Don't Move Here: St. Petersburg is saddest city;Tampa not far behind (Memphis: neighborhoods, college)

[YouCan'tGoHomeAgain]

To GoRays813 and BucFan and user8: Your comments suggesting that the elderly bring the happiness statistics down and that retired people constitute the majority of those who take antidepressants are just plain ignorant. And to user8 (what do YOU use? methamphetamine?), depression is an illness, not a weakness. The three of you ought to get together sometime and make fun of old people and people with psychiatric illnesses. That seems to be the way that you get your jollies.

[BucFan]

Suicide rates are among the highest in the elderly population. Research that and get back to us.....how many screen names are you working with anyway? Do you get banned then change it to something else?

https://www.afsp.org/understanding-s...ts-and-figures

[That Guy You Met Once]

I hated Tampa growing up: since there's no mass transit and so much of the local culture is built around 18+ activities, it was a pretty awful place to be a teenager who couldn't drive.

I still find it a frustrating place both as a creative type who's struggling to find work and a minority who's never felt like I fit in, especially since so many businesses and social scenes here are run by good-old-boys clubs. I'm also surprised by how often I run into the same faces.

But lately, I've come to realize it's OK. It's not where I want to spend my life, but it's by no means a bad place. The weather and scenery's nice, the people are friendly overall, and there's a lot to do here, even if it's most of it doesn't personally appeal to me. I can see why so many people like it. I can imagine it would be a nice place to retire, too.

[Roscoe Conkling]

Don't Move Here: St. Petersburg is saddest city;Tampa not far behind[LEFT]
That's what is says as the title of the thread.
But I just had a brilliant day at the beach,cracked open a few cold brewskies,came home and fired up a barbeque and threw on some rib-eye steaks,king prawns,chicken satays and burgers.
There's still half a dozen chums of mine outside chewing the fat,smoking a few stogies and relieving my wine rack of some great bottles of CabSav.
And I'm online trying to organise a flight for an old pal of ours to come down next week and engage in our retirement stupidity.
Florida rocks baby.

[/LEFT]

[gardenpearl]

I always loved St. Pete for vacations down near the Vinoy; been visiting almost yearly since 1995. However, because I am a single female, the biggest drawback to me is that St. Pete does not seem all that safe in some of the surrounding areas. Choosing the wrong area to live in and then looking over your shoulder all the time could be a bit of a downer, I suppose.

I have a friend who moved to Tampa and works as a psychologist. He said he treats many people for depression who moved to the area expecting paradise, but then have a lot of second thoughts and wonder if they made a mistake.

I think that a move could derail some people psychologically. They may not make new friends, the area probably won't live up their sunshine pipedream expectations, and then there are the things they may miss about their old life. You are really changing cultures when you move from one part of this country to another.

[New Horizons]

Originally Posted by Roscoe Conkling

Don't Move Here: St. Petersburg is saddest city;Tampa not far behind[LEFT]
That's what is says as the title of the thread.
But I just had a brilliant day at the beach,cracked open a few cold brewskies,came home and fired up a barbeque and threw on some rib-eye steaks,king prawns,chicken satays and burgers.
There's still half a dozen chums of mine outside chewing the fat,smoking a few stogies and relieving my wine rack of some great bottles of CabSav.
And I'm online trying to organise a flight for an old pal of ours to come down next week and engage in our retirement stupidity.
Florida rocks baby.

[/LEFT]

^^that's so redneck. I mean it's great you're having a good time and all but it's just so...I don't know what other word to use but redneck.

[Irishiis49]

I don't know...I've been to St.Pete many times and have never felt "unsafe"...Psychologists treat depressed people for a living no matter what state they work in...so I think their opinions might be skewed...

[Roscoe Conkling]

Originally Posted by New Horizons

^^that's so redneck. I mean it's great you're having a good time and all but it's just so...I don't know what other word to use but redneck.

Going to the beach and then having friends round for a barbeque is " redneck " ?
What a sheltered life you must lead.
We're living the dream,baby.

[Sunnydee]

Originally Posted by That Guy You Met Once

But lately, I've come to realize it's OK. It's not where I want to spend my life, but it's by no means a bad place. The weather and scenery's nice, the people are friendly overall, and there's a lot to do here, even if it's most of it doesn't personally appeal to me. I can see why so many people like it. I can imagine it would be a nice place to retire, too.

You're right, it's a great place to retire to. We spent our lives in the Midwest and although it's a great place to raise kids, get an education, make friends, buy a house, and live a nice, safe life, the weather really stinks seven months our of the year because it's cold and gray and the scenery is lacking. We relocated here about three years ago and our quality of life is much better now and we can enjoy outdoor pursuits on a daily basis. I still am in awe of the birds, flowers, blue skies, sunshine, warmth, and friendliness of the people here. I know it's not for everyone, but we worked really hard to get here and are enjoying what the area has to offer us.

[lmw36]

Originally Posted by gardenpearl

I always loved St. Pete for vacations down near the Vinoy; been visiting almost yearly since 1995. However, because I am a single female, the biggest drawback to me is that St. Pete does not seem all that safe in some of the surrounding areas. Choosing the wrong area to live in and then looking over your shoulder all the time could be a bit of a downer, I suppose.

I have a friend who moved to Tampa and works as a psychologist. He said he treats many people for depression who moved to the area expecting paradise, but then have a lot of second thoughts and wonder if they made a mistake.

I think that a move could derail some people psychologically. They may not make new friends, the area probably won't live up their sunshine pipedream expectations, and then there are the things they may miss about their old life. You are really changing cultures when you move from one part of this country to another.

Exactly. You could say this about any city. I can't tell you how many of my friends moved to NYC expecting wealth and a glamor lifestyle. A lot of them have "shrinks" that they talk about on a regular basis, kind of like talking about your weekend plans. A lot of them are miserable and can't wait to get out because it didn't live up to their expectations. Then I have the friends who took it for what it was, and they are for the most part doing just fine.

I love St. Pete. I have lived by several major metro areas (DC, Boston, Philly) and I have to say this area is a tie with Northern VA as my favorite area. I didn't move to FL to get paradise, I moved here because the surrounding areas looked pleasant enough and I had a decent job. I decided to give myself 6 months - year to give the place a fair shot (I really believe you need at least 6 months to see if an area is a fit for you), and I love it here.

It has it's pros and cons, and unfortunately this isn't paradise. I have to work! Lol

However, I enjoy the things FL has to offer. Sure, I miss a lot about other areas, however, like ANY move I have made, the pros and cons and research were done.

Also, the "bad" areas of St. Pete are pretty easy to avoid. I have never been here, and knew nobody from the area. I researched websites (much like this one) before I chose my neighborhood. It's not that hard to do. I don't buy this excuse when the internet exists. The areas I frequent aren't in bad neighborhoods anyways, and common sense is required here. I don't jog at night. I didn't do that in most places I lived though. I lived in the suburbs of central NY, and that is the only place I might still run at night. Always tell someone my route and where I am.