So my D19 has a short-term gig for four months in Tampa (typical theater life).
She has paid housing - yay! - but no car - boo! - and only one day off a week - double boo!
She is under the impression she has to Uber anywhere she needs to go but I wanted to see if that was correct.
If it is correct, it seems to me that she’ll never go to the beach, eg, because she is living over on the east side, near I-75, and I reckon Uber to the beach has to be at least $100 from there.
Advice on transportation options? Also, what’s there to do in Tampa when you know no one and your workmates have different days off?
I live in Tampa and would agree with your daughter’s assessment, especially from that part of town. You are welcome to PM me if you want to share a more specific location and I’ll try to help. It sounds like she’ll be living in the suburbs rather than near the city. The beaches are in Clearwater/St. Pete so completely the other side of the Tampa Bay area.
A lot of fun activities are in the Riverwalk/Channelside area downtown. My daughter loves to spend an afternoon walking and shopping Hyde Park Village. She should check out what’s happening at the beautiful and historic Tampa Theatre downtown. They have a nice schedule of films and events.
Also include Ybor city as a great place for young people to hang out. There is also a trolley there that goes around. Maybe she will meet people who have a car and can take her places she wants to go.
Depending on where along I-75 in Tampa she is- an Uber to Apollo Bay or the Causeway beaches could be an option. They are along Tampa Bay, not the Gulf of Mexico, so not quite as far.
She may want to google up Ruskin, Fl along with Apollo Beach area. Both are just south of her, and Ruskin has a nature preserve and beach as well. It would avoid the Tampa traffic.
But yes, she’s pretty much in a suburb mostly know for less expensive housing yet still commutable to Tampa.
lol
I always see travel posts and pics from people visiting Florida and they’re, like, kayaking and swimming in lakes and springs - Wekiva, Crystal River, what-have-you … and I’m like, nope, nope, nope-ity nope. You’ll never get me in a body of fresh water in that state.
My parents had a pond at their place in Central Florida and I can’t tell you how many times we had to call wildlife control to fish out a gator and take it away.
And my cat died from a water moccasin bite, so…
Florida is not all palm trees and gorgeous beaches.
(I will point out that gators do in fact go in salt water occasionally, especially brackish lagoons like the Intracoastal. Something to do with cleaning out their system, I recall hearing.)