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Old 02-19-2017, 05:34 PM
 
13 posts, read 10,778 times
Reputation: 17

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Im planning to relocate to florida area from San Francisco. I am looking for a more laid back beach lifestyle but still would like conveniences of the many options/choices Bay Area life brings like variety of music, parks, hair salons, clothing, restaurants, taverns, art, housewares, etc. What area of Florida (Tampa/St Pete/Dunedin/clearwater/Gulfport) do you think would best fit for me? I am single professional mid 40's with 2 large dogs.
thanks
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Old 03-04-2017, 06:58 AM
 
Location: Florida Baby!
7,682 posts, read 1,271,286 times
Reputation: 5035
In January 2016 I spent 1 week in FL doing exactly what you'll be doing--exploring the area to see if I like it. I stayed at St. Pete's Beach and if I had the $$$ I would move THERE in a heartbeat. I rented a car and spent the whole week driving around the area and I hit both Gulfport and Dunedin.

My first impressions:

GULFPORT: an older, more "bohemian" or "blue collar" vibe (think: Gloucester or Rockport MA); has funky antique/second hand shops and art galleries and from what I could see, most of the businesses were restaurants; homes for the most part are small older cottages overgrown with shrubbery. I liked the waterfront--it reminded me of the lakefront area of my home town on Lake Erie in WNYS--but it was pouring rain at the time so I couldn't go out and explore. Great location--very convenient access to the string of beaches on the Gulf Coast, to St. Petersburg proper, and to the major highway (I-275)

Check out these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkP0KsXMxME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyHDSNaLJMo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG2zieoVmTQ


DUNEDIN: a newer, more "manufactured" tourist destination (think: Newport, RI. Essex and Mystic, CT) Downtown area felt more upscale with lots of different shops and restaurants. The dock area is nice. Homes looked to be newer construction. When I was there the weather was cold and blustery but the town was crowded with tourists. Big drawback: 20+ miles to St. Petersburg and about 1/2 hour-45 min. drive vs. 4.5 miles between Gulfport and St. Petersburg.

Check out these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1kWfAVB20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry8jpJSeZNs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0HA03_ytEk

There were aspects of each town that I liked and disliked, but I will concede that a 1 day visit isn't enough to base a decision. Definitely, the weather had a great impact on my experience in Gulfport.

Best thing to do is just pay a visit--and enjoy!
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Old 03-05-2017, 05:49 AM
 
1,759 posts, read 2,165,263 times
Reputation: 742
Funky, bohemian & artsy with nice sunsets. Posted before our fabulous dinners and lunches there. a real pleasure to get info from board members here and actually visit the places. Pia's was wonderful and again I thank those who posted that and other places.
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Old 03-05-2017, 06:14 AM
 
Location: tampa bay
7,126 posts, read 8,652,997 times
Reputation: 11772
My son lived in Gulfport for three years while attending Stetson Law. He enjoyed it very much...lived a few different places and he felt safe in all of them. It is bordered by a rough area but can be avoided and if you can't your most likely in a car so really people grow a pair!!! Lol
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Old 03-05-2017, 08:13 AM
 
Location: Central Mexico and Central Florida
7,150 posts, read 4,904,543 times
Reputation: 10444
We've lived here since 2014 and LOVE it. Walk (or bike) everywhere, including most evenings we walk to/from restaurants. Brick lined streets...always a festival or event on weekends.

It is a quiet area, other than the downtown core, which is basically Beach Blvd from 28th Ave S. to the waterfront. And two blocks along the waterfront on Shore Blvd.


See these websites:
http://visitgulfportflorida.com/
Gulfport Merchants Association
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Old 03-20-2017, 05:36 PM
 
461 posts, read 554,711 times
Reputation: 271
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irishiis49 View Post
My son lived in Gulfport for three years while attending Stetson Law. He enjoyed it very much...lived a few different places and he felt safe in all of them. It is bordered by a rough area but can be avoided and if you can't your most likely in a car so really people grow a pair!!! Lol
That made me not want to go over there, but you know something.. everywhere in FL has bad areas right near it, even over where I am. I know right now I prefer Gulfport to that crummy Clearwater Largo Rd N corridor there in Mid Pinellas. That's my definition of a real bad area and I was right in it. Gulfport isn't right in the hood, from what I recall you just have to drive through it to get anywhere else.


