Our visit to St. Pete (Tampa, St. Pete Beach: real estate, hotels, house)

[north__to__south]

We live in MD and are trying to make a move to St. Pete happen soon (house is on the market). We visited for the first time two weeks ago. Our research proved correct and we found the city to be a great fit. I'll share some of the details and places we went for those that might find this of interest (because I certainly would!)

The downtown waterfront area is very nice. We have a 4 year old who loved playing around the two giant mangrove trees growing between the retail establishments and the water. The city seems very dog-friendly. There were lots of walkers and bikers...even in the 90+ degree weather. By the way, there was no noticeable difference between the weather here in MD right now and the weather in St Pete. Seriously. Even the humidity is comparable. And the sudden, quick downpours. The weather has never reminded me so much of Florida as it does right now in the swamps of DC lol.

We stayed near Lake Maggiore...pretty much because I hadn't done my research before booking a place on VRBO and found a nice, affordable property there. Had I done my research first (i.e. don't live south of Central), I probably would not have booked it. The area was definitely a bit sketchy. We had no problems staying there and our Craftsman house was adorable, but I wouldn't buy there. However, the areas north of Central, as everyone has been saying, are mostly lovely. We especially liked the organic grocery store Rollin' Oats, and the main grocery stores (Sweet Bay) were fine. We don't have either in the north, but I will miss Trader Joe's (although I hear there's one coming to Tampa...)

There were lots of parks it seemed, and we spent a morning at Sawgrass Lake park walking the boardwalk and looking for alligators. We saw two baby gators (about 2 feet long) and it was a lovely park, although sadly, you could hear the gun range nearby which dampened the experience. We visited 3 beaches- Fort De Soto, St. Pete Beach, and Treasure Island. We enjoyed all of them. Fort De Soto was furthest away and most uncrowded. The water was extremely warm, almost to the point of not being refreshing St Pete beach was great...lots of "stuff" (retail, hotels and restaurants) and lots of people but without feeling crowded (and this was on a Sunday). The gulf was very calm and the temperature was slightly cooler there. Treasure Island was gorgeous....I'm not sure if we went during low tide or if it's always like that, but there was a good 30 feet of 1-6 inches of water before getting into a deeper tide. We saw live conchs crawling across the beach and a pod of dolphins fishing (this was around 7pm). Gorgeous sunset.

We had heard that there is a huge 200+ vendors farmer's market downtown, but found that it doesn't run in the summer. A local directed us to a smaller farmer's market at Williams Park, which was perfect. 50% crafts/retail and 50% food. We love our local MD farmer's markets, so we were really happy to find a good farmer's market vibe in St. Pete as well.

There was a lot of retail and restaurants along Central, but some rundown strip malls as well. The closer you get to downtown St. Pete, the nicer it is. We appreciated seeing the rainbow flags on the street poles for St Pete pride this week. And we could feel how "arts-focused" the city is.

There was a lot more we didn't have time to do, but all in all, it was a great trip and I can't wait to be a part of the community.

[planedition]

When I left DC, I swore I would never ever return to that hellhole. It's been 8 years and the only thing I miss is Moby Dick's House of Kebab.

Welcome to Tampa Bay, a much more happy and laid-back place.

[sportsterjohn]

Originally Posted by planedition

When I left DC, I swore I would never ever return to that hellhole. It's been 8 years and the only thing I miss is Moby Dick's House of Kebab.

Welcome to Tampa Bay, a much more happy and laid-back place.

I miss the bagel café in Herndon but not quite enough to go back there!!!

[SKA_11_eleven]

Originally Posted by planedition

When I left DC, I swore I would never ever return to that hellhole. It's been 8 years and the only thing I miss is Moby Dick's House of Kebab.

Welcome to Tampa Bay, a much more happy and laid-back place.

Why you think it is a hell hole? I'm thinking about moving from St.Pete to DC. For me St.Pete is a hell hole really. Can't wait to get out of here. But going from one hell hole to another is not something i want to do.

Of course it is just your opinion about Dc and mine about St Pete but i'm just wondering why you didnt like DC and what area you lived in.

[Lior Arel]

Originally Posted by SKA_11_eleven

Why you think it is a hell hole? I'm thinking about moving from St.Pete to DC. For me St.Pete is a hell hole really. Can't wait to get out of here. But going from one hell hole to another is not something i want to do.

Of course it is just your opinion about Dc and mine about St Pete but i'm just wondering why you didnt like DC and what area you lived in.

People who diss DC do so because its expensive. Commuting from the lesser expemsive suburbs (which are still high priced) is wearing. If you can live in the District and aren't trying to raise a family out in the burbs, it's a great place. Way more class, intelligence, amd culture than Tampa Bay can ever dream of. But, it comes at a price.

[Pinballdad]

<<<Way more class, intelligence, amd culture than Tampa Bay can ever dream of. But, it comes at a price.>>>

You made a funny...lol. Probably the best of your life

[bavariantransplant]

Thanks for your impressions.

I too am struggling with my quickly approaching relocation back to the States between NoVA/DC and Tampa/St. Pete and hope my visit to both places next month (wow, it got here fast) will help me come to a decision that will work best for my family and I.

[north__to__south]

OP here....I certainly don't think of the DC area as a hell-hole and there are many things we will miss about it. But at this point in our lives, we're more interested in being able to save money for travel (we're breaking even in a DC suburb because it's just so expensive, mainly real estate), living in year-round warm weather, close to beautiful beaches, and a more laid-back lifestyle. Thankfully our visit to St. Pete helped us see that it's possible.