Tampa or Orlando?

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by pepsik

Why do you hate St. Pt? I`m going to Florida in september and i`m deciding where to go...I`m going to live there for 2-3 months. I`ve never been to Florida but only now i`ve known that it has a traffic jam! Could you gimme a piece of advice - which city among Miami, Tampa, St. Pete, Orlando.. do i need to chose for less traffic and rent cost?

Don't worry about the Southern VS Northern issue, it is meaningless. Miami has the worst traffic. Orlando can be bad around the attractions and St Pete and Tampa during rush hour like any city. If you live in the city centers it will be an issue, if you live in the suburbs and do things away from the city center not as big a deal. Visit and see what fits your needs.

[Trigger-f]

Originally Posted by tricon7

Not in a thousand years is Orlando's traffic worse than Tampa's. I've been living in Orlando since 2012 except for the last four months, when I've been working in St. Pete, staying in Clearwater, and commuting weekends to Orlando. Tampa Bay's traffic is MUCH worse than Orlando's, generally speaking. Of course, rush hour is bad everywhere, but the toll roads in Orlando make getting around the city much easier than I-4. Everything in the Pinellas County peninsula is congested, whereas you have good/bad spots within Orlando. And let's not talk about getting across the bay bridges in Tampa - what a nightmare. These people saying that Orlando's traffic is much worse I doubt have lived there like I have and experienced it firsthand. If you get down to where the attractions are, sure, it can be quite busy there. Otherwise, Tampa Bay takes the prize hands-down.

I-275 traffic from the I-4 junction to Westshore is a lot better now(congestion was mainly due to construction, went on for several yrs(that stretch now is brand new, less curves so traffic is less too).

US 19 in Pinellas from Park Blvd/Pinellas Park to Countryside is traffic light free now(not everything is congested). You should update your info. I'd say traffic is about the same in both metro areas. Every time I go to the theme parks in ORL, it's bumper to bumper from Lake Buena Vista to DT( I don't venture north of that). Toll roads = $$$. Crosstown-Selmon Expwy in Tampa is free of traffic too(it's a toll way).

[tennis32801]

Both cities are very similar. I love Orlando better because it feels more connected with a very strong and vibrant downtown (Tampa downtown is dead). But since you have a kid, this probably means much to you. Lake Nona is a nice and safe place, with ALOT of new investments (ie. UCF medical schools, USTA headquarters, etc.). It def be a great investment if you decide to buy a house there. Good luck and let us know what you decided on or need further help.