My Relocation Visit (Tampa, Dunedin, Seminole: renting, condos, homes)

[ralphboogie]

I will soon be relocating from Pennsylvania and have narrowed my search to Atlanta and the Tampa Bay area. This week/weekend I will be visiting to get a feel for the Downtown St Pete and SOHO/Hyde Park areas.

A bit about me and what I am looking for:
I'm a 26 year old single, straight male; being surrounded by other young professionals is important! I like to maintain a healthy lifestyle by running, lifting weights, etc., and I love to be outdoors (beaches, parks, etc.). I'm past my "college fun" days, but I do want to be in a location that is very walkable with restaurants, bars/pubs, and shops. I’m a very laid back person and prefer to be in an area that caters to that type of lifestyle (not looking to be in a "rat race" environment).

Any "can't miss" things I should check out while I am in the area? Any other areas I should consider?

Thanks in advance!

[MortonR]

Seminole Heights in Tampa. You might want to take a look at the Channelside/Water Street area in downtown Tampa, however, it's in the very beginning stages of being developed, so consider that when you look.

Where will you be working? That's going to have a major effect on the place to live.

RM

[thelma123]

St Pete downtown is really nice. If you like being active you will love the North shore park right across from the shops and restaurants there in downtown. There are plenty of jogging and biking paths along the water there, and always a lot of people out and about and events going on. Have a great visit

[ralphboogie]

Originally Posted by thelma123

St Pete downtown is really nice. If you like being active you will love the North shore park right across from the shops and restaurants there in downtown. There are plenty of jogging and biking paths along the water there, and always a lot of people out and about and events going on. Have a great visit

Thanks! I will definitely have to check out North Shore Park. I will be staying in DTSP and have high hopes for that area.

[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Seminole Heights in Tampa. You might want to take a look at the Channelside/Water Street area in downtown Tampa, however, it's in the very beginning stages of being developed, so consider that when you look.

Seminole Heights is definitely a cool little neighborhood with bars, restaurants, and quirky shops all within walking distance. The problem is that it's not pedestrian friendly AT. ALL. We're still working with the county to put some lighted crosswalks up along Florida in areas where pedestrians tend to get hit the most. It's worth checking out while here, though.

Channelside (which will be changing its name to Water Street Tampa), will be a really cool option... When done. Jeff Vinik (owner of the Lightning) and Bill Gates (Microsoft) each invested quite a bit of money into the project. It is guaranteed to be nice. But, until then, you will have to deal with a lot of construction and a lot of road closures, which, in Downtown Tampa, is a pain to deal with.

Ybor, while probably not somewhere that you'd particularly like to live (it takes a special kind of person), is definitely worth a stop during the weekend. Lots of cool little bars, some cool restaurants (including the longest, continuously run restaurant in the South East, The Columbia), two or three art galleries, a comedy club, and a park that's owned by the Cuban government.

I'm not much familiar with St. Pete at all, but I can vouch that Downtown St. Pete has some cool little breweries and some.... interesting food. I mean, I ate grasshopper tacos down there (spoiler alert: They taste like nothing. Don't waste the money.). Cycle is considered one of the best breweries in the state with some of the worst service (though they were cool with me the two times I went?). There's also a BBQ and craft beer place in Downtown that I can't remember the name of. Definitely worth checking out.

While in Pinellas, and forgive me but I have no idea how far the two are, check out Dunedin. Incredibly small downtown area, but there is a lot stuffed in it. At least two breweries, tons of restaurants, and a few shops to boot. The last time I went, they also had some sort of farmer's market going on in a big-ish park. It had a cool feel. Not somewhere I'd be able to live, but different strokes.

TL;DR: Must sees are Ybor, Seminole Heights, DTSP, and Dunedin. Channelside will be a destination in about ten years.

[cjairo191]

Where will you be working, budget, condos versus single homes? But Downtown St Pete is nice, just if you are working in Downtown Tampa or more east, not worth it. Crossing the bridge in rush hour will probably add unneeded stress.

[ralphboogie]

@MAniacTHW - great info much appreciated! I will be taking some of those suggestions and adding them to my itinerary for sure.

@cjairo191 - I will be renting and am pretty flexible with the budget but would like to stay under 1500 and will only need a studio/one bed. Location will be key. I plan to stay on whichever side of the bay I will be working.

[NALEXAND]

Check out the new Riverwalk. Based on your criteria, Tampa seems to be a better fit for you. Atlanta definitely has more of a rat race environment and horrific traffice and cold winters that would limit your outdoor time. Good luck on your decision!

[MAniacTHW]

Originally Posted by NALEXAND

Check out the new Riverwalk.

How the heck did I forget this? The Riverwalk will take you from the very southern edge of Tampa Heights to the very eastern edge of Water Street/Channelside. You could, if you were dedicated enough, walk/run from Ulele restaurant all the way to the Tampa Bay History Center. Have fun!

[ralphboogie]

Thanks to all for the input!

I unfortunately did not check out (or even know about) the Riverwalk, but that sounds like yet another thing I would find appealing about Tampa. Overall, I was very impressed and can see myself enjoying life in the Tampa Bay area! I stayed in Downtown St. Pete, but ventured over to Tampa and out to the Beaches.

SoHo/Hyde Park:
There were plenty of young people out and about after work hours on Thursday on Bayshore, at Hyde Park Village, and just outdoors in general running, biking, walking dogs, enjoying happy hours, and so on...and as a single 26 year old guy, I certainly appreciated the gorgeous women I encountered . I was able to experience SoHo on Saturday night, and I can see the MacDintons area being quite the show when UT is in session, but we were able to find some more low-key bars/lounges with a laid back vibe. SoHo/Hyde Park is right up my alley and is my target location should I end up choosing Tampa over Atlanta (and work on that side of the Bay).

Downtown St. Pete
Very different vibe in St. Pete but in a good way IMO. Laid back, more beachy environment mixed with a Hipster feel. The waterfront parks were great, lots of cool shops, street murals, a few breweries, and much more convenient access to the beaches. It definitely felt like there was less action, and I did not come across as many young people in the Grand Central District, Old NE, and Historic Kenwood. But with that said, I do think I would still very much enjoy life in St Pete should I find employment on that side of the Bay.