Is Tampa booming? (University, Seminole: violent crime, neighborhoods, university)

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by SwampChomp1

Buy a gun and learn to use it if you plan on moving to Tampa. Don't leave your doors unlocked. Stick to South Tampa and Davis Islands if you have the money to do so. Stay clear of West Tampa, East Tampa, Carrolwood, and Town & Country.

Stay out of Ybor City after dark. BTW St. Petersburg is garbage too.

Other than that... WELCOME!

My only response to this is that I moved here from the midwest. The metro I moved from is consistently rated in the top 10 safest metro areas in the nation year after year. It was even number one once in the 90s. I moved here and I see this area as no different than any other large city. I am not scared to live in this area at all. Yes, like all major cities there are areas I would not around after dark or alone but generally I feel pretty safe here. Don't worry about it. The areas SwampChomp1 is referencing are areas where there are lots of minorities and it seems like this might be more about race than anything.

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by FutureTexan

Sounds like you lucked out, What do you do for a living if you don't mind my asking ?

I work in the accounting field.

[CivilLibertarian]

Originally Posted by Trabbz

My only response to this is that I moved here from the midwest. The metro I moved from is consistently rated in the top 10 safest metro areas in the nation year after year. It was even number one once in the 90s. I moved here and I see this area as no different than any other large city. I am not scared to live in this area at all. Yes, like all major cities there are areas I would not around after dark or alone but generally I feel pretty safe here. Don't worry about it. The areas SwampChomp1 is referencing are areas where there are lots of minorities and it seems like this might be more about race than anything.

Are you suggesting that there is typically more crime in minority neighborhoods then in white areas? It appears to me that YOU are the one with race on your mind, not me.

The fact is the areas I mentioned are indeed high crime areas. I cannot help it if your "politically correct blinders" keep you from seeing it. Do the research for yourself and see if I'm lying to you. It is a FACT that I've stated, not racist conjecture.

If you choose not to heed my warning that's fine. But you've been warned. Do whatever you want with it.

[CivilLibertarian]

Originally Posted by SSpiro

Lol. So basically if you can't live on Davis Island, don't live here at all?

I agree with T&C, Ybor, and St Pete.. but not the rest of that..

I also said you'd be fine in South Tampa. Reread my post. Parts of Brandon are OK and Apollo Beach is nice too. But I'm glad to see that you credit me with the rest of the places I mentioned. The fact is that this city is not as bad as Detroit, Miami, or St. Louis, but I'm tired of everyone down here pretending we live in some kind of paradise and failing to inform others of the truth.

We've got more crime here than most cities do. We are not the worst but we are pretty darn bad down here.

Violent crime, gangs, and drugs. The areas I mentioned are full of them. It may not be "PC" to say it, but that doesn't mean it isn't true.

[rtjr]

Originally Posted by SwampChomp1

Buy a gun and learn to use it if you plan on moving to Tampa. Don't leave your doors unlocked. Stick to South Tampa and Davis Islands if you have the money to do so. Stay clear of West Tampa, East Tampa, Carrolwood, and Town & Country.

Stay out of Ybor City after dark. BTW St. Petersburg is garbage too.

Other than that... WELCOME!

Suggesting that anyone who plans on moving to Tampa should buy a gun and learn how to use it is nothing short of laughable. Steer clear of Carrolwood? Why? Overall that is a safe, family friendly area. St Pete has some great neighborhoods as well. It's really scary what some people post on these message boards...

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by rtjr

Suggesting that anyone who plans on moving to Tampa should buy a gun and learn how to use it is nothing short of laughable. Steer clear of Carrolwood? Why? Overall that is a safe, family friendly area. St Pete has some great neighborhoods as well. It's really scary what some people post on these message boards...

Exactly!!! I do not feel unsafe anywhere here really. Yes, again I will say there are areas I would not be caught dead in alone at night but all cities have that problem. I have never been victim to a crime here, and neither have any of my close friends or coworkers. When I moved here Tampa was ranked the 7th most dangerous city in America, in a short amount of time it has fallen to number 15 and continues to fall. I would say overall it is a pretty safe place to be, and again I said OVERALL it is a pretty safe place.

