any advice? (Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater: apartment, crime, find a job)

[usherslove05]

I want to move to Fl relatively soon. I currently live in hudson valley, NY (about 2 hrs from NYC). I'm not sure what part of Fl would suit me best and am hoping to get some feedback once I share a little info about myself. I am a 26 year old female with a bachelor's degree in psychology ( I completed my internship at a probation dept) I currently work with adults who have developmental disabilties (although this does not have to be the kind of job I acquire). I would also consider work as an administrative assistant, secretary, case manager, etc. I do not like driving in heavily congested areas (like NYC), I prefer to be driving distance to a beach, a diverse area, I have 2 small dogs, I'm not sure about prices for an apartment as I would have to find a job in the location first, and would not move anywhere without having one lined up first. I do not want to live in a college town, I am young but I do not party, go to clubs or hang out at bars (i'm kinda old for my age;-)I will probably move there with my best friend (who works in the same field as I) I was told that Tampa, clearwater,and Daytona Beach may be best for me. Any advice?

[jambo101]

Tampa, Clearwater,and the St Pete area may prove to be a bit too congested for you. Too many other cities or towns to list but you need a city of some size that will have some jobs,St Augustine might be worth some research or any reasonable size town or city between St Augustine and Jupiter will definitely give you the Florida ambiance you seek,
Would certainly be in your best interest to take a few weeks this summer and visit any potential areas that wind up on your short list....

[clairegoad]

Read the older threads in this forum... Many have already moved here, and shared their experiences.

Once you hone in on an area... get advice from the locals... Until then, read the local newspaper, learn the names of nearby towns, watch the crime statistics, know the civic leaders, potential employers (and the potential competition) etc.

Reading the Tampa Trib and St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) was fantastic for me... I was also looking up city names on my map... But it helped me know where I was, and get a feel for what was important to the area.

[chi_tino]

There are a few times of the day where some bottlenecks form, but those who have experienced real traffic from LA/Chicago/NYC laugh at these types of comparisons. Have you ever sat in traffic for over an hour at midnight just because, well, that many people are on the road?