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My boyfriend of almost 6years and I have been tossing around the idea of relocating from Pittsburgh to somewhere outside of Tampa. He has lived in Pittsburgh his whole life where I have lived mostly in Maryland majority of my life and have lived in PA for almost 8years. I love the small town life that's in Pittsburgh but am getting tired of constantly struggling since the day I arrived in PA.
It seems like once my boyfriend gets a job than I get laid off and then I get a job and he gets laid off and it's just a viscous circle that never stops. We have never been able to find jobs where we are both working at the same time to start saving up for our future and I am 27 and he is 31years old and I'm ready to start my life. My boyfriend has been laid off since beginning of October of last year and has been having extreme difficulty in finding a full time, year round job since he does landscaping, construction and handyman kind of work and all the jobs seem to shut down during winter.
I have a job working 60hrs a week and not being able to see him until late at night, it's putting a strain on everything and my job refuses to change my hours because I am the only one who knows how to do the job. The only positive about my job is working with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and the Penguins since I work at a wellness center and they sent me to New York for a class in March but that's about it.
My mom who lives in myrtle beach now and my stepfather are planning on moving to Tampa sometime next year and my boyfriends sister lives in Clearwater now with her husband and 2 kids and my grandfather is also in Ocala, FL.
Is it hard to get use to the weather? Fall is my favorite time of year with the leaves changing and all the smells of winter coming but I despise all of winter unless it snows on Christmas and that's all the snow I can stand How are jobs around that area? Do they pay more than $8 an hour for heavy labor since I see that things are more expensive down there? Is it all politics that helps get you the jobs or do they really consider your work experience and ethic? Is it hard to find a day job down there? Are people friendly and easy to approach or standoffish and rude? We're looking to move in April is that a good time or would that be close to the hurricane season where I would have to worry about getting washed off the road? When should we start applying for jobs to be able to move down in April? Is finding a nice, not rundown apartment (like up here) to rent easy and affordable? Any recommendations for a nice friendly neighborhood around Tampa (at least 30min away from Tampa, my mom is like the mother on "Everybody Loves Raymond") Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated because I feel stuck in limbo. Please Help!!
Last edited by Dreamsicle528; 06-28-2014 at 12:10 PM..
Is it hard to get use to the weather? Fall is my favorite time of year with the leaves changing and all the smells of winter coming but I despise all of winter unless it snows on Christmas and that's all the snow I can stand
The weather is subjective-I don't like it but I've worked exclusively outside for the last thirty years. The last thing I want to do with my off time is frolic in the sun.
How are jobs around that area? Do they pay more than $8 an hour for heavy labor since I see that things are more expensive down there?
One of the pros for your boyfriend's expertise is year round landscaping jobs. One of the cons is he'll have to compete with low paid immigrant labor. Same with the construction industry. It ain't what it used to be.
Is it all politics that helps get you the jobs or do they really consider your work experience and ethics?
Probably a little of both. Doesn't hurt to know people (same as everywhere).
Are people friendly and easy to approach or standoffish and rude?
Mostly friendly except when they're behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
We're looking to move in April is that a good time or would that be close to the hurricane season where I would have to worry about getting washed off the road?
I wouldn't worry about the hurricane season. Nothing you can do about it. Summer in general is a real *****.
When should we start applying for jobs to be able to move down in April?
I'd start looking now to get an idea what's available.
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated because I feel stuck in limbo. Please Help!!
Sorry about the way I answered your questions-it's the only way I can do it without copying everything.
My final advice is to forget Tampa-move to St. Pete.
the area is not a panacea - many come to the area for some sort of fresh start but the area has been and continues to suffer economically.....I believe the unemployment rates is still relatively high....I wouldn't recommend anyone move here without having a job beforehand.
Tampa/St. Pete unemployment is 5.9 - actually a lot better than much of the country. Certain areas of the expanded Tampa Bay Area are even booming a bit with new construction, etc. None of us here can guarantee you of any jobs however. But the big thing you have going for you is you both have close relatives here. I say why not give it a chance, you can always go back if it doesn't work out, you are young. I would take an extended visit here and see what you think.