Do they have any food markets in Gulfport? Any trouble say getting to a Save A Lot kind of place or? Or does everyone leave there to go shopping in other parts of the area? I had a hard time wrapping my finger around that. I may want to explore Gulfport though, not fully sure. Either there or 4th St N area again or Central and 66th St which isn't too far from Gulfport. Those primary areas are the ones I like most, but maybe I can add Gulfport to the list for the near future sometime. I just don't want to live where drug houses are nearby or Trump land if I do move again. As I feel like I am changing as a person now, Gulfport might be ok. When I lived up in Largo in that bad area, I didn't know my stepdad had died yet and I wanted to come to Sarasota to be near him then I found out he died plus I thought maybe a more conservative work focused area rather than constant fun was what I wanted. But I've been struggling here too I found. Only good thing is I am in a low crime area right now, I may want to try and find a better fit though. Gulfport I do know has a lot of vibrant people. I knew of a few like this ex cigar shop owner who was in Downtown St Pete. A guy I met at Mazzaros told me he lived there too.. told me I needed to get out more when I told him I live in Gateway and I go to Treasure Island and Downtown. From what it sounds like though, Gulfport looks like they try to make it livable all the time or my impression might be that if any old homes were unlivable, they increasingly become more so through cleaning or fixing them up... with the gays around there you just never know lol.
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Old 03-20-2017, 06:00 PM
 
461 posts, read 554,711 times
Reputation: 271
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daisy Grey View Post
In January 2016 I spent 1 week in FL doing exactly what you'll be doing--exploring the area to see if I like it. I stayed at St. Pete's Beach and if I had the $$$ I would move THERE in a heartbeat. I rented a car and spent the whole week driving around the area and I hit both Gulfport and Dunedin.

My first impressions:

GULFPORT: an older, more "bohemian" or "blue collar" vibe (think: Gloucester or Rockport MA); has funky antique/second hand shops and art galleries and from what I could see, most of the businesses were restaurants; homes for the most part are small older cottages overgrown with shrubbery. I liked the waterfront--it reminded me of the lakefront area of my home town on Lake Erie in WNYS--but it was pouring rain at the time so I couldn't go out and explore. Great location--very convenient access to the string of beaches on the Gulf Coast, to St. Petersburg proper, and to the major highway (I-275)

Check out these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkP0KsXMxME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyHDSNaLJMo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG2zieoVmTQ


DUNEDIN: a newer, more "manufactured" tourist destination (think: Newport, RI. Essex and Mystic, CT) Downtown area felt more upscale with lots of different shops and restaurants. The dock area is nice. Homes looked to be newer construction. When I was there the weather was cold and blustery but the town was crowded with tourists. Big drawback: 20+ miles to St. Petersburg and about 1/2 hour-45 min. drive vs. 4.5 miles between Gulfport and St. Petersburg.

Check out these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1kWfAVB20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry8jpJSeZNs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0HA03_ytEk

There were aspects of each town that I liked and disliked, but I will concede that a 1 day visit isn't enough to base a decision. Definitely, the weather had a great impact on my experience in Gulfport.

Best thing to do is just pay a visit--and enjoy!

Right, all I did was visit Gulfport for one day when someone suggested it to me. Nowadays though, it might be the kind of community I need to rejuvenate myself or the surroundings could only help. Being near Pasadena also seems like an attribute and being 4.5 miles from St Pete vs 20 to Dunedin or more.


I will be honest, Dunedin isn't really my cup of tea. I think its nice sure, but it isn't as accessible or close to things. Tampa isn't too close, neither is St Pete. All you have is Clearwater nearby. BLAH. I do like Tarpon Springs though, That greek town is great over there. But I suspect 2 totally different feels between there and Gulfport. I just learned that no matter where you go, there will be sketchy areas in FL, I even heard Tarpon has one too.. I was shocked seeing I thought it was all Greek and had that nice greek town vibe. Its a small community though, kind of like how I see Gulfport. Overall though no, I am not a fan of Dunedin really. Its alright sure but its out of my reach as far as living goes. Pricewise and availability I'd imagine is lower than Gulfport. Everyone seems to want to live there but not in an urban kind of way.. in a, its a great getaway from all the bad stuff, I don't have diversity around me kind of way. Everythings more whitebread, same with Palm Harbor. I discovered the overall area quite well but funny, I haven't discovered a ton of those little nook neighborhoods in the South side of St Pete. I wrote it all off at one point and stayed to the northside.
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