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by SwampChomp1

Buy a gun and learn to use it if you plan on moving to Tampa. Don't leave your doors unlocked. Stick to South Tampa and Davis Islands if you have the money to do so. Stay clear of West Tampa, East Tampa, Carrolwood, and Town & Country.

Stay out of Ybor City after dark. BTW St. Petersburg is garbage too.

Other than that... WELCOME!

I am curious as to what crimes you have been the victim of or how many times you had to use your gun because of how violent this area is in your eyes.

[CivilLibertarian]

Originally Posted by Trabbz

I am curious as to what crimes you have been the victim of or how many times you had to use your gun because of how violent this area is in your eyes.

Well, growing up a hispanic youth in West Tampa I've had many confrontations, two of which were potentially deadly encounters. I've been mugged and had a gun pulled on me once (Ybor City). At no point was I engaging in illegal activity during these events. On one occasion I was playing basketball with friends, another one occured while walking a girlfriend home in the evening, and the Ybor event occured because I stood up for a homeless man that was being harrassed by a group of teenagers.

When I grew up I purchased a home in South Tampa between Lois and Clark, just south of bay to bay and it was broken into on two different occasions. I even had my truck stolen once, and another botched attempt. This was in a "good" neigborhood. This was all over the course of about 18 years.

Finally, I had a friend in High School who was gunned down in East Tampa while trying to purchase Marijuana. Granted he was in the wrong neighborhood and participating in an illegal activity but he was murdered and that kind of stays with you.

Does this satisfy you?

Granted, if all you plan to stick to are the "lilly white" areas of town then by all means come on down.

[CivilLibertarian]

Originally Posted by rtjr

Suggesting that anyone who plans on moving to Tampa should buy a gun and learn how to use it is nothing short of laughable. Steer clear of Carrolwood? Why? Overall that is a safe, family friendly area. St Pete has some great neighborhoods as well. It's really scary what some people post on these message boards...

You may laugh but I can assure you others are not. Carrolwood isn't a project or anything like that but the gang violence has risen there quite a bit. There are much better places to raise a family.

St. Pete has been home to riots and gang violence (lots of the latter). Stay away from there if you can. It's definitely not a great place to raise a family.

What is scary to me is all the lilly whites on this site who keep to themselves so much that they don't see what is happening in the parts of the city they don't frequent. Why would I waste my time on here to warn of these things if they were not true.

All I'm saying to anyone who seeks to reside here is that they better do their homework on the area before moving in (especially if you have children). I'm just trying to help you. We are the 15th most crime ridden city for a good reason. Keep in mind petty crime has dropped but violent crime is very present in the wrong places here. I'm just trying to keep you from ending up in one, that's all.

[jessiesma]

is full of "bangers," real ones, any time of the day and it has the rep for the most car related crimes, thefts, hijackings, etc. in the Bay area. We've never had a problem but of course it's just stupid to say never, going forward. Swamp, you are right about the crime stats. While crime overall has dropped, I remember seeing something about VIOLENT crime rising. By the way I'm white but not lilyish Good and permanently tan I don't stay only where "my kind" hang out but I use judgment and try to stay away from really rough area. I do feel less safe in Tampa and while I won't go to Tyrone alone, I did feel less safe at University Sq. Mall even at lunch time.
Gangs are a big problem everywhere now and i don't know wher it's safe to raise kids. Maybe my daughter was right to move to Hawaii

Originally Posted by SwampChomp1

You may laugh but I can assure you others are not. Carrolwood isn't a project or anything like that but the gang violence has risen there quite a bit. There are much better places to raise a family.

St. Pete has been home to riots and gang violence (lots of the latter). Stay away from there if you can. It's definitely not a great place to raise a family.

What is scary to me is all the lilly whites on this site who keep to themselves so much that they don't see what is happening in the parts of the city they don't frequent. Why would I waste my time on here to warn of these things if they were not true.

All I'm saying to anyone who seeks to reside here is that they better do their homework on the area before moving in (especially if you have children). I'm just trying to help you. We are the 15th most crime ridden city for a good reason. Keep in mind petty crime has dropped but violent crime is very present in the wrong places here. I'm just trying to keep you from ending up in one, that's all.