Hi. I live in the tampa bay area and have been here as a single person, dated here, and started a family here. I have seen all cycles of life in the bay area. I am 31 and adopted 3 kids plus had my own. As a single gal, the party life is abundant. I'm sure you and your boyfriend will enjoy that. Just remember...It's abundant. The only ppl that enjoy that lifestyle are those that are well off here. Average floridians cannot be compared to an average person from up north. Down here, what you consider average have a lazy, beach bum mentality. Those who are above average (who you can relate to being you are young from a small town area) are usually rich and it's hard to keep up. So you end up having either no money, or no life. Now if you choose no life, housing in Florida SUCKS. If you want to set roots here, be careful. Sink holes are everywhere...Home insurance is high. Car insurance is insane (think road constructions everywhere, no easy high way access and old women dropping from trees in their oldsmobiles) The schools here are GOD AWFUL and the woman walk around half naked (yes your boyfriend might have lots of eye candy) In order to live better than you do in PA, you will have to shell out tons of money. What's the point of moving to florida if you can't enjoy beaches, and amusement? Oh yea, you get to work for less wages, pay more for living and be in the CONSTANT HUMID STICKY HEAT. Remember, this is a difficult place to set roots, unless you have hookups or family here. I love florida and live quite well here, but my hubby and I live paycheck to paycheck and seldom have the energy to visit the beach. It's nice at first but then it beats you down when you see you have no future to grow here. Florida's job market is ROUGH. Especially tampa. You have to compete against employers that hire spanish bi linguals who will work for less than a monolingual caucasian or other race. There's a lot of latin americans here who are partially college educated and can walk the walk and talk the talk. Also, considering that the older generations have lost lot's of their retirement funds and nest eggs, you are also competing against the baby boomers who ARE college educated or have a hell of a resume to blow a young person's out of the water. Then you have the drugs everywhere. The hookers, the loose women, the crazy retired veterans. If this doesn't change your mind, then look into these areas to live in...Mine is Safety Harbor (NORTH EAST clearwater aka Countryside area) Also, palm harbor, oldsmar, citrus park, and finally Carrollwood, Wesley chapel. Anywhere else is too expensive or has too many bad "pockets" around the trendy neighborhoods. (a 1 bedroom in a decent area, where there is little crime may cost you 700-850 a month and florida electric bills are very high, but there are no gas bills.) If you choose to move into Pinellas county (north county, because the south, is very very very very GHETTO, St. pete, pinellas park, largo) take into consideration that pinellas has a HORRIBLE highway system and though you find a job that is only 10 miles away, your commute will be 45 mins. Pinellas doesn't pay as well as hillsbourogh county (where tampa is) but again, more pay = more rent. In conclusion, why move somewhere as beautiful as FL, only to work ur butt off and wish you could enjoy it. Good luck.
Is it hard to get use to the weather? Fall is my favorite time of year with the leaves changing and all the smells of winter coming but I despise all of winter unless it snows on Christmas and that's all the snow I can stand How are jobs around that area? Do they pay more than $8 an hour for heavy labor since I see that things are more expensive down there? Is it all politics that helps get you the jobs or do they really consider your work experience and ethic? Is it hard to find a day job down there? Are people friendly and easy to approach or standoffish and rude? We're looking to move in April is that a good time or would that be close to the hurricane season where I would have to worry about getting washed off the road? When should we start applying for jobs to be able to move down in April? Is finding a nice, not rundown apartment (like up here) to rent easy and affordable? Any recommendations for a nice friendly neighborhood around Tampa (at least 30min away from Tampa, my mom is like the mother on "Everybody Loves Raymond") Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated because I feel stuck in limbo. Please Help!!
Used to the weather...Too much of a good thing is bad. Winter here can be nippy (30 degrees) but the florida homes are not built stay warm in that weather. Be prepared to bay a hefty electric bill.
Jobs...My last post was not taking ur education into consideration. You ain't got an education, stay AWAY. Labor jobs here are GOD AWFUL and pay the same as PA, just your cost of living is much more. Ethic is taken into consideration and experience, but only for job security, not pay. Employers could care less, especially if they choose to fire someone and easily replace them (fire at will state and no fault. little laws to protect the employee)
The people. Floridians are one of two, either you are in, or you are out. Theres the blue collar drunks, which is where you may fall (not to say you are, but for that salary, that's about all the friends or co workers you will have) and those who have your northern morals like ur mom in law, may be too well off to want to hang with you. My husband is blue collar, and we have no friends. Those who work with him smoke weed on the job and quit at 3pm to get drunk and hit one of the millions of strip clubs found every 4 miles.
