Moving to Tampa Florida: What You NEED to Know Before Living in Tampa Florida
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GUIDE SUMMARY:
- Living in Tampa Florida
- Things to do in Tampa Florida
- Pros and Cons of Living in Tampa Florida
- Best Tampa Neighborhoods
LIVING IN TAMPA FLORIDA
The city of Tampa is on Florida's west coast and known for its great climate, rich cultural diversity, and abundance of attractions. This charming destination has been steadily gaining popularity and has even captured the attention of various publications. Notably, Forbes recently published an article highlighting Tampa as one of the top destinations people are moving to in 2023, which came as a pleasant surprise. Now let’s dive into why you should consider living in Tampa Florida.
MOVING TO TAMPA FLORIDA
If you are unfamiliar with the area, let our team help you search for homes in Tampa, Florida. We are licensed realtors specializing in the Tampa Bay area with a focus on helping you find the best neighborhood and things to do to match your lifestyle. We look forward to hearing from you.
Tampa is full of exciting attractions for the whole family, and thanks to mild weather pretty much year round, the list of things to do in Tampa is endless. Here is a sneak peak at some of the top things to do in Tampa Florida.
Attractions:
If you're searching for family-friendly attractions that guarantee enjoyment for everyone, Tampa has a ton to offer. Take a look at this list for a glimpse of some of the top attractions in Tampa.
- Glazer Children’s Museum is the perfect indoor space offering shelter from the summer heat with various interactive stations for your little ones to enjoy. Fun tip: before your first visit, make sure to watch Blippie visit the museum and get excited about all the fun activities once inside!
- At Busch Gardens there is something for everyone in the family from roller coasters for the thrill seekers to a 65-acre Serengeti safari for the animal lovers.
- The Florida Aquarium is another great indoor attraction where you can see stingrays, sharks, eels and so much more! Outdoors there is even a splash pad for kids to enjoy and run around!
- Our kids’ personal favorite, Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park. The zoo was voted one of USA Today’s 10Best Zoos in the country and 11-time winner of TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award. There are various up close animal encounters, splash pad area, rides for all ages and annual holiday traditions, it is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Festivals and Celebrations:
Tampa’s great weather allows you to enjoy festivals and celebrations year-round. Here are some of our favorite annual events:
- Gasparilla Music Festival - a three-day music festival in the heart of Downtown Tampa and features the best in local, emerging and national talent.
- Gasparilla Pirate Fest - pirates invade the city, a classic in Tampa since 1904.
- Gasparilla Children’s Parade - Our personal favorite parade down Bayshore Blvd features an airshow, a preschool stroll and what seems like an endless amount of floats.
- The Strawberry Festival promotes our local farmers' all while enjoying some of the best strawberry shortcake and live music! Willie Nelson, Walker Hayes, Reba, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 98 Degrees and Rascal Flatts have all previously performed at the Strawberry Festival.
- Other notable food and beverage events such as the Sunset Music Festival, Margarita Fest and Pig Jig are sprinkled throughout the year.
Outdoor Entertainment:
In recent years, Tampa has experienced a surge in the number of outdoor venues and neighborhoods, offering a ton of options to keep you entertained. Whether it's grabbing a drink, enjoying a delicious dinner, or experiencing live music, you can easily explore one of these local spots on any given night.
- Tampa Riverwalk - located in downtown Tampa, the riverwalk follows the Hillsborough River for 2.6 miles connecting restaurants, hotels, parks, museums and other attractions such as Armature Works, Sparkmans Warf and the Straz Center. Our family enjoys making a day out of it riding our bikes or taking long walks during the fall.
- Hyde Park Village - Hyde Park Village is highly walkable and family friendly with trendy restaurants, shopping, and activities. Don't miss the annual "Lights in the Park" event where you can enjoy Christmas lights, hot cocoa, and a photo with Santa.
- Armature Works - a 22,000 sq ft industrial public market with various food vendors to meet anyone's palate. The indoor space offers co-working space upstairs and eclectic gathering and seating downstairs. Outside, you can sit and enjoy the views of Hillsborough River and even catch an outdoor yoga class on the weekend.
- Bayshore Blvd - Known as the longest pedestrian sidewalk in the US at 4.5 miles, you can bike, run, or stroll without traffic and enjoy views of Hillsborough Bay and Davis Island.
Other things to do in Tampa Florida:
You may not think of Tampa as a brew hub but we have over 100 breweries in Tampa Bay. Some of our well-known favorites include Cigar City and Coppertail brewery and a few smaller gems like Angry Chair or 7th Sun.
Getting on the water couldn’t be easier when living in Tampa Florida. With some of the best beaches in the United States in our backyard and an abundance of water activities such as inshore and offshore fishing, boating, paddleboarding and kayaking, there is no shortage of ways to spend your days in the beauty of the gulf!
