Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am relocating with my company to the tampa area in 2011 and I need help figuring out an area that is good for me and where I should focus my search. I am a 24yo female, I will be living alone, no animals and while I'll know my co-workers, I will for the most part not know many people and will be looking to meet people. I will be working in Pinellas Park. Commute time won't be a huge deal breaker for me, I commuted a lot over the past couple years and much prefer to enjoy my life than live somewhere I hate. If a longer commute is a part of enjoying where I live, so be it. I mean, I don't want to be driving 2 hours to go 10 miles kind of thing, but if there is a nice younger area and it's 45 min with traffic, I'll survive. I'll be working long days sometimes, mostly normal days though probably between 8-6 with fluctuations.
I currently live in an upper class area for the most part near CT in NY and pay 850 for my half of rent in a pretty big 2 BR nice apartment, but in NY unless you spend a good amount, you don't get much bang for your buck. I'd like to not pay as much as I do now, but I understand that if I want something nicer I will pay for it one way or another. I want to continue renting, with no real interest in buying in any near future. Probably a 2BR so I can have visitors like my family and friends from up north, but I'd be open to a 1BR if I absolutely fall in love with a community I can't afford a 2BR in. I definitely want AC/Pool and a fitness center in my complex, gated would be great. No kids so schools aren't an issue. Another huge thing I hate about my area is the attitudes, money is everything there and it's not exactly an attitude I was brought up with/am a fan of, so if there's an area of ambitious down to earth people, that would be somewhere I'd fit.
I just need an arrow as to which areas I should be looking in and what apartments are nice/not crime-filled. I like to go out, be social and active too, so somewhere I feel safe coming home later/being outside or talking to people would be nice. I don't want to need eyes in the back of my head in my own home.
Given your criteria, I'd suggest the Feather Sound area of SE Clearwater. It has a younger professional demographic and it would be an easy commute in general. For the same amount as you're paying now you could easily have a two bedroom apartment. You might also find a condo for rent, though be sure to take the necessary precautions to make sure it's not a distressed property. Good luck!
I am about your age and my family have a condo in Pasadena (close to south pasadena) and i like that area because everything is cheaper then the beaches. it is close to several shoppingcenters and the two largest hospitals in the area. Pasadena and St Petersburg general. It is also 5 minutes to the beach. In three minutes, i reach Sweetbay *2, Publix *3, Tyrone Square Mall and i think there will be alot of development in the area.
Listen- I am not knocking anyones recommendations, but I am starting to think that the majority of people on here are about 150 years old. Not that there is anything wrong with being old either, I have respect for the older crowd, I just dont think they should be giving advice to a young guy or girl moving to tampa with regards to location. Why on earth would anyone recommend anything other then St Pete or Tampa to a single female under the age of 40 is beyond me.
I am a 27 year old single professional. There is NO WAY IN HELL i would live anywhere in the Bay Area besides Tampa (Westshore, South Tampa, Downtown) or St Pete (Downtown).
Now...
South Tampa and St Pete are fairly different places even though they are only separated by a few miles of water. Some people like Tampa more, some people like St. Pete more. IMO, Tampa is a little more trend oriented. Lot of people with active lifestyles (gym, running, nightlife), and a lot more to do. South Tampa, Westshore, Ybor, and downtown all offer great nightlife and some incredible restaurants. You are also about 45 minutes from orlando, you have Pro Football, Pro Hockey, and Major music acts. This is something to keep in mind if you are an active person who likes nightlife and special events. If not having to travel far after spending a night out is important, I would recommend westshore or Rocky Point as it is as far west as you can get in tampa without going over the bridges. It boasts some of the best restaurants and shopping in the region with two malls and an international airport within 2 miles of each other.
St Pete is a little more laid back and less trendy then Tampa. You will find it is a bit easier to make friends, but there is a lot less to do. Many people work in Tampa and live in St Pete. IMO, St Pete is a bit of an older crowd, 30s and 40s if not older. There are some young people there- I know some people that live there because they got fed up with the Tampa scene. This usually happens around 30. It is a bit cheaper to live there, and activity in st pete is more centralized then tampa. It doesnt really boast much more then a few blocks of nightlife downtown. St Pete also has more crime, and it is much easier to wander into a bad neighborhood. In Tampa, everyone knows you stay out of east tampa and the outskirts of Ybor... St Pete it is kind of spread out and can vary from block to block outside of the immediate downtown area. St Pete has one pro sports team, the Tampa Bay Rays, and every so often a fairly crappy national band will play at the trop for free after a Rays game. I wouldn't expect the Rays to be staying in St Pete for too much longer.
