What makes St Pete different? (Tampa, Vernon: best neighborhoods, houses, neighborhoods)

[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by housingcrashsurvivor

I'm pretty sure more people from NY/NJ move to Tampa Bay than Daytona, but just to google it quickly.

Where New Yorkers are Moving | Newgeography.com

Approximately 30,000 of these inter-regional migrants moved to other major metropolitan areas (those with more than 1 million population). By far the largest share – 74 percent – of the city's net domestic migrants to other major metropolitan areas moved to the South. Four of the five largest major metropolitan gainers at the city's expense were Miami (net 5,600) and Atlanta (net 4,300), followed by Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Yeah, I was really wondering about that comment myself. I run into more New Yorkers than anybody down here.

[ra1007]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

I think it might be an East Coast- West Coast thing...more Mid-westerners and less New York/New Jersey people here (no offense intended).

Downtown St. Pete has a cool bohemian vibe going on, but many of the funky, eclectic businesses are closing and being replaced by high end type boutiques that you'll find everywhere. It'll be a shame if downtown loses it's individuality and becomes just another place for the well heeled to shop.

Every cool bohemian artsy city gets replaced as the prices rise and local business is priced out. It pretty much sucks. In NYC there's a fight going on to save small businesses, halt the hoods filling up with 7 11, walgreens, CVS, and more and more franchises. Changes the 'VIBE' entirely.

[VanHalen5150]

Originally Posted by ra1007

Every cool bohemian artsy city gets replaced as the prices rise and local business is priced out. It pretty much sucks. In NYC there's a fight going on to save small businesses, halt the hoods filling up with 7 11, walgreens, CVS, and more and more franchises. Changes the 'VIBE' entirely.

It wasn that long ago that NYC had just as high of a murder rate as Detroit or DC. It was scummy, dirty, dangerous, graffitti everywhere.

People ***** that things get more expensive and "changes the vibe", well, sometimes the "vibe" needs to be changed.


A lot of people here don't know that after the race riots in the 1960's people left st. pete in droves, especially the immediate downtown area, central ave was a ghost town, the riots in the 90's didnt help either. It's gotten a lot better now, but ONLY because the thug element has been moved out. Via higher rents, or whatever...

That's the ONLY thing that will improve an area

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by VanHalen5150

It wasn that long ago that NYC had just as high of a murder rate as Detroit or DC. It was scummy, dirty, dangerous, graffitti everywhere.

People ***** that things get more expensive and "changes the vibe", well, sometimes the "vibe" needs to be changed.


A lot of people here don't know that after the race riots in the 1960's people left st. pete in droves, especially the immediate downtown area, central ave was a ghost town, the riots in the 90's didnt help either. It's gotten a lot better now, but ONLY because the thug element has been moved out. Via higher rents, or whatever...

That's the ONLY thing that will improve an area

You are spot on. I remember when St. Pete was pretty much a total hell-hole. It took money and renovation to totally revitalize Beach Drive and that immediate downtown area. And for now, anyway, The Central Ave district is still bohemian/artsy with funky little independent shops. To me, St. Pete is almost perfect the way it is, as far balance. The problems arise when a place is too far over or under developed and loses its nice mix that makes it unique. Lets hope St. Pete can keep some of it's character.

[VanHalen5150]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

You are spot on. I remember when St. Pete was pretty much a total hell-hole. It took money and renovation to totally revitalize Beach Drive and that immediate downtown area. And for now, anyway, The Central Ave district is still bohemian/artsy with funky little independent shops. To me, St. Pete is almost perfect the way it is, as far balance. The problems arise when a place is too far over or under developed and loses its nice mix that makes it unique. Lets hope St. Pete can keep some of it's character.

Till the Uhuru's get another spur up their asses and burn down Central Ave again... My great uncle was a developer who lost a ton of money in St. Pete after the riots when people left en-masse, they had a house on beach drive, sold it in the late 70's. Neatest place too.

St. Pete is currently the cool, trendy place, but it's just one police shooting away from chaos. Been here for years, seen it happen time and again...

[rischthorpe]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

Downtown St. Pete has a cool bohemian vibe going on, but many of the funky, eclectic businesses are closing and being replaced by high end type boutiques that you'll find everywhere. It'll be a shame if downtown loses it's individuality and becomes just another place for the well heeled to shop.

Not exactly--those independent, "eclectic" businesses are just moving further west along Central into the Arts/Grand Central district where rents are cheaper.

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by VanHalen5150

It wasn that long ago that NYC had just as high of a murder rate as Detroit or DC. It was scummy, dirty, dangerous, graffitti everywhere.

People ***** that things get more expensive and "changes the vibe", well, sometimes the "vibe" needs to be changed.


A lot of people here don't know that after the race riots in the 1960's people left st. pete in droves, especially the immediate downtown area, central ave was a ghost town, the riots in the 90's didnt help either. It's gotten a lot better now, but ONLY because the thug element has been moved out. Via higher rents, or whatever...

That's the ONLY thing that will improve an area

True to a point. Bay Plaza failed partially because of the punks mugging people in the parking garage but I can't agree that higher rents are the ONLY thing that improves an area. I guess it all depends on your definition of improvement. Personally, I hate seeing the la-dee-da high end boutiques replacing the weird little shops with the weird people along Central.

[ByeByeLW]

Is St Pete where that big historic drugstore is?
I remember going there a long time ago and visiting an old hotel that still had the old- fashioned elevator with the gate you closed by pulling a lever . Always meant to go back there.

I'm from NJ but have vowed to avoid moving next door to anyone from NY, NJ or Texas - unless it's Eric Johnson or Jimmy Vaughn lol

[VanHalen5150]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

True to a point. Bay Plaza failed partially because of the punks mugging people in the parking garage but I can't agree that higher rents are the ONLY thing that improves an area. I guess it all depends on your definition of improvement. Personally, I hate seeing the la-dee-da high end boutiques replacing the weird little shops with the weird people along Central.

I'm not talking about Bay Plaza. I am talking about long-gone shopping centers down Central Ave. Gone since the early 70's.

But I am curious to see how the band-aid that is now called Sundial will work out... those same thugs will be back and those same problems will rise to the surface

[VanHalen5150]

Originally Posted by ByeByeLW

Is St Pete where that big historic drugstore is?
I remember going there a long time ago and visiting an old hotel that still had the old- fashioned elevator with the gate you closed by pulling a lever . Always meant to go back there.

I'm from NJ but have vowed to avoid moving next door to anyone from NY, NJ or Texas - unless it's Eric Johnson or Jimmy Vaughn lol

If you are referring to Webb City, then yes, but it's been gone since the early 80's. It too, was a victim of the white flight out of St. Pete