retarded period.
This is precisely why this area is stagnant, because ppl choose to think like this, and discount probably more than half the population here.
I was referring to that arena close to downtown St Pete, where all the good concerts go. The Forum in Tampa has nothing on its calendar I would go to...have you looked at it even? that is a waste of building materials considering what they bring there. (Referring to the one in downtown Tampa now)
IF....There were more art venues, all arts not just one or two(arts), there will be more competition, and of course prices will drop. You did not read my post thoroughly. I never said "ballet" should replace "football" that's ludicrous! I said there needs to better balance between arts and sports. Mind you neither is the same thing as the other, and both refer to different categories of people.
I'm not going to even argue the parenting point because it's off topic.
Once again, attacking the straw man. I never said "ONLY" young professionals, you assumed that. Old folks have been here for a while now, they're nothing new. So if we want to change Tampa Bay, we need to look young. Young people bring new business, which grows the economy, which benefits all people. All older folks want to do is retire in peace, hit up bingo and Dollar General once a week, and vote down any progress (all while still rooting for their old hometown teams). Young people are the foundation to build upon. And for such a sophisticated woman, I find your use of the word "retarded' rather offensive.
There is no arena close to "downtown" St. Pete. And in previous posts you DID mean the Times Forum:
"For example, why should all concerts go to St Pete Forum? and not come to the convention center in downtown Tampa? is it just the acoustics? that can be addressed....The drive to downtown Tampa from Lutz, Carrollwood, Odessa, Northdale, Trinity, Westchase, South Tampa,...etc is shorter than the one to St Pete....if the "burb" people would be allowed to join some entertainment in down town Tampa they'd be there more often cause they won't be spending all their money on gas to go to St Pete etc!!!!! ($3.71? are we having a hurricane? WTH!?)"
"How come Daughtry only went to the forum in St Pete? Where's Beyonce? Metallica? Bon Jovi? "I" and not all about dance!"
Are you talking about the Dome? Tropicana Field, where the only tenants are the Tampa Bay Rays and the occasional marching band competition? That's the only large venue I can think of in St. Pete. Every other place that holds concerts is a private business, so neither Tampa nor St. Pete would really have a say in its being in either city's boundaries. Also, the premiere concert venues (for Daughtry, Beyonce, Metallica type shows) ARE in Tampa at the 1800-ASK-GARY Amphitheater, the USF Sun Dome, and the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
And per capita, I'd say there's more arts in the Bay than there are sports. Let's take a lookie:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa)
Tampa Bay Lightning (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)
Tampa Bay Rays (Tropicana Field, St. Pete)
Tampa Bay Rowdies (AL Lang Field, St. Pete)
USF Bulls (USF Sun Dome/Raymond James Stadium, Tampa)
Arts Venues:
Seminole Hard Rock (Tampa)
Tampa Bay Times Forum (Tampa)
USF Sun Dome (Tampa)
1-800-ASK GARY Amphitheater (Tampa)
USF Contemporary Art Museum (Tampa)
USF Theatres (Tampa)
USF Music Recital Halls (Tampa)
Straz Center/Patel Conservatory (Tampa)
Ritz Ybor (Tampa)
The Orpheum (Tampa)
Holocaust Museum (St. Pete)
Dali Exhibit (St. Pete)
Chihuly Exhibit (St. Pete)
Jannus Live (St. Pete)
State Theatre (St. Pete)
The Palladium (St. Pete)
Ruth Eckerd Hall (Clearwater)
That's more than a 3:1 ratio, and I know I'm forgetting some. AND they're spread throughout the bay.
if you're expecting club after club of rich douchebags and shallow women drinking all night and throwing up on the streets, you might be a little let down.
That was still well said.
Miami is indeed bustling with activity which is cool, but it's got one of the shallowest, most obnoxious populations in America. I couldn't wait to get out, although I think we're going to have to go back for work again. To measure a city by how many places you can dance at a club is pretty weak.
Miami is indeed bustling with activity which is cool, but it's got one of the shallowest, most obnoxious populations in America. I couldn't wait to get out, although I think we're going to have to go back for work again. To measure a city by how many places you can dance at a club is pretty weak.
Haha it was actually probably unfair for me to say that since I've only really passed through Miami and haven't ever spent any significant time there. It has its scene and identity though and some people really like that type of entertainment it has to offer. For me, though, it didn't seem like my type of scene. I want Tampa to draw more activity like Miami does, but to do it in a way that preserves that laid-back vibe we have here. It would be a nice contrasting style to present those who want to move to Florida and avoid the craziness of Miami and Orlando.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That was still well said. 
To measure a city by how many places you can dance at a club is pretty weak.
