British Expats - Moving to Tampa

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Hoping to be moving to Tampa sometime early this fall (getting into the lingo already!).
Will be working close to Tampa Intl. but would like to live somewhere either close to the sea, and/or close to countryside and commute to work. Looking for maximum commute time of 1 hour each way.
Does anybody have any ideas about nice communities which meet those criteria? I guess my maximum monthly rental would be $1000
Thanks in advance for your input!
Fishboy

Re: Moving to Tampa

Quote:

Originally Posted by thailandfishboy (Post 8639607)

You could go up as far north as Crystal River on the Sunpark Expressway in an hour thats a big area.

Re: Moving to Tampa

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thydney (Post 8639647)

You could go up as far north as Crystal River on the Sunpark Expressway in an hour thats a big area.

The suncoast expressway is easier to find though

Re: Moving to Tampa

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray (Post 8639722)

The suncoast expressway is easier to find though

lol it's been a while Ray

Re: Moving to Tampa

Quote:

Originally Posted by thailandfishboy (Post 8639607)

We live in Sarasota (has some of the best beaches in the US) and my husband used to travel to Tampa for work on a daily basis. The commute was around 50 mins. Hope that helps! :)

Re: Moving to Tampa

Quote:

Originally Posted by thailandfishboy (Post 8639607)

Are you looking for a flat or a home? You may be able to find a flat (we call them apartments, as I'm sure you know) for about $1,000 a month in Tampa, but won't find a single family (detached) home in Tampa for that.

Having said that, there are some nice but expensive areas in south Tampa. The areas you would want to look at would be Bayshore, Hyde Park, Beach Park, and Westshore. The Westchase area to the northwest of Tampa International is also really nice, but pricey. Do not go too far south, as the Gandy Boulevard area near MacDill Air Force Base is quite rough. Likewise, stay out of the Town and Country area--it has been full of gangs for years. The commute from any of the closest beach communities in Pinellas County would probably be close to an hour due to the traffic.

Keep in mind that the "countryside" in the United States is not like the countryside in the United Kingdom. Ever seen the episode of Top Gear where they drive from Miami to New Orleans. Yeah, it's like that. Having said that, there are some nice areas east of Tampa if you can deal with the high percentage of rednecks.

Re: Moving to Tampa

I lived in New Tampa and pretty much hated it. If I had to move back. I would get nearer to clearwater. But be careful as a lot of the land there is a flood risk should a hurricane come along.