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My boyfriend and I are thinking about moving to the Tampa Bay area. We're both 21. The winters here suck. I just want to know what the daily life is like down there and things to do. As far as jobs, I'll be a vet tech by the time we move. He has been doing factory work and landscaping in the summer. Would there be a lot of options for both of us? What are the people like down there? I know there's a lot of bugs but I can deal with that. The idea of having an aligator in my backyard is kind of scary, but I heard that doesn't happen a lot. Any feedback would be great. Thanks ☺
He could do landscaping all year in FL. Not much factory work in Florida. As a vet tech you would be able to find work at a vet office.
You should do some research and see if moving makes sense, you dont want to make a move to escape the cold to a new place with no family nor friends. Lots of people move to Florida thinking that lack of winter will improve their lot in life, but day to day isnt going to be much different. You will still have rent, utilities etc
If you are coming from a rural area Tampa will have more options for nightlife but it costs money to do things. You will be closer to Disney, bush gardens etc, but it is $100 to just walk thru the gate. So the same stuff you do now but warmer
People in Florida are from all over. When it comes down to it, people are the same everywhere. Tampa bay has transplants from the midwest, transplants from the Northeast, native "Southerners", more African Americans and Hispanics than in Indiana.
Dont worry about alligators unless you live right on the water
Since you double posted I figured I would repeat my response to your other post here:
There is no factory work here in the same sense that there is in the Midwest. Florida for the most part is a service industry based economy with almost nothing in the way of heavy industry or manufacturing. Here he would do landscaping year 'round, but he'll be competing for a job with a lot of immigrants who will work harder and cheaper than he ever will. And he'll be lucky to make minimum wage.
Vet clinic, maybe. If your boyfriend doesn't want to do manual labor and work for minimum wage, I would suggest you stay where you are. Unless you have a skill here you'll be at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to jobs.
Yeah I have been looking into it. As far as renting a place and jobs. The area we live now is just so small and there is limited job oppertunities. I just figured a bigger city would mean more oppertunities. And not just him and I, my whole family was talking about going down that way. My brother is actually in Tampa now doing work for an old boss of his. And he does roofing and construction. Is there a lot of that type of work needed down there? What type of work do people do down there that just have a highschool diploma?
My boyfriend and I are thinking about moving to the Tampa Bay area. We're both 21. The winters here suck. I just want to know what the daily life is like down there and things to do. As far as jobs, I'll be a vet tech by the time we move. He has been doing factory work and landscaping in the summer. Would there be a lot of options for both of us? What are the people like down there? I know there's a lot of bugs but I can deal with that. The idea of having an aligator in my backyard is kind of scary, but I heard that doesn't happen a lot. Any feedback would be great. Thanks ☺
There are wise comment above. Relocation requires a great deal of research and planning to avoid having to live in your car. These links will give you a picture of the employment opportunities.
Life in FL is basically the same as elsewhere. You live in an apartment, go to work. Pay the bills.
There are nice points like mild winters but summers (May-Oct) are very hot and humid. Some people dont realize that. Tampa is a fairly large city and quite urban. The metropolitan area around Tampa has a high density of people which may take some getting used to. There arent any public services for adults without children so you're really on your own here. Did I say research? Research is the first step.
Also plan on having sizable cash savings before coming. $15,000 is fairly reasonable as you will need deposits on rent and utilities. The money will help carry you through leaner times.
Yeah I have been looking into it. As far as renting a place and jobs. The area we live now is just so small and there is limited job oppertunities. I just figured a bigger city would mean more oppertunities. And not just him and I, my whole family was talking about going down that way. My brother is actually in Tampa now doing work for an old boss of his. And he does roofing and construction. Is there a lot of that type of work needed down there? What type of work do people do down there that just have a highschool diploma?
Construction is always happening until the next real estate bubble. If you are serious line up work thru brothers old boss before moving. Closer to Tampa you would have access to vets offices and if either one of you wanted more school much more available in urban area or online but it will take some work.
HVAC is always needed in Florida, some of those guys do well. Plumbing as well
Unskilled labor is not enough to make living here. A cheap apartment in a bad neighborhood is easily $700-$800. Getting your cars registered and insured will cost you a minimum of at least $1000, I would venture. You said by the time you're ready you'll be a vet tech, which tells me you're still in training and haven't gotten a certificate or diploma, whatever. With no experience to show, you're going to have a difficult time finding a job.
Without jobs, you're not going to be able to rent an apartment, as no self respecting landlord is going to rent to someone who isn't gainfully employed.
Sadly, there are a lot of people like you already here. Until they changed the laws, we used to see them on the side of the road at intersections holding up signs begging for money. Who knows where they are now?
Please don't come here without a job lined up and plenty of money to live off of until you can find something. Otherwise, you'll end up sponging off our social services.
I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but it's true. If you read through this forum you'll see many, many more posts just like yours, and every one of them being warned not to come without a job lined up and plenty of reserves to live off of until they get settled.
