Lived there 30 years. English is now a second language. It's congested. The best compliment I can give Tampa is it is a great view to see in your rear view mirror.

I heard sink hole insurance was more than the house note ....

Bugs. Lots and lots of bugs.

"Yeah, but it's a wet heat."

You can't throw a stone without hitting someone with drugs. Major drug corridor.

Traffic is a nightmare, everywhere, anytime.

Enjoy your basement family room. Oh, wait, never mind.

Lot's of bugs.

My family left Tampa, and never looked back. I did not contest this decision.

H&K-Guy

quote:

Originally posted by H&K-Guy:
Bugs. Lots and lots of bugs.

"Yeah, but it's a wet heat."

You can't throw a stone without hitting someone with drugs. Major drug corridor.

Traffic is a nightmare, everywhere, anytime.

Enjoy your basement family room. Oh, wait, never mind.

Lot's of bugs.

My family left Tampa, and never looked back. I did not contest this decision.

H&K-Guy

thanks

not worried about the heat - its crazy hot here in eastern NC -- easily 90s often 100 - JUN - SEP with 80% humidity so I have dealt with that for years at least Tampa might have ocean breezes, correct?

not really afraid of bugs

drugs / traffic in a big city? I would never have guessed that

how are the gun laws? are any counties more notoriously 'anti-2a' than the rest?

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North Florida will give you about 20 days a year of much nicer weather. It will be hot and steamy at my house (83 at night, SW FLorida), but my sister in laws house in north Florida will be 69 degrees and very nice. I routinely look at her weather and she honestly has MONTHS of better weather than I do, every year.

I'd look north personally.

You cant compare Tampa to NC weather. NC your sweaty hot for a month, and can open the windows at night. Tampa is a swamp that's ridiculously hot for like 7-8 months a year, and you cant open your windows at night but a few times a year. It sucks.

I like opening the windows at night and getting a fresh, cool breeze when the weather is nice. This entire winter, I've only been able to do that for about 5 or 6 nights total. Yeah that's right, its so hot that you can only open your window 5 or 6 nights a year.

The only person that can tell you if the heat/bugs/traffic, whatever, is unacceptable for you, is you. If you plan a visit to the area, let us know, I am sure that not only myself, but other Central Florida SF Mafia will be glad to offer you a warm welcome and candid, helpful information.

quote:

please tell me what I need to know about living in Tampa

1 - Traffic
2 - Traffic sucks
3 - Traffic is AWFUL
4 - Warm to hot year round
5 - bugs

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
how are the gun laws? are any counties more notoriously 'anti-2a' than the rest?

Gun laws are not county-dependent. Welcome to Florida!

Gun laws are set by state statute (see http://handgunlaw.us/states/florida.pdf) and state law mandates that no local government, no county, no city, etc., may have gun laws that are more restrictive than the state-wide laws.

As far as the previously-mentioned three day wait to purchase, that's three business days, but that only applies if you do not have a Florida resident's carry permit. "Three days? I might not even be mad any more." -- Homer J. Simpson

If you do have a permit, it's just a matter of paying for the firearm, showing the permit and proof of residence (driver license, because the Florida carry permit does not have your address), doing the paperwork -- 4473 -- and you walk out of the store with your purchase. Some stores have a policy, note that this is store policy, not state law, that you may not carry your newly purchased firearm out of the store. A store employee will accompany you to the door and carry it for you.

As far as getting a permit, it can be done by mail, but the easiest way is to go to a state office, where they photograph you, take your fingerprints, take your money (personal check is fine), you use one of their computers to fill out the online application, and you get your permit in the mail. My wife's and mine took eleven days to arrive for the initial issue. Renewals can be done on the spot at a state office and you walk out with your new permit.

Sad thing about the permits: when I got my first one, it was signed by Charles Bronson! Very cool. He is no longer Secretary of Agriculture (yeah, carry merits are issued by the agriculture department), so you no longer get his autograph.

SIG290,

I'm from Tampa. And I currently live in eastern NC.

The heat and bugs are the same here as they are there.

The traffic is, well, it sucks a big donkey dick...

My two brothers still live there. My older brother lives in the Babe Zaharias neighborhood(Lake Magdalene), crime is low, population density is high, yet when I visit it seems like a relaxed area. My little brother lives south of Tampa and I don't go where he lives cause it's a suck hole.

Chuck can literally drive his golf cart to the store for beer and grab a meal. He only takes his van if he's going across the causeway to Clearwater.

I have family friends who live in Temple Terrance and Thonotosassa, and other friends who live north near Lutz. I used to live near the Old Carrollwood area and Lake Magdalene neighbors and if I had to live there I would move back into that region of the city.

Literally it just depends where you choose to live.

Visit and area during the daytime and remember how many people are up and walking around and then come back at night and record the same....you will figure out which neighborhood is for you.

Might I suggest that you rent for the first year and seek a good neighborhood for you

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
SIG290,

I'm from Tampa. And I currently live in eastern NC.

The heat and bugs are the same here as they are there.

The traffic is, well, it sucks a big donkey dick...

My two brothers still live there. My older brother lives in the Babe Zaharias neighborhood(Lake Magdalene), crime is low, population density is high, yet when I visit it seems like a relaxed area. My little brother lives south of Tampa and I don't go where he lives cause it's a suck hole.

Chuck can literally drive his golf cart to the store for beer and grab a meal. He only takes his van if he's going across the causeway to Clearwater.

I have family friends who live in Temple Terrance and Thonotosassa, and other friends who live north near Lutz. I used to live near the Old Carrollwood area and Lake Magdalene neighbors and if I had to live there I would move back into that region of the city.

Literally it just depends where you choose to live.

Visit and area during the daytime and remember how many people are up and walking around and then come back at night and record the same....you will figure out which neighborhood is for you.

Might I suggest that you rent for the first year and seek a good neighborhood for you

Thanks - have been looking at real estate online for several hours over the weekend and i agree - its quite area- dependent from what I have seen. even street to street.

I have been looking in the ballast point area up through bayshore beautiful / palma ceia area up through maybe north hyde park. nice properties seem to move rapidly. I have read elsewhere stay west of 275.

not interested in living outer area and fighting traffic. have been doing that for 10 years here in the RDU area as I40 has been repaired / widened over the last 3-4 years. i realize a lot of the traffic concerns are when - in any MSA - people want more house so they buy 25 miles away and then - BAM - complain about the traffic.

prices in 'inner' tampa-area seem to be climbing rapidly.

i agree what you said about the heat - i have been to S Florida many times for business / leisure but have never lived there. Coming from Eastern NC that won't be a problem. as you know we have 100+ deg days frequently in the summer with 80% humidity. miserable. Florida is hotter on a day-in day-out basis but not to the extreme of NC.

this move may not happen - still exploring the area. May get down there later this month.

Thanks again -

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update:

been here about a month, enjoying it so far. Holy cow there's lots to do here.

renting in the South Tampa area for the time being - will see what the future holds - the real estate prices here (South Tampa - Hyde Park / Palma Ceia / Virginia Park / Parkland Estates, etc ) seem to have gone bonkers. But this area is quite optimal re: traffic so I will try to make something work.

Went to Honeymoon Beach State Park a couple weekends ago and had a relaxed time.

Stinks it's looking like the weather is gonna be crappy for this weekend...

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