St. Pete vs Tampa for single guy, mid 20s, college-educated. (insurance, to buy)

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by somewayouttahere

Thanks for the input so far guys. Yes, I know it's critical that I have a job before I move; I'm not going to move down on a whim. I understand about the car situation, but that's why I'm visiting to try and get a feel for some places. In the end, if I have to get a car, so be it.

Well you're not going to want to be arriving at work a sweaty mess. Since you lived in FL you know you will be dealing with hot and humid most of the year. You need a car for two reasons, one for transportation and for the A/C so you arrive dry. When it is already 85 degrees at 8am with high humidity, do you really want to be waiting for a bus, and you can forget biking.

[gjosephunf]

Originally Posted by CubsFan20

How exactly is Davis Island walkable? It's a pretty big island, and the little strip of restaurants and bars there isnt exactly ecclectic enough to warrant living there just to be around them. There are a couple older apartments near them. No grocery walkable, neither is hyde park, although your options for dining and entertainment is definitely better in hyde park.

Ybor? I seriously doubt that is this person's scene, but I could be wrong.

Although a minority I know 2 people that live car-free in Hyde Park you have Greenwise (SoHo), and Publix on Bayshore. Davis Island is walk-able, and most certainly bike friendly to Hyde Park Village, Downtown Tampa. One of my close friends has taken bike-share from his residence in Downtown Tampa (Skypoint) to the Target-Whole Foods center on Dale Mabry (adventurous spirit). It is possible to live carfree in Ybor as well. Live near the streetcar line, then there's metro-rapid line, the number 7 bus, and 19 to most POI in the city) don't forget about Uber. Also Ybor has a local produce market on 7th avenue now.

I recommended Davis Island because it is a little more affordable than some of the newer complexes popping up in Downtown, Channelside, Westshore. Yet you can have somewhat secluded yet Urban lifestyle.

When I lived in Seminole Heights I was also able to utilize public transportation and bike where I wanted compared to where I live now in Westchase. In Westchase it's just like other suburbs in Tampa where you have to drive everywhere and no grid system. One benefit for me meet other people, and utilize the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, for recreation purposes there's a-lot of untapped potential with the greenway.

Otherwise, Florida is a huge transition overall coming from NYC, unless you're in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale where you have more mobility options. Atlanta is the next best bet to living car-free in the Southeast

[PDF]

Originally Posted by somewayouttahere

Thanks so much for the feedback gjose, pdf, and cubsfan; I really appreciate it! I know NYC is like no other place on this planet and to have certain expectations when leaving it; I'd like to think I'm fairly prepared. I lived in Port Charlotte for 4 years during high school and lived at USF Tampa for a year of college.

I really would love to avoid having a car as I have a bit of trouble with depth perception due to my eyes and it makes me nervous. For what it's worth, I am very flexible when it comes to waiting for the bus or biking. I used to commute an hour and a half from Long Island to Penn Station each way for work.

I'm trying to make my life as easy as possible if I do have to transition to having a car at some point. This is why I'm looking at places like Downtown St. Pete and Atlanta.

Well Tampa is no place to be without a car, so I'd scratch Tampa off your list in that case.

[CubsFan20]

Originally Posted by gjosephunf

Although a minority I know 2 people that live car-free in Hyde Park you have Greenwise (SoHo)

The Greenwise on Platt is NOT Hyde Park, it's quite a trek from it. Not something anyone would do in summer

[/quote]and Publix on Bayshore[/quote]

Not walkable from either Davis Island or Hyde Park really.

Davis Island is walk-able, and most certainly bike friendly to Hyde Park Village, Downtown Tampa.

While Davis Island is bike friendly (except the bridge to the mainland I would argue...) there are limited ammenities (restaurants and stuff, no grocery)

It's 1.5 miles from the "business district" of Davis Island (where all the restaurants and bars are at Davis Blvd and Biscayne Ave) to the Publix on Bayshore
1.75-2.5 miles to downtown, depending on where you are going
2.25 miles to hyde park village
3.3 miles to the Greenwise Publix on Platt
3-5 miles to most of the "soho" bars and restaurants
5.2 miles to the Super Target / Whole Foods / WalMart on Dale Mabry

While doable, most of these are not viable options. Especially in the summer

One of my close friends has taken bike-share from his residence in Downtown Tampa (Skypoint) to the Target-Whole Foods center on Dale Mabry (adventurous spirit).

That's absolutely nuts...

It is possible to live carfree in Ybor as well. Live near the streetcar line, then there's metro-rapid line, the number 7 bus, and 19 to most POI in the city) don't forget about Uber. Also Ybor has a local produce market on 7th avenue now.

And the nearest real grocery store is where??? That area is the ghetto, I think the closest Publix is the one on Bayshore. I can't think of a Winn Dixie or anything else nearby.