Hurricane season...We have not had a hurricane in years knock on wood, and it rains EVERY FLIPPING DAY. Florida IS the sunshine state...The reason, the sun will come out and shine everyday, even after a crazy thunderstorm (tampa is lightning capital of the south) Think 100 degree weather, a rain storm, then INTENSE sunshine (and steam coming up from the asphalt and sidewalks that sticks to your skin)
Apply for a job? There are too many blue collar GED ppl here looking for a labor job. Why hire you when locals are flooding their doors.
Limbo: Dictionary definition " edge or boundary, referring to the "edge" of Hell. You are neither living or dead. Not in heaven, not in hell. Move to florida and you will live in a true state of limbo...Along with all the other elderly and retirees that have come here to die.
GOOD LUCK! Remember, mom in law has a different life than you so don't compare to her...Unless she will back you up financially or co sign you for a home or help you with a high paying job.
Used to the weather...Too much of a good thing is bad. Winter here can be nippy (30 degrees) but the florida homes are not built stay warm in that weather. Be prepared to bay a hefty electric bill.
Jobs...My last post was not taking ur education into consideration. You ain't got an education, stay AWAY. Labor jobs here are GOD AWFUL and pay the same as PA, just your cost of living is much more. Ethic is taken into consideration and experience, but only for job security, not pay. Employers could care less, especially if they choose to fire someone and easily replace them (fire at will state and no fault. little laws to protect the employee)
The people. Floridians are one of two, either you are in, or you are out. Theres the blue collar drunks, which is where you may fall (not to say you are, but for that salary, that's about all the friends or co workers you will have) and those who have your northern morals like ur mom in law, may be too well off to want to hang with you. My husband is blue collar, and we have no friends. Those who work with him smoke weed on the job and quit at 3pm to get drunk and hit one of the millions of strip clubs found every 4 miles.
Hurricane season...We have not had a hurricane in years knock on wood, and it rains EVERY FLIPPING DAY. Florida IS the sunshine state...The reason, the sun will come out and shine everyday, even after a crazy thunderstorm (tampa is lightning capital of the south) Think 100 degree weather, a rain storm, then INTENSE sunshine (and steam coming up from the asphalt and sidewalks that sticks to your skin)
Apply for a job? There are too many blue collar GED ppl here looking for a labor job. Why hire you when locals are flooding their doors.
Limbo: Dictionary definition " edge or boundary, referring to the "edge" of Hell. You are neither living or dead. Not in heaven, not in hell. Move to florida and you will live in a true state of limbo...Along with all the other elderly and retirees that have come here to die.
GOOD LUCK! Remember, mom in law has a different life than you so don't compare to her...Unless she will back you up financially or co sign you for a home or help you with a high paying job.
Let me try to put my 5 cents in because I think I understand your struggle. We lived in the DC suburbs of VA and MD for some 30 years and moved to Florida (Palm Beach County) 14 years ago. I still miss the seasons. The summers in South Florida are long and uncomfortably hot but winters are pleasant. One has to be quite adoptable and realize that there is no 'ideal' place to live. You are young and it seems you have nothing to loose by making a move. Whether or not Florida is worth it or even the right choice for YOU I cannot tell. The key issue for you is to get established financially and that alone may not be a cake walk here either.
A self-employed handy men, landscaper, etc. charge $15-$20/hour in this area (others told you about the Tampa area). I tried to get a handy man to fix my drywall and it took him three weeks to get here. I did wait because he was highly recommended. There are just too many 'handy men' around here who simply are not all that handy. So, one is glad to find some someone with a skill and honest.
Your friend could contact real estate agents. They seem to be always on a look-out for someone who can remodel older homes, for instance. After that is word-of-mouth. However, he would have to get a license and insurance providing he wants to be self-employed. For a full time employment look on line or, contact the builders directly. In this instance it would not hurt any if your friend would speak some Spanish.
Being in your shoes, I would not even consider moving to Florida without having enough money for at least three months plus rent deposit. Have you considered other areas, such as Virginia Beach or Charlotte?