If you like nightlife, I suggest you check out Westshore and Rocky Point. You will find a lot of people in the 20-35 age bracket. South Tampa can be a bit pretentious, but other places can be a lot of fun. Once you start making friends, south Tampa can be a ton of fun! Unfortunately the only way to make friends in south Tampa is if you are extremely attractive and drive a porsche. There is actually a sub culture in South Tampa, they are known as "South Tampa Douchebags" and the term applies to both men and women. Westshore and Rocky Point are significantly more laid back and you are only minutes away from EVERYTHING, to include St Pete. Westshore and Rocky Point are very "upscale" with nice glass office buildings, beautiful tropical landscaping, trendy dining, premium condos and apartments, and clean, fresh paved roads
You will pay over $800 for a decent place. I am moving out of my 2BR which I pay $1500 for (market is $1850) and moving into a 1 BR which costs $1150, I am in north westshore, in the International Plaza Area. International Plaza isnt really an area for living in tampa, I am mostly surrounded by hotels, but it is slowly becoming a prime place for condos and apartments due to the excellent location.
I suggest you check out the following places in westshore and Rock Point. The first place is where I live and I absolutely love it. There is two pools, a jacuzzi, and on the weekends it is filled with people between 20-35 enjoying the sun:
Listen- I am not knocking anyones recommendations, but I am starting to think that the majority of people on here are about 150 years old. Not that there is anything wrong with being old either, I have respect for the older crowd, I just dont think they should be giving advice to a young guy or girl moving to tampa with regards to location. Why on earth would anyone recommend anything other then St Pete or Tampa to a single female under the age of 40 is beyond me.
I am a 27 year old single professional. There is NO WAY IN HELL i would live anywhere in the Bay Area besides Tampa (Westshore, South Tampa, Downtown) or St Pete (Downtown).
Now...
South Tampa and St Pete are fairly different places even though they are only separated by a few miles of water. Some people like Tampa more, some people like St. Pete more. IMO, Tampa is a little more trend oriented. Lot of people with active lifestyles (gym, running, nightlife), and a lot more to do. South Tampa, Westshore, Ybor, and downtown all offer great nightlife and some incredible restaurants. You are also about 45 minutes from orlando, you have Pro Football, Pro Hockey, and Major music acts. This is something to keep in mind if you are an active person who likes nightlife and special events. If not having to travel far after spending a night out is important, I would recommend westshore or Rocky Point as it is as far west as you can get in tampa without going over the bridges. It boasts some of the best restaurants and shopping in the region with two malls and an international airport within 2 miles of each other.
St Pete is a little more laid back and less trendy then Tampa. You will find it is a bit easier to make friends, but there is a lot less to do. Many people work in Tampa and live in St Pete. IMO, St Pete is a bit of an older crowd, 30s and 40s if not older. There are some young people there- I know some people that live there because they got fed up with the Tampa scene. This usually happens around 30. It is a bit cheaper to live there, and activity in st pete is more centralized then tampa. It doesnt really boast much more then a few blocks of nightlife downtown. St Pete also has more crime, and it is much easier to wander into a bad neighborhood. In Tampa, everyone knows you stay out of east tampa and the outskirts of Ybor... St Pete it is kind of spread out and can vary from block to block outside of the immediate downtown area. St Pete has one pro sports team, the Tampa Bay Rays, and every so often a fairly crappy national band will play at the trop for free after a Rays game. I wouldn't expect the Rays to be staying in St Pete for too much longer.
If you like nightlife, I suggest you check out Westshore and Rocky Point. You will find a lot of people in the 20-35 age bracket. South Tampa can be a bit pretentious, but other places can be a lot of fun. Once you start making friends, south Tampa can be a ton of fun! Unfortunately the only way to make friends in south Tampa is if you are extremely attractive and drive a porsche. There is actually a sub culture in South Tampa, they are known as "South Tampa Douchebags" and the term applies to both men and women. Westshore and Rocky Point are significantly more laid back and you are only minutes away from EVERYTHING, to include St Pete. Westshore and Rocky Point are very "upscale" with nice glass office buildings, beautiful tropical landscaping, trendy dining, premium condos and apartments, and clean, fresh paved roads
You will pay over $800 for a decent place. I am moving out of my 2BR which I pay $1500 for (market is $1850) and moving into a 1 BR which costs $1150, I am in north westshore, in the International Plaza Area. International Plaza isnt really an area for living in tampa, I am mostly surrounded by hotels, but it is slowly becoming a prime place for condos and apartments due to the excellent location.
I suggest you check out the following places in westshore and Rock Point. The first place is where I live and I absolutely love it. There is two pools, a jacuzzi, and on the weekends it is filled with people between 20-35 enjoying the sun:
I cannot provide much info on St Pete as pretty much all of the locations downtown are somewhat pricey.
Let us know what you are thinking with some of the links I provided. I would be more then happy to provide additional advice/insight.
