So. California to Tampa (Clearwater, Palm Harbor: apartments, for rent, insurance)

[guitardad]

I'm trying to find out what the transition from the L.A. suburbs to the Tampa area is really like. I'm looking at the Tarpon springs and Palm Harbor areas to move my wife and daughters to. Would these areas have the 'coastal' weather patterns (cooler during the day and warmer at night) than other sections of Tampa? I would like a middle class neighborhhood with good schools and direct water access. How worried about hurricanes do I really need to be? Any advise/observations would be greatly appreciated.

[GatorGirl]

Unless you are right on the beach, you are not going to get a whole lot of breezy, ocean cooled conditions. It's hot and humid, different than California.

Water access might be a little better in Tarpon, as far as access to the Gulf, although Palm Harbor has East Lake if you're looking for lakefront living.

Hurricanes are rarely an issue in the area, we might get brushed by one and we've had some tropical storm force storms, but a direct hit hasn't occurred for decades. The proximity of Tampa Bay to the rest of the Gulf seems to protect us, although Hurricane Charley two years back was forecasted to strike us directly. It took a sharp right and Ft. Myers was the victim. There are weather perils no matter where you go. Insurance may be an issue, depending on where you buy, but there are plenty of people who own homes here so don't believe that Florida is totally uninsurable!

[guitardad]

Thanks for the tip.

Alright, on to the game show questions,

Question #1
Which better discribes these areas;
A) Retire here
B) Kids welcome
C) Neither

Question #2
It takes me 60+ minutes to drive 25 miles to work.
Considering this heavy traffic, would Tampa's traffic be;
A) Heavy
B) Bad, but bearable
C) A Sunday drive compared to my current commute.

Question #3
What the best single piece of advice you could give to a new resident?

I think I'm startin' to wonder what's behind door #3!

[suri]

Originally Posted by guitardad

I'm trying to find out what the transition from the L.A. suburbs to the Tampa area is really like. I'm looking at the Tarpon springs and Palm Harbor areas to move my wife and daughters to. Would these areas have the 'coastal' weather patterns (cooler during the day and warmer at night) than other sections of Tampa? I would like a middle class neighborhhood with good schools and direct water access. How worried about hurricanes do I really need to be? Any advise/observations would be greatly appreciated.

Concider the Safety Harbor, Fl. area. Less than 8 Mi. to Gulf and less than 1 mile to No. Tampa Bay. This very charming community lays between Clearwater and Palm Harbor.. A common responce to one of your questions is answered by: " Why do you think they call it Safety Harbor." The local has been relitively untouched since the middle 80's by any Hurricane to come ashore. My wife wishes us to relocate to So. Ca. for us to be closer to her family. So, recently we put our Safety Harbor home on the market to sell. [moderator CUT]

[guitardad]

Suri,

Thank you very much for the offer, but I'm looking for waterfront of some sort outside of the Tampa metro area. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and having never been to Florida, it's a big decision to make based on internet pictures and helpful Floridians' advise.

[sunshine girl]

There are no guaranteed hurricane free zones in any gulf or Atlantic coastal area. You can look up the stats to see which areas have historically been hit more than others, but that's about as close as you can get to help make a decision about hurricane prone areas. Even inland you will feel the effects of a hurricane as it travels through the state. You won't have the infamous storm surges that make the headlines, but you WILL have all the force of nature hitting you, all the wind and horizontal rain, loss of power, fear, etc. So how worried you should be depends on how much of a worrier you are. You have plenty of warning that one is coming. Of course there is no guarantee that the fool thing will actually stay on the weathercaster's projected course. There are "good" areas of Tampa, and also water access areas, but both come with a price. Literally. Money, money, money as they say. And obviously, the closer to water, the closer to possible direct storm damage. Good luck, sounds like you're doing some research before leaping. Check out Sarasota too, smaller, more laid back, also direct water access. But if my kids were younger and in the school system, I'd rather be here than Tampa.