If the abundance of activities in Tampa isn't enough to excite you, there's also a wide selection of incredible sports teams to support. Football enthusiasts can cheer on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while baseball fans have the opportunity to root for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and catch an exciting spring training game. And let's not forget the hockey lovers who can experience the exhilaration of watching our talented Lightning Hockey team fight for the coveted Stanley Cup.
PROS AND CONS OF LIVING IN TAMPA
Living in a major urban city has its advantages and disadvantages. We have a deep affection for our vibrant city of Tampa, and we'd like to highlight some of the significant benefits of living here. However, we also value transparency and feel it's important to address some of the drawbacks.
Pros of Living in Tampa:
- Family friendly: Tampa is incredibly family friendly! From all of our attractions and children’s museums and an abundance of parks and recreation, there is always something to do with the family to keep everyone happy.
- Cost of Living: The cost of living in Tampa Florida is generally more affordable compared to some other major cities in Florida, such as Miami or Orlando. However, like any city, the cost of living can vary depending on the neighborhood and individual lifestyle choices.In addition to a reasonable cost of living, there is a major tax perk to living in Tampa….no state income tax (yay to more money in your pocket)!
- Job Market: Tampa, Florida boasts a diverse economy with strong sectors including finance, healthcare, technology, tourism, and defense. While the job market may vary across industries, there are ample employment opportunities available in various sectors.
- Weather: Tampa Florida has a subtropical climate, which means hot and humid summers and mild winters. The city enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, making it a popular destination for those seeking warm weather.
Cons of Living in Tampa:
- Traffic and Transportation: Tampa's road infrastructure can experience congestion during rush hours, but it's generally not as severe as larger cities. Public transportation is available through buses and a streetcar line, but is nowhere near as extensive as in some other major metropolitan areas so you will need a car in Tampa.
- Weather: the weather earns a mention in both the pros and cons list. Summer’s can get pretty hot and humid and June 1st also marks the beginning of hurricane season. While Tampa has luckily dodged a major hurricane, we still have to be prepared and watch the news often during the season, and have had to do some widespread evacuations in years past for some near misses.
- Home Insurance: Being on the gulf coast and our high potential for a hurricane, our home insurance prices have significantly increased over the past few years.
- Allergies: Pollen can be a problem for those living in Tampa. While some months are better than others, pollen can be in the air throughout the year, making those allergic to pollen pretty uncomfortable until they acclimate.
BEST TAMPA NEIGHBORHOODS
Where to live in Tampa is a question we get asked often. Trying to narrow down the list of “Best Tampa Neighborhoods” is a challenge since the best neighborhood will vary for people based on needs and wants. Some neighborhoods are best for walkability, such as Downtown, Hyde Park and Channelside / Harbour Island, while others want more of a suburban atmosphere such as Westchase and Carrollwood. Either way, we have created a list of some of the best areas to live in Tampa from our clients for you to decide!
- South Tampa - arguably one of the best areas to live in Tampa is South Tampa. South Tampa has some of the best dining, schools and walkability scores than other neighborhoods. The following neighborhoods are some of the highlights in South Tampa.
- Hyde Park - named the best neighborhood in Tampa by Niche.com, Hyde Park is one of the more affluent neighborhoods featuring charming bungalow style homes alongside moss-draped trees lining the cobblestone roads.
- Davis Island - from condos and apartments along the water to large mansions, Davis Island is a family-oriented, golf cart friendly neighborhood with no traffic lights. It has its own airport and village with restaurants, a pharmacy and even a fire station.
- Palma Ceia - this neighborhood appeals to all with its prime location and some of the best schools in Tampa. Palma Ceia has some of the best outdoor cafes and restaurants as well as charming boutiques.
- Westchase - one of the best Tampa suburbs for families due to its A-rated schools, Westchase features condos, apartments and homes of various sizes along miles of walking and cycling trails. Westchase also features a village with dining, entertainment and boutiques.
- Carrollwood - one of Tampa’s original neighborhoods, Carrollwood is your idyllic, tree-lined streets with beautiful homes ranging from smaller 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom homes to large, multi-million dollar homes on lakes. There are parks, lakes, a community center and even a country club. Carrollwood offers a little bit of everything which appeals to the masses.
- New Tampa - a planned community developed in 1988 just north of the University of Tampa, New Tampa features various home sizes, golf courses, parks and soccer fields.
TAMPA NEIGHBORHOOD MAP
Living in Tampa Florida is full of fun and adventure for the entire family. With great weather, neighborhoods and plenty of things to do, it is no wonder why Tampa has been gaining in popularity as a place to live.
HOMES FOR SALE IN TAMPA FLORIDA
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If you are unfamiliar with the area, let our team help you search for homes in Tampa, Florida. We are licensed realtors specializing in the Tampa Bay area with a focus on helping you find the best neighborhood and things to do to match your lifestyle. We look forward to hearing from you.
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MOVING TO TAMPA FLORIDA
We are licensed realtors specializing in the Tampa Bay area with a focus on helping you find the best neighborhood and things to do to match your lifestyle.
