Thinking of moving to St.Petersburg but afraid of crime. Any insight? (Miami: for sale, apartments)

[wallyb2013]

Regarding biking, I would never bike along major thoroughfares like Gandy Blvd or 4th St., but biking through neighborhoods and crossing over the busier streets is completely safe. The drivers here are the worst I've ever seen, though. I see wrecks pretty much every time I leave my house by car.

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by wallyb2013

Regarding biking, I would never bike along major thoroughfares like Gandy Blvd or 4th St., but biking through neighborhoods and crossing over the busier streets is completely safe. The drivers here are the worst I've ever seen, though. I see wrecks pretty much every time I leave my house by car.

bicyclists aren't respected here - car drivers don't know rules of the road or right away laws, and with texting, I've nearly been hit by other bicyclists who were texting.....you're really playing Russian Roulette out there on a bike.......most of my exercise on my bike comes in county parks where speed limits are 25 mph, there's much less traffic, and I can avoid the cars easier.

[just_visiting 9]

Allow me to share a personal viewpoint. We considered a move from Brandon to St. Pete which naturally involved driving around to check out the different neighborhoods. We were quickly impressed by the sheer profusion of homeless people (or those that just looked like it) both in and out of the run-down neighborhoods of which there are just too many. St. Pete desperately needs some urban renewal, bulldoze down the old shacks and trailer homes, relocate the poor that permeate the area, living in squalor and give the whole place a face lift. The majority of stores are in buildings decades old, back from the days of the strip mall. The downtown area is ok but limited in size and scope. It's also infiltrated with undesirables such as the homeless, the obvious drug addicts & alcoholics; street urchins and panhandlers. Stores & restaurants on Central Ave remind me of the bohemian renewal that occurs in larger rust-belt cities, translated that means there are trendy places located in old buildings where the 20- & 30-somethings congregate.

If you have a million or so to throw on a house or condo in any of the good areas, why be in an aged place like St. Pete? It may have had some allure back in the 80's & 90's but that facade has lost it's shimmer years ago.

[Roscoe Conkling]

Originally Posted by just_visiting 9

Allow me to share a personal viewpoint. We considered a move from Brandon to St. Pete which naturally involved driving around to check out the different neighborhoods. We were quickly impressed by the sheer profusion of homeless people (or those that just looked like it) both in and out of the run-down neighborhoods of which there are just too many. St. Pete desperately needs some urban renewal, bulldoze down the old shacks and trailer homes, relocate the poor that permeate the area, living in squalor and give the whole place a face lift. The majority of stores are in buildings decades old, back from the days of the strip mall. The downtown area is ok but limited in size and scope. It's also infiltrated with undesirables such as the homeless, the obvious drug addicts & alcoholics; street urchins and panhandlers. Stores & restaurants on Central Ave remind me of the bohemian renewal that occurs in larger rust-belt cities, translated that means there are trendy places located in old buildings where the 20- & 30-somethings congregate.

If you have a million or so to throw on a house or condo in any of the good areas, why be in an aged place like St. Pete? It may have had some allure back in the 80's & 90's but that facade has lost it's shimmer years ago.

Actually that's the very reason why St Petersburg's vibrant downtown is undergoing such a regeneration.
It's not a faceless modern city but one with character and interest.
Sure it's a little rough at the edges but which city isn't ?
The reality is like most cities if you stay out of the 'hood and don't go looking to buy drugs the chances of being an innocent victim of crime are remote.
The fear of crime is greater than the crime itself.
I second Gulfport by the way.

[gauchere90]

Originally Posted by BucFan

maybe it's time to purchase and carry a concealed weapon/hand gun......

Lol, see that's what I'm afraid of (feeling like I need to be strapped whenever I go outside). The relatives/friends I have who live in St.Pete always seem to be toting their guns everywhere. It's fine with me if they do this, it just sort of sucks that they feel that unsafe.

