Thinking of relocating, Clearwater St Pete area need job info. (Tampa: apartments, for rent)

[JSnFla]

the job market here is always terrible. even when the rest of the country is booming it's always bad here unless you are in an in demand field and great at what you do. people generally move away from here to find meaningful careers. pay is incredibly low compared to similar jobs in similar sized markets. of course there are always exceptions but generally speaking this is the deal.

[gulfer]

I think what many are missing here is what the OP originally stated. She is barely making it where she lives now.

You can walk into McDonald's or Pizza Hut and find a job immediately. There are call centers that hire, but not sure how long it takes.

10K saved up to move??? No way. You can easily do it for a lot less. There are some cheap motels on HWY 41 North of HWY 54, there are cheap apartments, etc... They are not the greatest places for now ... but won't get you killed and aren't all full of crime.

People fall on hard times and use these places until they get on their feet.

You can work 2 or 3 part time jobs and have over 50 or 60 hours a week. I know people that are doing it.

I think sometime a lot of you that offer your opinions have never been poor. If you are a fighter and have all the determination you need, the only thing that is keeping you in a bad situation is YOU.

[BBI]

Originally Posted by NeedThaSun

ok so if 31st st s is bad, the apartment complex looks beautiful, is the whole area down there bad? there are so many beautiful apartments.

also, what areas would you or anyone suggest for single female?

Assuming those are St. Pete addresses.... There are a few socio-economic lines in town. The first is Central Ave, which was the dividing line during segregation. It tends to be a LOT poorer south of Central Ave. The second line is that, north or south of Central, there's money near the water. On the east side of town, where I live, the "near the water" line is 4th Street. Of course, if the neighborhood on the other side of 4th Street is really bad (like, say, near the Salvation Army installation at 4th St S and 14th Ave S), you'll want some buffer between you and 4th Street. South end of town, in Pinellas Point, the "near the water" line is probably 62nd Ave S. West side of town, "near the water" is Maximo, Clam Bayou, Pasadena. Gulfport, which is its own municipality and not part of St. Pete, is fine in/near the little downtown.

With all that in mind, the rough guideline I'd give you is: stay north of Central Ave unless you're near the water.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by gulfer

I think sometime a lot of you that offer your opinions have never been poor. If you are a fighter and have all the determination you need, the only thing that is keeping you in a bad situation is YOU.

I've been poor, I lived out of my truck and worked at Albertsons before I left Florida.. How exactly does someone pay their bills working 2-3 minimum wage part time jobs ?

[JSnFla]

ok, lets see....the OP is barely getting by in NC so lets encourage them to move to a state with an even worse job market in the hope they can find 2 or 3 PT jobs in places like McDonalds and live in a motel on 41 somewhere. wow, there's got to be a better option, in a better place, than that.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

ok, lets see....the OP is barely getting by in NC so lets encourage them to move to a state with an even worse job market in the hope they can find 2 or 3 PT jobs in places like McDonalds and live in a motel on 41 somewhere. wow, there's got to be a better option, in a better place, than that.

I would have said the same thing, but figured I'd get jumped on as a negative person that doesn't live there..

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by gulfer

I think what many are missing here is what the OP originally stated. She is barely making it where she lives now.


People fall on hard times and us. If you are a fighter and have all the determination you need, the only thing that is keeping you in a bad situation is YOU.

No, you may be missing the point. North Carolina has a much better job market than Florida. Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington, RT, etc all have tech jobs and many unskilled labor jobs that pay decently that Florida does not.

Working 60 hours or more a week making $7 per hour is a recipe for misery. Especially when the OP would be working overtime and making no overtime pay.

[tinytrump]

Belcher/ 60 Clearwater,,, lots of stores, buses and big retailers HD/Lowes etc etc,, and my rent $600 for a SAFE 1 bed... One thing I learned though... no local address, they wont hire you.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by tinytrump

One thing I learned though... no local address, they wont hire you.

I'll add a little advice that's helped me in the past, go out and buy a $15 tracphone from the Dollar Store and set it up with a zip code from the area you're moving to. That way you'll have a local area code for companies to call you for a job.

Use the address of a local extended stay hotel on your resume.

[floridagirl777]

Please do not move here unless you have a good job lined up first. We have too many people who move here without a job and end up becoming a burden on those of us who have to pay to support them. Most Floridians are unhappy with folks who come here and are unable to help the state's economy. So, get a job first and THEN move.

To answer your question … YES, there are retail positions available here. Try Craig's List, and try looking in Hernando County. That will be a good start. Pasco also may have what you are looking for in a retail position. You should be able to find affordable housing in Hernando County or Pasco County once you have a job lined up. Both of these places are about an hour north of the Bay Area, but most areas closer to Tampa are going to be more expensive to live in.

Good luck!