Single Writer Moving to St.Pete? (Tampa, Clearwater: home, neighborhood, organic)

[House4Sale]

Stay away from Venetian Blvd. NE in St. Pete. It floods like crazy.

I liked St. Pete but it's been several years since we've been there.
Nice restaurants, the pier, Vinoy, Don Cesar and hop, skip to Tampa where there's even more.

I'm a writer too. SP's, shorts, novels and ads. What do you write?

[Alexander]

Thanks so much guys for sharing your insightful thoughts on St. Pete and also thank you House4Sale for your great info. At present I am laboring away on what I hope will be the next great American Screenplay written in the Southern Gothic tradition , a bit of Flannery O' Connor meets Park Chan Wook.

[SunKrist]

Where were you originally from? St. Pete isn't that bad! Tampa is much worse in my opinion.

[Alexander]

Well .... Uh ... patquin2 I have to say I am absolutely Gobsmacked ! First , I would like to say thank you for what seems to be a very raw but seemingly honest assessment of your experience living in St.Pete. Before your reply I have to say I was really excited at having found what seems/ seemed? to be a cool, safe, culturally vibrant city for a single artist. Now ...

I have officially had the crap scared out of me.

I am a simple guy really in search of a relatively peaceful vibe. Of course no place is perfect but at this point in my life I really needed/ hoped St.Pete would be a community that would allow me to enjoy the positive vibe of a dynamic , safe, and welcoming community?

- I'm sort of bummed out , I guess I feel like I'm kind of back to square one.
And I am really confused. Is patquin2 right? I'm hoping maybe his/her experience is unique ? If not can anyone recommend a nice safe, artistically diverse community with nice weather for a single guy moving back to the states from Europe?

Please guys, Help, Help, Help! and Thanks.

[OREGONRAIN]

You can probably find it in St Pete, I would not cross it off my list just yet. The writer of that post was being honest with you, yes no place is perfect, and what the writer listed is going to be there, yes Im sorry but it is. You do need to do research on the area, and you will find a area that is appealing to you. Remember that Pinellas county, and I believe I have read this several times is the most densely populated area of Florida. So naturally you will find some of the problems mentioned. The best way for you to find your place is naturally to visit, and check it out, talk to as many people as you can. Do not rely on this forum for all your info. There are many nice areas in that region I am sure you will find one when you visit it. You may find you want to live outside the city proper. Try gulfport for one, I believe Madeira Beach might be ok, Im not sure on that one. Some people end up going as far as Dunedin and above there even. You will find something don't give up on St Pete yet, it is a beautiful area.

[Alexander]

OREGONRAIN , I do understand what you're saying and your point is well made. Thank you for the additional suggested areas of interest.

... just out of curiousity is the old Northeast area really the only nice ,safe neighborhood in St. Pete?

[willbo1]

Originally Posted by Alexander

... just out of curiousity is the old Northeast area really the only nice ,safe neighborhood in St. Pete?

No, it deifnitely is not the only safe area of St. Pete. It is very nice and convenient to downtown. The Crescent Lake area which someone else mentioned is safe and concenient as well. And living downtown, while you will see various types of people is generally safe as well. I know that there is much debate about south of Central Ave and it's safety as well as it being built up. I think the best way to describe it is that there are 'pockets' that have transitioned from unsafe to safe but there is still quite a bit that is unsafe and should be avoided.

I would go on realtor dot com and just do a search on certain zip codes (33701, 33702, 33704, etc) and see what type of properites come up. I am not suggesting to do this to find a property for yourself but just to see the properties. If you are seeing expensive homes or condos, etc. you can be sure that you would be safe. A few years ago everyone was saying to avoid the area between 4th Street and Tropicana Field. Now, as new condos have gone up, it is a desirable and safe place.

Hope this helps and I think that the diverse and eclectic city that St. Pete is would be a pretty good fit for you. Safety, with the exception of a few very obvious areas, is not an issue.

[scorp200]

Originally Posted by Alexander

- I'm sort of bummed out , I guess I feel like I'm kind of back to square one.
And I am really confused. Is patquin2 right? I'm hoping maybe his/her experience is unique ? If not can anyone recommend a nice safe, artistically diverse community with nice weather for a single guy moving back to the states from Europe?

Please guys, Help, Help, Help! and Thanks.

