Or St. Petersburg or Clearwater. I’m looking into the near-distant future (is that vague enough?) and thinking about moving south. I am a city boy and need at least a semi-major metropolitan area similar to DC. What I like about my current residence is that it’s a fairly peaceful, densely wooded park-like location with major points of intrest are only blocks away. I don’t think I would be happy living some place where I had to drive more than 30 minutes to get to what would be considered the “down town” area.
I’ve only ever been to three other cities in my life: Manhattan (which I like but it’s in the wrong direction), Charleston (I liked it but one week later hurricane Hugo wiped it off the map) and Indianapolis (too mid-western, and too far from any coastline). Okay, I’ve been to Baltimore but that’s just a cheap carbon copy of DC with less crime but bigger rats. I’m not including little sleepy cities I’ve been to (e.g. Roanoke, VA) because everybody tends to go to bed at 8 p.m. and the police station is closed on Sundays & holidays.
Because of my attraction to Charleston, I have more or less decided on the southeast, and I picked the west coast of Florida as being less of a hurricane magnet. Other candidates are Panama City, Pensacola or one of the coastal Texan cities. Maybe even Austin, as I hear the Colorado River gives the area a “coastal” feel. I wondered if my fellow dopers could give me the dirt on some of these places, or possibly suggest some other cities that conform to my goof-ball specifications:
Considered a major metro area
Not more than a couple hours drive to the coast
Snowfall accumulation per year = 3 flakes (or less)
At least a few city streets teaming with sidewalk cafes & restaurants
Racially diverse; an assortment of authentic Vietnamese, Thai & Italian restaurants within city limits
Action is “right around the corner”
A charming historic district within city limits
More specifications to come as they occur to me
I lived in Tampa for 2 years in the early 90’s. I really didn’t like it, but for the reasons you seem to have no problem with (TOO hot and muggy, and Santa just looks out of place next to palm trees!) But there were some cool parts about it, and my sister just moved back there last weekend (after living in Annapolis for several years). Here’s some scoop:
Not really a huge metropolis, and the actual “downtown” area is just a bunch of pretty mirrored buildings. Not really a place to go and have lunch, just scattered diners and a Kinko’s or two, but there were a few bars close by. I never went to any of them, they were a pain to get to.
Tampa is really spread out. You’ll have to give me more info for me to give you a good idea on what area you should live in. There’s one area called Ybor City which is the hot spot. Tons of restaurants and bars and stuff like that.
Clearwater and St. Pete are just a 10 minute drive away. Close to the water (if you don’t like crowds, DO NOT go to Clearwater Beach. Instead, go a little south towards Madeira Beach. Still beautiful, but much less crowded)
I don’t recall any awesome Thai or Chinese places (there’s a place by Busch Gardens that was pretty good, but in a touristy area). But there are lots of Cuban, Italian and seafood places. There’s even a great German place right by Busch Gardens too, we used to go there all the time!
Every year that have this thing called Gasparilla. Its kind of like Mardi Gras, people get dressed up and ride around on pirate ship floats in a parade and throw cheesy beads at the on-lookers. I believe it takes place in early February.
I don’t know if I’ve helped you any. And as I said, I lived there years ago, I’m sure things have changed a bit.
I hear Austin is really cool, I’ve never been there, but the music scene is boundless! Have you thought of New Orleans? Good luck whatever you decide!
(If any current Tampa residents are reading this and see that I’m off on some details, please be nice and kindly correct me.)
The strange thing about all Gulf rim cities is that they are visually FLAT. The slope of the land is naturally so slight, and the soil so sandy, that they don’t bother with drainage ditches, and often curbs. So whole neighborhoods will look like old back lots in 30’s movies, where you are every lawn looks like it was painted on a flat cement floor.
Marcie and I are moving to the St. Pete area (Seminole) in the next two weeks. My sister has lived in St. Pete for the last thirty years. My parents lived there for about fifteen years. I completely enjoy that area.
