What do you absolutely love about the Tampa Bay area? (Spring Hill: renting, mortgage)

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Kevin from Tampa

1-The beaches. The sand on the beaches in Pinellas and Manatee is just great
2-The water...it's everywhere. Whenever I drive across the bay, I think "wow, this is my commute?"
3-Boating-Beer Can Island, Hillsborough River, the bay, Lake Tarpon, intracoastal waterway, Egmont Key, Crsytal River, Honeymoon Island, Caladesi...there are TONS of great boating opps in the bay area.
4-The weather-From late October through mid-May, the weather here is just fantastic.
5-Things to do-a whole month of Gasparilla events, Strawberry Festival, state fair, Festival of the States, Dunedin's Highland Games,
6-Rays, Lightning, Bucs...it's great to live in a place that has three major league sports teams
7-Tarpon Springs (Greek community), Dunedin (Scottish),
8-Spring training-For a month, Florida hosts more than two dozen MLB teams in training, and the bay area is the epicenter of this event
9-Grand Prix of St Pete
10-The Air Show at MacDill
11-Busch Gardens
12-Lowry Park Zoo
13-Ybor City
14-Great seafood
15-Guavaween
16-Boat parades at Christmas
17-The dog park on Davis Islands
18-Florida Aquarium
19-Dali Museum
20-Bok tower
21-The Tampa Theater
22-TBPAC
23-Ford Amphitheater
24-Local golf courses
25-MOSI
26-The fact that Tampa has a port that cruise ships leave from
27-The Columbia; Bern's; Tampa-style cuban sandwiches; guava pastries; El Cap in St Pete; Wright's Deli;La Teresita;
28-Caves in Hernando County
29-Ringling Museum and Ca D Zhan in Sarasota
29-The casino at the Hard Rock
30-Dragon Boat Races
31-Proximity to Orlando and the attractions there
32-I have a multitude of day trips to take to lots of plces
33-My wife loves that TB has lots of shopping
34-Generally, people are nice

That is a great list Kevin. As a native of this region I love all that and could add pages to the list. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better place to live that the expanded Tampa Bay area.

[Tootsfromscotland]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

That is a great list Kevin. As a native of this region I love all that and could add pages to the list. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better place to live that the expanded Tampa Bay area.

Absolutely love these quotes and indeed this whole thread! Thanks so much guys and to the "glass half empty" folk on here - yes I do know its not perfect and I do know there will be things I dislike...but hey it's all life experience, and I'm looking forward to our move nonetheless!

[Purple_Princess]

1. Sandals
2. Sundresses
3. Sunshine
4. No state Income taxes
5. Lower relative cost of living
6. Nice new home for a low price
7.Strawberry Festival
8.Jet Skiing with dolphins as escorts
9. Free drag races twice a week
10.Renaissance Faire
11. Close to other cities
12. Cheap flights
13. Cruise ports nearby

[rezfreak]

Originally Posted by matt_sfl

The low cost of living. Of course the only other place I ever lived was southern California.

LOL Hardly low cost of living here. Compared to California, yes it is lower, but this place is hardly low cost of living, that's for sure.

[Kevin from Tampa]

Originally Posted by rezfreak

LOL Hardly low cost of living here. Compared to California, yes it is lower, but this place is hardly low cost of living, that's for sure.

Thanks for contributing to the thread

[rezfreak]

Originally Posted by Kevin from Tampa

Thanks for contributing to the thread

Anytime!

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by rezfreak

LOL Hardly low cost of living here. Compared to California, yes it is lower, but this place is hardly low cost of living, that's for sure.

Are you trying to say it's expensive to live in Tampa cause it's not.

[rezfreak]

Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa

Are you trying to say it's expensive to live in Tampa cause it's not.

Its quite expensive compared to midwest actually. The same size house here is about 500 more a month from where I am from. Gas is about 20 cents more per gallon here. Gas is always a pretty good indication on COL.

Our base allowance went up 600 a month as well - that's a very good indication of COL - airforce is pretty good about adjusting housing pay for things like that. If COL wasnt that high - then our BAH really wouldnt have gone up.

Previous house was 1800 SQ feet with basement and we paid 860 a month. This one is 2000 sq feet and no basement and its 1300 a month and that's cheap compared to other houses of comparable size. This is renting cost, not buying.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by rezfreak

Its quite expensive compared to midwest actually. The same size house here is about 500 more a month from where I am from. Gas is about 20 cents more per gallon here. Gas is always a pretty good indication on COL.

Our base allowance went up 600 a month as well - that's a very good indication of COL - airforce is pretty good about adjusting housing pay for things like that. If COL wasnt that high - then our BAH really wouldnt have gone up.

Previous house was 1800 SQ feet with basement and we paid 860 a month. This one is 2000 sq feet and no basement and its 1300 a month and that's cheap compared to other houses of comparable size. This is renting cost, not buying.

We're you in a major city like Tampa/St. Pete? I lived in SC and gas and housing was cheaper but we were in a much smaller town. There was less to do and certainly less opportunities. When we moved back to Florida everyone said "Oh the COL down there is so much higher, how will you survive?" I laughed being from FL and knowing that we probably have the best Quality of Life:Cost of Living Ratio in the country IMO. Yeah gas was $.20 cheaper a gallon there too but I don't notice a change at the grocery store and our rent is comprable to the same size place there. Florida is cheap for what you get in places like Tampa!!

[rezfreak]

Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa

We're you in a major city like Tampa/St. Pete? I lived in SC and gas and housing was cheaper but we were in a much smaller town. There was less to do and certainly less opportunities. When we moved back to Florida everyone said "Oh the COL down there is so much higher, how will you survive?" I laughed being from FL and knowing that we probably have the best Quality of Life:Cost of Living Ratio in the country IMO. Yeah gas was $.20 cheaper a gallon there too but I don't notice a change at the grocery store and our rent is comprable to the same size place there. Florida is cheap for what you get in places like Tampa!!

Its big for the midwest - omaha has over a million people.