I would say that only a very small part of Ybor is safe to walk, and unless your point in life is getting drunk you are going to tire of the options nearby

I recommended Davis Island because it is a little more affordable than some of the newer complexes popping up in Downtown, Channelside, Westshore. Yet you can have somewhat secluded yet Urban lifestyle.

I would hardly consider DI "urban" at all... lol, it was one of the first planned suburbs in Tampa. While centrally located and a great place, i'm not sure it fits the OP's profile

When I lived in Seminole Heights I was also able to utilize public transportation and bike where I wanted compared to where I live now in Westchase. In Westchase it's just like other suburbs in Tampa where you have to drive everywhere and no grid system. One benefit for me meet other people, and utilize the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, for recreation purposes there's a-lot of untapped potential with the greenway.

I would argue that public transportation is no better in seminole heights... unless your only commute was downtown and back

Otherwise, Florida is a huge transition overall coming from NYC, unless you're in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale where you have more mobility options. Atlanta is the next best bet to living car-free in the Southeast

[/quote]

There is only a very small area in ATL you can live car free, and IMHO it's not safe. And the areas in MIA/FTL where you can get by without a car are small, and crazy expensive. To say you can get by without a car in ATL or Miami/FTL is crazy.

[CubsFan20]

Originally Posted by PDF

Well Tampa is no place to be without a car, so I'd scratch Tampa off your list in that case.

Pretty much nowhere in the south

[Serious Conversation]

I'm around your age, wanting to relocate to Tampa, and was down there all last week.

I can't stress this enough - you wouldn't want to live in Tampa without a car, and I'm not sure you can on a practical basis.

Someone mentioned walking from downtown to the Whole Foods on Dale Mabry. I can't imagine doing so - it would be inordinately slow, and outright dangerous. I was in the Rocky Point area for an interview, which is a small island, and even it didn't have crosswalks to the other side of the main causeway. Areas in Tampa that should be more pedestrian friendly just aren't.

St. Pete is more walkable at the neighborhood level, but I didn't see many grocery stores you could easily walk to and from. Moreover, if you were commuting to Tampa at standard hours, your commute would be awful. I got backed up going from St. Pete to Tampa at 3:30 in the afternoon last week for about fifteen minutes each time. During rush hour, this would be awful.

Bottom line, unless you're moving to Chicago and maybe a handful of areas on this west coast, you have to learn how to drive. You're going to be crippled without it.

[gypsychic]

As others have pointed out, you will have to have a car or some type of transportation in the area. But if you can get a job in St. Pete, I recommend it over Tampa, live in the neighborhoods a previous poster suggested. Somewhere near to downtown, where it is at least bikable, some things walkable. Tampa is notorious for being dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, I would never recommend it as a walkable/bikable city anywhere, except possibly parts of south Tampa of maybe Ybor (a very small section)

[somewayouttahere]

Yeah, I'm likely going to cross Tampa off of the list. I've been looking for jobs in Downtown St. Pete at the moment as that seems to be my best bet so far. I have my license (originally got it in Florida), but I haven't driven since moving to NY, which was over 5 years ago. I would love to avoid having a car as that would save me even more money coming from NY, but I suppose it isn't really that feasible unless I'm willing to compromise on a lot and living in select areas.

[somewayouttahere]

A bit off topic but would you guys recommend any alternative modes of transit aside from a car? I was thinking perhaps investing in an electric or hybrid in order to save on gas. I'm just thinking that the cost of NYC doesn't seem that bad if I now had to pay insurance, gas, maintenance, lease, etc.

[CubsFan20]

Originally Posted by somewayouttahere

A bit off topic but would you guys recommend any alternative modes of transit aside from a car? I was thinking perhaps investing in an electric or hybrid in order to save on gas.

If you are driving so little, you are throwing money out the window on an electric or hybrid car.

The return on investment will NEVER happen. I am going through this with my girlfriend now. She wants a hybrid, and drives a total of 12 miles per day on weekdays and almost never on the weekend. The amount of money extra you will pay for a hybrid will NEVER be recovered by the gas savings you will actually see when driving so little... there are online calculators to help figure this out

My suggestion will be to buy a used car like a honda civic that is fairly good on gas, since it's older it will be cheaper, and insurance will cost less

I'm just thinking that the cost of NYC doesn't seem that bad if I now had to pay insurance, gas, maintenance, lease, etc.

I doubt it... I have friends in NYC and the cost of living there is staggering.

You are kind of hamstringing yourself by putting such arbitrary requirements on where you live and your walkability requirements.

You do realize 98% of the rest of the country except NYC, what you are looking for does not exist. Might as well adapt now.

And newsflash... jobs are not plentiful in downtown St. Pete, so again, your choices will be limited.