retiring in Tampa Bay (Clearwater, Dunedin: mortgage, homes, neighborhoods)

[LRG514]

Any advice on neighborhoods in Tampa Bay. We are retiring, next spring. Looking for either a rental, no more than $1600, 2 bedroom/ 1 1/2-2 baths, pet friendly. We have pre-qualified for a mortgage of $240,000, but are a little hesitant about making a huge outlay of cash, upfront. I'm 64, my husband is 68 and we are definitely young/old, so Sun City places or anything with a ceramics kiln is not what we are looking for. culture more important than beaches. Proximity to Jewish institutions desirable. would welcome input from people who have more knowledge about the area than we do. we lived in Central, Fl, for a while and we need better access to medical care in particular (my husband is a transplant survivor)

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by LRG514

I'm 64, my husband is 68 and we are definitely young/old, so Sun City places or anything with a ceramics kiln is not what we are looking for. )

Not sure why the crack on Sun City Center. Have you spent time there? There are a lot of 60-yr olds there that run marathons, bike, play a variety of sports, participate in cultural events. But if you've already limited your areas to places where other older don't live, you might struggle since practically the entire state is a retirement state. There are plenty of places to live in Tampa/ST Pete where you can find your cultural, medical needs met. Maybe St Pete downtown area would suit you best or a variety of places around downtown Tampa (high rises).

[LRG514]

Didn't mean to insult you. We lived in the Villages, for awhile, and it was not a great experience. I am not limiting myself to areas without seniors. I simply know that there are young/old seniors and old/old seniors. We are the former, not the latter. Our earliest experiences in the Villages was either people constantly complaining about their health or avoiding us because we were too young (and still working). It's not an experience I would like to repeat.

[Sunscape]

I understand what you are saying. There's a lot of ppl who have left the Villages for that reason.
Places with a Jewish institution that I know of are Bellair, Clearwater, Westshore, Dunedin. These are all places where you have ppl of all ages.
Hope this is a start. Good Luck in your search.

[LRG514]

Thank you so much for a kind and thoughtful reply.

[gulfporter]

Driving around St. Pete, I've noticed some synagogues, Jewish-affiliated retirement/nursing homes. Maybe these folks can help:
http://jewishpinellas.org/

[sunigal99]

Location-wise, you can beat Safety Harbor. It's a small, friendly town that has quick access to roads that lead to St Pete and Tampa. It's very walkable with a great downtown, marina and a large park on the edge of town(Philippe Park).