What BestPlaces Users Say about Tampa
Tampa, Florida is a vibrant city located on the Gulf Coast. It is known for its warm climate, beautiful beaches, and diverse cultural scene. With a population of over 392,000, Tampa has attracted many residents from all over the world. However, before considering a move to Tampa, it is important to gather insight from those who have lived and experienced the city firsthand. The website BestPlaces.net provides a platform for individuals to share their thoughts and opinions about living in Tampa, Florida.
Many user reviews on BestPlaces.net reflect a positive experience living in Tampa. One reviewer, Sarah, shares that "Tampa has something for everyone. The weather is great, the beaches are beautiful, and there are endless opportunities for entertainment and outdoor activities." Another user, John, echoes this sentiment by stating, "I moved to Tampa three years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. The city has a vibrant energy and the people are so friendly and welcoming." These reviews highlight the desirable aspects of living in Tampa, such as the climate, outdoor recreation, and sense of community.
On the other hand, some reviewers mention the high cost of living in Tampa. As Heather notes, "The cost of living in Tampa is significantly higher than other parts of Florida. Housing, groceries, and utilities are all more expensive." Similarly, David comments, "While I love living in Tampa, the cost of real estate is outrageous. It's becoming increasingly difficult for middle-class families to afford a home here." These reviews provide a balanced perspective on the cost of living in Tampa, which may be a consideration for those looking to relocate.
In addition, some reviewers mention the traffic and transportation system in Tampa. As Brian writes, "The traffic in Tampa can be pretty bad, especially during rush hour. Public transportation is not the best, so having a car is a must." Similarly, Maria states, "I wish the public transportation in Tampa was better. It can be a hassle to get around without a car." These reviews highlight a potential downside of living in Tampa, but also offer helpful advice for those considering a move to the city.
Overall, the user reviews on BestPlaces.net provide valuable insight into living in Tampa, Florida. They highlight the city's strengths, such as its climate and community, as well as potential drawbacks, such as the cost of living and transportation. By including the perspectives of multiple individuals, these reviews paint a comprehensive picture of what it is like to live in Tampa, helping readers make an informed decision about whether or not it is the right place for them.
based on 162 ReviewsGet to know Tampa with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Tampa
Life Isn't Cheap ... - 10/22/2006
A little background. I'm a Tampa native who grew up in Tampa, visits regularly, and has lived in: Ohio, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Colorado, California, and Alabama. In other words, I get around. Here's a little news for you to consider in your search for your "Best Place" based on what I've seen in my travels. Housing prices are insane EVERYWHERE. It's called a "bubble" and it's what happens when people are able to acquire ever greater amounts of money to supply their desires (desires usually based on some bogus notion of some place that "the grass is greener"). Real Estate properties are RELATIVE. In Alabama there is also a tremendous amount of pressure on housing costs. Since most people know that Alabama is not in the top 10 places most people consider a "Best" place to live, why is it that someone in Birmingham ALSO is paying much more for a house now than they had to ten years ago? Don't like it? Don't buy and contribute to the problem. Keep your existing house in
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Better Have A Big Bank Account! - 10/19/2006
Hillsborough County, what a place. Everything that everybody has been posting is true about Tampa. Worst crime, worst traffic, worst housing market, Red-Tide etc etc......But the WORST thing is the health care system. I'll give you an example: My mother-inlaw moved down with my husband and I spring of 05. Found here a nice apartment in the Sun City area... She was living off of SS(widows benefits) getting around $988.00 a month. She needed to get medical assistance from medicaid, since she was on a limited budget. She had Multiple Myloma(spelling?)(Infences on had, since she past 6 months after moving here!) Anyway, medicaid told her and my husband and I that she would have a deductible of $800.00 a month to be on medicaid. Mind you that she only makes $988.00 a month on SS. My husband blurted out: "What she suppose to live in a card board box just to have medical attention." I'm telling you the whole sitution was sicking and very sad...I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the
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Tough place to start... - 10/10/2006
After reading many of these comments I have to say I agree with the majority of them. I come from upstate NY and moved here in August 05 after receiving my Bachelors degree. I figured that since I was moving to a large metropolitan area and have a degree in the tourism/travel industry I would have no trouble finding work, housing, etc. Boy was I wrong. I settled for a job in sales to get on my feet which I came to hate and quit after 7 months only to take another dead-end sales related job just to pay the bills. I have found in my new job search that unless you have 5-10 years of experience or are involved in business management, sales/marketing, or healthcare it is very difficult to find any employment worthwhile-that is to say a salary that does more than just get you by. At first I loved the city. I mean, coming from upstate NY to sunshine, palm trees and beaches was fantastic and like a perma-vacation, but it wasn't long before I got sick of the flat lack of scenery and the
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Tampa is Great!! - 10/4/2006
Let me tell you my history, I just relocated here a couple of months and so far Tampa is a very nice place to live. I lived in NYC for 7 long and painful years, graduated there as a Bachelors and couldn't even find a "decent" job in NYC for 6 months;what I had to do? Just leave that nasty NYC scum hole and relocated to the south. I moved to Tampa, found a good job , bought a decent house, car, and in addition to that I still have some money left.
