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No, because everyone has their own opinions. some people believe it or not like urban feelings, some people say tampa is just a city that is only focused on the beach and nothing more, some people like a historic charm, some people like the ablility to feel ALL the seasons. Its questions like these that make me lose hope in humanity
Then you should read the description since the very first thing I said is what you mention- it's relative.
tampa will never be more than a 3rd rate, cheap vacation spot with an hourly wage service economy. tampa has an incredibly BAD economy ALL the time. Brain drain is off the charts, meaning smart young people move away to build meaningful careers elsewhere and bright, young future world changers dont even remotely consider moving here hence a $10/hr customer service economy. Tampa is a completely irrelevant market and most that work a traditional corporate job will have to move if they ever desire to move up and earn. Whats left to stick around in tampa, well get out in society, sniff around and u tell me. Not exactly the building blocks for "the best metro area in the eastern US", to put it mildly
This is what saddens me a little bit, this area is so great I don't understand why it is not developing at the rate of other areas. I certainly don't want this great area to turn like Miami or Atlanta, but at least, widen the options of employment, federal agencies move here and give good jobs to people without having to move to freaking and cold DC Area, there is a problem with developing in terms that if it happens in a great scale, the good appeal the area has may be lost. But yes, it is not good that the area does not grow either and that eventually I will have to move again to freaking Mid-Atlantic or Northeast, areas that I have been and I DON'T LIKE.
Never going to happen that's like asking if Kim Kardashian could ever be the next Grace Kelly. Tampa is tiny I mean TINY, and that would be fine if tampa was willing to accept change and growth but it's not. When the Miami area first started to develop Orlando quickly followed and became it's own big city, however tampa did not, it did not even try. There is nothing in tampa, absoutely nothing. I agree with tinytrump Miami and Fort Lauderdale over Tampa ANY DAY. Tampa is really no man's land, it has busch gardens and a large population of grouchy, rude and ignorant senior citizens, what is up with that?! It's like all the old people in tampa got together at a meeting and agreed to be rude and mean to anyone who isn't old, wrinkly and white haired, are they all from up north and bitter because they wasted their entire lives in some crappy, cold state without sunshine and beaches? In Fort Lauderdale the senior citizens I've met are very adorable, sweet and open minded but in trampa it's the complete opposite, seriously can someone explain that to me? Even the senior citizens that attend church in trampa are downright rude and petty. Tsk tsk tsk. Tampa is not on anyone's radar as becoming the next big anything.
There is nothing to build upon in tampa, the native people don't like change and are set in their ways, and the entire town is comfortable being just that, a town and that's why even in the next 10 years I don't see tampa becoming anything more than it is right now, especially if you take into account the lack of real jobs, the bad economy, the lack of a real of industry of any kind-no calling centers dont count, and lack of constant visitors from the outside that challenge Tampa into becoming more than it is now, snow birds do not count, they just visit every winter and leave. So there you go.
Tinytrump a toast to you, the big city is the place to be, the cultural melting pot, the weather and "happening" vibe of Miami/Fort lauderdale is the best in the state.
What is Honolulu talking about!! You call Tampa Tiny, lol!!! Hell of alot bigger than Honolulu. Let's see Honolulu area under 1 million, Tampa are population 3 million. hmmm you suck at knowing the size of cities. Prolly cause you go by the city limit population which is decieving. You can't go on city limit population because all it is is the population within an imaginary line. Tampa's urban population is 3 million while Honolulu is under 1 million, do the math before you talk trash.
Kinda funny how people talk trash about the economy of Tampa, when the whole State of Florida has a sucky economy. People don't study about this stuff & just ramble on about what they think of an area. A lot of old people in Tampa, haha, median age in Tampa is 35, so whoever posted that didn't study. Tampa is the fastest growing city in Florida, look it up, the 12th fastest growing in us. Miami has a lot of rich old people!! Been there many times. Tampa area has some of the best beaches in the us & a great family dynamic which has a lot to do. Lowry park zoo rated #1 kids zoo in the nation, so if u have kids, Tampa Bay area is great to live. All Miami is is Party Town with South Beach the only thing to do if you're single.
Well I don't know much about Florida, but as someone who is potentially relocating to the Tampa Bay area within a month for a job and coming from Raleigh NC - I can only say I hope it is as great as Raleigh.
Size wise they're pretty similar, Raleigh is bit larger (over 400K vs about 330K for Tampa). Obviously there is the weather thing, which is the one thing I'd love to leave behind! Sure, from May - August Raleigh may as well be Florida with temps consistently 90-100 and crazy humidity, but I'm a warm weather person and Nov - Mar kills me here! I absolutely hate waking up to 20s and 30s during the winter, and highs in the 40s. So I'm definitely looking most forward to getting rid of the winter weather.
On the other hand, Raleigh has outstanding schools, universities, parks and recreation, and just a great community and family infrastructure. It is definitely a feel good, raise your family kind of place with plenty of cheaper but equally nice suburbs like Cary and Apex. Plus, Raleigh isn't right on the water (although there are plenty of lakes in the area) but only about a 3 hour drive from either the Atlantic coast or the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains, so that's pretty cool. We typically alternate vacation destinations each year between the mountains and the beach.
