Moving from Philly to Tampa, single male no children 30 years old, want night life, hip single neighborhood opposed to family, 1 bedroom apartment in decent neighborhood on 35k salary

Lookin2MoveSoon · 10-14-2007, 01:33 PM

I am thinking about moving from Philly to Tampa in a few months. I am hoping to get some insight as to which area would be best for me. I am single, 30, and have no kids. I am looking for a young atmosphere instead of a family type community. Is there a specific area where there is a younger feel with a decent nightlife?
Also, the jobs in philly are very easy to come by but I hear it is much different in Tampa. Can you tell me approximately how long it may take to find a job, on average? I also hear i will be getting paid much less salary-wise. I make about 42k here in philly and was told i will probably make about 32-35k in tampa comparably. can a single person afford a 1 br apt in a decent neighborhood in tampa on that kind of salary??
one other quick question: i hear the bugs in florida are horrendously large and plentiful. I HATE bugs and want to know if the bug problem there is so bad that i will avoid leaving my apt b/c of them?
i would appreciate any opinions/help.
THANKS

Kwanger · 10-14-2007, 05:42 PM

Have a quick search on here - plenty of decent places to live, but if you want to live right where the bars are, try the Hyde Park area of South Tampa. But it can be pricey.

Depends on what you do work wise to try and guesstimate how long it would take to find a job. Plenty of store work, temp jobs, low level office stuff and what have you. Other than that, it generally can be a struggle here, the employers know people want to come down and live in this climate, so they (rightly) figure than can get people cheap.

Bug problem not bad in my opinion. Rarely see them in the city, you'd only have a problem out in the woods.

deckardc · 10-15-2007, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lookin2MoveSoon

I am thinking about moving from Philly to Tampa in a few months. I am hoping to get some insight as to which area would be best for me. I am single, 30, and have no kids. I am looking for a young atmosphere instead of a family type community. Is there a specific area where there is a younger feel with a decent nightlife?

A lot of the greater Tampa area is family type suburbs. If you want to specifically live in Tampa, you should stick to the downtown or Ybor City area for younger singles with more nightlife. You might also consider St. Petersburg across the bay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lookin2MoveSoon

Also, the jobs in philly are very easy to come by but I hear it is much different in Tampa. Can you tell me approximately how long it may take to find a job, on average? I also hear i will be getting paid much less salary-wise. I make about 42k here in philly and was told i will probably make about 32-35k in tampa comparably. can a single person afford a 1 br apt in a decent neighborhood in tampa on that kind of salary??

What you were told sounds more or less accurate. As previously stated, what type of job you do will make a difference. You might make 42k as an administrative asst. in Philly but you will probably only make about 25k doing the same job in Tampa. How long it will take to find a job also depends on the type of work you do. It might take several months. If possible, put your resume out on the job sites and start looking well ahead of your move.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lookin2MoveSoon

one other quick question: i hear the bugs in florida are horrendously large and plentiful. I HATE bugs and want to know if the bug problem there is so bad that i will avoid leaving my apt b/c of them?
i would appreciate any opinions/help.
THANKS

Florida is no more overrun with bugs than any other state. The difference here is that a few of them, such as Palmetto Bugs (roaches) and Wolf Spiders, can be very large. One of the main bug issues in FL is due to the weather. Mosquitoes are more of a problem here because they are a nuisance for more months of the year. Up north, they pretty much hibernate from Oct. through May. In FL, they only hibernate from Dec. to Feb. because it is warmer here. Fire ants are another big nuisance here that isn't a problem up north. If you walk through the grass, you really have to watch where you step. If you step on a fire ant mound, you will be sorry. They are angry, aggressive, and their bite leaves you with a burning sting that lasts for quite a while. You will hear people complain about Love Bugs too. They are harmless except to the paint on your car. They are little bugs that have a mating season twice a year. They mate while flying and you will see thousands of them flying around. They tend to get plastered all over your car because you run into them while they are flying around.

Lookin2MoveSoon · 10-15-2007, 07:21 PM

thanks for the assistance. I think my biggest concern is going to be making enough money to support myself (and my many bills) since the salaries are so low in florida but the apartments seem to be about what I pay in philly. I am hoping to get a job in a hospital since I have a medical background. But I will follow your advice and start applying a few months before I move down there. Thanks again!

Kat_Woman36 · 10-15-2007, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lookin2MoveSoon

thanks for the assistance. I think my biggest concern is going to be making enough money to support myself (and my many bills) since the salaries are so low in florida but the apartments seem to be about what I pay in philly. I am hoping to get a job in a hospital since I have a medical background. But I will follow your advice and start applying a few months before I move down there. Thanks again!

MoveSoon tampa is a nice spot to come to get away from the cold weather for a while.

And if you're coming with alot of bills you may want to reconsider or pay some of them off before the move I see a lot of people struggling here due to the low wages. The bugs arent bad at all (imo). I'm in the healthcare field as well and while it pays more than most jobs it's still pretty sad. Luckily, I got with a good company with job opportinuties in other states so I'm leaving soon but i have enjoyed my short stay!

Good luck and remember if you dont like it here you can always leave!

spainbrit · 10-16-2007, 04:28 AM

Spend almost all year outdoors, lots of free outdoor events, concerts, entertainment all around bay area, free beaches to enjoy. There are so many homes for sale/rent just now, you could lock into a bargain rental. Bugs are a pain, but even I have got used to them, and there is always a bug service and a lot of condos have treatment included in maintenance fees, look for those, they tend to be more modern townhomes that have them built in. Many medical jobs pay well, but it depends on what you do. Good luck to you

Kwanger · 10-17-2007, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lookin2MoveSoon

thanks for the assistance. I think my biggest concern is going to be making enough money to support myself (and my many bills) since the salaries are so low in florida but the apartments seem to be about what I pay in philly. I am hoping to get a job in a hospital since I have a medical background. But I will follow your advice and start applying a few months before I move down there. Thanks again!

Depending on what you do, I don't doubt that you will find work relatively quickly in the medical field. Even outside of the general hospitals, there are hundreds of clinics of all kinds in every part of Tampa and its suburbs. But as Kat Woman says the wages will not be the best.

If you are prepared to live outside Tampa in a popular suburb, say Brandon or Riverview, you'll be able to find a decent one bedroom apartment from $650-$700 a month. By decent I mean nice and safe, with some communitiy amenities such as a pool, gym and clubhouse. There are also some serious rental bargains to be found by individually renting a condo off one of the many investors who have not been able to sell since the property boom went downhill.

Good luck!