Comments on: unbearable bugs http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/ A very loose interpretation of the news and happenings in and around Tampa Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:40:43 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Elin McLain http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-85904 Elin McLain Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:24:16 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-85904 Hi there. I am currently living in Tampa afer moving here 3 1/2 yrs ago to be with my girlfriend whom I met here. First off, no regrets with her, she's wonderful. Tampa in general though, can't stand it, I'll tell you why and these factors may or may not matter to you. Why Tampa is no comparison to Portland • Portland is gray and rainy 7-8 months of the year (true). i used to do a lot of snowboarding in the winter. once i was able to keep busy, it wasn't a factor. as for tampa's weather? winter is great (high 60's to high 70's). summer, which actually seems to be about May - October, is not comfortable. I really associate the way people view summer here with how winter in the NW is. The papers start their heavy dose of "what to do indoors" lists of books and movies. the beaches here are beautiful; clean, white sand (some, i love siesta key). what i really miss is portlanders and their creative, progressive, co-operative way of being. i miss the art, music, neighborhoods (tampa is so spread out and strip-mally, very few charming spots to chill), live music scene, close access to camping, snow sports, good beer (yes, that matters to me). tampa's people seem to me to be rather complacent. developers really have gotten a strong hold here and the environment is definitely not the priority here. the mangroves that survive in shallow salt water are continuously being threatened and demolished to make way for more $400,000 condos. ok, so this is shaping up to be pretty negative for tampa. well, i AM moving back to portland in november (yep, just as winter creeps in...so be it, it's an easy trade). i guess i'm just a NW guy at heart. i could persue the things i love here on my own, be really motivated and roll ghandi style to make the world a better place. but, i am just more effective spinning ideas around with other like-minded people. everywhere you go there's culture, unique to that area. i prefer the NW culture over tampa and the identity crisis is suffers. i don't want to go down with it. good luck with whatever you and your family decide. feel free to email me if you would like to know anything else specific aside from my rants/raves. regards, Elin McLain Hi there. I am currently living in Tampa afer moving here 3 1/2 yrs ago to be with my girlfriend whom I met here. First off, no regrets with her, she’s wonderful. Tampa in general though, can’t stand it, I’ll tell you why and these factors may or may not matter to you.

Why Tampa is no comparison to Portland

• Portland is gray and rainy 7-8 months of the year (true). i used to do a lot of snowboarding in the winter. once i was able to keep busy, it wasn’t a factor. as for tampa’s weather? winter is great (high 60’s to high 70’s). summer, which actually seems to be about May – October, is not comfortable. I really associate the way people view summer here with how winter in the NW is. The papers start their heavy dose of “what to do indoors” lists of books and movies. the beaches here are beautiful; clean, white sand (some, i love siesta key).

what i really miss is portlanders and their creative, progressive, co-operative way of being. i miss the art, music, neighborhoods (tampa is so spread out and strip-mally, very few charming spots to chill), live music scene, close access to camping, snow sports, good beer (yes, that matters to me).

tampa’s people seem to me to be rather complacent. developers really have gotten a strong hold here and the environment is definitely not the priority here. the mangroves that survive in shallow salt water are continuously being threatened and demolished to make way for more $400,000 condos.

ok, so this is shaping up to be pretty negative for tampa. well, i AM moving back to portland in november (yep, just as winter creeps in…so be it, it’s an easy trade).

i guess i’m just a NW guy at heart. i could persue the things i love here on my own, be really motivated and roll ghandi style to make the world a better place. but, i am just more effective spinning ideas around with other like-minded people. everywhere you go there’s culture, unique to that area. i prefer the NW culture over tampa and the identity crisis is suffers. i don’t want to go down with it.

good luck with whatever you and your family decide. feel free to email me if you would like to know anything else specific aside from my rants/raves.

regards,
Elin McLain

]]> By: Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » port tampa news http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-77166 Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » Blog Archive » port tampa news Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:05:10 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-77166 [...] other news: If our Portlanders want to live in Historic Port Tampa City, ECF president says I don’t think you can buy an [...] [...] other news: If our Portlanders want to live in Historic Port Tampa City, ECF president says I don’t think you can buy an [...]

]]> By: PortTampa http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76933 PortTampa Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:44:02 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76933 We just got a notice that our insurer, of multiple homes and after making many moves with us, is pulling out of the FL market except for houses that meet a certain criteria (to be named later). Don't know yet if our 15 month old house, which towers over the older homes in Port Tampa because the first floor is over 8 ft off the ground, will meet whatever their new requirements turn out to be. Ah well, Al Gore says it's going to be under water shortly after the mortgage is paid off. We just got a notice that our insurer, of multiple homes and after making many moves with us, is pulling out of the FL market except for houses that meet a certain criteria (to be named later). Don’t know yet if our 15 month old house, which towers over the older homes in Port Tampa because the first floor is over 8 ft off the ground, will meet whatever their new requirements turn out to be. Ah well, Al Gore says it’s going to be under water shortly after the mortgage is paid off.

