Hi, We are moving to Tampa/clearwater area end of the year, family mid 40's with two kids 6 and 9.
Trying to do some research into which area's would be best.
Got to be very near the beach..... so we have narrowed it down so far to Dunedin or Tarpon Springs...

Any info on these two area's would be grateful, schools, centres, shopping (food mainly), beaches ect
thanks so much

Only visited the two for a day or two, but Tarpon Springs was a nice place but very touristy as a charming Greek fishing village. Bit limited. Dunedin looked OK and very popular with the 55+ crowd and snowbirds. Sorry, can't help with any details.

I have lived right on the border of Dunedin and Clearwater for the last 10 year and would be happy to answer any specific questions if I can. Please feel free to PM me.

Maybe I need new glasses, I keep reading that as Tampon Springs.

Glad I wasn't the only one

Time for bed said Zebedee

city-data.com might be a good place to check out too.

If you haven't been to the area I would liken it to Torbay in Devon, where Tarpon is to Brixton as Dunedin is to Paignton.

Beaches - Dunedin beats Tarpon. Caladesi Island is one of the best in the gulf. In my opinion and in Polls.

Same as Fathermike, I have lived in Pinellas county almost 10 years.

Where will you be working. The peninsula is densely populated, and traffic/ commuting can be a nightmare.

Both Pinellas county ...
Tarpon Springs if you are Greek
Dunedin if you are not

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Hi, Hubby will be working near Oldsmar (seems not far from either)
We really just want a relaxing way of life with a beach very, very near, as our kids love the beach most of all!
Housing seems cheaper, bigger and more modern from what I have seen on sights iin Tarpon Spings (obviously renting for a year or two)....but any info is really appreciated...

Hi,

We moved from Belfast to Tampa in Jan 2013 and visited Tarpon springs for a day. Its a small relaxed town as far as I could tell - seems to be quite a few restaurants etc. We haven't been to Dunedin yet.

For food shopping the main supermarkets are Publix, Walmart and Sweetbay. Publix has the most stores but can be pricey.

You could also look at Sam's club. Its a bit like Makro. Very cheap but you have to buy things in large quantities. You also have to pay for annual membership but its worth it as you also get cheap petrol there too.

You will find meat to be alot cheaper than in the UK, but vegetables are more expensive. We found Tetley's 'British Blend' tea bags in Publix which was good.

Oldsmar is pretty handy for both.

My preference would be Dunedin. I used to live in Safety Harbor.
The shopping options in both places will be almost identical, as everywhere. Countryside Mall is probably the biggest in the county and just a couple of miles from Dunedin, en route to Oldsmar, but also convenient from Tarpon.

If, by close to the beach, you mean walking distance, you will be looking at VERY expensive property. There are miles and miles of beach, but expect to drive or at least cycle to get to one. Generally the further you go from Clearwater Beach the cheaper the property price like for like, but almost any standard of property can be found in either town.

Have you actually been here? You definitely should, for a recce before moving.

Sorry I can't advise on schools, or rentals - no experience.
Let us know any specific questions. Apparently there are a few of us around here