Moving to Tampa, FL

What to know before you move to Tampa Bay!

So, you are considering making the move to the Sunshine State? Maybe you already live in Florida and you are deciding to move to the best city in the state. The Tampa Bay area has so much to offer it is hard to know where to start your search. We are here to help. I am a native of the area and am going to share a few of my favorite things about the greatest city in the world!. Ok, maybe that is being a little biased, but I truly believe this city is the greatest. I have traveled near and far and love visiting other countries and cultures, but I would never move from the Tampa Bay area.

First, we have the some of the best beaches in the world. The beaches from Clearwater Beach south to Treasure Island receive rave reviews for white sand and warm water year-round. There are many touristy areas or some very quiet private beaches in the area depending on what you are looking for.

The Tampa Bay area features an abundance of outdoor activities to get involved in. We have lots of things to do around the beaches, like boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding. There are several great bicycling and rollerblading trails like the Pinellas Trail for example. There are many nature areas an parks that offer hiking and camping.

We have fantastic fishing, both fresh and saltwater varieties. Grouper is the most plentiful fish to harvest in the Gulf of Mexico and what a great food fish. If you haven’t tried it make sure to get some at one of the many local seafood restaurants that offer fresh dayboat fish.

Once you move to Tampa you must try a “Cuban Sandwich.” Even though the name may imply that the sandwich originated in nearby Cuba in actually started in Ybor City! Ybor City, (pronounced E-Bor), was home to many cigar factories where many Cuban immigrants worked. These immigrants would take their lunch to work with them and this was how the Cuban sandwich got its start. There are many different restaurants in the city that feature a “Cuban Sandwich” on the menu. Some are of course better than others but Tampa claims the right as the “Home of the Cuban Sandwich.” My favorite is Brocato’s Sandwich Shop. Let me know what yours is?

The area offers so many different types of neighborhoods to choose from. There is the downtown life of Saint Petersburg and the more rural setting of Dade City which boasts many working farms. All within about an hour’s drive.

Tampa Bay boasts some of the best weather that the country has to offer. The average low temperature in the winter is around 50 degrees F with highs around 70 degrees F. That is a whole lot better than freezing and shoveling snow. The beautiful thing about abundant sunshine is that you don’t have to shovel it!

After you move to Tampa be sure to check out our championship professional sports teams. The Tampa Bay Lightning are the NHL hockey team, The Buccaneers are the NFL football team, The Rays are the MLB baseball team and the Rowdies are the USL soccer team.

Real estate in Tampa Bay is extremely affordable compared to other areas in the country and also other areas in Florida. The median home sale price is under $220,000. This will buy you a very nice single family home close to all that Tampa Bay has to offer. According to Forbes, Tampa is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. I attribute this to the affordable cost of living and how much the area has to offer.

Rob Van Stronder
Broker/Owner – Key Lime Real Estate Inc.
813-966-4003