Apartment near St. Petersburg (Tampa, Fort Lauderdale: apartment complexes, to rent, condos)

[ufgator7]

I am going to be starting law school at Stetson this August and would like to find a nice apartment to rent around St. Petersburg. The school is actually in Gulfport, which I wasn't too crazy about. There seemed to not be many nice apartment complexes in the area. I really liked Fusion 1560 from the outside, but did not really like the area it was in and same thing with Skyline Fifth. I saw some nice apartments on the water in South Pasadena but that area basically seemed like a retirement community. Could anyone recommend any nice areas to rent in the Gulfport/St. Petersburg area? I will hopefully be finding a roommate to minimize the cost and am looking to spend $1,000 or less for my share of the rent (so no more than $2,000 for a 2 bedroom). Any suggestions would be extremely helpful. Thanks.

[crazynip]

Anywhere on 22nd ave S should fit your bill

[jp01358]

Golfview (across the street from Stetson) is nice, Seaside Villas in Gulfport is nice, the people I know who live at Waters Pointe in South Pasadena like it as well. All easily within your price range if you're sharing a two-bedroom.

[ufgator7]

Thanks! I looked at Waters Pointe and that was definitely my favorite so far. Just seems like there aren't as many apartments as I expected. I'm coming from Gainesville where there are brand new apartment complexes everywhere! I am looking for something newer and modern in a safe area. I also heard Golfview is nice but wasn't able to look at any of the condos because they are all privately owned. I will be back in a couple of weeks to do some more apartment hunting but just wanted to see if there were any other areas I am missing. Definitely wouldn't mind driving 10-15 minutes away if it is in a nice area.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by ufgator7

Just seems like there aren't as many apartments as I expected. I'm coming from Gainesville where there are brand new apartment complexes everywhere!

Gainesville is a college town where about 1/3 of the residents change every 4 years. It's atypical. Especially in an old run down semi-ghetto area like gulfport which is a stones throw from South St. Pete (legitimate ghetto/hood)

[jp01358]

If you're willing to drive 10-15 minutes everyday then you could live downtown St. Pete. I have to say, though, living close to school during 1L is very nice, because you will have class everyday.

[ufgator7]

Originally Posted by jp01358

If you're willing to drive 10-15 minutes everyday then you could live downtown St. Pete. I have to say, though, living close to school during 1L is very nice, because you will have class everyday.

Thank you, I definitely plan on living close to the school. Are you a student there? If so, do you know anything about the Rosa Apartments? The school owns these apartments close to the school and they are pretty inexpensive. Also, what is there for students to do around the area? I know school will consume most of my life, but what are the popular areas where the law students hang out when they do have time?

[jp01358]

Originally Posted by ufgator7

Thank you, I definitely plan on living close to the school. Are you a student there? If so, do you know anything about the Rosa Apartments? The school owns these apartments close to the school and they are pretty inexpensive. Also, what is there for students to do around the area? I know school will consume most of my life, but what are the popular areas where the law students hang out when they do have time?

Yep, I'm nearing the end of 1L now, thank God. Actually, it's not that bad, but it's definitely different from undergrad.

The Rosa apartments are not bad. I know plenty of people who live there, and I've been to a couple of parties over there. They're not ritzy at all, but they're not bad either. The kitchens are small, and they only have one bathroom. I wouldn't want to share one with somebody, as it might get a bit cramped.

As far as hanging out, there's always something going on on the weekends and sometimes on week nights depending on your crowd. People go down to O'Maddy's in Gulfport pretty frequently. It's really chill and the drinks are cheap. When the weather is good, we like to take a cooler out to Sunset Beach (just stay right outside Caddy's property). Of course, we also have times when we'll pregame at somebody's house or apartment and then go downtown. Lots to do if you're a borderline alcoholic (most law students are).

[ufgator7]

Glad to know there is plenty to do over there. Just driving around, it didn't look like there was much going on. I'm originally and spent the past 4 years in Gainesville. The west coast is very different from the east coast. I will definitely be missing Fort Lauderdale Beach. Also relieved to hear that you had time to go out. I think I've prepared myself for the worst telling myself I will be studying 24/7.

Also, (though this may be off topic), how are job prospects coming out of Stetson? I know it is a more regional school so most grads tend to get jobs in the Tampa/St. Pete area. Do you know what kind of jobs grads are getting? Were you able to find summer employment? I wasn't offered a scholarship, so I will be paying full tuition, which is pretty terrifying to me.

[jp01358]

Well it's hard to say what jobs grads are getting. I don't know how the 3L's are doing. It all comes down to grades for most people. Gotta have the good grades to get a good job.

I'm originally from Georgia, and I'll be back in the Atlanta area this summer working at a DA's office. I have a pretty good class rank, so it seemed pretty easy finding something to do this summer. Hopefully it'll be as easy when I'm looking for a real job. My advice when it comes to jobs is to temper your expectations. Most Stetson kids don't make big money straight out of school, but we do fine. There is money to be made in the legal field still.