Great advice Craig - I think you nailed both cities. I am older, myself, but almost always recommend these areas to the younger people wanting to move to the area, in general. An area on the west side of Tampa is a good choice for the OP if she wants to live on the Tampa side, otherwise I recommend downtown St. Pete. Lastly, for a single person wanting to make new friends and/or find people to date I think Tampa is the better city for that.
Listen- I am not knocking anyones recommendations, but I am starting to think that the majority of people on here are about 150 years old. Not that there is anything wrong with being old either, I have respect for the older crowd, I just dont think they should be giving advice to a young guy or girl moving to tampa with regards to location. Why on earth would anyone recommend anything other then St Pete or Tampa to a single female under the age of 40 is beyond me.
I am a 27 year old single professional. There is NO WAY IN HELL i would live anywhere in the Bay Area besides Tampa (Westshore, South Tampa, Downtown) or St Pete (Downtown).
Now...
South Tampa and St Pete are fairly different places even though they are only separated by a few miles of water. Some people like Tampa more, some people like St. Pete more. IMO, Tampa is a little more trend oriented. Lot of people with active lifestyles (gym, running, nightlife), and a lot more to do. South Tampa, Westshore, Ybor, and downtown all offer great nightlife and some incredible restaurants. You are also about 45 minutes from orlando, you have Pro Football, Pro Hockey, and Major music acts. This is something to keep in mind if you are an active person who likes nightlife and special events. If not having to travel far after spending a night out is important, I would recommend westshore or Rocky Point as it is as far west as you can get in tampa without going over the bridges. It boasts some of the best restaurants and shopping in the region with two malls and an international airport within 2 miles of each other.
St Pete is a little more laid back and less trendy then Tampa. You will find it is a bit easier to make friends, but there is a lot less to do. Many people work in Tampa and live in St Pete. IMO, St Pete is a bit of an older crowd, 30s and 40s if not older. There are some young people there- I know some people that live there because they got fed up with the Tampa scene. This usually happens around 30. It is a bit cheaper to live there, and activity in st pete is more centralized then tampa. It doesnt really boast much more then a few blocks of nightlife downtown. St Pete also has more crime, and it is much easier to wander into a bad neighborhood. In Tampa, everyone knows you stay out of east tampa and the outskirts of Ybor... St Pete it is kind of spread out and can vary from block to block outside of the immediate downtown area. St Pete has one pro sports team, the Tampa Bay Rays, and every so often a fairly crappy national band will play at the trop for free after a Rays game. I wouldn't expect the Rays to be staying in St Pete for too much longer.
If you like nightlife, I suggest you check out Westshore and Rocky Point. You will find a lot of people in the 20-35 age bracket. South Tampa can be a bit pretentious, but other places can be a lot of fun. Once you start making friends, south Tampa can be a ton of fun! Unfortunately the only way to make friends in south Tampa is if you are extremely attractive and drive a porsche. There is actually a sub culture in South Tampa, they are known as "South Tampa Douchebags" and the term applies to both men and women. Westshore and Rocky Point are significantly more laid back and you are only minutes away from EVERYTHING, to include St Pete. Westshore and Rocky Point are very "upscale" with nice glass office buildings, beautiful tropical landscaping, trendy dining, premium condos and apartments, and clean, fresh paved roads
You will pay over $800 for a decent place. I am moving out of my 2BR which I pay $1500 for (market is $1850) and moving into a 1 BR which costs $1150, I am in north westshore, in the International Plaza Area. International Plaza isnt really an area for living in tampa, I am mostly surrounded by hotels, but it is slowly becoming a prime place for condos and apartments due to the excellent location.
I suggest you check out the following places in westshore and Rock Point. The first place is where I live and I absolutely love it. There is two pools, a jacuzzi, and on the weekends it is filled with people between 20-35 enjoying the sun:
I cannot provide much info on St Pete as pretty much all of the locations downtown are somewhat pricey.
Let us know what you are thinking with some of the links I provided. I would be more then happy to provide additional advice/insight.
Wow, what a response. Slightly overwhelmed! I had looked at a few places in Rocky Point but when I looked at a map it seemed so far but I guess not. I definitely want the laid back feel, I am not pretentious by any means and my car is def not a porsche!
I definitely like the Millenium Westshore, but I don't know if I need THAT many amenities, although the fact that they have spin bikes definitely piqued my interest. I do like to be active and be outside when it's nice (up here you're confined for 4 of the 12 months of the year and spring and fall aren't that great). Soaking up the sun and having places to be outside is a huge plus. I had looked at Camden Westshore but I didn't realize it wasn't gated. Not that I'm paranoid, but living by myself and not knowing the area that well, I think security would help me feel more comfortable.
The one that I like the most is definitely Post Rocky Point, just because it has more of a comfortable homey feel instead of so modernized, it's not as upgraded but that's okay. I think the only way I'll be able to tell which I like the most is to actually see them.
