Tampa / St Pete -- advice?

[Marylizah]

DH might possibly be offered a job in St Petersburg, so we'd be moving.

I would love to hear about the Tampa Bay area, including good places to live, the pros and cons of life in the area, what you love/hate and of course NFL/AP stuff!

In terms of where we'd like to live, ideally it would be a nice, safe community with fun things going on, suitable for families, with parks, libraries and stores in abundance-- not having to drive everywhere would be a huge plus. No long commutes-- 30 minutes tops from Northern St Pete.

Thanks! :::

[AutumnMom07]

hi there, we are east of Tampa in Riverview right now and I commute to St.pete. I am very sick of the commute (1hr) and we are looking to go closer into town. There are alot of nice places, it just depends on the price bracket you are looking at. I would really love to find something in South Tampa but it is a little harder to find something in our price range. This would be a good area as far as distance to N. St Pete.-just acroos the bridge. South Tampa and Hyde park are very nice. North Tampa, Lutz and Carrollwood are nice but I think it would be more than a 30 minute commute, same for brandon & Riverview. St. Pete had alot of middle class neighborhoods in the central part of the city-South St pete is a little more sketchy. Old Northeast is a very prestigious part of St Pete-mostly restored older homes but it is very beautiful-I'd love to live there but a little out of our budget! Clearwater is just north of St Pete and it has some nicer areas but I am not as familiar with it.

[Marylizah]

Thanks for the info. I've heard good things about Dunedin and Clearwater. It sounds like they are nice, near the water and pretty affordable, too.

Are there any Mothering playgroups in the area? I'm really hoping to meet some AP mamas if we move there. What about midwives or birthing centers? I'm not pg, but I hope to be soon!

[Hallielynn01]

Originally Posted by Marylizah

Thanks for the info. I've heard good things about Dunedin and Clearwater. It sounds like they are nice, near the water and pretty affordable, too.

Are there any Mothering playgroups in the area? I'm really hoping to meet some AP mamas if we move there. What about midwives or birthing centers? I'm not pg, but I hope to be soon!

We have 3 birth centers in Pinellas county!! We're very lucky! Couple of things about living in Pinellas, there is no where in this county you can live with out being near malls, grocery stores, and for the most part, you can get from St Pete to tarpon in about 45 minutes, depending on traffic! Its a busy county, but I like living here. There is everything we need. I lived in Dunedin, and its nice, not super affordable, but has a lot of character, as does Safety Harbor. Both are 30 min or so from St Pete. I've moved back to Largo. www.largo.com I like Largo for families! Largo Central Park is great, has a great playground, and lots of moms groups around. No mothering group that I'm aware of although there are many of us on here in different groups, like La Leche, some doula/birth groups etc. They also have a top ranked recreation department, and have great rec centers and activities.

Reasons I like living here are that depending on where you are in the county, getting to Tampa doesn't take a lot of time,and there is a lot to do there. The beach is nearby if you like that sort of thing. There are lots of parks and dog parks in the county. As well as activities and events. Lots of concerts, artists, fund raising events, and children's shows come to the area. I like Largo too I guess because its central to everything, both Ulmerton Rd and Easy Bay run through the city and feed right on to 275 to get to Tampa. But like with any city, there are better parts than others, so always check it out before you move it possible. Unlike some states, others have told me there are more distinct lines between good and bad neighborhoods, sometimes in Pinellas, the lines blend a bit, so you always want to take a visit!

[Gr8ful Momma]

Are you wanting to rent or own? What type of price range are you wanting to stay in?

[AEZMama]

We currently live in Tampa but at weeks end will be moving to Clearwater/Feathersound area.

Ds' current EI teacher had high praises for the school system. DH works in Largo, and I fell in love with the area when we first went there. As a pp said, Safety Harbor is sooo cool! Very funky, laid back cool town. The thing I like about the area around Seminole/Feathersound/Largo/Clearwater is it really is a short drive to everything-museums/activities in Tampa and St. Pete, a stones throw from the beaches and once you're away from strip malls, it's quite gorgeous.

If you end up moving to the area, PM me! We have an MDC mama & her ds as friends in the USF main campus area, but would love some Pinellas, too! Ds is 3 1/2, does go to full day EI preschool and I work from home, so any extracurricular fun would be great! We definitely need more mama/kid friends.

We lived in S Tampa for 2 years before moving to S. FL and came back here Jan. '07. It's such a great place, so laid back.

If anyone is interested in getting an MDC Moms group going in Pinellas-let me know!

[Marylizah]

Originally Posted by AEZMama

We currently live in Tampa but at weeks end will be moving to Clearwater/Feathersound area.

Ds' current EI teacher had high praises for the school system. DH works in Largo, and I fell in love with the area when we first went there. As a pp said, Safety Harbor is sooo cool! Very funky, laid back cool town. The thing I like about the area around Seminole/Feathersound/Largo/Clearwater is it really is a short drive to everything-museums/activities in Tampa and St. Pete, a stones throw from the beaches and once you're away from strip malls, it's quite gorgeous.

