Tampa Bay in only 3 days (Orlando, Clearwater: rent, crime, hotel)

[Kiltema]

Salutations City-Daters,
I am moving to Florida and have to decide between the Orlando area or the Tampa Bay area. Having read many (many) threads, I now seek your help in deciding the best area.

I have only 3 days to visit each location, so please list the best that the Tampa Bay area has to offer.

Already posted this question in the Orlando forum.

Much appreciation for your suggestions.

[Kevin from Tampa]

that's a huge question...wow....ummmm....I'll take a stab it...I've lived in both places, although it's been 18 years since I've lived in Orlando...but here's the best of Tampa Bay, plus I'll add my take on the differences between the two areas you're looking at....

TAMPA BAY IN THREE DAYS-

Day 1-
Stay on Clearwater Beach. Hit the beach until lunch and work on your tan. Have lunch at Frenchy's on the Beach, and have the grouper sandwich. That afternoon, do a touristy thing on the beach...maybe a dolphin-watching boat tour, or something like that....you can find these things at various things around Clearwater Beach.
Stay that night on the beach. That afternoon, later, head over to St Pete and go to the Dali Museum. That night, have dinner at the Salt Rock Grill in Indian Rocks Beach.

DAY 2-Check out and head over to Tampa. Have breakfast at First Watch (a central Florida chain that only serves breakfast and lunch). Locations all over...just google for the closest one. Visit the Florida Aquarium in the morning, and maybe head over to the Tampa Bay History Museum. Have lunch at Wright's Deli, or Datz Deli. That afternoon, bump around Ybor City and Channelside. That evening, head back across the bay. Have an early dinner at El Cap, then go see a Rays game in St Pete. Stay in Tampa that evening. Try the downtown Marriott.

DAY 3-
Visit Busch Gardens. For dinner, splurge and go to Bern's Steak House, a famous steak joint. Don't pass on the dessert room. Have drinks afterwards at a bar in SoHo.

I'm leaving a lot out, but there's a lot to do in the bay area.

Diffs b/t Tampa Bay and Orlando....

Tampa advantages-
Tampa is on the water and is a prettier geographic locale.
Is larger
Has more professional sports teams
Being on the water provides more opps for water sports, if that's important to you
Has more history and "old stuff" (this is relative for Florida, of course)
Probably has more things to do

Orlando advantages-
Is less gritty than Tampa
Has more (much more) theme parks
Has a large airports with lots of flights (if that's important)

Overall, I prefer Tampa Bay...when I lived in Orlando, I always felt like I was a prop in a place meant for tourists...the whole place just seems built for people who don't live there, but are there to visit.

[Kiltema]

You're the man Kevin.

I've read some of your previous posts and they are very insightful and helpful.

The word "gritty" has come up before when describing Tampa, and only on visiting will I find out what it means; presumably though it may refer to the amount of strip clubs, maybe dirtier, lack of a real downtown etc.

OK, so here are the areas I intend to visit:
Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Downtown St. Pete. Might look at South Tampa.

I want to get the feel of an area in the limited time available.

The one primary goal of my relocation destination is to avoid crime as much as possible, even though I know it travels. Having spent a lot of years in the big cities, I would like to be near the amenities but not in it.

[Kevin from Tampa]

Originally Posted by Kiltema

You're the man Kevin.

I've read some of your previous posts and they are very insightful and helpful.

The word "gritty" has come up before when describing Tampa, and only on visiting will I find out what it means; presumably though it may refer to the amount of strip clubs, maybe dirtier, lack of a real downtown etc.

OK, so here are the areas I intend to visit:
Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Downtown St. Pete. Might look at South Tampa.

I want to get the feel of an area in the limited time available.

The one primary goal of my relocation destination is to avoid crime as much as possible, even though I know it travels. Having spent a lot of years in the big cities, I would like to be near the amenities but not in it.

About the "gritty" thing...

If you drive through the suburbs of Orlando, you'll see streets with curbs, landscaping, etc...you don't see that as much in the bay area. It's a slightly less manicured version of Florida, and it's one thing that Orlando and South Florida have over this area...BUT....make no mistake...Tampa Bay is not gritty, really...just less so than Orlando. Also, it's older than Orlando....more old buildings, more streets with brick than asphalt, stuff like that...and it shows a little in the wear and tear.

If your goal is less to see the sights than it is to figure out where to live, then you'll pretty much have to just rent a car and drive around those areas. Definitely include south Tampa in your search. I think it's the most fun area here. If I didn't have kids, I'd be there (I moved to the burbs once I had kids).

There is not a lot of very serious crime in this area. If you move to one of the places you listed and just find a decent area, you'll never have to really worry about crime (I mean, if you're prudent...lock your car, don't leave a laptop sitting in plain view in your car, etc).

[Keeper]

If you are going to go to Dunedin I would take the ferry to Caladesi Island if you want a beautiful beach that is not over run by people.

I would also take a drive to Tarpon springs for some real Greek food. Take the sponge dive demo. Lots of history and a beautiful area

I would skip Bern's and go to the Columbia in Ybor for Spanish/cuban food. There is also flamingo dancers in one room but you normally need reservations. Go to Berns for dessert.
Take a walk down Bayshore the world's longest continuous sidewalk

[Kiltema]

I just looked at some online videos of Bayshore Blvd and will definitely check it out.
If there is enough time, I might take the ferry to Caladesi Island.
Thanks for the tips.

[Kiltema]

Will be there in 3 weeks: Any festivals/events happening then?

[Sunscape]

Good suggestions you have had here from everybody.
If you decide to go see Caladesi Island drive through Ozona, a nice little area next to Dunedin.

[user8]

looks like most of the good recommendations have been spoken for so i'll add this. if you have time and like beachy bars, stop by crabby bill's at rocky point for a super cheap happy hour and beautiful views of the bay and sunset.

here's a quick one i took w/ my phone from my seat the other night.





regarding the crime here... it seems that most of the crime is of the petty variety. when i first moved here sight unseen, my wife and i were a little sketched out about certain parts of town. after getting a lay of the land and talking to countless coworkers, neighbors, etc. it seems that the general consensus is that many of the "run down" areas look worse than they really are. after living here for around 6 months now, i think they're right.

orlando feels prefabricated and cheesy to me, not to mention the traffic is abysmal. when i visited, i couldn't wait to get back to tampa.

[Kiltema]

Nice pic User8. And thank you for the insight into crime. It is a very important deciding factor for me and local input is very important.

Looking for the last bit of advice from the Tampa area posters:
I was thinking of staying in a hotel (for my 3-day stay) in downtown St. Pete and using that as a base to visit Clearwater/Dunedin, South Tampa and maybe the Sarasota area. Since the general consensus is that downtown St. Pete is a nice place to visit, then why not use it as a base?

By the way, I can schedule my travel on the roads/bridges in order to avoid rush hour.