Moving from Sarasota to St. Pete (Tampa, Clearwater: real estate, apartments, rentals)

[dijolee]

I have lived in Sarasota for over 20 years now so have been to St. Pete several times and have seriously considered relocating there. Currently seeking new employment. My questions are, how much do 2 bedroom rentals typically run near downtown and how is the area high school? I have a 16 year old son and he plays baseball. Is it a good area to raise a teen in and if not that area of St. Pete, then where close by? Any extra input is appreciated!

[smarino]

They are not cheap, at least in areas that I would consider living. Maybe $1000+ minimum. A lot depends on location, as you could easily pay a lot more than this, or less if you want to live in an edgy neighborhood. There are a LOT of nice areas in St Pete, but you would have to be more specific about which area and which schools. My wife is a sub and works in LOTS of the schools, and tries to avoid working in most of the south side. Some good neighborhoods are the Historic Kenwood, anything around Crescent Lake, and if you just drive down 3 Rd or 2 Nd streets north, or on the other side of 4 Th St, 5 Th to 8 Th streets north from downtown on out to around 50 th Av N you will see some very nice, clean, well kept up neighborhoods of homes and apartments. I suggest getting a short term rental and finding out what part of the city appeals to you before getting tied into a lease.

[TheShyster]

I have lived in St Pete...Sarasota, Manatee, even Tampa. Rents are high everywhere, but I would never trade living in Sarasota for St Pete. (I left St Pete FOR Sarasota). St Pete is a jungle compared to Sarasota far more ghetto to boot.

[gypsychic]

My husband and I went through a phase where we thought we wanted to move to St. Pete (from Sarasota). We do like many things about St. Pete, but at the end of the day we are pretty happy here and feel it's a great place to live. It is easy enough to zip across the Skyway when we need our St. Pete fix.

That said, good luck, I hope it works out for you!

[Leenme]

There are school rating sites online... this is just an example from zillow.
Ratings and Reviews for Saint Petersburg FL's Best Schools | Zillow

[WickedBad]

I wouldn't touch St Petersburg, unless Tierra Verde, Isla or maybe Feather Sound. The other areas around PP, Largo Seminole can be real trash, not to mention South St Petersburg. Pass

[paradiselost]

Sarasota is a better place to raise a kid than anywhere in Pinellas. Pinellas is a concrete jungle where a simple trip to publix can be like waiting in the lines at Disneyworld. Seminole isnt trashy its mostly older folks who want to live near the beach, but areas of St pete Clearwater, largo, lealman and pinellas park got some shady areas like any other urban area. Driving here can be horrendous as road such as US 19, East Bay drive, belcher road, Seminole blvd, starkey road, ulmerton road, park blvd and Gulf Blvd and are all accident prone roadways even worse than in Sarasota. You also got a lot of undesirable criminals from the midwest and northeast who always move to Pinellas, but the cost of living is getting so high there that they are actually now setting up shop more in Pasco and Hernando now. As far as St Pete its a flood prone City, a lot of ghettos off 34th street mostly on the southside and an overrated downtown and terrible mass transit. The good part about St PEte is The traffic is actually worse in mid county Largo, Clearwater Pinellas Park than south county Stpete.

[071402]

Originally Posted by WickedBad

I wouldn't touch St Petersburg, unless Tierra Verde, Isla or maybe Feather Sound. The other areas around PP, Largo Seminole can be real trash, not to mention South St Petersburg. Pass

Let's hope that makes more real estate for us to purchase there. As it stands, we're getting outbid.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by 071402

Let's hope that makes more real estate for us to purchase there. As it stands, we're getting outbid.

For awhile there, St. Pete was kind of "flying under the radar" so to speak. But I think it has pretty much been discovered now. As Sarasota/Manatee areas become more and more expensive, it follows up the coast that way. St. Pete used to be so much cheaper than here (Sarasota). The gap seems to be closing.

[Irishiis49]

Originally Posted by paradiselost

Sarasota is a better place to raise a kid than anywhere in Pinellas. Pinellas is a concrete jungle where a simple trip to publix can be like waiting in the lines at Disneyworld. Seminole isnt trashy its mostly older folks who want to live near the beach, but areas of St pete Clearwater, largo, lealman and pinellas park got some shady areas like any other urban area. Driving here can be horrendous as road such as US 19, East Bay drive, belcher road, Seminole blvd, starkey road, ulmerton road, park blvd and Gulf Blvd and are all accident prone roadways even worse than in Sarasota. You also got a lot of undesirable criminals from the midwest and northeast who always move to Pinellas, but the cost of living is getting so high there that they are actually now setting up shop more in Pasco and Hernando now. As far as St Pete its a flood prone City, a lot of ghettos off 34th street mostly on the southside and an overrated downtown and terrible mass transit. The good part about St PEte is The traffic is actually worse in mid county Largo, Clearwater Pinellas Park than south county Stpete.

Funny 17 years ago I chose Palm Harbor over Sarasota to raise my family...never regretted the choice...did a lot of research...the only crazy lines I experience in Publix is around holiday times and can easily be avoided...the north Pinellas area has thrived in the years we have been here...our first home in Waterford Crossing which we purchased in 1997(moved in 99) for 178k now sells for at least 200k more and usually in 3 weeks of listing...I agree with driving on the roads you listed above at rush hour are "horrendous" but don't really know where one commutes from suburb to major city isn't...