IS tampa any better choice for me ??? (Miami, Orlando: rent, crime)

[patel_rph]

we r a couple in our late 20 and early 30s .. going ot have family soon.i have job offers from various parts of tampa...work in retail so can get job almost anypart i want to work in.as far as cost of living is conserned we could manage 100-120 K per year.is tampa any better choice ??? not to mention i like hot and humid weather....please help folks ... please ...

[RedWingsFan]

Have you been to Tampa? Visit first and then decide. Only you will know if it's right for you. What's right for one person is wrong for another. We first moved to the Tampa area when we moved to Florida. It was totally wrong for us. You know how most large cities have a ghetto area? Tampa is mostly ghetto. Most of it is not nice at all. I didn't like the area. We drove around and found an area we did like, the Daytona Beach area.

Wherever you go rent for a few months before buying. That way if you don't like it you can easily move elsewhere. Only buy once you find a place you really like.

[Floridian34210]

Originally Posted by RedWingsFan

Have you been to Tampa? Visit first and then decide. Only you will know if it's right for you. What's right for one person is wrong for another. We first moved to the Tampa area when we moved to Florida. It was totally wrong for us. You know how most large cities have a ghetto area? Tampa is mostly ghetto. Most of it is not nice at all. I didn't like the area. We drove around and found an area we did like, the Daytona Beach area.

Wherever you go rent for a few months before buying. That way if you don't like it you can easily move elsewhere. Only buy once you find a place you really like.

Yes, this is true. Tampa is ghetto. I live in Cape Coral and it's nice. When I lived in Orlando, I visited Daytona Beach and it's nice too. Nice atmosphere!!

[tampaguy03]

19 years in Tampa from NY, and still love this town. You can see my other posts, especially "Why Tampa"..but to each his own I always say...

[OREGONRAIN]

I was curious when I visited Tampa, South Tampa and that Davis Island, New Tampa, maybe some carrolwood, had nice neighborhoods, but so much of Tampa looked unkept looking. Its like that in Portland to an extent also, but I just was curious, one could not help but notice.

[Obamanation]

The middle class-upscale areas in Tampa outweigh the slums. I will say, Tampa's "outer core" is problematic, but if you avoid that area, there are no problems. Downtown, Davis/Harbour Islands, Hyde Park, Channelside, and South Tampa are great. East Tampa, Drew Park, and Seminole heights are to be avoided. Carrollwood, Citrus Park, Wesley Chapel, and New Tampa are nice places as well. The area around USF is also shoddy, but the school itself is very nice.

[charlesj]

I would say most of florida is that way. Daytonna is certainly not better IMO. There are very nice parts to Tampa and there are bad parts. Just depends on where you live and where you work. A lot of what you see from the main highways and roads is crappy.

Orlando is certainly better kept, but inland. The only other large city in FL that I care for is Miami, but its much mroe expensive and vastly larger.

Your money goes pretty far in tampa, it has a large younger age group, and there are tons of activities to do. It has its down sides, but its a pretty good place if you pick the right part to live in.

[Obamanation]

Miami has weather and crime problems, for sure. I love Orlando as well, but remember not all of it is clean (think Pine Hills, etc). The two cities largely cancel each other out, although Tampa seemingly has more to offer residents.