Quote: (04-10-2018 10:35 AM)Investment Bro Wrote:
Wanted to bump this up to get some more current information as opposed to starting my own thread.
I'm relocating down to Tampa in a few days, and am starting from scratch completely. I've been to Clearwater beach a few times and loved it, and would like to try to live in the area. I'm a young guy, and I have a high income compared to what the average is in Florida.
So what's happening in the area now? Any suggestions on where to live, where to make some new friends, etc.
It's been awhile since I was in the area, but if I were to move back I'd consider downtown St. Pete, SoHo/Davis Island in Tampa, or the southern Pinellas beaches. I'd also look close to the proposed new baseball stadium site in Ybor City. I lived close to the Trop in St. Pete where the Rays play and had some great times, so I'm maybe a little biased.
Clearwater is nice, but it's hard to get to the rest of the area from there. The far north suburbs and south of the Skyway are pretty far from the main nightlife areas, although I'm sure there are little pockets all over. I don't know too much about the north 'burbs, and only went to Sarasota and Bradenton for spring training games. I'd recommend avoiding large parts of Pinellas county - Pinellas Park, Largo, Gulfport (unless you can see water from your place). That may be old info based on when I lived there, but I'd kick the tires thoroughly before committing to one of those neighborhoods.
Traffic can suck and the area is spread out, so not knowing your commuting situation makes giving a recommendation difficult.
As far as making friends go, the area is incredibly transient. Many, if not most, people you meet won't be natives. Meeting people can be pretty easy, since many are in the same position as you. That said, don't be surprised when people move back home or on to their next stop. I met a decent friend group through volunteering and my job, which was a unique setup. Join a sports league, volunteer, hit up sports games, go to the beach, or just head to the bars. As a young guy with a decent lifestyle, the local colleges (USF, SPC, Eckerd) are all easy pickings.
Enjoy it! I definitely have several fond memories of my time there.