Honest opinion - How do you like the Tampa metro area? (Miami: construction, income)

[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by jambo101

How relevant is the job going to be?I'd move to the city with best chance of employment in your field,everything else is secondary.
Tampa downtown is just a bunch of office towers,the city core turns into a ghost town after business hours, St Pete would be a better option for a growing and vibrant downtown and it also has the beaches..

That wont be true for long. Once Channelside is built up, downtown will change forever. That said, downtown still has The Hub, a few decent clubs, the Lightning, a bunch of restaurants, and is close to Ybor!

[jambo101]

Downtown Tampas main problem is no one lives there,so once the office hours are over theres not much reason to be there.

[AES328]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Downtown Tampas main problem is no one lives there,so once the office hours are over theres not much reason to be there.

Nobody lives there, except for all of the high rise condo towers both current and under construction.

And as has been said, when Vinik's Channelside transformation is complete, there will be substantially more people, jobs, and nightlife.

My opinion about Tampa changes by the day. We've been down here for almost 4 years. I've never truly loved it here. I've gone from absolutely hating it, to tolerating it, to kind of liking it, back to tolerating it. It's easy to like it down here in the spring, and very easy to like it in winter when the rest of the country whines and complains about the weather nonstop. But that's not enough. I pretty much hate the summers here, the relentless humidity and oppressive dewpoints, the bugs. Sure I'll take it over a northeastern winter since you can still actually go out and do things, but from June to October I feel like I'm being pushed down by a wall of hot steam. I knew that going in, though, so I don't remark on it too much unless someone asks.

One thing I've realized about myself while living here is that while previously thinking the flat topography wouldn't bother me, it does. It really does. Yes there's tropical foliage abound, yes there are beautiful beaches (we went to Grand Cayman on a cruise and thought that it paled in comparison to Siesta Key beach) and scenic drives over the bay, but it's flatter than a pancake and that gets old fast.

People here are laid back overall; almost too laid back. There are a lot of young people here with absolutely no motivation to better themselves. I hope that the downtown transformation brings in more white collar jobs and people; ambitious, driven, educated people. We have enough overly tattooed, lowbrow trash to fill two cities.

But we own a brand new, beautiful house in the 'burbs and got it for relatively cheap; well under $300k. This house would easily cost upwards of $900k or more in my hometown. Nice, clean, safe place for my wife and my newborn son. We have all the amenities we need in easy reach. My job is 20 minutes away in rush hour, and I make here what I did back home. Wife makes about the same. Hard to argue with that.

As much as my like/dislike relationship with the Tampa Bay region persists, it's easy living. The climate is pretty nice for 8ish months a year, a top rated international airport when we need to go visit family, we have some world class beaches at our fingertips, our jobs are in demand here (but are in demand pretty much everywhere) and they pay us pretty well. Tampa is a remarkably unwalkable city, but that has never really bothered me personally. I've lived in walkable areas. They're cool but it's not like it's the only way to live, and many young people scream about walkability as if they do everything on foot, which is bs. I don't see too many people making grocery runs carrying 12 bags on foot. Still though, if walkability is a must have, skip Tampa, or pretty much any city in Florida outside of Miami.

If I were still single and only had my own well being to regard, considering your list, I'd be in Seattle. Perhaps Portland, but my father lives there and I'd rather have a little more space between us. Austin is cliche and overpriced at this point, and I pretty much despise most of Texas.

[will6160]

I have in Austin & Tampa. All things considered for ME I think Austin is a better choice. Homes are cheaper here but the Texas vibe is so cool there. But the summers are killer there. I can remember dealing with a month of temperatures over 100. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Downtown Tampas main problem is no one lives there,so once the office hours are over theres not much reason to be there.

Ehhh... Yes and no. The condo towers are mostly empty (due to Channelside's MASSIVE flop the first time around). HOWEVER, the students at UT who live on or near campus inhabit the downtown nightlife.

[jambo101]

We have recently been going to some hockey games at the arena, staying at a large hotel out by I-275 and walking to that arena at around 6;30pm, not a whole lot going on,returning to the hotel around 10;30pm the lack of people in the downtown core is positively eerie,
heres the route we walk.
http://goo.gl/maps/BZjaf

is there a livelier route to walk to the arena?

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by jambo101

is there a livelier route to walk to the arena?

Yes. Via DT St. Pete.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by North_Pinellas_Guy

Yes. Via DT St. Pete.

And while there wonder why you were going to Tampa in the first place.

[dothetwist]

Originally Posted by jambo101

We have recently been going to some hockey games at the arena, staying at a large hotel out by I-275 and walking to that arena at around 6;30pm, not a whole lot going on,returning to the hotel around 10;30pm the lack of people in the downtown core is positively eerie,
heres the route we walk.
http://goo.gl/maps/BZjaf

is there a livelier route to walk to the arena?

Originally Posted by North_Pinellas_Guy

Yes. Via DT St. Pete.

Per Google Maps, that's a seven hour walk

[Beach Sportsfan]

25 minute walk