I have a friend that moved from north of Indianapolis to tampa a year ago doing landscaping. He thought he could find an apartment in the 500 dollar range. Nope.... I would say for the safer neighborhoods its around 800 and up. He was also not use to the density of the city. I guess growing up in the suburbs of Indianapolis will do that. Research research research. He is currently close to Ocala now. Guess tampa was too pricey and too CITY... But on the positive landscaping is available year round and it's not completely taken up by immigrants like someone mentioned. Demographics in tampa is a mixture. It's not like Miami or Atlanta that swings hard in one direction.
My boyfriend and I are thinking about moving to the Tampa Bay area. We're both 21. The winters here suck. I just want to know what the daily life is like down there and things to do. As far as jobs, I'll be a vet tech by the time we move. He has been doing factory work and landscaping in the summer. Would there be a lot of options for both of us? What are the people like down there? I know there's a lot of bugs but I can deal with that. The idea of having an aligator in my backyard is kind of scary, but I heard that doesn't happen a lot. Any feedback would be great. Thanks ☺
What part of Indiana are you in currently? That's going to make a big difference as to how easy it will be to adjust.
I moved down there from Carmel, Indiana when I was 22 and stayed until I was 30. Leaving there was probably the biggest mistake of my life. I was going through a divorce when I left and moved back here to be closer to family. If I had to do it all over again, I would never have left. I will be back again someday, but it's just not in the cards at the moment.
There is way more to do in Tampa Bay than there is in just about any part of Indiana. The only exception would be if you currently live in the part of the state near Chicago.
I'd compare it to Indianapolis in terms of the feel of the city size-wise, although it's a bit larger.
As far as the people go, I think overall the people there are wonderful. It's a great hybrid of the Midwest, Northeast and Latin America. While every city has it's a-holes, I'd say the people in the Bay area were more friendly and open-minded than they are here in Indy.
Here's what I would recommend:
1) Spend the next 6-9 months SAVING as much money as you can. In my case, I took on a 2nd job delivering pizzas just so that I could go down there and not sweat it out financially. I even took a visit down there and opened a bank account almost a year before I arrived. I would send deposits regularly (checks, not cash) through the mail. That kept me from accessing the money while I was up here. Even if it was as small as $50 or $100, I deposited it.
2) Do PLENTY of research. Read the Tampa Bay Times newspaper every day online to give you a feel for the area. Make a spreadsheet covering all of your expenses so that you know how much you'll need to live each month in addition to your initial expenses (car registration, insurance, deposits, etc).
3) Try to visit down there for a few days over the summer just to get an idea of the heat. Personally, I think the heat and humidity can be a little worse up here but in the Tampa area it lasts for months. I think the tradeoff is worth it for the warm winters, but some people can't handle several months of 90 degrees and humidity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwolfer
You will be closer to Disney, bush gardens etc, but it is $100 to just walk thru the gate. So the same stuff you do now but warmer
If you're smart about it, you can visit those places for a lot less than that. Disney offers the 3-day FL resident tickets for $139 and Busch Gardens usually has some killer deals in December for the locals, but you have to be mindful of blackout dates, etc. Even without the theme parks, the Bay area offers a lot of very cheap entertainment. If you like sports, the Spring Training baseball games are dirt cheap and are a blast. Rays, Lightning and Bucs tickets can be had very cheaply on the secondary market too. There's always the Pinellas beaches, Ft. Desoto Park and so forth. I'm not sure if the city pool is still open on the St. Petersburg bayfront, but you used to be able to go there on a nice day in the winter months and they kept the pool heated to 80 degrees. Even if you have a pool at an apartment complex, the water will be too cold during the winter, so the city pool is a nice alternative.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spring Hillian
Also plan on having sizable cash savings before coming. $15,000 is fairly reasonable as you will need deposits on rent and utilities. The money will help carry you through leaner times.
I think 15K is probably way more than necessary if they are just looking to start out in a modest apartment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morton R
Without jobs, you're not going to be able to rent an apartment, as no self respecting landlord is going to rent to someone who isn't gainfully employed.
That's not necessarily true. I came down there without a job, but I had a good chunk of change in the bank. I was able to get my apartment by paying 2 months rent in advance and they ran a credit check.
When I arrived, I got settled in and spent about 10 days enjoying the area. I took a minimum-wage job right after that, just so I could keep money coming in until I could find a better job (which I did after a few months). I arrived with the enough money in the bank that under a worse-case scenario, I could live for six months without a job. It never came to that and I did just fine, but I would agree that if you had a job lined up in advance, that would be even better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cjairo191
I have a friend that moved from north of Indianapolis to tampa a year ago doing landscaping. He thought he could find an apartment in the 500 dollar range. Nope.... I would say for the safer neighborhoods its around 800 and up. He was also not use to the density of the city. I guess growing up in the suburbs of Indianapolis will do that. Research research research. He is currently close to Ocala now. Guess tampa was too pricey and too CITY...
How far North of Indianapolis was he? I don't think the density in Hillsborough/Pinellas seems much different than Indianapolis.
He was in Carmel of fisher area. Yes Carmel is more spread out than living in the city limits of tampa. Even off 96th street I think in Indianapolis is more spread out. I do not live in the outskirts or far off suburbs of tampa. He just did not do his research on costs of apartments in tampa. I think that was his major problem.
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