[braineater2448]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

Move to the soho area in south tampa, its the closest thing to what you are looking for in the bay area.

Only if you want to live like you're still in a frat house. Soho is so snooty. No thanks.

[paradiselost]

To people questioning me not being an expert in the area I lived in The city of Largo, The city of Clearwater, The City of Saint Petersburg and the suburbs of Riverview and Brandon in the last 16 years.

Largo near the beaches 2000-2006
Clearwater downtown and off gulf to bay 2006-2009-
St Pete downtown and near the beaches 2010-2013
Brandon near the mall 2014
Riverview off Bloomingdale 2014-current

Also worked in the City of Tampa, Palm Harbor, South St Pete and Carillon St Pete. I know Hillsborough and Pinellas County pretty well. Being young with out a family I was able to jump jobs and explore other areas of the region. I wasn't just in Spring hill, New Port richey plant city or tarpon springs for 25 years. Now 41 with a family im getting the heck out of here.

[SJNE17]

Good grief, do they live in a bubble where everything's puppies and rainbows, and upon leaving it, it's nothing but chaos and fear?

St. Pete is gentrifying, it's getting better and better because people want to be there--especially downtown. Restaurants, shopping, amenities, culture--it's all there and more to come. The amount of unique and creative restaurants ans stores all along Central Ave. is incredible. Entrepreneurship is alive and well--and they wouldn't be opening if the market didn't demand or respond positively to it. Bad elements will continue to get squeezed out and/or forced out, which is a good thing. There is massive amounts of capital pouring into revitalizing downtown, and that kind of investment demands certain kinds of change.

For what it's worth, my perspective includes years living in a couple of big cities (incl. Manhattan) in areas that used to be bad, and which evolved into the most swank parts of town. I see nothing but good things for St. Pete and St. Pete Beach--itself a relatively undiscovered gem that just gets better & better each year, while still retaining some of its charm. Meanwhile, certain of that cheesy "charm" that is going away is a long overdue event. Dumpy mom & pop motels going the way of nice homes or low-rise apartments, new restaurants serving up sophisticated food along with very good service, improved infrastructure, steadily (but not sharply) rising real estate values--all of this is good.

Originally Posted by gauchere90

Lol, see that's what I'm afraid of (feeling like I need to be strapped whenever I go outside). The relatives/friends I have who live in St.Pete always seem to be toting their guns everywhere. It's fine with me if they do this, it just sort of sucks that they feel that unsafe.

[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by paradiselost

Now 41 with a family im getting the heck out of here.

See 'ya.

[Irishiis49]

Originally Posted by SJNE17

Good grief, do they live in a bubble where everything's puppies and rainbows, and upon leaving it, it's nothing but chaos and fear?

St. Pete is gentrifying, it's getting better and better because people want to be there--especially downtown. Restaurants, shopping, amenities, culture--it's all there and more to come. The amount of unique and creative restaurants ans stores all along Central Ave. is incredible. Entrepreneurship is alive and well--and they wouldn't be opening if the market didn't demand or respond positively to it. Bad elements will continue to get squeezed out and/or forced out, which is a good thing. There is massive amounts of capital pouring into revitalizing downtown, and that kind of investment demands certain kinds of change.

For what it's worth, my perspective includes years living in a couple of big cities (incl. Manhattan) in areas that used to be bad, and which evolved into the most swank parts of town. I see nothing but good things for St. Pete and St. Pete Beach--itself a relatively undiscovered gem that just gets better & better each year, while still retaining some of its charm. Meanwhile, certain of that cheesy "charm" that is going away is a long overdue event. Dumpy mom & pop motels going the way of nice homes or low-rise apartments, new restaurants serving up sophisticated food along with very good service, improved infrastructure, steadily (but not sharply) rising real estate values--all of this is good.

I agree with your post and might add a change in the current administration (namely mayor) would go a long way in cleaning up the undesirable element in the downtown area...imho