Moving to St. Petersburg (Tampa, Lake Park: for sale, rent, violent crime)

[LukePH]

My wife and I (and soon to be first child) are moving to St. Pete in June. We are planning to rent the first 6mo-year and see where the housing market is going as well become familar with the area. We love NE St. Petersburg from what little we have seen. We would appreciate comments/opinion on any areas within St. Pete or areas close by to live and eventually purchase a home. My job is located in NE St. Pete. Thank you in advance for your help.

[Eastern Roamer]

Welcome and congratulations. I lived in Tampa for about four years and gradually made my way over the bridge. First, Hillsborough Community College treated me worse than the DMV, so I chose St. Pete College, and they've been great. I moved to Old NE about three months ago and love it. I just gave my notice at work, I found a job downtown and I'm done commuting to Tampa!

Old NE is the choice neighborhood, but not the only nice one, by any means. Old NE is East of 4th St in between 22nd Ave to the North and 5th Ave. to the South. But just Northeast of that is Coffee Pot Bayou, an upscale neighborhood with fine houses there and in the surrounding area. West of 4th St. between 5th Ave. and 22nd Ave. also has nice homes, look around Crecent Lake Park. Even downtown is quite nice. There are others that I haven't mentioned, I'm sure.

I would try to stay East of I-275 and avoid the South end of the city between 11th and 22nd Ave. S. Further South it starts getting nice again, but it's feels a bit remote being that far from the bridges to Tampa. That's my 2 cents.

[LukePH]

Thanks for the info!

[Tampasteve]

Old Northeast is one of my favorite areas and St. Pete continues to amaze me on how much it continues to improve. I really am impressed with how many more younger people are moving to that area. It is great to see all of the walkers, joggers, events that are making that area. Definitely check it out.

[stpeteguy]

Originally Posted by Tampasteve

Old Northeast is one of my favorite areas and St. Pete continues to amaze me on how much it continues to improve. I really am impressed with how many more younger people are moving to that area. It is great to see all of the walkers, joggers, events that are making that area. Definitely check it out.

South Saint Petersburg is still a terrible area. Lots of violent crime and drugs. I just figured I'd include that, so people know that it's not all sunshine and roses.

[The Northerner]

I too am considering moving to St. Pete. I have a solid healthcare career and can work pretty much anywhere. Being from Michigan originally, I wanted to come up here and give the ol' homestate one more try after living in the south for 27 years. It's a beautiful place, but unfortunately, in this era, it is also a depressing one. I am afraid to buy a house up here because I don't want to get stuck with it if I decide to leave again.

St. Pete is a pretty impressive town.....the beaches to the west are some of the nicest I can remember being on. I lived in Houston also, so I have experienced that type of heat in the summer. The proposed Rays stadium looks like a true gem, right up against a harbor and everything. Thank God they will be out of that horrible tomb they play in now. The Tampa Bay area has all of the top shopping, entertainment, and food choices of course. Traffic is rough, but after living in Houston, and then Atlanta, I did not flinch when I had to sit in a backup for the Frankland Bridge on a Saturday morning.

I think you really have to want to live in a tropical climate, though. The one thing holding me back is the lack of seasons. I didn't like that about Texas also. St. Pete is such a nice community to me though, it's
hard to resist.

[jessiesma]

admit that it all stays south of Central Ave. we don't have a lot of problems coming into the nice areas which are still very safe.

Originally Posted by stpeteguy

South Saint Petersburg is still a terrible area. Lots of violent crime and drugs. I just figured I'd include that, so people know that it's not all sunshine and roses.

[SunKrist]

Originally Posted by Eastern Roamer

Welcome and congratulations. I lived in Tampa for about four years and gradually made my way over the bridge. First, Hillsborough Community College treated me worse than the DMV, so I chose St. Pete College, and they've been great. I moved to Old NE about three months ago and love it. I just gave my notice at work, I found a job downtown and I'm done commuting to Tampa!

Old NE is the choice neighborhood, but not the only nice one, by any means. Old NE is East of 4th St in between 22nd Ave to the North and 5th Ave. to the South. But just Northeast of that is Coffee Pot Bayou, an upscale neighborhood with fine houses there and in the surrounding area. West of 4th St. between 5th Ave. and 22nd Ave. also has nice homes, look around Crecent Lake Park. Even downtown is quite nice. There are others that I haven't mentioned, I'm sure.

I would try to stay East of I-275 and avoid the South end of the city between 11th and 22nd Ave. S. Further South it starts getting nice again, but it's feels a bit remote being that far from the bridges to Tampa. That's my 2 cents.

I agree with everything said here. I live in Northeast, in Shore Acres. Have been here all my life. Many, many nice neighborhoods all throughout St. Pete.

Since you already know where your job is going to be, I would think about what other things you want to be close to. E.g., would you rather be closer to the Gulf beaches, or Tampa?

Pretty much anywhere you pick will have more than sufficient shopping. I would look at some maps of different areas. Some of the island neighborhoods are a little harder to navigate, being that they are constructed around bayous and inlets. Places like Shore Acres, Snell Isle, Venetian Isle, etc. are quite nice, but slightly farther out of the way than places like Old Northeast, Gateway, and Kenwood.

You will find many houses for sale and rent at this time. There is one for rent just across the street from me right now. The housing market is definitely in a state. It's hard to say where it will go from here.

Congratulations on your move and baby!

Good luck

[LukePH]

Thank you to all that have responded-great help

[sueinge]

I used to live in Bay Pines on the west side of St Pete and it was a nice neighborhood. We liked it because we were about 20 min. away from downtown, close to good shopping, and 5 min. from the beach. It is zip code 33708.