Moving to Tampa, FL

Tampa was built on the back of the cigar.  In 1929, “Cigar City” produced 500 million cigars for consumption around the world.   Today the industry still exists, but Tampa has evolved into a world city with a diverse economy and culture. Residents of Tampa enjoy great entertainment and a lush outdoor lifestyle.  Local businesses benefit from tourism and military influences, on top of a healthy economy built on one of the largest U.S. ports.  And let’s not forget the warm beaches… Scroll down to learn about the pros and cons of Tampa…

Tampa’s Geography & Layout

Tampa is located on Tampa Bay, a large bay curling inland from the Gulf of Mexico.  The Bay itself gets partially divided by a peninsula (the Interbay Peninsula), creating Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay.  The surrounding land is flat and covered in wetlands and thick vegetation. Tampa is the largest city in the metropolitan area, which includes the cities of St. Petersberg and Clearwater.  St. Petersberg is located on the peninsula that separates Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico.  Tampa is located where the bay meets the mainland.  The metropolitan area is home to 4.2 million people.Mini Walled Bed Bouncer bady

Reasons to Move to Tampa

• Weather – For much of the year, Tampa’s weather is very kind.  October through April see temperatures that range, on average, between 70 and 85 degrees.  Sunshine is common.
• Education – Tampa’s primary school system is known as one of the best in the US, with 25 schools listed in Newsweek’s“America’s Best High Schools”.  Tampa also offers a variety of higher education opportunities, with the University of South Florida (public, 46,000 enrolled), University of Tampa (private), Eckerd College, and a number of community colleges in the area.
• Tourism / Luxury – Tampa is home to Busch Gardens, an amusement park with roller coasters and other forms of entertainment, and Adventure Island, an amusement park that has an aquatic focus.  Tampa Bay is also a popular home base for cruise ships.  Finally, and perhaps most obviously, Tampa has a lot of nice beaches.
• Jobs – Tampa has the good fortune of having a nearby military base (MacDill Airforce Base), which brings 14,000 service members to the area.  The tourism industry also provides a number of jobs and creates a constant influx of money for local businesses.
• Entertainment – Tampa is home to some popular, albeit some might say strange, entertainment.  It is one of the primary locations for professional wrestling, and many famous wrestlers live there.  It is also home to a strong death metal music scene, with one of world’s leading labels based there.  Tampa also has a more “mainstream” downtown, too, with plenty of popular bars and clubs; the Ybor area attracts healthy, young crowds.

Reasons to Avoid to Tampa

• Summer – Yeah, the weather is both good and bad.  Though the city has never seen temperatures breach 100 degrees, Tampa summers still get uncomfortably hot and humid.  The summers also receive torrential downpours as often as every afternoon, making driving dangerous and walking quite wet.
• Severe Weather – The area is prone to severe storms.  Unceremoniously known as the Lightning Capital of North America, Tampa sees 30 people stuck each year.  It also experiences tornadoes on land and sea (known as waterspouts) and hurricanes.
• Traffic – Tampa has a streetcar and a bus system; however, its public transit simply isn’t viable for most residents, especially those not living in the downtown area.  Therefore, they drive, creating some nasty traffic.
• Poor Walkability – Tampa is one of the worst large cities for pedestrians.  Streets are large and require a lot of walking to get anywhere.  It is also one of the least bike-friendly cities, which is unfortunate considering the nice weather.

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