True urban living with a family in Florida (Tampa: home, transfer)

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by Lior Arel

Downtown Miami is not infested with crime. You were in the wrong part of downtown I guess. probably on the edge of Overtown or something. Downtown Miami is some of the hottest real estate in Florida because of the convenience of living there.

Tampa is a ghost town compared to Miami, and Miami is the only downtown in Florida that approaches a NY feel to it. Tampa and St. Pete both deal with huge homeless populations, too.

St. Pete has a livelier downtown than Tampa, but has a higher a crime rate. Still, you can live in downtown St. Pete and barely ever use a car. I did it for a while without a car at all and I know a few people here with no car or only a scooter for transport. It's not ideal, but easier to do in St. Pete than Tampa.

My Aunt lives in DT St Pete for this reason. She can no longer drive and it works for her. Maybe not ideal, but it works. Mixed use would be more ideal for her.

[tinytrump]

Originally Posted by Lior Arel

Downtown Miami is not infested with crime. You were in the wrong part of downtown I guess. probably on the edge of Overtown or something. Downtown Miami is some of the hottest real estate in Florida because of the convenience of living there.

Tampa is a ghost town compared to Miami, and Miami is the only downtown in Florida that approaches a NY feel to it. Tampa and St. Pete both deal with huge homeless populations, too.

St. Pete has a livelier downtown than Tampa, but has a higher a crime rate. Still, you can live in downtown St. Pete and barely ever use a car. I did it for a while without a car at all and I know a few people here with no car or only a scooter for transport. It's not ideal, but easier to do in St. Pete than Tampa.

Brickeel AVE right is HOT... everybody goes to eat have a beer, dance and be close to all kids of stuff. I gained 30 lbs coming to Tampa, now have to gight with machine at the gym, but always walked in SFL- Miami beach, Las Olas etc etc. way of LIFE

[craigtnelson]

Originally Posted by tinytrump

Brickeel AVE right is HOT... everybody goes to eat have a beer, dance and be close to all kids of stuff. I gained 30 lbs coming to Tampa, now have to gight with machine at the gym, but always walked in SFL- Miami beach, Las Olas etc etc. way of LIFE

And I bet you enjoyed every second of that walkable lifestyle. Most normal people would. Can't understand anyone who thinks Tampa is fine the way it is, being that there is NO walkable area worth mentioning at all (no, I don't count SoHo or Ybor).

[Lior Arel]

Originally Posted by craigtnelson

And I bet you enjoyed every second of that walkable lifestyle. Most normal people would. Can't understand anyone who thinks Tampa is fine the way it is, being that there is NO walkable area worth mentioning at all (no, I don't count SoHo or Ybor).

Lol @ people who tout "SoHo". One street, 10 bars and restaurants with all the same customers.

Some people like the car lifestyle. I don't down them, Im just moving out.

[tinytrump]

Because of my job- I'm set- and at my age, can't go--- I do miss the active lifestyle I had in SFL... I'm trying to find it back,, been hard here. But even if DT started building up tomorrow- how long before it even come close to Brickell Ave or las Olas or even DT Miami. Ybor used to be nice, I used to actually work that way and go have lunch years ago and then I guess the bars n crazys kids took over and crime became an issue. It seems like it is only suitable for the college kids. In SFL the older crowd has a social life. And we go every where, all of the stadiums, all of the stores all of the venues aquariums - Coral Gables was the mecca for art studios and restaurants etc. and you dont NOT have to be rich to go. sigh

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by tinytrump

Because of my job- I'm set- and at my age, can't go--- I do miss the active lifestyle I had in SFL... I'm trying to find it back,, been hard here. But even if DT started building up tomorrow- how long before it even come close to Brickell Ave or las Olas or even DT Miami. Ybor used to be nice, I used to actually work that way and go have lunch years ago and then I guess the bars n crazys kids took over and crime became an issue. It seems like it is only suitable for the college kids. In SFL the older crowd has a social life. And we go every where, all of the stadiums, all of the stores all of the venues aquariums - Coral Gables was the mecca for art studios and restaurants etc. and you dont NOT have to be rich to go. sigh

tiny, do you ever get down to Sarasota? Sarasota is often written up for it's small but very urban, walkable downtown, plus it's just over the Ringling Bridge to St. Armand's Circle (sometimes referred to as the Rodeo Drive of Florida). Downtown and St. Armand's are ALWAYS hopping, even now in off-season. It recently was included in USA today list of places for boomer retirees due to it's urban downtown: here is the quote:

Another good city for Boomer retirees: Sarasota, Fla., says Brady. "It has an urban downtown but many walk-able neighborhoods close by. There is lots happening, and it is possibly the cultural capital of Florida. And great beaches and keys nearby."


Of course it's nothing like the "big city", but there are people from NYC who live here and compare to a "village" in NY. For people who truly want walkable, they can do it here if they live in Laurel Park or in downtown. I can tell you it has WAY more going on than downtown Tampa. And there are all kinds of festivals all year long, too. Come down and visit sometime!

