What do you like (or not like) about living in St Pete (Tampa: insurance, crime)

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by KCGator

Yeah, the crime situation is unfortunate. We actually initially thought we might buy in old NE. After living where we're at now, which is kind of on the outskirts of old NE, we're concerned that if the city of St Pete can't get the vagrant problem under control, there will be creep into old NE. In talking with our local police enforcement, they're just overwhelmed. 1/16 people who live in my zip code are homeless and the crimes they commit are so petty there's nothing the cops can do except arrest them, toss them in the drunk tank and then let them out again. It makes the neighborhood an unpleasant, but not necessarily dangerous place to live.

We're looking in the Woodlawn area now. We had initially decided we liked Snell Isle and Shore Acres, but its in an AE8 Flood zone and insurance is costly.

Great info, glad you posted. I am trying to learn about the realities of the neighborhoods there as well. I love the look of St Pete but the crime and vagrants do make me apprehensive about buying anything there. Where exactly is the Woodlawn area? (I don't live in St. Pete, me and hubby like to visit from Sarasota)

[punkfan39126]

Likes: I'm in Old NE so I can walk to the bay, the mini-beach, pool, the parks, downtown, concerts, etc. I even walked to the Trop for a Ray's game this week. You can walk along the Bay from Coffee Pot Park at 30th Ave N all the way to the Dali Museum at 5th Ave S and it's all really pretty.

The architecture is cool, agree w/ gypsychic, reminds me of old LA architecture. It's almost run-down, but not quite. But I like that about St. Pete, some people don't.

Distinctive neighborhoods like Roser Park, Driftwood, Old SE, Jungle Prada, etc.

Laid back, friendly people. I kinda disagree about the racial tension stuff. I feel like people in St. Pete are less hung up about race than alot of other towns in Florida. I lived in Sarasota for a long time and I feel like people tried really hard not to be unaccepting but it seemed like any time someone who wasn't white came into a bar or restaurant, everyone noticed.

Dislikes:

Homeless. There are whole areas of downtown that are shut-off to most people because they've become homeless people enclaves. The Library, Mirror Lake, Williams Park, parts of Central. There's also a bunch of slummy apartment buildings around downtown that house the quasi-homeless.

Weird buildings. Especially around Pasadena and on the Beaches. Grey, run-down buildings. Soviet style architecture.

The Pier/Baywalk. Cheezy and artificial. Hope they tear down the pier and build a new one for community use. Maybe a green park with walk-ways and fishing areas on the sides and then at the end have basketball and tennis courts and maybe a little area for events and stuff.

[emh]

Thanks to everyone who continues to post and tell me about their likes and dislikes!!!

[beckypooh1972]

Originally Posted by matt_sfl

My biggest complaint, more than the humidity, more than the bugs, more than the endless flat terrain, are the people here. The people in the Tampa Bay area are like this:


YouTube - Craig Morgan - Redneck Yacht Club

Maybe if you're from some big city this stuff real cute. But I've been looking at it all my life here. I can't finish college soon enough.

See, that's what I'm afraid of. My husband is all set to move to Tampa since he found out I could transfer there with my job. I'm originally from Kentucky and I hate that "redneck" vibe. My workplace would definitely be in Tampa - I could live further out - would that solve the issue? Lol

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by beckypooh1972

See, that's what I'm afraid of. My husband is all set to move to Tampa since he found out I could transfer there with my job. I'm originally from Kentucky and I hate that "redneck" vibe. My workplace would definitely be in Tampa - I could live further out - would that solve the issue? Lol

For the millionth time, Tampa is NOT redneck, at least not within the city. When you go in into the outskirts in the small towns in the county, yeah, you will see that. Tampa has a pretty diverse ethnic mix, I grew up there, I am Spanish.

And even if you do encounter "rednecks", doesn't automatically mean they are bad people. I wish people would just be more tolerant, the world would be a better place.

[GBCommenter]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

For the millionth time, Tampa is NOT redneck, at least not within the city. When you go in into the outskirts in the small towns in the county, yeah, you will see that. Tampa has a pretty diverse ethnic mix, I grew up there, I am Spanish.

