recent college grad relocating to bradenton/or area (to live in, summer)

[JazzmanLI]

Have you looked in Parrish? Might be surprised, but purchasing a home might only cost a couple hundred more per month than rent. Did for me! In Parrish you get a lot of home for your money.

St. Pete is a great option to live (in my opinion). Over the skyway and south on US 19 wouldn't be too terrible of a commute. But if the skyway bridge is closed due to weather or an accident there is no way to get into Bradenton other than to drive around Tampa Bay.

[callen510]

Thanks for the info! Will just be graduating from college and looking to rent apt. Won't know anyone yet so looking for social scene but job is in Bradenton just trying to figure out all the options. Don't have to be in office at 8 am so that will help with commute some. Just now learning about all the cities. Moving fm a big city so used to being on the go and looking forward to all the outdoor activities and want to be near other young professionals, great food, fun etc

[JazzmanLI]

I understand completely! I graduated from a Florida university last year. I was from NY and moved to Fort Myers to attend school. Lived off campus for 5 years. Worked in the area as well. I felt so out of place. I was on the search for an area of the state with young professionals like you and I. Sarasota and Bradenton differently have an older population. Doesn't compare to Fort Myers and Naples in my opinion. Naples is really the extreme of seasonal residents and retirees. Haven't observed that in this area. That's a plus. St. Pete and Tampa offer more culture and activities compared to many other Florida cities. I do some of my grocery shopping in St Pete at speciality stores. Tampa offers a lot of good shows and concerts. There is an abundant amount of Zoos, aquariums, museums, in the area. Busch Gardens is within the hour as well.

There are a lot of great options to rent. I was originally looking to rent as well. Everything I looked at was over a $1,000+ a month. You might find more affordable options in St. Pete.

If you have any questions about the local area let me know.

[callen510]

You live in Sarasota now? If I look there for an apt, what areas would you rec. for younger population? I am going to check out all the areas people have suggested in Bradenton area and Sarasota but just fm internet searching it seems St Pete might be more in line. It so hard to do from afar. I am going to come down and check it out but will need to have a tight schedule and properties lined up to look at so I'm trying to do advance researcch. I"m willing to pay a little more in rent to be in the right spot since I won't be moving with anyone my living spot will be even more important. thx!

[JazzmanLI]

I live in Parrish (approx. 15-20 min north of Sarasota).
When I was looking at rent, the majority of the complexes I was looking at were in LWR. Beautiful area! I wouldn't say young population, definitely more families in the area. If you are looking for "young" in Sarasota, I honestly don't know where to look. Possibly along University pkwy near the mall.

[craigiri]

Brand new apartments that look tailored for the younger set - walk to DT Sarasota
Sarasota, FL Apartments in the Rosemary District | CitySide Apartments

[callen510]

thx I will check it out!

[gypsychic]

If I were single and younger that is exactly where I would want to live (Rosemary). That is the new happening spot. I drive through it regularly and cannot believe how fantastic it is looking. New entertainment and shopping venues opening there all the time. Great area, fantastic transformation.

[robo-shark]

St. Pete is a much nicer city for someone looking for nightlife/events/things to do, but the Skyway bridge can cause issues when it closes during inclement weather - and there's really no alternative route that won't take you over an hour to get to AMI. It also will likely set you back $40-50 a month in tolls.

NW Bradenton is pretty nice, it's getting more built up but I will say most everything is still closed by 9 or 10 pm. It has a pretty small town feel on the west side but it's also safer - there are some fun places on Manatee and Cortez closer to the beach, I'd just consult crime maps to see if you're in the red depending on the area, as it gets spotty in some neighborhoods. You might want to live in Bradenton for the easier commutes and just head to Tampa/St. Pete for weekend fun.

[callen510]

Thank you so much! I had no idea about the tolls and that there were tollroads there. I've heard that the bridge does not close but a couple times a year. Is that not accurate ?