If you end up moving to the area, PM me! We have an MDC mama & her ds as friends in the USF main campus area, but would love some Pinellas, too! Ds is 3 1/2, does go to full day EI preschool and I work from home, so any extracurricular fun would be great! We definitely need more mama/kid friends.

We lived in S Tampa for 2 years before moving to S. FL and came back here Jan. '07. It's such a great place, so laid back.

If anyone is interested in getting an MDC Moms group going in Pinellas-let me know!

Thanks for the reply! Still no word on the job, we aren't expecting to hear anything until next week.

If it works out I will definitely PM you. It sounds like a really nice place to be and the job is a perfect fit for DH-- plus he has family in Tampa. So we're really hoping/praying that the job is offered to DH.

[slmtoya]

If you check on Yahoo, there's an AP group that's really active. Also check on Meetup.com for some good groups. There are a few that are AP but I haven't had too much static in the past year.

[AEZMama]

Originally Posted by Marylizah

Thanks for the reply! Still no word on the job, we aren't expecting to hear anything until next week.

If it works out I will definitely PM you. It sounds like a really nice place to be and the job is a perfect fit for DH-- plus he has family in Tampa. So we're really hoping/praying that the job is offered to DH.

Let me know if you do come and if you'd be renting. In our condo complex there's a few units available and I know of a 3/2 that is also available in a very nice complex where we considered moving.

We officially moved into our new place this weekend and though I really enjoyed living in Tampa proper, I'm really falling in love with the Clearwater/Largo area. I just love that we are in a place that is so quiet you can hear the birds and bugs and see stars at night! You'd never think that we were so close to an airport!

[mamadeo]

I was wondering if anyone knew about Gulfport, which I understand is real near or contiguous with St. Pete. Is the area safe? polluted? I read the air quality was low. What about natural/organic foods? I am a single mom thinking of applying to a job there. Thanks in advance.

[edenluna]

i lived in st. pete for 4 years and loved it! gulfport is pretty cool, it has seen a huge turnaround in the past 10 years. it has become safer and more desirable since then, but like most of south st. pete, there are some sketchy areas still. i think you can find good housing deals there south pasadena might be better, but more expensive, and there is a natural supermarket on central avenue in south pasadena. pretty much the way to think of st. pete is the closer to the water, the better the nieghborhood.

the 2 things you have to worry about when buying a house in st. pete is whether or not you are in a flood zone (for insurance reasons) which gulf port would be in i think (you can find maps online about flood zones) and what the house is constructed of. in gulf port there are a lot of wooden frame houses, and st. pete has sorrible termite problems. the wooden houses in st pete are usually very cool, but you really need to have termite damage assessed before you buy. US 19 is pretty much the high spot going down the peninsula, so anywhere close to there you would have less flood insurance to worry about. pinellas county hasn't taken a direct hit from a hurricane in about 100 years, but the insurance companies still like to take your money!

the best thing about florida is the beach, and i think that is one of the best things about living in st. pete. st. pete (in my opinion) is much better than tampa, and has more of a feel to it, more of an identity than tampa. plus it is smaller with more interesting neighborhoods. it is going through a huge rebuilidng right now, and downtown has changed so much since 2000. i would live there again. oh, and i agree with AEZMAma, safety harbour is very cool and not too far from st. pete if that is where your dh will be working.

[mamadeo]

Edenluna,

Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed reply. It is much appreciated. Best wishes to all.

[Rita C]

Live in St Pete

Tampa is congested in my opinion. St Pete is a terrific location. Old Northeast can be a bit pricey, but there are other neighborhoods nearby that are just as wonderful as Old NE. Renting is very feasible in Old NE. There is Crescent Lake just across 4th Street from Old NE. There is a HUGE park around the lake too. Many young professionals live in NE St Petersburg as well. There are several nice apartment complexes north of Gandy Blvd on 4th Street. There is a high end apartment complex in the Carillon Office Park, and several others across the street in Feathersound. That area is very central to downtown St Pete, Tampa, and Clearwater. Clearwater is seriously congested. It takes forever to get around in my opinion. Tons of homes are available for rent in St Pete because folks can't sell their homes for what they paid for them and rent is often somewhat negotiable because of the supply. There is a lot of shopping in DT St Pete and along 4th Street. Tyrone Square mall is on the west side of town.

My husband used to live on Davis Island in Tampa and moved to St Pete because I wouldn't move to Tampa. He prefers St Pete now. Downtown is alive and vibrant. The arts flourish. The waterfront is one park after another. St Pete is a great place to live for families and young professionals, and it is close to the beaches.

[mamadeo]

Rita C,

By the way, do you know anything about Gulfport? I would be looking to live near Stetson Law which is near the South Pasadena country club-- I gather from the map . Thanks