The west coast of Florida is by far the place to be. From St. Pete south, you cannot beat the beaches. Cultural opportunities abound and Disney World (hack, cough, gag) is within easy driving distance. Fishing is great and Pinellas County has a super bike/hike trail that covers almost the entire county. Schools are good and higher education is readily available.
When you get ready to move, shoot me an e-mail. My sister is a Realtor, if you need one. (I hope this is an acceptable thing to say, mods. If not, edit it out, please.)
I thought about that, too. It’s a posibility, if I get any positive feedback on it. Your discription of Tampa didn’t wow me, but it’s hard to get a good idea what a city is like based on any single discription. Ultimately I’m going to have to go visit the short list of cities that I put together over the next several years…
Well, it doesn’t quite fit your description, but Fort Myers / Cape Coral / Naples is quickly developing into a major metropolitan area. Lee County houses about 400,000 people. We have an international airport (direct flights to Canada and Germany so far, but we’ll be getting a second terminal in the next 5 years), Fort Myers has a sortakinda downtown that’s getting some trendy restaurants and has a nice theatre, but also lots of nightclubs… Cape Coral should be avoided, though. It’s as though someone bottled suburbia and spread it over a marshland. It has 80,000 people and is quickly growing, but is nothing but gridded streets, canals, and a few major thuroughfares (Cape Coral Pkwy., Del Prado Blvd., Veterans Pkwy.). No culture or true downtown of any sort, though they are trying to change that. Of course, there’s always Sanibel (hence my name), an island of 6,000 people that attracts millions of tourists each winter and is famous for its wildlife preserves and shells.
That area looks like a superb vacation spot, or a nice place to retire. I don’t think it’s cityfied enough for me, but I’ll certainly keep it on my list of places to visit if I’m ever in the 'hood.
I can tell I’m going to have to do some daily bumping here, either that or ask a moderator to change the thread title to “Very Vaguely Creepy IV- Homer’s Revenge”.
I am also thinking of moving to Florida, so thanks for doing the asking for me, opus.
I hate cold weather, and where else would be the place to be in January?
Theres quite a few dopers down there anyway.
Tampa is boring, boring, boring. I have lived here since I was 18, and if I could afford to move, I would in a heartbeat. Tampa is not a city in the same way that New York is. There is not a whole heck of a lot of cultural diversity (except a Cuban influence in Ybor). There isn’t a lot to do here, no major museums or things like that. It is hot all the time. The geography is boring (flat). You can only go to Orlando and Busch Gardens so many times before it gets dull. I’d come here for a visit first, if I were you, before I decided to live here.
About an hour drive to Galveston on the gulf coast.
I go there in January and February and I’ve never seen snow.
The University district and Montrose Street area among others.
Mexican is obviously a major ethnic group. Also Vietnamese, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, Italian.
Not sure what you mean here. If you’re talking a small compact city, Houston wouldn’t qualify. It’s pretty spread out. You definitely need a car to get around.
Probably not what you’re looking for here. Most of the city is relatively young although there are some older areas.
Opus, if you’re attracted to Charleston, why go somewhere else?
I never had the opportunity to visit Charleston before Hugo, but I’ve spent a few days to a week there on several occasions since then, and I can tell you, it’s got a lot going for it; it’s clear that Hugo hardly ‘wiped it off the map’. Lots of restaurants and music and whatnot in an area that one can cover on foot, lots of old historic houses that survived plenty of hurricanes before Hugo and will survive a few more…really great town.
Go there for a visit this winter, and see what you think. If Charleston’s the sort of place you like, why look elsewhere until you see what it’s like now?
No, Tampa is not like NYC. Crime rate is lower, the smell is better, our Football team doesn’t suck ass anymore…
I love it here, moved from upstate NY 6 years ago and will NEVER move away. The heat, i think, is far more bearable than a NY winter. There are thousands of things to do every day, throughout the year. Tons of beaches, 2 are in the top 10 in the country (Caladesi Island and Sand Key).
Worst thing, IMHO, is the influx of part-time residents (so called “snow birds”) during the “colder” months of Fall & Winter, which add to an already congested traffic issue.
