Reviews & Comments
Tampa, FL
re: Run, run far away from here! - 5/22/2008 -
10/27/2008I grew up in FL, living mostly on the Clearwater side, and as an adult on the Tampa side. I prefer the Clearwater side. That said, it really depends where you live in Tampa. You have basically two choices - live in a slummy area, or live in a nice area. For the nice area, expect to mow the lawn every Sat (you will be fined for over 4"), drive the right car (if you have a junky one, you will have to prove constantly that it runs, or you will be fined), wear the right clothes (in some cases, Walmart is acceptable for some things, just don't get caught there). You will be judged on how much money you make, what you drive, how you dress, etc, etc. Now, on the Clearwater side, you'll see millionares on the beach in cut off shorts, driving a clunker (and because of this, everyone is treated the same). Downtown Tampa at night is a dead zone (hopefully, they are working on that now; I've been gone for almost 3 years), but Ybor City is a hot spot. Don't miss Guavaween! It is sort of a Halloween version of Mardi Gras. Remember, Tampa is the lightning capital of the world, so don't get stupid in a thunderstorm. Don't worry, they don't stay long. Learn to work with the hurricane bands, not against them. I was depressed to see how trashy the beaches have become. They weren't like that when I was a kid. Shameful. My electic bill is higher in BFE Oklahoma, than it was in Tampa (as well as water, food, etc). If you know where to shop, and you aren't worried about impressing you neighbors, it can be surprisingly inexpensive to live there - until you hit the home owner's insurance. That's the price you pay for living in hurricane alley, though. I would love to go back to FL, and probably will someday.
Knoxville, TN
Education depends -
10/27/2008I lived in Knoxville for 8 years. I went to The University of Tennessee, and my young children went to local schools. UT Business college was amazing - first class education. The negative about UT is the sports, which is where the university's priorities are. While athletes can park anywhere, and are getting valet treatment, the regular students have a 1 in 11 chance of getting a parking space, lose classes to cutbacks on a regular basis, and can actually receive lower grades in some cases if they are not wearing orange and white on Fridays. In some ways, I wish I had gone to a JC for the first two years, because the first two years at UT, it is the professor's job (don't worry, most of the time you have a TA anyway) to try to fail you. So, in my third year, I was competing with straight A students, who went to the local JC, where they try to pass them at all costs. On the flip side, my first two years at UT made me tougher, and there were more resources available. The local schools should be avoided at all costs, if you want your child to have any education beyond daycare. My daughter went to the magnet schools, because the local schools were so bad (they were out of money in Cedar Bluff schools, so the kids were told that they were going to practice "goggle safety" for 3 years in science class, until they could afford equipment), but she was beat up repeatedly for being white. We finally moved to the UK (same climate, better people), and then back to FL. If you are moving to Knoxville for UT, with a major in Business, I highly recommend it. If you are moving there with young children, home school.
Ada, OK
Small OK city, with nice features. -
10/27/2008Ada is a small (but growing) city in OK. You can find places like Starbucks, Home Depot, Chilis, and Staples, but also things to enhance your quality of life, such as - recycling centers, walking trails, a farmer's market, and the crown jewel of Ada, Wintersmith Park. You can still find land on the outskirts for $1,000 - $4,000/ac, and town lots for $3,000 - $50,000 (lake). Lovely new developments are being built. Byng and Latta areas are highly desired. Note: writer lives in area, and is Realtor for Linda's Real Estate, 711 E. 12th, 580.332.0600.