I think since you have family down here why not try living here for a while and seeing how you like it ? It is true that your boyfriend would be competing with lower wage immigrants but if he has a decent amount skills I'm pretty sure he can find a job. Start applying now for jobs so that way you don't have to worry about it when you get here. The area is pretty laid back, so I would not think you would have too many issues on this side of Florida because it is known for its Midwest transplants vs the east coast known for the northeast. Good luck and if you decide to come down Welcome to Florida.
Hi. I live in the tampa bay area and have been here as a single person, dated here, and started a family here. I have seen all cycles of life in the bay area. I am 31 and adopted 3 kids plus had my own. As a single gal, the party life is abundant. I'm sure you and your boyfriend will enjoy that. Just remember...It's abundant. The only ppl that enjoy that lifestyle are those that are well off here. Average floridians cannot be compared to an average person from up north. Down here, what you consider average have a lazy, beach bum mentality. Those who are above average (who you can relate to being you are young from a small town area) are usually rich and it's hard to keep up. So you end up having either no money, or no life. Now if you choose no life, housing in Florida SUCKS. If you want to set roots here, be careful. Sink holes are everywhere...Home insurance is high. Car insurance is insane (think road constructions everywhere, no easy high way access and old women dropping from trees in their oldsmobiles) The schools here are GOD AWFUL and the woman walk around half naked (yes your boyfriend might have lots of eye candy) In order to live better than you do in PA, you will have to shell out tons of money. What's the point of moving to florida if you can't enjoy beaches, and amusement? Oh yea, you get to work for less wages, pay more for living and be in the CONSTANT HUMID STICKY HEAT. Remember, this is a difficult place to set roots, unless you have hookups or family here. I love florida and live quite well here, but my hubby and I live paycheck to paycheck and seldom have the energy to visit the beach. It's nice at first but then it beats you down when you see you have no future to grow here. Florida's job market is ROUGH. Especially tampa. You have to compete against employers that hire spanish bi linguals who will work for less than a monolingual caucasian or other race. There's a lot of latin americans here who are partially college educated and can walk the walk and talk the talk. Also, considering that the older generations have lost lot's of their retirement funds and nest eggs, you are also competing against the baby boomers who ARE college educated or have a hell of a resume to blow a young person's out of the water. Then you have the drugs everywhere. The hookers, the loose women, the crazy retired veterans. If this doesn't change your mind, then look into these areas to live in...Mine is Safety Harbor (NORTH EAST clearwater aka Countryside area) Also, palm harbor, oldsmar, citrus park, and finally Carrollwood, Wesley chapel. Anywhere else is too expensive or has too many bad "pockets" around the trendy neighborhoods. (a 1 bedroom in a decent area, where there is little crime may cost you 700-850 a month and florida electric bills are very high, but there are no gas bills.) If you choose to move into Pinellas county (north county, because the south, is very very very very GHETTO, St. pete, pinellas park, largo) take into consideration that pinellas has a HORRIBLE highway system and though you find a job that is only 10 miles away, your commute will be 45 mins. Pinellas doesn't pay as well as hillsbourogh county (where tampa is) but again, more pay = more rent. In conclusion, why move somewhere as beautiful as FL, only to work ur butt off and wish you could enjoy it. Good luck.
Well, with your own kids and adopting 3 on top of that (how many total?), do you expect to have a better experience in FL? Do you think you'll have a better life elsewhere?
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How are jobs around that area? Do they pay more than $8 an hour for heavy labor since I see that things are more expensive down there? Is it all politics that helps get you the jobs or do they really consider your work experience and ethic? Is it hard to find a day job down there? Are people friendly and easy to approach or standoffish and rude? We're looking to move in April is that a good time or would that be close to the hurricane season where I would have to worry about getting washed off the road? When should we start applying for jobs to be able to move down in April? Is finding a nice, not rundown apartment (like up here) to rent easy and affordable? Any recommendations for a nice friendly neighborhood around Tampa (at least 30min away from Tampa, my mom is like the mother on "Everybody Loves Raymond") 
The weather is subjective-I don't like it but I've worked exclusively outside for the last thirty years. The last thing I want to do with my off time is frolic in the sun. 
I wouldn't worry about the hurricane season. Nothing you can do about it. Summer in general is a real *****.