And even if you do encounter "rednecks", doesn't automatically mean they are bad people. I wish people would just be more tolerant, the world would be a better place.

I've been sitting on the wayside of the journey of this conversation. However, I've really become inquisitive on a related question that has come up.

For reference, I know very little about the Tampa/St. Pete area...my interest is coming from starting to think about where I want to move - after a lifetime living in MN, the brutal winters have come all but unbearable to me. My plan is live in MN through the summer, then off to a new life somewhere warm - which might be FL, TX, or AZ.

Anyway, I see much reference to the supposed "redneck" element of Tampa/St. Pete. I'd like to learn more about this...what exactly are you defining as "redneck"? In the Craig Morgan video suggested as "redneck", I see people with expensive water vehicles spending the afternoon with friends and drinking some beverages. Is this "redneck"? Is listening to country music "redneck"? Is subscribing to conservative politics "redneck"? If I may be forthright, I get some insinuation that these things are considered "redneck", though my definition would be something far different. My definition might be something much closer to the show "My Name Is Earl", and then there's a question of to what extent they are "bad" people. There's plenty of "sophisticated people" of New York or Washington DC I would not enjoy being around due to their phoniness and/or arrogance.

I'm not trying to start an argument just to be combative. My questions are meant sincerely...I look forward to sincere response! However, I'm trying to ascertain if "redneck" is simply being not politically correct or not drinking lattes at Starbucks while discussing how oh-so-sophisticated we are because we read the New York Times. Frankly, I listen to country music on occasion (though not exclusively) and I am somewhere between being too Libertarian for Republicans but too Republican for Libertarians - does this make me "redneck"?

I look forward to response to what specifically is considered "redneck" in Tampa/St. Pete so I can get an idea if I will like the area should I select your city as my new home come fall and cold (though, to be honest Minneapolis/St. Paul is still struggling to get out of winter-like weather).

[TerdFerguson]

I see a number of people complaining about the homeless in st pete. Didn't a lot of them move to the Hillsborough side of the bay after they passed the panhandling ordinance in st pete? My impression was that the homeless problem was really mitigated in st pete so I'm surprised to see people still talking about it as a negative.

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by TerdFerguson

I see a number of people complaining about the homeless in st pete. Didn't a lot of them move to the Hillsborough side of the bay after they passed the panhandling ordinance in st pete? My impression was that the homeless problem was really mitigated in st pete so I'm surprised to see people still talking about it as a negative.

There was a migration of sorts once Pinellas County and St. Pete passed panhandling bans, but being homeless is still legal. I don't know how much the city tolerates them, but there are a few places where they still hang out, like Williams Park and along the south side of 375.

[BBI]

Originally Posted by GBCommenter

For reference, I know very little about the Tampa/St. Pete area...My plan is live in MN through the summer, then off to a new life somewhere warm - which might be FL, TX, or AZ. ... Anyway, I see much reference to the supposed "redneck" element of Tampa/St. Pete. I'd like to learn more about this...what exactly are you defining as "redneck"? ... I'm not trying to start an argument just to be combative. My questions are meant sincerely...I look forward to sincere response! However, I'm trying to ascertain if "redneck" is simply being not politically correct or not drinking lattes at Starbucks while discussing how oh-so-sophisticated we are because we read the New York Times. Frankly, I listen to country music on occasion (though not exclusively) and I am somewhere between being too Libertarian for Republicans but too Republican for Libertarians - does this make me "redneck"?

I'd define rednecks as uneducated, intolerant, poor white people. I would not generally call the bay area redneck. But this is FL; no matter where you are in FL, you're in or not far from a small southeastern town, and there are some rednecks here. This situation is almost certainly similar to wherever you're looking in TX or AZ. As for the latte drinkers, we've got transplants from everywhere, so they're here, along with everyone else. People are for the most part very nice. I'm a quasi-libertarian, and I fit in fine.

[TerdFerguson]

This redneck thing is pretty easy. If you're in an urban area...no rednecks. If you're in a rural area...there will be rednecks. That applies to all over florida and pretty much anywhere else too. If you live in urban tampa bay there is nothing rednecky about it.