In terms of being somewhere I can meet people, are the people around there mostly transplants? or natives? Not sure it'd make a difference, but I've only been to Florida on vacation and I'm not sure what the people are like. Being 45 min from Orlando is definitely great, I know some people in that area and Jacksonville as well.
Wow, what a response. Slightly overwhelmed! I had looked at a few places in Rocky Point but when I looked at a map it seemed so far but I guess not. I definitely want the laid back feel, I am not pretentious by any means and my car is def not a porsche!
I definitely like the Millenium Westshore, but I don't know if I need THAT many amenities, although the fact that they have spin bikes definitely piqued my interest. I do like to be active and be outside when it's nice (up here you're confined for 4 of the 12 months of the year and spring and fall aren't that great). Soaking up the sun and having places to be outside is a huge plus. I had looked at Camden Westshore but I didn't realize it wasn't gated. Not that I'm paranoid, but living by myself and not knowing the area that well, I think security would help me feel more comfortable.
The one that I like the most is definitely Post Rocky Point, just because it has more of a comfortable homey feel instead of so modernized, it's not as upgraded but that's okay. I think the only way I'll be able to tell which I like the most is to actually see them.
In terms of being somewhere I can meet people, are the people around there mostly transplants? or natives? Not sure it'd make a difference, but I've only been to Florida on vacation and I'm not sure what the people are like. Being 45 min from Orlando is definitely great, I know some people in that area and Jacksonville as well.
A lot of people in Tampa are transplants, especially in the Westshore area IMO. Lot of North East Midwest transplants- I am from NY (long island) myself and only been here two years. I have friends here, none of which are actually from Tampa. I think South Tampa has some more natives, which leads to that cliquey vibe down there, but if you have specific interests and are social, it isn't too hard to meet people in the right places. Tampa IS NOT Savannah or Oklahoma City or Austin or Cleveland. People here are a little more self absorbed and selfish, but there are some great people here. USF and UT are also minutes away which contributes to a slightly more diverse environment.
Gates really provide a false sense of security IMO. I wouldnt let that deter you from renting if you like/can afford a location. The Post Rocky Point property is great, it is on a little island it shares with a resturant (bahama breeze) and has a full gym and convenience store that you never have to leave your gated community for. it is also on the water. I have met quite a few people that live there and they love it. They usually walk over to bahama breeze for happy hour/live music on the water in the evenings.
Oh... and Rocky Point is on the courtney campbell causeway, about 5 minutes from clearwater (about 20 minutes from clearwater beach)
Working in Pinellas Park you could take memorial to 275 South. You would be reverse commuting as most people travel TO tampa for work, so traffic would be minimal both on your way to and from work. probably 20 minutes. and 275 over the howard franklin is about the most scenic commute you can get in the southeast united states.
A lot of people in Tampa are transplants, especially in the Westshore area IMO. Lot of North East Midwest transplants- I am from NY (long island) myself and only been here two years. I have friends here, none of which are actually from Tampa. I think South Tampa has some more natives, which leads to that cliquey vibe down there, but if you have specific interests and are social, it isn't too hard to meet people in the right places. Tampa IS NOT Savannah or Oklahoma City or Austin or Cleveland. People here are a little more self absorbed and selfish, but there are some great people here. USF and UT are also minutes away which contributes to a slightly more diverse environment.
Gates really provide a false sense of security IMO. I wouldnt let that deter you from renting if you like/can afford a location. The Post Rocky Point property is great, it is on a little island it shares with a resturant (bahama breeze) and has a full gym and convenience store that you never have to leave your gated community for. it is also on the water. I have met quite a few people that live there and they love it. They usually walk over to bahama breeze for happy hour/live music on the water in the evenings.
Oh... and Rocky Point is on the courtney campbell causeway, about 5 minutes from clearwater (about 20 minutes from clearwater beach)
Working in Pinellas Park you could take memorial to 275 South. You would be reverse commuting as most people travel TO tampa for work, so traffic would be minimal both on your way to and from work. probably 20 minutes. and 275 over the howard franklin is about the most scenic commute you can get in the southeast united states.
That false sense of security will help me sleep at night haha. But I agree... it won't stop much. I don't think it would kill anything for me if a place doesn't have gates, you're exactly right. That sounds like a great place! So wait, is Rocky Point in Tampa or across the causeway in Clearwater?
I was hoping I would be a reverse commute, but I had no idea. I am excited to live somewhere that is so tropical, I am definitely a northeast girl at heart but I love the beach. I'm shy at first but I warm up eventually so I know it's going to be a bit harder on me but I will be fine once I get into the swing. I am just hoping I can be outside a lot.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
haha. But I agree... it won't stop much. I don't think it would kill anything for me if a place doesn't have gates, you're exactly right. That sounds like a great place! So wait, is Rocky Point in Tampa or across the causeway in Clearwater?