[NewAdventure]

The best schools in Pinellas county are in Palm Harbor. Tarpon Springs is very quaint however there is a superfund site across the street from a local elem. school so I'd look into that before investing in a home or deciding on schools. All of Pinellas co. is pretty congested and getting tighter but you may be used to that in S. Cali. It is a pretty area. The West Coast of Florida has calm wave energy so sometimes in the summer it is like swimming in a warm bath tub. Very pretty and beautiful sunsets. Housing prices are borderline ridiculous. Two years ago you could by the same house for 1/3 of what you'd pay today and waterfront starts in the 350's to a million plus. But a block or so inland is more reasonable. There have been articles in the St. Pete times indicating that housing is getting so out of hand that middle income families will have a hard time finding anywhere to live. Research the area good before buying. Good neighborhoods tend to be next to not so safe ones.
There is alot to do. Very family friendly. Just like anywhere if you have good kids they'll be fine but watch out for some of their friends. There are lots of latchkey kids and uninvolved parents.
Personally, I've lived here 20 years and am ready to move. But I prefer the country. Pinellas county is the most built out county in Florida. We are now building up- everything is going condo and apartments for rent are harder to find.
As for hurricanes- research your property. Make sure you are in a no evacuation zone. The word is that Pinellas county is the second most vulnerable area next to New Orleans for a worst case scenario. We are on a peninsula. The only land route would be flooded. So far, we've been lucky and it's been told we are in an area that is not as likely to get hit but that's just a roll of the dice I suppose.
I wish you lots of luck with your move and your decision. The hurricane thing has gotten scary the past few years. They are predicting a 30 year period of more intense storm activity. To be honest that is one reason we are moving. although we have lived here over 20 years on the water with no flooding. Like I said , it is a roll of the dice and I will keep my fingers crossed all year. I suppose Earthquakes are similar but at least in Florida you have the opportunity to evacuate and flee for higher ground if need be.
Again, I wish you luck. Besides the hurricanes , congestion and the random bad kids it is really a great place to live. Since it is a tourist area they are constantly working to improve transportation and beautification. The schools are in touch with innovative practices and the quality of life is great. Take care!

[guitardad]

Now this is what I'm talkin' about! It's tough to read between the lines of the realtors, and this is the kind of real world information that you need to know to make an honest decision. Thank you so much!

O.K. Round Two. we're adding the vacation in Siberia space to the wheel...............

How about Ruskin and the Palmetto/Memphis/Bradenton areas?

Tell me more about these storm surges, how high can they get?

[sunshine girl]

Palmetto is not a good choice for families. Cheaper on the coast sometimes
= higher crime, and that is the case w/palmetto. Recent efforts at new high rise condos on the immediate water, but surrounding areas rather run down. Bradenton has good areas and bad, need to check each over. Don't know about anthing about Ruskin.

[NewAdventure]

I'm not too familiar with these areas but have recently driven through. There is alot of new construction in previously natural or farmland. This area is generally low lying close to the coast but again- I'm not too familiar. The new subdivisions going in seem very fabricated but nice. I would contact the county school system and request information in both of these counties. Also, north of Pinellas is up and coming but doesn't have the same beaches- more marshy. I understand moving is a hard decision- especially when considering what is in the best interest for your children. I'm in the same boat right now. I think if you can afford it Pinellas is nice- especially where you are considering. However, the whole Tampa Bay area has potential, is growing and has a lot of big city amenities close by.

As far as the storm surges~ It depends on the hurricane. Category I may flood coastal and low lying areas 5- 8 feet. Category five could send a 25 foot plus surge or more. Florida is pretty flat but there are some high and dry places where you wouldn't have to worry about storm surge. I've never witnessed any flooding where we live but our home is probably the highest area on the beach. Five miles south I've witnessed 2 and a half foot flooding in a beach community during a tropical storm. There are maps- easily accessible that show evacuation zones that are broken down by categories. The beaches are always evacuated in case of a hurricane as are mobile homes. Next comes the low lying areas and moving up to the areas that will not get flooded. This is a no evacuation zone. You don't have to evacuate even in a Cat. 5 hurricane as far as coastal flooding is concerned. Wind may be a factor but you have time to prepare. It is scary particularly after watching what happened in New Orleans but in 20 years prior to these past couple of years I never even had a second thought to hurricanes and have lived on the beach.
Good Luck!!