Tampa Vs Saint petersburg (St. Petersburg, Orlando: houses, live in, price)

[redboat961]

Realistically St. Pete is obviously not trash-many people still want to live here. That said, overall the vibe is a little too old and artsy for my liking. Had I visted both here and tampa beforehand, I would have chosen tampa for sure. It just feels younger and more exciting to me.

Aesthetically I do prefer the look the the central ave strip and waterfront to what I have seen in Tampa, though.

Honestly though, it's easier for me to sit here and say I am going to break the lease and get something in tampa than to actually pay the fee to do so. I think I would need to be 8/10 sure it is the right move.

[Jensen440]

Originally Posted by redboat961

Realistically St. Pete is obviously not trash-many people still want to live here. That said, overall the vibe is a little too old and artsy for my liking. Had I visted both here and tampa beforehand, I would have chosen tampa for sure. It just feels younger and more exciting to me.

Aesthetically I do prefer the look the the central ave strip and waterfront to what I have seen in Tampa, though.

Honestly though, it's easier for me to sit here and say I am going to break the lease and get something in tampa than to actually pay the fee to do so. I think I would need to be 8/10 sure it is the right move.

Agreed, attracting waaay too many types from the west coast/CA-types. That will be the kiss of death eventually if the relocation of these people continue.


Tampa has no such image problem as you alluded to. I lived in St Pete and Tampa, I know I would never again live in St Pete proper - other towns and areas of Pinellas however are another story. Watch out for city centres with a bunch of "wall murals" aka graffiti in my book. To each his own, DT St. Pete has some interesting attractions and restaurants for sure, but it also has some strange people wandering around. St Pete will get type-cast even more in the very near future. Strange people attract others for a variety of reasons IMHO, only.

[Trip Mcnealy]

Originally Posted by redboat961

Realistically St. Pete is obviously not trash-many people still want to live here. That said, overall the vibe is a little too old and artsy for my liking. Had I visted both here and tampa beforehand, I would have chosen tampa for sure. It just feels younger and more exciting to me.

Aesthetically I do prefer the look the the central ave strip and waterfront to what I have seen in Tampa, though.

Honestly though, it's easier for me to sit here and say I am going to break the lease and get something in tampa than to actually pay the fee to do so. I think I would need to be 8/10 sure it is the right move.

Agree. If Tampa had a Central Ave I don’t think it would be close, it’s the one thing the city is really missing. The Pier is nice and all but it felt kind of dull. Too spread out, not enough action. Tampa is my preference overall though. Plus the Water Street development is pretty awesome.

[gypsychic]

While much of St. Pete is nice, and overall relatively safe, it still has a lot of crime. I am posting an interactive crime map. Note that the sections in red are rate "F" as in bad.

https://crimegrade.org/safest-places...petersburg-fl/

Crime in St. Pete is significantly higher than Tampa, despite Tampa being MUCH larger and far more urban. It should also be noted that St. Pete is on the Pinellas peninsula, making much of it prone to flooding and difficult to evacuate in the event of hurricanes.

Now I do really love St. Pete, as a married senior lady it is perfect for someone like me. It is a beautiful city; and around 10 years ago I wanted to move there. But sadly, it is morphing and changing too much, in too many ways and we chose another city. If I were a young single person I would live in Tampa, no contest. Yes, downtown St. Pete is a lot prettier overall than Tampa, but Tampa has its nice areas scattered around and I encourage OP to explore a bit.

[Eocsor]

The difference between Tampa and St. Pete is Tampa is Generic and St. Pete is Organic. Tampa has for many decades tried to replicate what other stale cities have done, while St. Pete doesn't care what other cities do, and just evolves on its own merrit. That's why they have different vibes.

[redboat961]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

While much of St. Pete is nice, and overall relatively safe, it still has a lot of crime. I am posting an interactive crime map. Note that the sections in red are rate "F" as in bad.

https://crimegrade.org/safest-places...petersburg-fl/

Crime in St. Pete is significantly higher than Tampa, despite Tampa being MUCH larger and far more urban. It should also be noted that St. Pete is on the Pinellas peninsula, making much of it prone to flooding and difficult to evacuate in the event of hurricanes.

Now I do really love St. Pete, as a married senior lady it is perfect for someone like me. It is a beautiful city; and around 10 years ago I wanted to move there. But sadly, it is morphing and changing too much, in too many ways and we chose another city. If I were a young single person I would live in Tampa, no contest. Yes, downtown St. Pete is a lot prettier overall than Tampa, but Tampa has its nice areas scattered around and I encourage OP to explore a bit.

Interesting I did think you lived in saint pete, what about it was changing that made you not want to live here?

I have explored channelside so far; I am also looking into the south howard area as well as hyde park.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by redboat961

Interesting I did think you lived in saint pete, what about it was changing that made you not want to live here?

I have explored channelside so far; I am also looking into the south howard area as well as hyde park.

Never lived in St. Pete, but spent plenty of time there - I am originally from Tampa, lived in Sarasota for a very long time, now in Lakeland. What was changing is too much gentrification in the downtown. I like smaller scale living, not all the fancy expensive condos for one thing. But actually I realized one day after we looked at a house there (to buy) and were driving around, I found that outside of the downtown, (and beaches) I just didn't care that much for the rest of the city. It was an eye opener for me.

Anyway, glad you are exploring Tampa. It can take time to find a place that "feels right."

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Never lived in St. Pete, but spent plenty of time there - I am originally from Tampa, lived in Sarasota for a very long time, now in Lakeland. What was changing is too much gentrification in the downtown. I like smaller scale living, not all the fancy expensive condos for one thing. But actually I realized one day after we looked at a house there (to buy) and were driving around, I found that outside of the downtown, (and beaches) I just didn't care that much for the rest of the city. It was an eye opener for me.

Anyway, glad you are exploring Tampa. It can take time to find a place that "feels right."

The rest of the city, outside of downtown and immediate surroundings, is quite ugly and bland IMO.
But its downtown core is quite amazing compared to other Florida cities, perhaps only rivaled by South Eola/Thornton Park in Downtown Orlando.

I agree that overall, Tampa has a lot more to offer, as there are a plethora of great neighborhoods to explore.

Now, if we do county vs county, we have a different debate.

[Eocsor]

Anyone who thinks everything outside of Downtown St.Pete/Environs is bland and ugly are either blind, jealous, mentally disabled, or on powerful drugs. The only thing Tampa has more than St. Pete is strip clubs, divisive interstates, and rundown neighborhood.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by Eocsor

Anyone who thinks everything outside of Downtown St.Pete/Environs is bland and ugly are either blind, jealous, mentally disabled, or on powerful drugs. The only thing Tampa has more than St. Pete is strip clubs, divisive interstates, and rundown neighborhood.

Jealous of what?
For the record, I live in Pinellas County.

Did someone pee in your Cheerios this morning?