NO patquin2 is not right!!! AARRGGHH this makes me crazed. Seriously. Alexander, I swear I am telling you the truth. I don't know waht this guy's problem is. I'll address them point by point:


i moved to the st. petersburg area 2 1/2 years ago. it was the worst decision i ever made. the people are rude
Maybe because you're rude. I adored my neighbors in Crescent Lake and the downtown area is a small town in itself. There's great pride in the community and people are very welcoming.

the traffic is moderate to heavy.
No more than anywhere else in Tampa Bay.

st. petersburg does have culture, but not enough to make it worth it.
Compared to what, New York? It's got more culture than Miami. It's got well known and aspiring writers and artists - amazing theatre, museums and food.

if i were to sum up the area in one word it would be POVERTY.
Laughable. Tell that to all of us who couldn't buy a house there because the area has become too wealthy.

there is one absolutely beautiful neighborhood where we lived a rental house for 1 year, old northeast. in old northeast there are million dollar homes right on coffe pot bayou as well as a pletera of bungalows that are right on top of each other, beautiful but not anywhere close to affordable unless you are a world renound plastic surgeon.
True, except you can rent an apartment there for $600 a month still.

the rest of the city is run down with a extreme amount of homeless.
It's all relative. If you've never been around the homeless, you'll be shocked. If you come from any other big city it's no worse.

the people are culturally diverse, but if you don't feel comfortable walking through a crowd of punk rock skaters with facial piercings, followed by a gang bangers blasting rap music out of a pimped out cadalliac dont move here.
Oh give me a break. Don't stand in front of the state theatre if you don't want punk skaters. It's not like they terrorize the neighborhood. I never saw "gang bangers blasting rap music"

st. pete has a large gay/lesbian population that does balance out the not so desirables, they are outgoing and welcoming. my fiance and myself are literally fearful driving through some neighborhoods after dark.
I'm sure you can get where you need to go without driving through the toughest areas of Midtown. I did.

no lie one evening i called the st. pete pd and told them that i had counted 92 gunshots over the course of an hour. i do not live in a poor neighborhood, in fac i consider it one of the better around, but i still can hear the shots on a NIGHTLY BASIS.
I don't believe you. I lived right downtown and right off 4th street for years. You are just not a city person.

cost of living is terrible.
Sadly I can't argue with this one.

Alexander, I'm a fiction writer who used to live in NYC - there is no better place for you to move in Tampa Bay than St. Pete, close to downtown. Don't let this poster deter you.

This article is a couple of years old but still valid, maybe more so:
A Tale of Two Cities: Why St. Petersburg's downtown beats Tampa's: Talk of the Town: Old Archives: Creative Loafing Tampa

That other poster mentioned Gulfport and Dunedin, both are adorable! Actually though, Gulfport has very sketchy areas and if we're talking safety I'd feel much more safe in St. Pete north of Central, east of 34th Street than in Gulfport (west of 34th is safe too, just boring, as is north of 38th Avenue IMO).

Dunedin is awesome but it's a long drive from there to everywhere.

[DecoDiva]

I fell in love with St Pete the very first time I was there. Seemed so hip, cultural, museums, great restaurants, loved the pier, all lit up for Christmas it was just beautiful. I stayed for a few days at a gorgeous bed and breakfast, dined at an incredible french restaurant, had the best margarita of my life at Dan Marino's. There were free concerts, jazz festivals, street fairs...I was smitten. I said THAT's where I'm moving to, love it love it love it.

As a transplanted New Yorker, I'm missing some of the cultural things that were close to me in Manhattan, and sorely lacking here in New Port Richey.

Then people started saying to me oh no you don't want to live in St Pete. There are too many areas you don't even want to set foot in, especially after dark. People said live nearby, go there for the concerts, restaurants, museums...then go give somewhere else, tampa, clearwater, dunedin...so I'm back to the drawing board (sigh). But I gotta admit, St Pete sure seemed perfect to me...

[Alexander]

Well okay then, I'm going for it!

willbo1 & scorp200 ,

THANK YOU for your generousity in taking the time to offer your knowledgeable and reassuring words of encouragement. (And scorp200 that article was essentially music to my ears ) No rose colored glasses here mind you, but My planning now transitions from IF to When and just maybe tonight I'll be able to get a decent night's sleep for a change!

So guys ... happily moving forward , what are some of the more popular bars and restaurants in the downtown St. Pete's area that you would recommend (from Upscale to Dive )

Grazie Mille per Tutto!

P.S. DecoDiva please read this thread from the beginning - A lot of really nice folks have shared some great insights on St.Pete!