What do you absolutely love about the Tampa Bay area? (St. Petersburg: townhouse, neighborhoods)

[Nomadicus]

Way back when decades ago I loved fishing off the catwalk under Gandy Bridge..at night. The sparkle in the salt water and feeding fish is a fond memory.

[DoctorRain]

Things I like:

Cigars
Cheap bars to get beer (besides New World of course)
Cuban Food
Jamaican Food
Barbeque (OF COURSE!)
Concert venues
Blues
Walkability of Downtown to Ybor
Cheaper eateries in general
Old gritty city feel like its a true bluecollar place
A few of the ybor coffee places
City has less traffic than others
Enough thrift stores that seem decent enough

Damn! I really dont need to move to Portland OR after all! + the transit will be improved down the road.

[SunsetBeachFL]

El Cap and Chattaway - best burgers and canine friendly, really laid back and not for the hio paollio... or however it must be spelled.

[Jimrob1]

Originally Posted by housingcrashsurvivor

Bummer. I never got to enjoy it having moved out last time before it was designated for recreation use and now having moved back after it was closed for safety. I read that when Gandy is rebuilt they might add sidewalk and bike lane. I would loved to have had a dedicated biking & pedestrian bridge across the bay, however. What a unique "park" for a city to have. When active was it used by a lot of people or was little use what rationalized not spending money to repair it?

The old bridge which became the Friendship Trail was used by many people in the years it was open to the public. It definitely was a unique park for a city to have. Some 2.6 miles across the bay. It was such a nice feeling to be outside enjoying all that sun and water. Definietly a good workout, bike, jog, walk, rollerblade and no cars to run you over. There were so many people making that hike back and forth across the bridge. I don't think there was a lack of people using it, in the rationale of not replacing it. I know it was deemed to unsafe to use, and the high cost to repair or replace it did not warrant that kind of money.

As for me I always made room to visit the Friendship Trail, and get a good workout whenever in the Tampa area. I haven't been to Tpa in a couple of years, but will miss that trail on my next visit.

[Jentroll]

I'm so excited our family will be moving to FL! We're from Chicago and HATE winter and are SO happy this was our last one. Moving to Tampa area...not sure where, exactly yet. Used to live in Naples, so I know I'm gonna love the fresh fish, beaches, sunsets, water activities, close proximity to weekend getaways in Miami and Keys. Wish we were moving tomorrow!

[Nomadicus]

I love to relax at Bok Tower Gardens.

[dlhanson]

Warm in the winter so DW's legs and joints don't hurt
Natural Vitamin D from the sun almost the entire year
Picking spinach and swiss chard fresh at u-pick hydroponic farms all winter long
Fresh citrus in season -- especially navel oranges
Produce stores -- much fresher than the grocery chains
Reasonable priced houses in 55+ communities
No income tax

We were snowbirds this last winter and we plan to move to Hillsborough County in 2011.

[TampaStar]

I love:
My job! I work for a small company located on the water in an old remolded restaurant. I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing for exactly the kind of company I want to be doing it for/with!
The weather! I moved here from Vermont last August and I couldn't be happier. It's sunny and nice every day. The humidity doesn't really bother me so I can't complain about that.
The endless things to do! Plenty of places to eat, drink, lounge, swim, shop, play, explore!
The people! Ok, truth be told, I don't love all the people or even most of them, but they sure are entertaining!

[ferret111]

It's a shame that they had to close the bridge, as it was extremely popular. But....the span is over fifty years old. That's about the same age as the Skyway fishing piers. I wonder if those will come down, too.

[Iamthere]

the Tampa Bay Succaneers!