Aussie moving to Tampa! Desperately need help though please..? (St. Petersburg: apartment, rentals)

[D&J]

Hi all,

Well I'm moving to the US in the next month as my fiance lives in Illinois.
We have looked at a few different places but have settled on the idea that once we get married we'll be moving to Tampa as she has relatives down that way and loves the city.
Trying to research internationally is hard at best, but when you don't know one suburb to the next it's kinda impossible

I have a couple of questions that I was hoping someone could help me with:

1. What are the suburbs/neighbourhoods of Carrolwood, Brandon, Riverview, Temple Terrace ad Lutz like when in comparison to one another? ie. crime rate, proximity to local malls & shopping centres, cost of renting etc.

2. We are looking at just a 1 or 2 b/r apartment that's in a good location, but a lot of the apartment reviews I've found online have been kind of depressing to say the least. Does anyone know of any nice apartment communities in the above listed areas (or perhaps other suburbs)
We are looking only for around $500-$800mth so nothing to out of the ordinary.

3. What is the job market like in Tampa? My fiance is a beauty advisor and does freelance makeup artistry so she can do either retail or freelance. My work background is mostly retail, (worked in Best Buy for almost a year in Canada) but have a background in cellular phones from a support angle. I also hae done personal/team assistant work so anything along those lines is an option as well.
I'm currently doing voice over training for radio and TV though here in Sydney so I am hoping to find some production studios to get some work in the media industry, but as you can see, I'm pretty broadminded as to what I do as a start

If anyone is able to help me out with some info/website links/hints it would be greatly appreciated!
If more information is needed please reply back with what you need and I'll give you whatever I can .

Thanks all!!

[House4Sale]

There are talent agencies aplenty in Tampa. Do a search and you'll come up with an extensive list. Good luck in your new endeavor.

Oh, every now and then infolist.com comes up with V.O. and speaking postings but not too often. However, search around through them or write Jeff and ask him for direction. He may be able to help even though he isn't local he still may be able to point you in right direction.

[BoogieBrd]

Hello,

I live in central St. Petersburg and though I'm not too familiar with the Tampa suburbs you mention, I know folks who reside there, and they seem happy living in their respective communities. When I moved to Florida several years ago, (from Il) I stayed with a relative for a few months which worked out well since I didn't have a clue as to which area of Tampa Bay to settle into. I had a miminal amount of my belongings transported via a moving company and met the truck at a rental storage space facility about a week after arriving. I also shipped "immediate" items (approx. 15 sm.-med. sized boxes)through a package handling service via UPS for a few hundred dollars. Your fiance's family should be able to guide and provide practical and useful information for the two of you I assume since it sounds like your fiance is fond of them. Perhaps an invitation to stay with one or more of her relatives will be offered by them if feasible. If not, temporary habitation in a furnished apt. in your price range can be had, and if you do a personal walk thru, you PROBABLY won't set yourself up for any nightmares.
You can keep on looking online too. Just keep looking. There are MANY apartment websites to peruse. Newspapers too; they frequently link to apt. websites. My best advice is to not rush into anything. Even if you visit a place in person, remember: All that glitters is not gold! Ask ask ask.
As for employment advice, I have none, except to say happy hunting!

[D&J]

Originally Posted by House4Sale

There are talent agencies aplenty in Tampa. Do a search and you'll come up with an extensive list. Good luck in your new endeavor.

Oh, every now and then infolist.com comes up with V.O. and speaking postings but not too often. However, search around through them or write Jeff and ask him for direction. He may be able to help even though he isn't local he still may be able to point you in right direction.

Hi! I did a few searches and have their sites bookmarked to loko further into once I get there. Didn't have that infolist site though, so thanks for that one! I appreciate your input

[D&J]

Originally Posted by BoogieBrd

Hello,

I live in central St. Petersburg and though I'm not too familiar with the Tampa suburbs you mention, I know folks who reside there, and they seem happy living in their respective communities. When I moved to Florida several years ago, (from Il) I stayed with a relative for a few months which worked out well since I didn't have a clue as to which area of Tampa Bay to settle into. I had a miminal amount of my belongings transported via a moving company and met the truck at a rental storage space facility about a week after arriving. I also shipped "immediate" items (approx. 15 sm.-med. sized boxes)through a package handling service via UPS for a few hundred dollars. Your fiance's family should be able to guide and provide practical and useful information for the two of you I assume since it sounds like your fiance is fond of them. Perhaps an invitation to stay with one or more of her relatives will be offered by them if feasible. If not, temporary habitation in a furnished apt. in your price range can be had, and if you do a personal walk thru, you PROBABLY won't set yourself up for any nightmares.

Yes we have the intention of staying in a hotel/apartment for a week roughly when we get there, then stay with the relatives for a short while while we intensify the search.

Originally Posted by BoogieBrd

You can keep on looking online too. Just keep looking. There are MANY apartment websites to peruse. Newspapers too; they frequently link to apt. websites. My best advice is to not rush into anything. Even if you visit a place in person, remember: All that glitters is not gold! Ask ask ask.
As for employment advice, I have none, except to say happy hunting!

Online seems to be all I have at the moment until I get some newspapers down there. One thing I DID notice was that yes, the sites for apartment rentals are in abundance. I have them all bookmarked and am working with maps.live to mark out where they are in the Tampa area. It's helping me get a better understanding for the area at the same time
My main concern was regarding the area's themselves, whether they are good locations/nice areas to live.
Thanks also for your input!