St. Petersburg South side - too dangerous? (Miami, Tampa: transplants, condo)

[Maggi07]

I also wanted to add that my husband is completely comfortable walking around South St. Pete. He's a fairly well built guy and he does carry a gun sometimes (concealed permit), but I think it's more that he just feels comfortable and knows how to respond the best way if approached. He's spent a lot of time in inner cities working with at-risk youth, so I'm sure that's why. Just for the record, he's white.

We would not want to live there, however. There really is a lot of crime, and getting caught in the crossfire is not something that sounds good to me. I'm not as comfortable as he is, and I'd rather stay away from high crime areas.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by ferret111

Have you checked out parts of Tampa Heights and Seminole Heights in Tampa? Those are both historic neighborhoods that are starting to turn around in parts, but you might still be able to find a cheap fixer-upper here and there. Some degree of crime will still be there--it varies by block--but I find it nicer than South St. Pete.

I second this suggestion ^^^. Tampa overall has a much lower crime rate than St. Pete even though it's a larger city. Tampa's crime rate has been steadily dropping for quite a few years now, getting lower each year. Even in the worst neighborhoods of Tampa, I don't think are as rough as the roughest in St. Pete. Tampa Heights has a lot of beautiful renovated historic homes, but I am sure there are some bargains to be had. Even in some parts of Ybor might not be too bad, or southeast Seminole Heights.

One thing I will add, Tampa is much more "integrated" than St. Pete, and there seem to be fewer racial tensions overall, as this city has always been a melting pot of cultures.

[xbillyx]

Originally Posted by Maggi07

"South St. Pete" is actually a fairly small area. Once you get south of S St. Pete, there are lots of beautiful and safe neighborhoods, and in many of them, prices are quite reasonable. I didn't realize this until we were shopping around for houses just recently and I was really happily surprised by what we found.

The issue with this, as others have pointed out, is that you become isolated, in effect. It's not possible to walk to downtown without going through unsafe areas. The OP should definitely take that into account. That's exactly why I ruled out the far south areas of St Pete.

[Maggi07]

Originally Posted by xbillyx

The issue with this, as others have pointed out, is that you become isolated, in effect. It's not possible to walk to downtown without going through unsafe areas. The OP should definitely take that into account. That's exactly why I ruled out the far south areas of St Pete.

Depends on what someone is looking for. The area we are moving to is too far to walk downtown anyway, so that's not an issue. Going south, west, or east, are all good. I don't feel like we'll be isolated. When we want to go downtown, we'll get in the car. I suppose if someone needs or wants to be able to bike or walk downtown, the southern communities would not be ideal. I didn't see anything from the OP to that effect, unless I missed something. I would feel safe riding a bike, just not north into St. Pete.

What sort of community appeals to you is also something to consider. Although I do like what I've found in mid-Pinellas, I prefer the close knit and diverse communities found within the cities to suburbia. Clearly others prefer it out here.

I don't know Tampa well enough to comment on any neighborhoods, but in St. Pete, I don't think anything south of Central Ave, or wherever one draws the line should not be automatically taken out of the equation.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by xbillyx

The issue with this, as others have pointed out, is that you become isolated, in effect. It's not possible to walk to downtown without going through unsafe areas. The OP should definitely take that into account. That's exactly why I ruled out the far south areas of St Pete.

I agree. There are some really nice neighborhoods in south St. Pete. But you have to pass through some pretty crummy areas to get to them, and if I were ever to move there would not even consider them.

[Eastern Roamer]

Originally Posted by ferret111

Have you checked out parts of Tampa Heights and Seminole Heights in Tampa? Those are both historic neighborhoods that are starting to turn around in parts, but you might still be able to find a cheap fixer-upper here and there. Some degree of crime will still be there--it varies by block--but I find it nicer than South St. Pete.

I would 2nd that, as well. You're further from the beaches, but honestly - you either live on the beach or you have to drive there. If you have to drive there, what's another 15 or 20 minutes?

Tampa Heights and Seminole Heights will have a crime element, but it's more of the petty stuff that you'd expect. There's not so much racial tension. South St. Pete is abnormally violent, even for a poor area.

I still think there are places in St. Pete where you can find what you're looking for and I prefer it over Tampa for reasons of my own. I've lived in both places.

[Virtuoso]

Thanks again posters! Although it takes a visit in person to truly evaluate a town, especially before purchasing, it is helpful to have the inside scoop. My only safety criteria is the few immediate surrounding blocks. Anywhere else I can avoid or drive through at high speed, although it would be nice to be able to bike or walk to the beach. (Then again,.. it would be nice to own a beachfront house in Cannes.)

Thanks for the reference to Tampa. Maybe I'm missing something but the parts I've seen with Google Earth look very, well... unkept,.. old cars, furniture, appliances and junk strewn here and there, wherever, .. - nothing against the people, just my observation.

Without starting a new and no-doubt redundant thread, does anyone have experience with the Fort Myers area in regard to crime rate or other factors?

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Virtuoso

Thanks again posters! Although it takes a visit in person to truly evaluate a town, especially before purchasing, it is helpful to have the inside scoop. My only safety criteria is the few immediate surrounding blocks. Anywhere else I can avoid or drive through at high speed, although it would be nice to be able to bike or walk to the beach. (Then again,.. it would be nice to own a beachfront house in Cannes.)

Thanks for the reference to Tampa. Maybe I'm missing something but the parts I've seen with Google Earth look very, well... unkept,.. old cars, furniture, appliances and junk strewn here and there, wherever, .. - nothing against the people, just my observation.

Without starting a new and no-doubt redundant thread, does anyone have experience with the Fort Myers area in regard to crime rate or other factors?

Another area to look at in Tampa for the cheap homes with good location is zip code 33607. This is old West Tampa. I grew up there, and it is a mostly safe neighborhood. Just for grins I looked up some listings and there are some bargains. This neighborhood is convenient to EVERYTHING, and was traditionally inhabited by Spanish immigrants, but is now a mix. If it were me looking for a cheap house, this is an area I would definitely look into. You need to look for yourself and not just Google View to get an overview of a neighborhood. Remember, if you are looking at cheap or ghetto areas, you aren't going to have the nicest parts of town. That said, I believe old West Tampa is pretty good considering the price and fairly good location.

Here's a little history on West Tampa:

http://www.westtampachamber.com/history.html (broken link)

Sorry, no insight on Ft. Myers, you might post on the Ft. Myers thread to get more answers.

[Virtuoso]

Thanks gypsychic. There do seem to be some bargains in this area. I guess you're right, any run-down part of town can make it seem as though the whole place is like that.

I see some deals in Cape Coral too. It looks nice there.

The search continues......

[xbillyx]

Originally Posted by Maggi07

I prefer the close knit and diverse communities found within the cities to suburbia.

I totally agree. I much prefer St Pete to suburbia. Having walkable, close-knit communities is very important to me.