What do you absolutely love about the Tampa Bay area? (Sunrise: home, neighborhood)

[saintpetegirl]

Here are some of mine:

1. Sunsets at any of our beaches
2. Sunrises over Tampa Bay
3. Being able to see amazing sunrises and sunsets in the same day! (Count yourself very lucky)
4. Kayaking, swimming, camping, and bike riding at Fort De Soto
5. Watching manatees and dolphin swim around Coffee Pot Bayou
6. Tampa Theater (one of most beautiful + historical theaters ever - complete with that cool organist rising from the floor before the show)
7. The Salvador Dali museum - best ever
8. Tapas at Ceviche in downtown St. Pete
9. Spring festivals at Vinoy Park (The Arts festival is best)
10. Old North East neighborhood: cool bungalows
11. Downtown St. Pete: with it's late 1920's architecture intact
12. Boating and sailing all year long
13. Our sand is white, and our water is blue-green
14. The people here are kick-back and nice
15. Sarasota is near with it's museums and beaches (Siesta Key)
16. Our birds - I love 'em. Egrets, herons, roseate spoonbills, and wild parrots.
17. We have great park resources and bike trails
18. Proximity to other get-aways (clearwater, miami, scuba diving on the east coast)

I have more, this is just a start.

[rangersfan]

Thanks Stpetegirl - can't wait to appreciate it all when we move down in the next couple of months!!

[lavender]

Walking into Panera on 4th street at almost any time and even though I don't live in St Pete, knowing someone!
St Pete High School Green Devils
Suddenly coming upon Coffee Pot Bayou from 22nd Ave
Hallowe'en around Old North East
Elvis Party around Christmas on 15th Ave NE
Moon Under the Water
Frescos for lunch
Watching the Jingle Bell runners from the outdoor seating at Parkshore Grill (whilst sipping wine!)
Jannus landing concerts - how cool are they?

st pete girl, you could be me, except you are lucky enough to live in the city limits

[FloridaKash]

Low cost of living compared to many places.
Availability to drive to a port and jump on a cruise ship.
Beaches, Palm Trees, Sun... of course.
Having chain restaurants and stores again! (This is an Alaskan Thing)
Cheap flights to the Caribbean.
Cheap flight everywhere compared to what I am used to.
Professional Sports Teams (Baseball, Football and Hockey)
Roller Derby League!
Big Concerts, entertainers and shows some through the town.

I am sure there will be many more things once I get there and discover them. Tell ya what, I'll keep you posted. HAHA

[Nomadicus]

Good fishing. Good food.

[TampaKaren]

Sunsets and sand between my toes.

[Maggi07]

I don't know exactly what it is yet. I have a strong connection to this area. My dad spent every summer growing up about a mile from where I live now. My grandparents had their babies here and are now buried here. My cousin and two of my uncles have been here their entire lives.

I thought I saw someone post on this thread that this was their home and that's what they loved about it, but maybe I saw that somewhere else? That's how it feels to me, even though I haven't lived here long.

I love love love being by the ocean, having what seems like unlimited things for my family to do together, the absolutely fantastic special needs program my son is in, the variety of plants and birds that I have never seen before, the great variety of people I encounter. The list is growing.

[marcopolo]

Green growing things in January, garden supply stores open year 'round, bodies of water that aren't frozen in January, palm trees, sea shells, swimming laps in the sunshine in winter months, and...
no snow, no shovels, no ice on windshields, no snowblowers, no drifts, no slipping on ice, no frostbite, no stretches of road with a hundred cars in the ditch, no coats or gloves.

[Keeper]

/Cuban food..
Seafood
Sunsets
Tarpon Springs
Ybor City
Art Shows

Sailing to Caladesi Island/ laying on the beach

[levamp59]

We're coming to look around in the next few weeks from Colorado. When I read all of this it gives me butterflies in my stomach, I'm so excited