Houston or St. Petersburg to live?

[SouthSota14]

Originally Posted by SeaSpur

You will have a very difficult time finding a safe area you would want to live (or run) in for $500-700 a month unless you get a roommate.

Being black or atheist doesn't matter here. Much less racism than in the core of the Southeast. People seem to mind their business more here but that can also make it challenging for some to find friends (from what I've read).

As far as the cities go, they are totally different in my opinion. Houston is one of the largest population centers in the US with insane traffic (crazy highway layouts in my opinion) and sprawl. St. Petersburg has a small to medium downtown core that can only stretch so far with other "towns" existing nearby, but swallowed by it (Largo, Gulfport, Pinellas Park, Seminole, on up to Clearwater/Dunedin if you ask some folks).

We both have a large hispanic population, but Houston is more Mexican (as is their cuisine) while ours is more Cuban/Dominican/Puerto Rican/Haitian.

Theres heavily Mexican parts of Tampa Bay. Now on the final thing you wrote, ya those exist too but more on the East Coast of FL and the East Coast in general esp Puerto Rican and Haitian, and Dominican too.


All the OP has to do, is go to Dover, go to parts of Sarasota, Bradenton, Brandon, he will find ALL Mexicans. Hell even Largo now has an area or 2 that is.

[SouthSota14]

I would say overall St Pete is the better place, that's a no brainer. With all these bad stories I am hearing out of Houston now, I would totally avoid it. I watch the Adviseshow TV also. And from everything out that way.. just NO.


BUT at the same time St Pete has a lot of issues too. Its a lifestyle based economy.. only service jobs. I was lucky to bring a lot of money with me coming to this area. If I didn't, I'd be more screwed. It can get dismal in FL also. So I am going to say that both areas have their problems but at least you have the beaches in St Pete. Theres young people in St Pete but like me, some people also may find they don't meet them much. Theres still also a lot of very old. I picked Sarasota to settle down in because by that time it didn't matter to me. St Pete didn't work out really, and there were still old people there too so I opted for Sarasota.

[071402]

Originally Posted by SouthSota14

I would say overall St Pete is the better place, that's a no brainer. With all these bad stories I am hearing out of Houston now, I would totally avoid it. I watch the Adviseshow TV also. And from everything out that way.. just NO.


BUT at the same time St Pete has a lot of issues too. Its a lifestyle based economy.. only service jobs. I was lucky to bring a lot of money with me coming to this area. If I didn't, I'd be more screwed. It can get dismal in FL also. So I am going to say that both areas have their problems but at least you have the beaches in St Pete. Theres young people in St Pete but like me, some people also may find they don't meet them much. Theres still also a lot of very old. I picked Sarasota to settle down in because by that time it didn't matter to me. St Pete didn't work out really, and there were still old people there too so I opted for Sarasota.

With so much (so much) building going on, new condos, several new restaurants, bars, venues where are the office jobs in St Pete - should there not be more or any employers moving in with all this 'expected' growth and residential push?