[tonyff67]

Originally Posted by Lior Arel

Lol @ people who tout "SoHo". One street, 10 bars and restaurants with all the same customers.

Some people like the car lifestyle. I don't down them, Im just moving out.

This statement is wrong! I lived in SOHO. My walkscore was 89.
The only 2 things I needed a car for in SOHO was work and a hardware store. I had 2 gyms, 2 grocery stores, Starbucks, post office, pharmacy, schools, parks, playgrounds and almost anything else you can think of within 6 blocks of my house.
I left for 2 reasons. The people were horrible, and I wanted to live on the water. SOHO is as walkable as it gets in Florida!

[Lior Arel]

Originally Posted by tonyff67

This statement is wrong! I lived in SOHO. My walkscore was 89.
The only 2 things I needed a car for in SOHO was work and a hardware store. I had 2 gyms, 2 grocery stores, Starbucks, post office, pharmacy, schools, parks, playgrounds and almost anything else you can think of within 6 blocks of my house.
I left for 2 reasons. The people were horrible, and I wanted to live on the water. SOHO is as walkable as it gets in Florida!

I lived in SoHo for years and did without a car. I should have separated my points about SoHo being overhyped (though it is walkable) and Tampa being a car centric city. I liked my time in SoHo for the pretty area, Bayshore, etc. the STDs (South Tampa Douchebags) ruin it for me.

[BBI]

Originally Posted by discodiva

For work reasons we have to live in Florida, Tampa or south. We are looking for true urban living- smaller homes, townhomes, etc. where you can walk to the grocery, movies, library, etc. We'd also like good parks and public schools. We had that in Brooklyn and Portland, Oregon. I know I'm not going to find exactly what I'm looking for but is anything even close? We hated Miami- no one walks anywhere, we never felt safe and downtown was way too crime infested. Fort Lauderdale downtown is too "yachty" with mostly only seniors and no family amenities. West Palm Beach seemed the same, plus more crime. Naples is beautiful but too surburban. Fort Myers no one lives downtown. We don't know much about Sarasota (which looks to be a lot like Naples) but we were hopeful about Tampa. Is there anything even close?

Look in downtown St. Pete and the Old NE neighborhood immediately north of it. This won't be a perfect fit for you. St. Pete is a small town, only 250k people live here, and half of them are retirees. There's a marina downtown, plenty of yachty-types around. But this town is very laid back. In that sense -- and only in that limited sense -- it's similar to Brooklyn or Portland. The people who do fit the age demographic you're looking for are out walking around, nobody cares how you dress, etc. The little downtown is walkable, has several dozen restaurant/bar/etc. options, some good museums, a bit of an art scene, an excellent park system along the bay, little bay beach, public pool, tennis, etc. The zoned schools that service downtown St. Pete are basically average. Lots of posts here on the lottery for public magnet/charter schools, which I understand are very good.

In Tampa, the most walkable place is Hyde Park/SoHo in South Tampa. Downtown Tampa lacks sufficient residential units to have much going on. It's a place to work, not a place to live. They are working hard to change that, and the little residential they do have is full. I expect in time, Tampa will figure it out. But I couldn't tell you when. Lots of posts here on South Tampa, but if you want walkable, you need Hyde Park/SoHo. When we were looking (early 2011), it was the most expensive place that we liked; I'm not sure what your budget is. South Tampa is "the" neighborhood for upper middle class working folks in the bay area. The public schools are very good, and it's very convenient to work in downtown Tampa. It does not have a laid back feeling like St. Pete, though. Lots of go-getters and elitism. And there isn't a "downtown" feel, if you care about that.

Naples and Sarasota are basically retirement communities.

[tinytrump]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

tiny, do you ever get down to Sarasota? Sarasota is often written up for it's small but very urban, walkable downtown, plus it's just over the Ringling Bridge to St. Armand's Circle (sometimes referred to as the Rodeo Drive of Florida). Downtown and St. Armand's are ALWAYS hopping, even now in off-season. It recently was included in USA today list of places for boomer retirees due to it's urban downtown: here is the quote:

Another good city for Boomer retirees: Sarasota, Fla., says Brady. "It has an urban downtown but many walk-able neighborhoods close by. There is lots happening, and it is possibly the cultural capital of Florida. And great beaches and keys nearby."


Of course it's nothing like the "big city", but there are people from NYC who live here and compare to a "village" in NY. For people who truly want walkable, they can do it here if they live in Laurel Park or in downtown. I can tell you it has WAY more going on than downtown Tampa. And there are all kinds of festivals all year long, too. Come down and visit sometime!

places for boomer retirees --eeech..Sorry dear- I just haven't grown up yet, (I know I am 60) my sis is a realtor in that area, and although its beautiful it is NOT my pace at all. I was born in S Beach and that is what I am used to, destiny brought me here and I am praying only for a spell, 7 years later- I find this area very detached and separated, and if you dont have $$ you are not in. I am not even IN with my sis with her 5k sqft home and realtor friends. we just do not drink out of the same spicket- send me back to S-FL... My friends still dancing salsa and walking on S beach in the evenings taking it all in...