[pianogal]

Originally Posted by Strel

I grew up in Temple Terrace, which is in NE Tampa, and back then (I'm 40 now), crime was VERY low, it was nice and clean and safe.

I lived in Temple Terrace when I was in grad school at USF. It was dicey then....and got much worse over the 3 years I lived there. I drove through the last couple of times I was in Tampa. It was awful! There's no way I would live there now unless I had no other choice.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by pianogal

I lived in Temple Terrace when I was in grad school at USF. It was dicey then....and got much worse over the 3 years I lived there. I drove through the last couple of times I was in Tampa. It was awful! There's no way I would live there now unless I had no other choice.

Yes, but what part?


Near the river is still very nice. West of 56th street....not so much.
I lived right behind Greco JHS just south of Fowler and from what current residents tell me, it is still a nice area.

[pianogal]

Originally Posted by Strel

Yes, but what part?


Near the river is still very nice. West of 56th street....not so much.
I lived right behind Greco JHS just south of Fowler and from what current residents tell me, it is still a nice area.

Yes, near the river is still nice, older well kept home....but most of the rest - a big square around Busch Gardens both east and west of Busch Blvd up to 56th street and over to Fowler - looked really bad to me.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by pianogal

Yes, near the river is still nice, older well kept home....but most of the rest - a big square around Busch Gardens both east and west of Busch Blvd up to 56th street and over to Fowler - looked really bad to me.

I don't recall how far west the actual city limits of TT extend, but I think they ended right around Whittier Street and the big Methodist Church on Busch. They certainly do not extend all the way to Busch Gardens, or more than a few blocks west of 56th. So when I am talking about Temple Terrace, I mainly mean between 56th street and the river. Golf courses and such.

In fact the TTPD was notorious for hanging out a few blocks west of 56th where the speed limit changed to catch speeders - on Druid Hills and Mission Hills. They got me a few times coming out of Tampa and hitting the 25mph limit in TT (on my way back from my HS job at Busch Gardens).

I think you were probably actually living in Tampa...but yes, the area around Busch Gardens is NOT very nice. It used to be a landfill, actually. Adventure Island is built on top of it. And the "130's" south of Fowler near USF are kind of sketchy.

[floridadreamer]

Originally Posted by slcuervo

Seems like no one recommends Miami... Good! That's what I wanted when I asked the questions, your opinions in order to see what the general trend is.

So, from your answers I get the impression that Orlando is more tourist-Disney like, and Tampa is a sort of "miami lite". Both have traffic problems and both are overcorwded...

So what about a place in between? Any suggestion?

There really isn't much in between. Most of Florida's larger cities seem to be along the coasts, with the exception of Orlando. If there were no Disney, who knows what there would be? I've lived in Miami, Tampa and Melbourne(west of Orlando) I know a lot of people in Melbourne so that would be my choice to live, but we really liked Tampa. Just live close to where you work is my recommendation.

[flordiagurl]

well i would say tampa bay area i live in clearwater what is close to tampa and it really bueatful in most parts but its really hot but the beaches are nice like clearwater beach. miami crowed and not such a great neighborhood in most parts but a lot of celebirty go there and live there so there in odd you might get to meet or see one. orlando good to because of the thing around it like bush gardens and stuff you no so hope i helped

[flordiagurl]

[Nomadicus]

A little bit out of date thread but simple answer is none of the above for a country boy that likes peace and quiet without the sounds of gun fire and emergency vehicles and their wailing sirens during the night. Crowing roosters do it for me.

[nb1968]

How important is it to you to be really close to the beach, because in Orlando you can still get to many beaches in about an hour, while being away from the HURRICANE succeptible coast.
Miami and Tampa COULD get hit with a category 5 or 6 hurricane. However, hurricanes diminish when they pass over land, and thus Orlando wont get hit AS hard, by hurricanes and the ensuing storm surge. Also, Orlando is about 100 feet higher, in this age of global warming and rising sea levels.

[GLS2010]

I would pick Orlando as well. Miami just isn't for me. and inbetween Tampa and Orlando I would pick Orlando because it's newer/cleaner looking. Downtown Orlando is much better than downtown Tampa. Orlando in my opinion has better entertainment options (dinning, retail, clubs, bars, venues, theme parks etc). And I like how in Orlando you have a choice if you want the warm calm and clear beaches of the gulf coast or the cooler water beaches with good waves on the Atlantic coast. Both coasts are about an hour away, so the drive isn't bad at all since most people make a day out of going to the beach anyways, and the hurricane risk is much lower in Orlando because of that.