Moving from Dunedin to a younger area (Channelside, SoHo?) (Tampa: apartment complexes, condo)

[daed4lus]

Hi,

I moved to Tampa a little over a year ago and I absolutely love this area. I just returned from a cross country road trip and while I do miss the mountains, it really reinforced how lucky I am to live in the endless summer. When I first got here I roomed with some people in a townhouse near MacDill (westshore south of Gandy, kind of a blah area). Shortly thereafter, my business really took off and I entered a relationship with a girl whose living situation was shaky (mistakes were made...) We moved into a really nice updated 1200sqft 3/2 in Dunedin, a 5 min walk from the "downtown" area. Big fenced in yard, the works. Things didn't work out and I now find myself as a single man in what is essentially a suburb, far away from the action in downtown Tampa and St Pete. I really like Dunedin and its proximity to the cool little downtown and especially Honeymoon Beach, but to be honest I rarely go. I find myself driving a LOT, which is annoying as I previously lived in a walkable part of Los Angeles (though I am originally from Indiana).

Every time I go to a college town like Boulder CO or Fort Collins CO, the amount of female attention I get is utterly ridiculous. I'm a fit, good looking, very successful guy but the success has been relatively recent and I've previously had to endure subpar living situations/locations to get my business off the ground. I even lived in a trailer for 2 years of my life. I also worked in oil&gas which is effectively prison. I think location, for me, correlates hugely with happiness and satisfaction. Anyway, these college towns have median ages of 28 or so. Dunedin has a median age of 48. Clearwater and St Pete are also over 40 IIRC. Tampa pulls it down to 34, which seems reasonable.

When I go out to eat or buy groceries or engage in daily life, I rarely see young, attractive people locally. I see a lot of old people, a lot of families. It would have been fine if I was still one half of a couple, but not now. I would like to live in an area where I can leave my house, walk down the street, and be likely to run into young, attractive, single people. I feel sort of lonely and trapped up here. I hang out with friends but they're an hour or 45 minutes away near MacDill or in in the Brightwaters in St Pete. That eats a lot of time.

I'm 31 and I'm very into fitness and personal development so I rarely drink and I'm not much into the bar/club scene, though I do enjoy going for the social aspect instead of just going to get wasted. I'm sick of meaningless hookups and short, poor quality relationships, so I would like to meet someone who has their stuff reasonably well together and get something longer-term going (not going to get into marriage and kids for awhile so I look for 23-26 age range so there's some time before that kind of thing becomes an issue). I think I am more likely to meet this kind of person in an urban area rather than out here, where most people that age make minimum wage and don't have much education or ambition it seems.

I am looking at Channelside, Soho/Hyde Park, POSSIBLY Downtown St Pete (yea or nay?). I know Ybor skews younger but I'm not really into the kind of people I see there most of the tie. What about Westshore? Seems like I might just be holed up in a box there, where I need to drive to get anywhere? Any place else I should look? I read some posts here on Channelside but they were all older...has the area "come into its own" yet? I really dig how walkable Soho is. I am not going to be going out to the bars/clubs regularly but it seems like there are plenty of cool restaurants and other places to go that don't involve drinking. Money is not really an issue (and I work from home, no commute), I pay 1800 for this house but for some insane penthouse-with-a-pool type situation I'd be willing to pay 2500-3000. 1 or 2 bedroom. Thought about a house but I think an apartment with a pool would provide the opportunity to meet more people.

I know this move seems like it is mostly about people, namely women, which is a large part of it. I'm pretty well set in all other aspects of my life, but I'm finding it tough to meet quality women, in quantity, up here in Dunedin. It's also other factors like proximity to friends and minimizing driving time. I feel alive when I go to college towns, whereas I feel like I am stagnant here. Dunedin is really great and I would move here in a heartbeat if I was in an LTR, but it's not for me right now.

[MAniacTHW]

Channelside is in the process of starting a massive, multi year project. It will be hectic with all of the construction going on.

[daed4lus]

That's probably out then. I don't want to listen to jackhammers and equipment reversing all day. Also I should probably ask any specific properties I should look at. Post Hyde Park looks nice and is in my price range. Has a community pool.

[daed4lus]

Yeah, channelside is out. Just finished a drive and walk through the area. I've been there before but not with the intent to move. It's not me at all and I would just be in a box in the sky, worse than my current situation really. Soho and Hyde park on the other hand were crawling with people everywhere, including many 20s/early 30s women. It's also where some of my favorite places to go are. Unless there might be a better area (downtown saint Pete?), I think it's between these two, although really they are right on top of each other.

I'm familiar with the Post properties so those were the first that sprung to mind. There is one in Hyde park and another in soho square. The Hyde park one looks like a run of the mill soulless apartment complex, but the soho square property seemed very promising. I'll check it out in person, but I love how it surrounds a community pool, has businesses on the first floor, etc. I need the walkability of a place like soho or Hyde park, I would feel very isolated in Channelside.

[CTMom23]

I have to disagree about Dunedin. In the past year, the number of residents moving in are much younger...later 20's to early 40's. Lots of young couples and singles. In fact, they are building many new apartment complexes and condo's/town homes for this very reason. So many new breweries and restaurants and it's a quick drive to St. Pete for the times you want to go there for a change. I guess it all depends on the person though.

[Edward G Hamm]

I lived in all these places as a young athletic man. Hated Clearwater and Dunedin...bunch of old racists.....I would vote for Downtown St. Pete or get out of Florida and move to California.

[rgnx]

Originally Posted by Edward G Hamm

I lived in all these places as a young athletic man. Hated Clearwater and Dunedin...bunch of old racists.....I would vote for Downtown St. Pete or get out of Florida and move to California.

Cost of living is outrageous and California is overrated. There is a reason why the state overall is losing population. I would choose downtown Tampa anyday all factors considered vs over priced Cali.