Another thing that I love about the area being a sports fan is the great college sports environment (UNC, Duke, NC State all right on your doorstep) plus I'm a big Carolina Hurricanes fan - I suppose I would enjoy seeing the Lightning down in Tampa!
I'm definitely not a Raleigh snob - I moved here at 17 for college from extremely rural Eastern NC, and have just grown to love it. I really do hope the Tampa area is as enjoyable as it has been here, and I really look forward to the warmth!
mdcooke, yeah you'll love Tampa, very different from Raleigh, NC. Hey I dont mean to be rude, but it urks me when people just don't understand population statistics. You said Raleigh is a little bigger than Tampa. Statistically Raleigh is bigger at 400K & Tampa at 350K. But people don't understand that you can't judge a city by it's city limit population due to it's strictly the population within an imaginary line. For Instance Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida at over 800K, sounds big right, no!! The city limits of Jax, FL is over 800sq mi, so when you have that large of a land area, the more population you get. Do you really think Jax is bigger than Miami. Miami has the same population of Raleigh, but Miami's city limit is only 36sq miles, Tampa is 108 sq mi & Jax is 800+ sq miles, so Jax would have more statistically. You have to go on Metropolitan area population. Jacksonville (Largest city in FL) is only the 4th largest metro at 1.3 million, Orlando has 2.4 million, Tampa has 3 million & Miami has 5.5 million. You see Jax is actually a lot smaller than Tampa, but the city limit population is bigger in Jax. City limit population is the most decieving statistic. Any way you'll love Tampa, a lot to do.
I doubt it could be considered the best metro, but factoring in the awesome weather, all the things to do and the beaches.....it is the best place to "live" for "us".
Well I don't know much about Florida, but as someone who is potentially relocating to the Tampa Bay area within a month for a job and coming from Raleigh NC - I can only say I hope it is as great as Raleigh.
Size wise they're pretty similar, Raleigh is bit larger (over 400K vs about 330K for Tampa). Obviously there is the weather thing, which is the one thing I'd love to leave behind! Sure, from May - August Raleigh may as well be Florida with temps consistently 90-100 and crazy humidity, but I'm a warm weather person and Nov - Mar kills me here! I absolutely hate waking up to 20s and 30s during the winter, and highs in the 40s. So I'm definitely looking most forward to getting rid of the winter weather.
On the other hand, Raleigh has outstanding schools, universities, parks and recreation, and just a great community and family infrastructure. It is definitely a feel good, raise your family kind of place with plenty of cheaper but equally nice suburbs like Cary and Apex. Plus, Raleigh isn't right on the water (although there are plenty of lakes in the area) but only about a 3 hour drive from either the Atlantic coast or the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains, so that's pretty cool. We typically alternate vacation destinations each year between the mountains and the beach.
Another thing that I love about the area being a sports fan is the great college sports environment (UNC, Duke, NC State all right on your doorstep) plus I'm a big Carolina Hurricanes fan - I suppose I would enjoy seeing the Lightning down in Tampa!
I'm definitely not a Raleigh snob - I moved here at 17 for college from extremely rural Eastern NC, and have just grown to love it. I really do hope the Tampa area is as enjoyable as it has been here, and I really look forward to the warmth!
I don't think it's as great as Raleigh, but you might like it here though. They are two very different places. I'd recommend you visit and try not to look at the area as a tourist.
Well I don't know much about Florida, but as someone who is potentially relocating to the Tampa Bay area within a month for a job and coming from Raleigh NC - I can only say I hope it is as great as Raleigh.
Size wise they're pretty similar, Raleigh is bit larger (over 400K vs about 330K for Tampa). Obviously there is the weather thing, which is the one thing I'd love to leave behind! Sure, from May - August Raleigh may as well be Florida with temps consistently 90-100 and crazy humidity, but I'm a warm weather person and Nov - Mar kills me here! I absolutely hate waking up to 20s and 30s during the winter, and highs in the 40s. So I'm definitely looking most forward to getting rid of the winter weather.
On the other hand, Raleigh has outstanding schools, universities, parks and recreation, and just a great community and family infrastructure. It is definitely a feel good, raise your family kind of place with plenty of cheaper but equally nice suburbs like Cary and Apex. Plus, Raleigh isn't right on the water (although there are plenty of lakes in the area) but only about a 3 hour drive from either the Atlantic coast or the gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains, so that's pretty cool. We typically alternate vacation destinations each year between the mountains and the beach.
Another thing that I love about the area being a sports fan is the great college sports environment (UNC, Duke, NC State all right on your doorstep) plus I'm a big Carolina Hurricanes fan - I suppose I would enjoy seeing the Lightning down in Tampa!
I'm definitely not a Raleigh snob - I moved here at 17 for college from extremely rural Eastern NC, and have just grown to love it. I really do hope the Tampa area is as enjoyable as it has been here, and I really look forward to the warmth!
So interesting to see all the NoVA people who are so glad they left! OP, I'm sorry for your negative experiences up here, I fear they're too common, and part of the sense of entitlement and "me first" self-importance we're hoping to get away from. To me, Tampa seems like just the right size.
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