Thoughts about Tampa please. A friend is

[cbabe]

considering a move there.

Thanks.

[hatrack]

1. I wouldn't live anywhere in the state . . .

The growing inability to buy property insurance is only going to get worse, and that's just one huge issue among many other matters of life and death.

[Deuxcents]

2. Hope your friend does the homework.

Last edited Sat Mar 9, 2024, 09:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Tampa is a big city and the surrounding areas are rapidly expanding with construction and population. Insurance..all types of insurance is expensive. Tampa is close to the coast so your friend should know what that means. It’s a great place but it’s also expensive to live there. I’m 2 hours south of Tampa.

[JoseBalow]

3. The best decision I ever made

was moving out of Florida

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

8. Ditto!

21 years was 20 too many for this mountain man.

[Phoenix61]

4. Never ever. Traffic is a nightmare. It's hot, really hot

most of the time. If they aren’t used to hot and humid they’ll have a hard time enjoying the beach.

[doc03]

5. Nice to visit once, I wouldn't live there if you paid me, too much traffic. nt

[cachukis]

6. It used to be relatively sleepy.

Ybor was abandoned and downtown was business only.
Escape to beaches where sand dollars still lived on the first sandbar.
The business community saw opportunity and the mayor's delivered the zoning.
It is happening for those who can handle the rent.
Used to be a call center mentality, but USF has turned to be top in research. Medical development is strong.
Young people with energy grabbing for the brass ring.
Dining has Michelin influence. Top notch venues for theater and music. Independent music comes for the knowledgeable audience. Not Nashville or Austin, but close.
Bustling waterfront, good museums.
Great airport. CHAMPA, for sports.
Hub of Bay Area.
St. Pete, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Dunedin and many more escapes.
Warm in summer, with close access to a warm Gulf prone to turbulence. Cost of insurance is often a surprise.
Lot of movers from Schenectady and all with good retirement plans looking for homestead exemption and DeSantis management of "woke."
Not an easy bus schedule.
Teachers on eggshells.
Otherwise, we have Publix and Cuban sandwiches like no other.

[snowybirdie]

10. Great review

So many here just dismiss Florida as awful and unlivable. But those who live here know there so many great things about the state. You summed it up nicely. Politics comes and goes. Some day it will turn around and democracy will again be great. And the weather can't be beat! Come on down, we need more Democrats!

[MOMFUDSKI]

7. Despite the bad press there are 1K people

moving to Florida per day. Insurance costs are high as are home prices and rent prices. I happen to love the weather. Moved here 35 years ago from Wisconsin. Many winters we don’t turn the heat on at all. Summers are hot but there is swimming and A/C. Humidity is great for my skin. I prefer here to staring out a window in Wisconsin for 5 months not wanting to step out of my door. To each . . .

[niyad]

9. Tampa Bay area- lightning strike capital of North America.

Clearwater--heavy scientology presence.

[Sancho]

11. I'm across the bridge in Clearwater - Tampa Bay Area...

+'s
1.) Weather is good in the winter
2.) Lots of excellent art and music
3.) Housing is high, but still lots of bargains and choices if you are smart (everyone has a pool)
4.) Beaches are the best in the world
5.) Great boating and sailing if you are into that kind of thing
6.) Great food and night life and entertainment at theme parks
7.) Schools and universities are still good, but DeSatan is trying to kill education
8.) Great airports at Tampa and Orlando
9.) Sports teams (Champa Bay!): Bucs, Rays, Rowdies, and Lighting
10.) Short drive to golf, parks, bike trails, and kayaking

-'s
1.) Traffic typical of major cities, but there is little public transportation
2.) Too many MAGA nuts - it's a purple area
3.) Property insurance is high - much worse in flood areas (which is a everywhere)
4.) Get used to hurricanes - big ones every 3 to 5 years
5.) You need to speak at least 2 languages
6.) Constant construction
7.) Toll roads everywhere you want to go
8.) Anything but a white car is toast; paint is ruined in 3 years no matter what
9.) There really are crazy Florida people
10.) Driving in Florida is a nightmare

