[INeedAChange]

I've narrowed it down to these two areas for the move. From my trip:

Tampa:
--Tampa/St. Pete seemed to have more charm, less cookie cutter feel, and more of a down to earth feel
--I'm assuming it would be cheaper to live there.

So. Fla:
--my friend in Boca says that South Fla. has a much better job market than other parts of Fla.

Any opinions?

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by INeedAChange

I've narrowed it down to these two areas for the move. From my trip:

Tampa:
--Tampa/St. Pete seemed to have more charm, less cookie cutter feel, and more of a down to earth feel
--I'm assuming it would be cheaper to live there.

So. Fla:
--my friend in Boca says that South Fla. has a much better job market than other parts of Fla.

Any opinions?

Wow. It just totally depends. If you are looking for a more liberal area, go with So. Fla. If you are looking for more laid back people, go to Tampa. The job market sucks in both areas, but So Fla is a little better, and not really significantly more expensive to rent in than Tampa.

For crime, if you were to pick Broward County or Boca area versus Hillsborough/ Pinellas County, I give Broward the edge, but both have safe areas to locate.

For jobs, I hesitantly say South Florida is better.

For Air Quality, South Florida without question. Tampa is Florida's most polluted city.

For friendliness, Tampa without question.

For traffic, Broward/south PBC is in a lot better shape than the Tampa area.

For charm/etc- Tampa without a doubt.

So Fla has a slightly less horrific summer because of the breeze, but they both suck during the summer. South Florida remains warmer during winter.

It's a close call. Both have their good and bad. I say go for wherever gives you the best career opportunity.

[INeedAChange]

thanks FL--I didn't realize traffic was worse in Tampa (the most traffic I saw while I was down there was definitely in Orlando).

For hurricane risk, does it make any difference at all?

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

Wow. It just totally depends. If you are looking for a more liberal area, go with So. Fla. If you are looking for more laid back people, go to Tampa. The job market sucks in both areas, but So Fla is a little better, and not really significantly more expensive to rent in than Tampa.

For crime, if you were to pick Broward County or Boca area versus Hillsborough/ Pinellas County, I give Broward the edge, but both have safe areas to locate.

For jobs, I hesitantly say South Florida is better.

For Air Quality, South Florida without question. Tampa is Florida's most polluted city.

For friendliness, Tampa without question.

For traffic, Broward/south PBC is in a lot better shape than the Tampa area.

For charm/etc- Tampa without a doubt.

So Fla has a slightly less horrific summer because of the breeze, but they both suck during the summer. South Florida remains warmer during winter.

It's a close call. Both have their good and bad. I say go for wherever gives you the best career opportunity.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by INeedAChange

thanks FL--I didn't realize traffic was worse in Tampa (the most traffic I saw while I was down there was definitely in Orlando).

For hurricane risk, does it make any difference at all?

To tell you the truth, Tampa probably has a higher change of receiving a hurricane, while So Fla has a higher chance of receiving a powerful one, but lower chance of receiving a high volume of hurricanes. You might want to keep in mind that the building code in structures built after Andrew here in Broward and Palm Beach County is some of the strongest in the country (required impact resistant glass and or shutters, barrel tile roofs, etc), while I am not sure about about Tampa, but know they are still using plywood on the second stories. Also, if you live in Pinellas, a very large amount of areas have to evacuate because it is a peninsula sticking out between the bay and the gulf. Orlando IS the worst for traffic, but Tampa/ St. Pete has a lot of congested side roads/ undersized highways, but the DOT is doing a lot to upgrade the infrastructure. You don't get many delays in Broward County (despite what people on here will tell you), but people seem to drive a lot better in Tampa (the drivers are SCARY here!).

So basically, for hurricanes, its a tossup, and for traffic, Broward/south Palm Beach are in better shape. Still, Tampa is more chill, and in a lot of ways I would pick it over Broward/south PBC if you can land a job there. Job market sucks in both places, but Tampa was recently named the WORST city in America for young professionals (Miami was one of the worst too, Fort Lauderdale was somewhere in the middle of the list). I would say to just go for whichever gives you the best job opportunities and where you can live most affordably for your income.

[INeedAChange]

thanks again, FL, as always, you know your stuff...

honestly Tampa wasn't even on my radar, but I decided to visit it on a whim while I was down there, and loved Ybor city & St. Pete, though I wouldn't actually live right in either of those areas. I think I would enjoy either Tamp or south Fla.

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

To tell you the truth, Tampa probably has a higher change of receiving a hurricane, while So Fla has a higher chance of receiving a powerful one, but lower chance of receiving a large amount of hurricanes. You might want to keep in mind that the building code in structures built after Andrew here in Broward and Palm Beach County is some of the strongest in the county (required impact resistant glass and or shutters, barrel tile roofs, etc), while I am not sure about about Tampa, but know they are still using plywood on the second stories. Also, if you live in Pinellas, a very large amount of areas have to evacuate because it is a peninsula sticking out between the bay and the gulf. Orlando IS the worst, but Tampa/ St. Pete has a lot of congested side roads/ undersized highways, but the DOT is doing a lot to upgrade the infrastructure. You don't get many delays in Broward County (despite what people on here will tell you), but people seem to drive a lot better in Tampa (the drivers are SCARY here!).

So basically, for hurricanes, its a tossup, and for traffic, Broward/south Palm Beach are in better shape. Still, Tampa is more chill, and in a lot of ways I would pick it over Broward/south PBC if you can land a job there. Job market sucks in both places, but Tampa was recently named the WORST city in America for young professionals (Miami was one of the worst too, Fort Lauderdale was somewhere in the middle of the list). I would say to just go for whichever gives you the best job opportunities and where you can live most affordably for your income.