04r1 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 I may be moving to the Tampa/ st Pete/ Clearwater area. Anyone on here have any idea what parts of town are better to live in. I would like no more than 2 miles to the ocean. I know fl can be ghetto in lots of areas and trailer parks in others and I would like to stay clear of both. Any input is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfunnyryan Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Tampa is ghetto St Pete is the home of Megan Fox, niceeee Clearwater is the Scientology breeding pool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forrest Gump 9 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Why "2 miles to the ocean"? I lived in Tampa for three years and went to the beach twice. I haven't been back in Tampa for about 15 years, but if you have to be near by the ocean, Clearwater would get my pick. The only thing I missed about Tampa is the fry chickens. There's a place down there that have the best fry chicken in the whole wide world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lag wagon Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 I lived in Dunedin for a while, about 10 years ago. It was decent then. Can't say for sure now.. but even back then the Clearwater area in general would be my pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got-Boost? Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Have you checked on insurance? 2-Miles from the beach is going to cost you unless you have a LARGE budget? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 what sort of living arrangement do you want to have? Rent/buy? Condo, house? Single guy? GF/wife....kids??? Cheapest and easiest lifestyle is to rent or buy a condo in a mid-rise (less than 8 stories). HOA fees will cover property insurance, since many major insurance providers don't even underwrite homeowner's insurance policies now if you're within 5-miles of the Gulf. Understandably, low-maintenance living comes at a sacrifice of storage space...which is why you may need to get a storage unit. If you rent/buy a house, landscaping and home repair is expensive and a pain in the ass. You won't want to mow a lawn when it's 95* and 100% humidity for months on end. Plus, most of the lawns need a sprinkler system, and your water bill will be ridic. All that being said I agree that Clearwater is the nicer community south of the area. However, check out Edison College/St. Pete Beach area. Nice, older condo communities you could live in and be right next to the water. I highly encourage you to BE AS CLOSE TO THE GULF AS POSSIBLE, because FL is not as nice if you're further inland...and as mentioned you simply won't go to the beach as often. I knew people in Naples that went YEARS without going to the beach...boggled my mind since you can't drive west without eventually going into the Gulf... Let us know what's up down there for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS69 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Check into Palm Harbor, near Clearwater and St. Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bruh Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 ill be in clearwater next month. Several nice areas around there to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Two miles from the beach in Tampa, and affordable do not go in the same sentence. I lived a bit north of Tampa in new Tampa, and loved the area. Downtown Tampa can be somewhat of a shithole. You will have a difficult time finding a decent area two lies from the beach. But as stated st Pete and Clearwater are the more favorable regions. While I plan on buying a condo in Florida within the next five years, people in Florida in general, are assholes, compared to the Midwest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwishiwascool Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) since many major insurance providers don't even underwrite homeowner's insurance policies now if you're within 5-miles of the Gulf. That's news to me. Especially since I live well within 5 miles of the Gulf in an even more active hurricane zone. It's expensive but not ridiculous and it is certainly available from major providers. I doubt Florida is a completely different ballgame. Edited February 21, 2013 by zeitgeist57 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 That's news to me. Especially since I live well within 5 miles of the Gulf in an even more active hurricane zone. It's expensive but not ridiculous and it is certainly available from major providers. I doubt Florida is a completely different ballgame. Maybe things have changed since I bought my FL condo in 2008, but Homeowners insurance for a small, older house in Naples, FL (Collier County) would've been more than $6500 a year!!! If they are still underwriting policies, they certainly aren't pricing them reasonably. Understandably so with the hurricane activity these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwishiwascool Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 At 1.5 miles away we're at about 1.5x the rates in Columbus (which were nothing). We are shopping for an actual beach house on the water which is about 3x what we were paying in Columbus, adjusted for home value difference. For an ocean (err, gulf) front, I don't consider 3x a CBus rate to be outrageous. You gotta pay to play. Again, I'm talking Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Alabama so I have no idea what the hell is going on in FL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Great area. Anywhere near Coffee Pot Bayou in St. Pete would be a fantastic place to live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boosted98gst Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 I love da beach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunissan28 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 That's news to me. Especially since I live well within 5 miles of the Gulf in an even more active hurricane zone. It's expensive but not ridiculous and it is certainly available from major providers. I doubt Florida is a completely different ballgame. I work in property insurance and yes the two states are entirely different for property insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miller Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Have you checked on insurance? 2-Miles from the beach is going to cost you unless you have a LARGE budget? I don't think he mentioned caring about finances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergwheel1647545492 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1216-S-Missouri-Ave-APT-116-Clearwater-FL-33756/66202503_zpid/ you should pick that up quick like, last sold for $126k and is now $41k! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93fox Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Again, I'm talking Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Alabama so I have no idea what the hell is going on in FL. Generally speaking, Al is cheaper on most everything compard to FL. Orange beach/Ono island is very nice. I'm out there usually a few times a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwishiwascool Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Generally speaking, Al is cheaper on most everything compard to FL. Orange beach/Ono island is very nice. I'm out there usually a few times a week. Flying over it? We looked on Ono, didn't really dig the community, or lack there of. We've targeted Orange Beach: Terry Cove area which is just west of Ono. I miss the bustle of Columbus every day, but having to put a jacket on because it's only 70' (today) is hard to walk away from. /threadjack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1216-S-Missouri-Ave-APT-116-Clearwater-FL-33756/66202503_zpid/ you should pick that up quick like, last sold for $126k and is now $41k! If only it were that simple. Florida has some psycho law called "Right of First Refusal". In a nutshell the law states that once an offer has been made on a Condo everyone else in the Condo Association has the right to purchase it first (at the offering price). In my opinion the law is downright criminal (similar laws have been found unconstitutional in other States). I've had family that have lost two or three prospective Condo's to this asinine regulation. After the third attempt we simply said "fuck it" and gave up on the Florida Condo market entirely. I've said it once, I'll say it again, Fuck the South. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forrest Gump 9 Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 I've said it once, I'll say it again, Fuck the South. Oh common, you have to admit the south have the best fry chicken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Oh common, you have to admit the south have the best fry chicken. Honestly have never seen a fried Chicken joint in Southwest Florida, but fawk, the Seafood (Grouper, Shrimp, Clam Strips, STONE CRAB) are to die for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Also Sunset on the beach, (while watching scantly-clad stank hawt bitches walking amongst the slowly cresting waves) is another thing i'd likely risk my life for... Protip: Florida is the shit from mid Febuary-May 1st. After that the entire state descends into a massive shithole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwishiwascool Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 I've said it once, I'll say it again, Fuck the South. I think most of the South is already fucked without you re-fucking it. I like my area, Fairhope AL, homewood (The Columbus of Birmingham), and a few parts of Atlanta. I've traveled every inch of AL, MS, LA, Western GA and the Florida panhandle and it is all bleak and depressing. I visit power plants daily and in every small town neighboring them I ask myself, why the hell do these people live here. Someday the south may adopt actual zoning best practices and advance into the 20th century... only one more to catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.