Tampa/St. Pete vs. Fort Lauderdale: for the gay man

[Obamanation]

Bigger, faster, higher profile, more expensive, more crowded, more liberal = Ft. Lauderdale/Wilton Manors

Laid back, cheaper, less liberal but still left of center, still solid content and city-like = Tampa/St Pete.

If you go with the latter, look up Ybor City/GaYbor and Grand Central St. Pete for the prominent gay scenes and urban enviros.

[Roscoe Conkling]

Originally Posted by mateo384

I'm thinking St. Pete is more up my alley.

If this is a euphemism for something else then it's a darn good one.
Wahaay !

Good luck with the search for a place to live.

[mateo384]

now my mind is drifting towards Miami Beach. Can you be a server/bartender and live on the beach there within reason, or is it for the elite only?

These are the places I want to check out for future living:

St. Pete
South Tampa
Orlando
Fort Lauderdale
Miami Beach
Key West

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by mateo384

what are the reasons? Why are they different?

I'm going to stay in Daytona Beach when i get there. I'm not exactly sure if I should look for an apartment first or a job first (where i want to live). Cuz if i want to live in St. Pete, that's a 3 hour commute.

or maybe save up enough money in Daytona (which means getting a job there) and then having enough money to move wherever for a little while without freaking out about a job?

this is all very exciting to me, as I'll be moving directly to the beach (like 10ft away from it) in Daytona Beach Shores, and then I can just take my time with everything. But i'd like to avoid some newbie mistakes if I could.

Can 600 get me in any good neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, even if far away from the beach?

You're better off saving up money where you are, and than moving to Florida.

It doesn't make much sense to move to Daytona, and than try to save on minimum wage jobs....it doesn't seem feasible at all.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by mateo384

I definitely have concluded St. Pete and the surrounding Tampa Bay area is the right fit for me. But I will explore FL for a weekend.

DId you also cross-reference this on the Broward forum. You might get a totally different perspective?

I think I'd rather choose St. Pete myself in that situation, but it's still good to confirm it with a totally different perspective.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by mateo384

now my mind is drifting towards Miami Beach. Can you be a server/bartender and live on the beach there within reason, or is it for the elite only?

I've never done that, but my impression is that it's completely feasible to live relatively near the beach, in a ROOMMATE situation, and be a waiter or bartender. I think right on the beach would be totally catering to the tourists. But you can live within striking distance of that, work there, and hole up with others in an apartment share.

[JSnFla]

as a very straight man who has lived in ft lauderdale i can tell you that it has become the gay mecca of the united states. Specifically the Wilton Manors neighborhood but all over east ft lauderdale as well. I also see a noticeable amount of gay men in south tampa so you wouldnt be out of place here either but ft laud is the gay capital, no doubt.

[BigSicily954]

Fort Lauderdale has a whole town/community full of gay people, Wilton Manors. Gay men also have their own section of Fort Lauderdale beach. You'd love it.

However...

You won't find your own place for $600 down here. One bedroom apartments are usually around $1,000 a month. You might be able to room with somebody for that much though. You'll also find plenty of employment opportunities in your field.

Good luck buddy.

[mateo384]

Is that a common thing to do down there? Find a roommate (possibly a complete stranger) just TO BE THERE?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by mateo384

Is that a common thing to do down there? Find a roommate (possibly a complete stranger) just TO BE THERE?

That's common in most highly desirable areas of the u.s.

It was certainly true when I lived in NYC and SF. Even moreso if your work is as a waiter/bartender.