<p>I should point out that your son will be impressively outnumbered by females in St. Pete.</p>
<p>Of course, most are widows and old enough to be my mother, but the numbers don’t lie. :D</p>
<p>C.mon p2n. Lets keep the jokes for another thread. Needing genuine help fo my s. I am sure you understand. Thanks</p>
<p>Ok, sorry…</p>
<p>If you go out towards Ft. DeSoto Park there are a number of nice neighborhoods. These may be way out of your price range.</p>
<p>Safety Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater (not downtown) Largo all have decent neighborhoods, there may be an area nearby that features a young professional crowd.</p>
<p>Many in the Tampa Bay area commute in from Manatee County, but this involves another bridge.</p>
<p>Travel tales from Hell involving Pinellas and Hillsborough generally involve the Howard-Franklin Bridge (affectionately known locally as the Frankenstein Bridge). This is only one of 4 major ways across the bay, however. The Gandy is frequently overlooked and seldom has travel issues.</p>
<p>He’s thinking initially of renting a furnished condo in a nice complex with amenities, or an apt with a 6 mo lease. Would either of these be in the areas you mention that would have a population of more young professionals than snowbirds?
Thanks for understanding, p2n.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>He would be going against traffic, though. Most are commuting from Pinellas to Tampa. My own commute in the northern suburbs would be a nightmare in the opposite direction. I cruise north while watching the bumper to bumper traffic going south.</p>
<p>Ok, I have to get a map to figure all this out. I can’t recall which counties are where. Can you help? Which cities/counties are you suggesting, and where are they relative to downtown St. Pete? He’s been advised not to live, for the mostpart, on the south side of St. Pete. If I understand you correctly, audio, going into downtown St. Pete would be going against traffic.
Thanks</p>
<p>St Pete is in Pinellas county; Tampa is in Hillsborough.</p>
<p>There are 5 major ways to cross into or out of Pinellas county, which is a large peninsula. Most people live in Pinellas and commute to greater Tampa, as audio says.</p>
<p>Lately, residential areas in Manatee county (south from Pinellas over the Skyway Bridge - note $1 toll unless you have a SunPass electronic device, then $0.75) have developed. They are quite nice and new. Very family oriented.</p>
<p>Areas north of Tampa are very congested. Areas in Pinellas are very congested.</p>
<p>There are no light rail or other systems of mass transportation, consequently commuting is a burden, most anywhere. It gets worse in winter, when tourists nearly double the population.</p>
<p>I saw a Tampa Bay passenger ferry buzz by one day – is that just a tourist thing, or is it a possibility for commuting?</p>
<p>Wow, even as a non-native I can participate in this one.</p>
<p>In South Pasadena there is a gated condo complex called Harbourside. A couple of years ago we looked there as potential buyers. It is very well maintained and all or at least most units have views of the Intracoastal waterway (and the top floor units give you a view of the Gulf). It has ameneities such as swimming pools, tennis, exercise rooms and even a marina for your son to keep his boat. I’m not sure of the age mix, however. My guess is that it is mostly more “mature” people, but, as I recall, our real estate person said that young singles who work at the hospital just up the road also live there. It is very convenient to the beach (just across the bridge) and to St. Petersburg (a straight shot up Central Avenue). </p>
<p>I’m also not sure of the prices for rentals. It may be a bit upscale for someone coming right out of college at an entry-level salary, but with a roommate it could be affordable. Also, there may be some good bargains from owners who are trying to sell but can’t due to the real estate market down there.</p>
<p>Here’s a link: [7979</a> S Sailboat Key Boulevard 305, South Pasadena, FL rental property - Yahoo! Real Estate](<a href=“http://realestate.yahoo.com/Florida/South_Pasadena/Apartments_for_rent/1094b2a281b5aa93fb7ece261e583]7979”>http://realestate.yahoo.com/Florida/South_Pasadena/Apartments_for_rent/1094b2a281b5aa93fb7ece261e583)</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. Lots to think about and explore. We were given a real estate contact who my s is calling today, as another means of assistance. Just found out, for example,t aht the short term loeases are usually 7 mos (which is fine) to avoid some “hotel tax”. Live and learn about all this stuff.</p>
<p>Fundingfather-
His boat?!!? I’ll look forward to that day! Right now he’d prefer to find a reasonably priced place and continue to save for a down payment. He’s quite practical, and looking towards the future. Good kid, this one.</p>
<p>Jym,</p>
<p>You might get more answers here: [Tampa</a> Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum](<a href=“http://www.city-data.com/forum/tampa/]Tampa”>Tampa Bay Forum - Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum)</p>
<p>Oh, I’m glad I decided to check this thread again this morning. Great suggestions.</p>
<p>Fundingfather, you’re right. That’s the area I mentioned in post #2: “There are condos near the causeway at Palms of Pasadena Hospital.”</p>
<p>Jym, I can attest that this place [Woody’s</a> Waterfront Cafe and Beach Bar - So close to the water your burger will get wet](<a href=“http://www.woodyswaterfront.com/]Woody’s”>http://www.woodyswaterfront.com/) was packed with young people on a recent Saturday night; don’t know if they were locals, though. “Downtown” St. Pete Beach (off the beach) is very cute and is undergoing restoration with lots of upscale shops (where the local library is located). And definitely stop by Ted Peters on Pasadena Ave. for the best smoked mullet in the state.</p>
<p>The tax kicks in on rentals of 6 months or less (“short term”). Thus, the 7-month leases.</p>
<p>Thanks all. Yes, audio, found the city data site a while ago. Been gathering stuff from there as well. Takes a little cajoling to find the right threads, as the names don’t always have the right “buzz words”.</p>
<p>I’ve been looking (cautiously) at craigslist ads too. Hopefully my s, once we get down and do a little driving, can get a feel for where he’d like to live. That said, he commented that he could handle about anythingfor 7 mos, so is flexible.</p>