If you complaint about living here, go to NYC, or any northeastern big city and you'll regret going there.
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Bye, Bye Tampa - 9/19/2006
I agree with David and thank him for his posting. It's hard to imagine why anyone, like myself, who escaped harsh, brutal winters in the Great Lakes region to move to a beautifully landscaped, sunny city called Tampa would, in only 2 years, grow to hate almost everything about it!!!! It's safe to say up north most people view Florida, including Tampa, as a sunny paradise. Not me or my boyfriend, anymore. People who come from all over the world live in Tampa - and drive that way!!! The city is an accident attorney's dream come true! There seems to be a lack of care for human life by some drivers who are more into road rage, selfishly speeding, and blowing through red lights as if they're self-entitled. I hear all the time how bad Tampa driving is from people who have visited Florida or just moved here. Car accident fatalities are going to continue to rise unless somebody does something. It's truely sad.
The average price for a house has risen, it seems to be
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How did it get so damned expensive??? - 9/16/2006
I've posted twice about this city, which I used to love. This love has turned into a twisted hatred since I came back from the military. In a matter of 5 years, housing costs have shot up from an average of $130,000 to an average of $240,000. With this rise in housing costs, wages have only increased by 1.4% statewide. This translates to an affordable, livable city becoming a rich-friendly, crime-ridden hell-hole. Due to constant increases in property taxes and homeowners insurance costs, people are getting priced out of homes they had almost paid for in full. Apartment complexes are mostly going condo to take advantage of the rising prices. Those that don't go condo simply raise the rent about $150 every year to cover tax increases. Now the mayor has a new plan every week to attract more rich people. I'm not exactly poor by U.S. standards, but I am definitely feeling the crunch. Now they want to put in a beltway around the city to connect all the suburbs to add more sprawl. I'm at
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Tampa - 9/9/2006
We visit tampa several times and i like the city. Clearwater beach is lovely, which is just 20 miles outside the city. Y-bor city and Channelside are intersting districts. There are a couple things that make the city messed up, not all of it has changed from a working southern city, to a modern sophisticated one. Also, trafic does
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Best Areas - 8/28/2006
Okay, first off.. Read a lot and it's scary but then I realize where I'm coming from. Los Angeles, CA. Where a runned down house from 1950 is selling for 525k to 650k. Where renting a one bedroom is about $1000 a month and traffic is about 1hr or more for every 20 miles you go. Simply put, making a combined income of $80-90k a year can't buy a decent house. So, I'm from Florida.. Merritt Island to be more exact and decided I have to get out of here. Since there is no real job market near my old home town, I'm headed to the Tampa-Orlando area in November. I have never been to Tampa and would like to know the best zip codes/areas to look for an apartment. By looking at some of the ratings, places like Temple Terrace aren't bad. I need to know if this is true and if there are other areas that have decent to low
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From West Palm to Tampa?! - 8/20/2006
Ok, I've taken time to read everyone's comments and I am literally scared! Every trepedation I had of moving to Tampa was echoed through all the comments read. The only positive I saw was the fact that I'm in Sales/Marketing and don't have to worry about hourly wages. I'm moving to Tampa to work with a company who is THE company to work for in my field. So I'm weighing that with the fact that, housing is outrages like West Palm (where I live now), culture is null (which I expected), dating sucks (didn't expect that), snakes and sink holes (didn't expect that), traffic sucks (At least here you can find good alternate routes ie if 95 is blocked take the Turnpike), crime is THAT bad? (didnt expect that), city run down? (I thought it was considered historic, hell apparently I'm wrong), not a good place for educated, white collar African American's (didn't know that), heat, humidity and hurricanes (yea I've got that down)...but I guess the one thing that ticks me off and I realized a
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tampa is no good - 8/8/2006
the traffic conditions are horrible. The cost of living is high. The city is going downhill and just dirty. There are too many police so they harrass you alot Especially for traffic tickets. The jobs pay low wages. Gas prices are higher than most places in the country. Tampa is not a desirable place to live. Drug dealers and hookers are very present in and around the city. The crime is out of
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