[mitch96]

12. Sancho kinda nailed it. I've lived in Florida most of my life and 5 years here west of Tampa...

I'm use to the heat so that's not a problem for me. Not use to the hurricanes and I've been lucky.
I lucked out with housing. Sold high in So Fla and bought from a friend so no real estate fees and downsized on top of that. Housing is expensive from what I'm told. Many younger families say they can't afford to live here b/c of the cost of housing and insurance. so they move farther north and commute.
What drives me Nucken Futz is the traffic. Way worse than where I lived in So Florida. I'm glad I don't have to commute. If anything is going to make me move is the traffic and too many people. I must say though people are very very nice. This side of the state there is a lot of people from the mid west. So Fla had mostly transplants from the north east. Not as many Latin speakers over here compaired to So Fla.
The food is a reflection of that. People will let you cross the street and not try to run you over. Mostly polite road manners but watch out for geezer drivers. Yes, and I'm a geezer. Public trans kinda sucks.
My county has the highest population density of any county in Florida (west of Tampa). Too many people want to live in this little area. Supply and demand kinda thing.
Now we just have to get rid of the rabbid repuke politicians and it would be a lot better...
m

[flvegan]

13. I actually live there.

And have for quite some time.

What do you want to know?

[cbabe]

15. All the pros and cons. Someone mentioned

two languages are necessary. True?

Bugs and snakes?

Organic food supermarkets?

Many are mentioning how expensive it is. Comfy neighborhoods for musicians and artists?

Politics. Racism. Magats. Christian nationalists.

What do you love/hate?

[flvegan]

19. I don't think I could list all the pros and con, naturally.

However:
2 languages are in no way necessary. It would be helpful if one spoke Spanish, but not remotely necessary.

Bugs and snakes. Lots of bugs. Cockroaches flourish here, but keep your house tidy and you won't encounter too many. If one wanted, one could hire pest control to spray the inside/outside. If you live in the city, snakes aren't a common sight, but you may see one in your backyard from time to time. Most of them are harmless to people. They keep other wildlife in check. If you have a couple snakes, you likely will never see a mouse or rat. Venture into the woods and it would be wise to be careful. We have 4 or 5 venomous snakes. Not exactly the Everglades in that you won't see some giant python. Worse still (no me) are the spiders. Not that they're harmful, they can just be pretty large and I have an irrational fear of them.

Organic food supermarkets - you're spoiled for choice. Depending on what part of Tampa, you'll be within a short drive to a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Plus we have several more "mom and pop" stores like Rollin' Oats and Abby's. Farmer's markets are seasonal, but they're everywhere.

Expensive. Yes, from a housing standpoint, it's gotten a little out of hand. But, still not as bad as say an LA or NY. Homeowners insurance here is, in a word, stupid. You can be outside of any flood zone, have a new roof and concrete construction and still be north of $4k a year, while still having a pretty high hurricane deductible. The cost of living outside of that is comfortable and there's no state income tax. There are a plethora of comfy neighborhoods for artists and musicians.

Politics/racism/MAGAts - we've elected a D mayor since the 80's, so there's that. The current mayor is a gay woman who won by a landslide (our former police chief). I think it's been years since I've actually seen one of those stupid red hats in public. Rarely see a bumper sticker. Granted, if you go to a monster truck rally at Raymond James, you'll see them. Hillsborough County (where Tampa is) is fairly blue when compared to much of the state geographically. Racism and Christian nationalism? Yeah, it's here, but you don't hear of it much.

What do I love? Access. I have any shopping and dining experience I could want within 15 minutes. I love that it's largely a grid (streets run north/south and east/west). Lots of venues for music or other gatherings. Hell of a hockey team. Close to beaches, but you don't get the tourist overflow until you get close to the beaches in Clearwater or St. Pete, or north Pinellas. The weather. Anyone moving here from another state may find the summer heat and humidity oppressive. I got used to it, but it took a while. Of course we live under the threat of hurricanes during the season (which seems to ever extend, thanks to the "always be afraid!!1!" local news). Activities. If one likes to be active, outside activity is a year round thing. Tennis, golf, pickleball, boating, mountainbiking, hiking, swimming, volleyball, even gardening...maybe there's 30-60 days that it might be too cold. And the food. Whatever you want, it's here, and it's very good. No matter what kind of foodie or wine snob one may be, happiness will be found. On a personal note, Tampa is very vegan friendly.

