Can Tampa grow into a world-class city??? (Miami, Orlando: rent, living in)

[saturno_v]

Originally Posted by kbtoy7891

May I ask why?
When I'm in Orlando, I find Sunrail to be a Godsend when needing to get from, say, Lake Mary to Winter Park or Downtown, or even worse, to Kissimmee. I cannot wait for the new line to the airport and I-Drive/Convention Center.
Same with Miami and the Tri-Rail.

I just left NYC after spending a few days there, and being able to use the LIRR+Airtrain to and from JFK straight into Penn Station is wonderful. Why would you not use it?

Well, I correct myself, yes assuming there is a train station right where I live (let's say few blocks away) and one right where I have to go, yes I would use it in some circumstances and I did use it in cities with a rail system (I used it extensively in London and Sydney Australia where I lived before). To me it is more useful to commute to work than for leisure. For example, I would never use it to take my wife off to dinner in the evening nor I do see myself carrying my cooler, beach chairs and umbrella on a train to go to the beach either. So, yes, it is a nice thing to have but I would never ever renounce my private transportation.

I recognize that Tampa desperately needs one, to me it is a minor to non-existent annoyance.

[bobisinthehouse]

Tampa Bay is the best place to live in the state of Florida, but it is so dam expensive now compared to Pre Covid times 2019 and before.

[UrbanGenious25]

Originally Posted by bobisinthehouse

Tampa Bay is the best place to live in the state of Florida, but it is so dam expensive now compared to Pre Covid times 2019 and before.

It's far from the best place to live in Florida, it has potential, but I don't see it living up to it's potential no time soon

[kbtoy7891]

Originally Posted by UrbanGenious25

It's far from the best place to live in Florida, it has potential, but I don't see it living up to it's potential no time soon

To be fair, there are some AMAZING places in Pinellas County, which I'd rank right up there with the best that Florida has to offer.

[saturno_v]

Originally Posted by UrbanGenious25

It's far from the best place to live in Florida, it has potential, but I don't see it living up to it's potential no time soon

To me, for what I'm looking for, Tampa Bay is the best place to live in the entire US. I have been "in the hunt" for the city where to eventual retire (coming from Seattle) for well over 10 years visiting so many places extensively (San Diego, San Antonio, Austin, Nashville, Charleston and up and down SC coast, Miami and others).

I'm still extremely happy with my choice.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by kbtoy7891

To be fair, there are some AMAZING places in Pinellas County, which I'd rank right up there with the best that Florida has to offer.

Totally agree. Some of Pinellas does have a case as the best spot in Florida, or even the entire U.S.

[UrbanGenious25]

Originally Posted by saturno_v

To me, for what I'm looking for, Tampa Bay is the best place to live in the entire US. I have been "in the hunt" for the city where to eventual retire (coming from Seattle) for well over 10 years visiting so many places extensively (San Diego, San Antonio, Austin, Nashville, Charleston and up and down SC coast, Miami and others).

I'm still extremely happy with my choice.

In the United States? really? Tampa doesn't even have rail service, hell even Orlando has Sunrail and Brightline.

[Lillie767]

Originally Posted by UrbanGenious25

In the United States? really? Tampa doesn't even have rail service, hell even Orlando has Sunrail and Brightline.

So what.

Most of the people who live in the greater NYC area don't use the trains. And I'm sure most retirees don't ride trains.

LA has more than 13 million people but only about 800 thousand use the rail and bus transportation combined.

[UrbanGenious25]

Originally Posted by Lillie767

So what.

Most of the people who live in the greater NYC area don't use the trains. And I'm sure most retirees don't ride trains.

LA has more than 13 million people but only about 800 thousand use the rail and bus transportation combined.

are you serious? people in greater new York don't use trains?

There's no comparing LA and Tampa.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by kbtoy7891

To sum things up, no, Tampa is not on its way to becoming a world class city, and is rapidly losing its foothold as Florida’s second city. It is hardly the primary city of its own region anymore. No, it is not on its way to incorporating rail transit. No, it is not building tall towers. It is sprawling as much as the most sprawl parts of the state. Hillsborough County has no interest in turning it into an urban paradise. And downtown has a severe homelessness issue that I haven’t seen the likes of anywhere else in the state. A lot of work needs to be done… And at this rate, we will all be long dead before any solid progress is made.

YES EXACTLY THIS^^^^^

Tampa quality of life and cost of living is A LOT worse than when I moved here permanently 20 years ago.

Most of the restaurants, businesses and destinations I used to frequent 15 yrs ago are long gone. Traffic has become just as bad as most major metros. Even on a Saturday you can't get anywhere without suffering through an hour of gridlock. And it has become obscenely expensive to insure personal property (cars homes) here. Flooding is much worse. Heat is much worse. Air quality is much worse. Homelessness much worse. Potholed filled roads are third-world class. Downtown Tampa is STILL DEAD most of the time at night and on weekends. No public transit. Horrible walkability and lack of sidewalks. And so many things (the good restaurants) STILL close on Sundays, a relic of the ancient past. Nothing lasts in Tampa, yeah including many of the people who moved here during the pandemic. Many of them won't last either; many of them already bailed right after Ian....which wasn't even that bad. And when we get a Cat 5 hurricane, that will set back the city 100 years more.........