But, Opus, Penguins live at the South Pole. To quote Bugs Bunny, “Ooo I dyin’ again!”
Wrath, are you sure we are lving in the same area? Because, after living here for the last 12 years, I have no idea what you mean by “thousands of things to do every day.”
• Ybor (7th Ave)
• Centro Ybor (just opened)
• Gasparilla parade
• Halloween walk (Ybor again)
• Mardi Gras parade
• Rib Fest
• Seafood Fest
• Tastes of: Tampa, Pinellas, Palm Harbor, Pass-a-Grille, Clearwater
• St. Pete Pier
• Museums: MOSI, Dali, International
• Aqaurium (oh, strike that one)
• Sports: Bucs, Devil Rays, Lightning, Storm
• Spring Training: Yankees, Blue Jays, White Sox (Sarasota)
• Speaking of Sarasota: St. Armands Square & Lido Beach
• Malls galore, including Outlets nearby
• Ice Skating at the malls
• FL State Fair
• Strawberry Festival
• Year 'round sports: softball, beach volleyball, flag football, and any type of water sport you enjoy
• Beaches, beaches, beaches, most w/ Tiki Bars
• Spring Break (yeah baby!!)
• Many Parks with loads of nature, usually located on lakes or rivers
• Busch Gardens (of course)
• Orlando: 1.5 hour drive (can’t find something there, that’s your problem)
• Several colleges
• Tampa Bay Performing Arts, Ruth Eckerd Hall, featuring broadway performances and celebrity concerts
• Speaking of concerts, there’s gotta be one every weekend
• Boat Shows, computer conventions, Cars shows, etc at the Convention Center
• Restaurants up the butt, including Ruth’s Chris, Bern’s Schula’s, CK’s Revolving Restaurant
• Food of every ethnicity you can name
• Casino Cruises
• It’s a year round vacation spot
…really, if you can’t find something to do here every minute of your day, then what DO you consider fun?
I shall certainly keep Tampa on my list for now. Also, I do plan to re-visit Charleston, but I am just a little edgy about living in that city because of my near-miss with Hugo. I know Hugo didn’t litterally wipe the city off the map, but it did do a number on the barrier islands, which is where I was staying.
Well, let’s see…I have zero interest in sports. How many times can you go shopping? Busch Gardens and Orlando…been there done that oh say, a gazillion times. The museums here are pathetic. I’ll go once every few years unless they are having some major exhibit coming through. I despise large, drunken crowds, so I stay away from Ybor, Gasparilla and the like. (Besides, some of the events you mentioned only happen once a year, what to do the the rest of the time?) I’ll give you the State Fairs and things like that, but those happen everywhere. Really, the rest of the stuff you mentioned, is OK the fisrt few times you experince them, but after you have lived here as long as I have, it gets dull. I’m glad you like it here, but, really, I hate Tampa. Once I am financially set, I am outta here.
Although I live in Lakeland and not Tampa, I’m only about 1/2 hour’s drive from Tampa so I get to live in the “country” and visit the city, and I do go to shows quite often at the Performing Arts Center and Ruth Eckerd Hall. Because I’m stuck right in the middle of Tampa and Orlando, I go to Orlando often also (right now I have a weekend apartment there at Disney’s Celebration, but my lease will be up in January). There are thousands of restaurants to choose from and I have a Disney annual pass, so I have a choice of going to Disney, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, several water parks and evening attractions anytime and not feeling I have to stay all day to get my money’s worth. Epcot and Disney have several new shows every month, so there is always something new to see when I go to one of those parks.
Just got back from a two week vacation in exactly the stretch of coast you are talking about. Visited all the places from Tampa to Naples. Stayed in Cape Coral. Have to agree 110% with SanibelMan. Though I absolutely loved Sanibel and Captiva, I would not recommend the Ft. Mayers or Cape Coral area unless you like marshes and flat suburbia as far as the eye can see.
Naples was my favourite. Upscale living with much nicer community feel and plenty of places for beautiful people to meet and eat. If I had to choose a place in Florida on the west coast, Naples would be it.