We went there for Thanksgiving one year, as a family, and I was horrified. I felt like it was all white, Midwestern, retirees. The pace was slow, the minds were closed, and there was no diversity. We have not gone back and I do not care to.

Anonymous wrote:Hyde park neighborhood and the boulevard ong the bay (bay shore) leads down to mcdill. It's a very charming area. There are a few great private schools.

Yes, that is the nicest part of the city. But OP, Hyde Park is not cheap. And the reason people send their kids to private schools although they live in the Hyde Park section of Tampa is because the public schools are horrible. I don't think Florida spends money on their primary schools. However, the state pours a lot of money into its university system.

Anonymous wrote:I lived there post college and hated it...pace of life just seemed to slow compared to up here. But now I can see the allure. Close to the beach, slower pace of life, good theater coming to the performing arts center, close to Disney, beautiful weather in April . Not that I would want to go back - but it is better than other places.

I could have written this, but you left out the other goodies like: I75 is a nightmare, the schools are horrible, the old people and their driving, the lack of anything cosmopolitan, the horrible weather from May to October, the surrounding pockets of Tampa that make up Hillsborough county, etc. I was happy to leave.

Considering this post is so old - I'm sure the OP isn't even reading them. I'm sure OP has already moved.

Seriously - why restart a thread so old. Bored much!

OP, my sister lives in Tampa. Her husband is a commander in the Navy, and they are the farthest things from rednecks. They have a gorgeous house in a great school district. Her husband is being relocated so they are putting it on the market soon.

I actually like Tampa. It doesn't get much hotter than it does here.
The Gulf is beautiful and close.
South Tampa is the area that's most like DC. It's not cheap, but Hyde Park is a charming neighborhood. Lots of shopping and good restaurants. It's similar to Bethesda, but with Spanish style housing.
I'd love to go for a run on Bayshore Blvd everyday!
Palma Ceia is gorgeous!!
Do you have kids? Everyone I've known from there has gone private.

Hyde park neighborhood and the boulevard ong the bay (bay shore) leads down to mcdill. It's a very charming area. There are a few great private schools.

Hi OP, some of these posters are pretty miserable! Jeez!

I lived in DC (DuPont, AdMo, CP etc) for the last 20 years and recently moved down to FL. I love it! My kids are outside everyday & they are so active and heathy now! I send them to a private school that is Much more affordable then DC schools. I feel so safe and happy here! Of course, I loved DC too, but what a family friendly change! We don't live in Tampa, but I highly recommend renting for a bit before you commit to an area. Best of luck to you, and enjoy yourself-Florida is wonderful!

I love how when someone bitches about DC people say "bloom where you're planted" and call you a malcontent. But the minute you say you're moving to a new city, they tell you how awful it is and how they could NEVER live there.

I know several normal people who have been trying to move back to Tampa, so I'd take all the negative PPs with a grain of salt. The few times I've been there, the weather was great (nice comfortable breeze) and we had a great time.

Op I lived there for a year. It's really not bad at all! I would rather live in, say, DuPont or Logan than Tampa, but I would rather live in Tampa than many parts of nova or md. Doesn't sound like a bad posting at all. Hyde park is nice but pricier. It is so much cheaper there tho that you will prob think the prices are fine!