What do I hate? It's gotten crowded. It's cheaper to live in Florida rather than some other states, and with work from home sticking around, more people continue to move here. Apartment buildings are constantly being built, and affordable housing here is a joke. The traffic. Where do I even begin. Remember when I said that I loved that it's largely a grid? Part of that is because the greater collective here likely couldn't negotiate a city with anything but right angles. Seriously. I grew up and learned to drive in Massachusetts. This is worse. By a lot. I've never driven in a place where there are more dumb, distracted, selfish drivers in my life. God forbid you need to drive on the interstate. I275 was designed by idiots and continues to be developed by morons. I4 is (or was) the deadliest interstate we have. Oh yes, another thing: infrastructure. Again, I love the grid layout, it's just not maintained very well. The streets are a patchwork of "good enough" and "don't care enough" repairs to the point that having a fun car proved insufferable. We have Frontier FiOS in places, where the fiber optics are buried underground. Power lines are another story. Our public transport really should be better. We have a pretty decent bus line, if you live on it. Downtown, it's easier. It's also easy to rent a scooter and embrace the chaos that seems to go with them. If it's some sort of powered transportation that isn't a car, truck or motorcycle, I don't think laws are enforced. Are you 14 and have an ATV? Drive it on the streets with 20 of your buddies on their unlicensed dirt bikes. No biggie. Traffic signs, lights and other rules of society? Not for you, scooter/bike rider! Lastly, as previously noted, housing has gotten out of hand expense-wise. The housing market has been very hot so finding a place for decent money can be difficult.

Anyway, that's off the top of my head. If you want more, let me know.

[cbabe]

20. Thank you. Lots of good info.

[HAB911]

14. Been in north Tampa since 1974

surrounded by working farms and cows. Now feels more like downtown. Weather was a joy. The spring and fall seasons which once was 6-8 months is now 3, going directly from winter to summer. Summers are now hell on earth and we can hardly go outside. Having said that, I'll die here and can't imagine living anywhere else.

Newcomer home purchasers must be cognizant of real estate tax reset. real estate tax rise is capped for homeowners, but when sold it resets to current rates and can be a shock when compared to what the seller was paying.

[TeamProg]

16. From where to Tampa? Jackson, MS to FL probably a great move. nt

[cbabe]

17. Seattle to Panama to... reasons include

language barrier despite google translate, international banking, non responsive bureaucratic embassy.

Looking for a home. Good food. Feet up with friendly neighbors. Fishing. The blues.

[TeamProg]

18. I don't think I'd like Seattle weather. A Calif friend has a place in clearwater that he selling, it's a mobile.

95k, deeded property, 260 per month HOA fees.. had bought it for a place to stay when he visited his family out there.

He prefers beautiful Calif. to the flat lands of FL, even though he said it was cheap to live there.

I could get youthe listing if you like.

[SunSeeker]

21. I have a relative there. High cost of living. Poor medical care. Hot. Biting bugs and Trumper Nazis everywhere.

Last edited Sun Mar 31, 2024, 06:11 PM - Edit history (1)

She's a recent widow who lives alone in a house in the Tampa suburb of Wesley Chapel. It takes months to get an appointment with a specialist. Insurance of all kinds has doubled in price in just the last couple years, if you can get it at all. Her electric bill is through the roof. The social atmosphere is toxic, Trumpism is open and aggressive, worse than the reddest of red states, with people flying huge ugly Trump flags from their houses. Florida allows concealed or open carry without any training or license, so there's nutters walking around with guns everywhere. It's scary.

Your friend needs to read this article about why people are moving out of Florida:

They came for Florida’s sun and sand. They got soaring costs and a culture war. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/economics/leaving-florida-rcna142316