Interracial Married Couple - Moving to Tampa - Need Advice (Orlando: daycare, homes)

[Roddog777]

Hi Everyone,

My wife has accepted a Faculty position at the University of South Florida. We are moving down from Maryland probably towards the end of the summer.

I am a white male and she is a black female and we have one child. A 2 year old Son. I am more of a country boy and she is definitely a city girl.
So we know absolutely no one in the area and are looking for input on where we should target to live. Neighborhoods and such?

So our top three:

1. Diversity and Tolerance - Is there anywhere we should stay away from being an interracial couple with mixed children?
2. Location - Looking for Great Schools, Safe Neighborhoods, Friendly Neighbors, Nice Homes with around 5 bedroms for the best price (lots of visitors expected), and easy commute to USF --easy commute is going to be pretty much anything as we are very familiar with the 2 hour commutes one way (30 miles max) into DC.
3. Family Activities - We will be alone until we meet some new friends and would to have plenty of activities pretty close by.

I am originally from North Carolina so I want to try to shield my family from some of the racism I saw growing up in a small backwards town in the Piedmont. It is still everywhere but I am reading where people are starting to consider Tampa one of the more tolerant Cities in the South. A place where people of all races, countries, and sexual orientation can get along and be themselves. That is really cool to me.

Thanks in advance!

PS Are there any nanny services or daycare recommendations as well? What is the average cost of daycare in the Tampa area. For a good, structured, school based daycare.

[gulfer]

Honestly, I don't think you'll have a problem here at all. Tampa is a melting pot of people from all nationalities and inter-racial couples.

Right up Bruce B. Downs is an area called Live Oak. It is a great Master Planned Community complete with clubhouse, Elementary School and close to a lot of things including the Wiregrass Mall, Grocery Stores and nice places to eat.

[stpeteguy]

White men with black women is such a rarity, it's actually nice to see it. Sort of evens things out.

[bavariantransplant]

Personally, I have found that if you make an issue an issue then it will be an issue.

I have also found that some people are just not going to like something about something and there really is nothing you can do about it.

From what I have gathered in my research pending my relocation to Tampa area is that in general it seems to be a pretty tolerant place with a laid back attitude.

[DUNNDFRNT]

Originally Posted by bavariantransplant

Personally, I have found that if you make an issue an issue then it will be an issue.

I have also found that some people are just not going to like something about something and there really is nothing you can do about it.

From what I have gathered in my research pending my relocation to Tampa area is that in general it seems to be a pretty tolerant place with a laid back attitude.

Are you serious? How can you possibly know? What kind of research did you conduct? If you are not a member of that group, how can you know what people's behavior is towards them.
To the OP, I would consider the Brandon area, IMO areas with a high concentration of Military tend to have a higher ampnut of interracial couples and children, but in general Tampa is not the south per se, I would just avoid the rural areas

[tinytrump]

Being of any ethinc background is not a problem here, I see many adopted/ fostered children at churches/ stores and other places, of all colors and nationalities etc. but do not expect the fuzzy warm stuff here from folks here and it will not be due to you,, they are just cooler here than in some areas. To prove my point, we have alot of screened in patios and veranadas etc and never see anyone on them or having a social event openly. So enjoy- and please find a place where there are children.. My family had a real hard time till they moved to Orlando finding homes that were NOT surrounded by the elderly.

[gypsychic]

I agree with all the others. I am a native of Tampa, this city has ALWAYS been a melting pot of races going back to it's beginnings. Your bigger problem will be finding a five bedroom house!

You probably want to look around the New Tampa area, to be close to USF and possible find that larger home you need. Good luck!

[bavariantransplant]

Originally Posted by DUNNDFRNT

Are you serious? How can you possibly know? What kind of research did you conduct? If you are not a member of that group, how can you know what people's behavior is towards them.
To the OP, I would consider the Brandon area, IMO areas with a high concentration of Military tend to have a higher ampnut of interracial couples and children, but in general Tampa is not the south per se, I would just avoid the rural areas

You assume that I am not a member of the group, but does it really matter. One does not have to walk a mile in ones shoes to offer support or advice. I have lived in places all over the world, I live overseas now and have been subjected to much prejudice in my life. The advice I gave was advice that I have used myself and I also opinioned that in general I have noticed that the area seems to be summarized as very tolerant and was sharing that learned knowledge with him.

I am sure you have done a tremendous amount of research like knocking on doors and asking before you told him that military population would be welcoming and rural areas would not to.

[DUNNDFRNT]

Originally Posted by bavariantransplant

You assume that I am not a member of the group, but does it really matter. One does not have to walk a mile in ones shoes to offer support or advice. I have lived in places all over the world, I live overseas now and have been subjected to much prejudice in my life. The advice I gave was advice that I have used myself and I also opinioned that in general I have noticed that the area seems to be summarized as very tolerant and was sharing that learned knowledge with him.

I am sure you have done a tremendous amount of research like knocking on doors and asking before you told him that military population would be welcoming and rural areas would not to.

It is irrelevant whether you are a member of that group, because that would still be just how YOU feel. The fact that the OP asked about the issue tells me that he does not subscribe to the "its only an issue if you make it an issue" mantra, which to me sounds like you are belittling the issue. The military has a higher concentration of interracial couples and kids, I was in the military for 4 years that was my experience I also lived in Brandon for a year, again my experience was reaffirmed. I could be generalizing with the rural areas but that has also been my experience in my 30+ years of life, I am struggling to understand where your notion of the area comes from, if its from reading this forums, I can not see how you would come away with that, with a great percentage of posters calling any area with poor people gangland's or war zones, not the most PC bunch to say the least.

[bavariantransplant]

I agree, but like anything, us intelligent folk can weed out the extremes. I can identify the thoughtful posters (there are some) and I learn from them, I also have been in direct contact with people from the area both business and personal relationships. I truly didnt anticipate my post being anything more then my feeling compelled to shed my own mantra on how to deal with people who dislike me for who I am. For example, I come from New York (I am aware that poor areas do not mean gangland I grew up in a poor immigrant home) but from the moment I left home for the military I was constantly heckled (some jokingly some not) about being from New York and lock the valuables sort of stuff.

Nevertheless, I think this discussion at this point is neither helping the OP or us, so I dont think I said anything to instigate a response and wish you well.

Best of luck with your relocation OP.