Tampa Makes the List of Best Places to Live/Tampa is the only Florida city on the list. (Cleveland: house, buy)

[chi_tino]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Tampa

Rank: 34 (tie)
Population: 340,509

Bars: 91

That has got to be a misprint. Is it missing a digit in front?

[gulfer]

GREAT FOR TAMPA! I think very much deserved. Although this may put a Kabosh in the folks that hate it here. Nahh, they will still make the case for somewhere else. Everyone is different and everyone should see what others mean and say on the goods and the bads, the pluses and the minuses, etc...

While I wouldn't want to live in D.C. it was a great place to visit for a week at a time (many times). All the things to see and do was great.

I have lived in Jacksonville and really enjoyed it there too. Tampa has a much different feel to me then JAX does.

[tinytrump]

Originally Posted by BucFan

I was recently in SF and the only ticket I could get to their baseball team was standing room only $50. The last two days I sat in the air conditioned Tropicana Field near the opponent dugout for $30. That seat would cost hundreds in many stadiums. I'm pretty happy w/ our professional sports teams - and without them, I probably wouldn't have relocated here.

That's what I said --if you got bling- Tampa is OK... many other cities offer much more for the population.. again the city is the people and the culture... to me "nill" in that area

[user8]

Originally Posted by chi_tino

That has got to be a misprint. Is it missing a digit in front?

That's what I was wondering.

[sportsterjohn]

I have lived in one of the cities in the top ten on one of those lists. In reality, to me those lists look at things as a whole and have little to do as to whether a city is a good fit for a person or a family. The city I lived in was in Northern Va, right outside of DC. It was a top 10 city on last years list and top 20 the yr before. The main reasons it was on the list are: 1 The Fairfax county school system is near the top in the nation. If you have kids, this is important, if you don't then it isn't. Also, Fairfax county is one of the weathiest in the nation. 100k a year there is considered working class and you will probably be looked down upon for only making 100k. A townhouse in that area is 400k +. If you are very career and money oriented, it is a great area. If you are more into leisure and a slower pace of life then that area is not a good fit.

I don't bring this up to talk about Va. so much but to remind people that those list shouldn't play too much in a person's decision on where to live. I am glad I did my 2yrs up there. It allowed me to move up the ladder career wise and get some good things on my resume, however it this stage of life, I am more about a relaxed lifestyle, no snow and little stress. If I were just starting out my career or had school age kids, I probably would have stayed longer. The bottom line is, I think you can learn alot more about an area by doing alot of reseach and matching the area to what is important to you then you can by basing your decision by what the list makers use as criteria.

[vaughanwilliams]

I agree with the top 11 picks and I'll agree that the Tampa metro area is the best place in Florida by a long shot.

[twgerber]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

thats interesting to see tampa at 34th on a best places list but what a bizarre list. check out the cities in the top 10, very odd. anchorage, omaha, st louis, cleveland, chesapeake, phoenix and scottsdale(basically one is a suburb of the other), and reno???? wow. why not just include gary-indiana, detroit, compton and a border town like el paso?

I moved here from Omaha and it is a very nice town. Lots of amenities and very livable. Just not much water which was my only complaint. Relatively mild winters too. Makes sense to see it on the list.

[rezfreak]

Originally Posted by twgerber

I moved here from Omaha and it is a very nice town. Lots of amenities and very livable. Just not much water which was my only complaint. Relatively mild winters too. Makes sense to see it on the list.

Shhhh dont tell them! The less people know about Omaha, the less stupid people move there

[espizarro]

Originally Posted by BucFan

TAMPA, Fl (970 WFLA)-The city of Tampa has been rated as one of the best cities in the country to live.

Businessweek.com just released it's list of America's best cities and this year Tampa has made the cut. Out of 100 of the largest cities, Tampa is tied with Lincoln, Nebraska for 34th on the list.

Tampa is the only Florida city on the list. The article credits the city's strong nightlife and parks. Business Week based its findings on leisure, education, economic, crime and air quality.

San Francisco got the number one spot this year.

America's 50 Best Cities - The Best Places to Live - Businessweek

As a person who have been in all over FL and lived in Fort Myers in addition to Tampa, I got to agree with this. Tampa is pretty much a unique city and its metro area is quite unique. In fact, as per now Tampa has been the only place in the U.S. where I have found what in Puerto Rico we call "plaza publica", not even Miami has that.

[espizarro]

Originally Posted by sportsterjohn

I have lived in one of the cities in the top ten on one of those lists. In reality, to me those lists look at things as a whole and have little to do as to whether a city is a good fit for a person or a family. The city I lived in was in Northern Va, right outside of DC. It was a top 10 city on last years list and top 20 the yr before. The main reasons it was on the list are: 1 The Fairfax county school system is near the top in the nation. If you have kids, this is important, if you don't then it isn't. Also, Fairfax county is one of the weathiest in the nation. 100k a year there is considered working class and you will probably be looked down upon for only making 100k. A townhouse in that area is 400k +. If you are very career and money oriented, it is a great area. If you are more into leisure and a slower pace of life then that area is not a good fit.

I don't bring this up to talk about Va. so much but to remind people that those list shouldn't play too much in a person's decision on where to live. I am glad I did my 2yrs up there. It allowed me to move up the ladder career wise and get some good things on my resume, however it this stage of life, I am more about a relaxed lifestyle, no snow and little stress. If I were just starting out my career or had school age kids, I probably would have stayed longer. The bottom line is, I think you can learn alot more about an area by doing alot of reseach and matching the area to what is important to you then you can by basing your decision by what the list makers use as criteria.

I lived in Sterling, Virginia (in Loudoun in the border with Fairfax) and while the entire region is quite nice, I can assure you I hope I never return to live in the DC Area. I went for two summers to the area and I really liked it, but when I fully moved (personal car, etc.) and I was able to know people in the area, I can say it really stinks. People in DC are just like in NYC and the rest of the Bos-Wash corridor, very rude and just a few nice people; it is true that, unfortunately, there's where are the jobs, and in fact I have good friends living up there none who are really fans of the area. It is a nice area if your mindset is on making money and escalate in terms of experience and salary, but in terms of social treatment and stress... it sucks. I really hope I can stay in Tampa, I really like it here.