]]> By: dreaming http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76932 dreaming Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:38:07 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76932 heres the problem w insurance in fla: its unpredictable whether you will be able to get it. as newcomers, youd be in the worst spot bec insurers wont necessarily insure you even if you are buying a house w long history of no claims. its completely quixotic. and of course expensive. expect to shell out at least 2k. and the taxes on a 350k house in tampa will run around 6k to 6.5k. and that relly doesnt buy much bec the schools are terrible mostly, the cops are known for brutality and general imbecility, and the roads are mostly in rough shape. and oh yes, it floods up to your car floorboards in s tampa every time it drizzles. still wanna move here? heres the problem w insurance in fla: its unpredictable whether you will be able to get it. as newcomers, youd be in the worst spot bec insurers wont necessarily insure you even if you are buying a house w long history of no claims. its completely quixotic. and of course expensive. expect to shell out at least 2k. and the taxes on a 350k house in tampa will run around 6k to 6.5k. and that relly doesnt buy much bec the schools are terrible mostly, the cops are known for brutality and general imbecility, and the roads are mostly in rough shape. and oh yes, it floods up to your car floorboards in s tampa every time it drizzles. still wanna move here?

]]> By: amy http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76923 amy Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:51:50 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76923 Wow, all of your comments are helpful. Yes it rains here in Portland all day, grey for 8 months and the rain is drizzle with no end. So in a good area (not a gated community) a 3/2 is going to cost about 350k? Housing here has gone through the roof, it's at least 400K to live pretty far out a get a nice 3/2. Please keep your comments coming. We really need this info to make an informed decision. Oh and yes we are warm weather people. If we could afford Hawaii we would already be there. California is almost as expensive! I am getting worried hearing your comments on home owners insurance. I don't mind paying but not being able to get any is another story. Thank you so much! Wow, all of your comments are helpful. Yes it rains here in Portland all day, grey for 8 months and the rain is drizzle with no end.

So in a good area (not a gated community) a 3/2 is going to cost about 350k? Housing here has gone through the roof, it’s at least 400K to live pretty far out a get a nice 3/2. Please keep your comments coming. We really need this info to make an informed decision. Oh and yes we are warm weather people. If we could afford Hawaii we would already be there. California is almost as expensive! I am getting worried hearing your comments on home owners insurance. I don’t mind paying but not being able to get any is another story.

Thank you so much!

]]> By: David Jenkins http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76921 David Jenkins Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:21:03 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76921 Mike - thumbs up on the pest control. It's about the best money I spend every other month. In addition to the very necessary termite treatments/insurance, it's someone else's problem to get rid of the wasp nests and brown widow clutches that start to swarm the front of my house over the summer. I also have no bug problems in my very old Florida home. Mike – thumbs up on the pest control. It’s about the best money I spend every other month. In addition to the very necessary termite treatments/insurance, it’s someone else’s problem to get rid of the wasp nests and brown widow clutches that start to swarm the front of my house over the summer. I also have no bug problems in my very old Florida home.

]]> By: Mike http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76919 Mike Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:32:07 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76919 Like David says, the rain is very different here. It doesn't rain the same way as it does up north, because generally we're not dealing with frontal systems. Whereas a rainy day in Portland is usually going to be drippy and dreary all day long, a rainy day here will actually be sunny for most of the day. Then, all of a sudden (usually at rush hour, it seems...), it will start pouring for about an hour. Rain like you've never seen before. Buckets of it. Then it's done, the sun comes back out, and it all dries up. As far as traffic, what everyone else said. It really depends on where you are, where you want to go, and when. Our traffic isn't as bad as Boston or Houston, but it doesn't always flow either. If you're crossing a bridge, you're more likely to encounter bottlenecks. If it's tourist season, everything is worse. I commute from Seminole Heights to North St. Pete every day. Morning commute around 8:15 is 40 minutes. Getting back home takes an hour unless I wait until about 6:30 to leave. Worse if there's a hockey game downtown, or an accident (or the aforementioned rainstorm). But on a Sunday afternoon, I can make the 20-mile trip, either way, in 20 minutes. Whatever you do, don't commute on a bike. This is *not* a bicycle-friendly town. There are trails, and lots of recreational places to go and ride, but you don't want to be on the roads. There are *very* few bike lanes, and the tourist nature of this place tends to mean a lot of people who aren't sure exactly where they are going - so they're not paying attention to you on your bike. The bugs aren't bad. I live near a river, so there tend to be mosquitoes in the summer, but aside from that, you learn to compensate for other things. Add a pest control service to your utilities budget. Learn to keep cereal in sealed plastic jugs instead of the original box (so things don't get into it). Same with flour/suger/etc. If there are bugs in my house, I don't see 'em. Anywho. 2 cents. :-) Like David says, the rain is very different here. It doesn’t rain the same way as it does up north, because generally we’re not dealing with frontal systems. Whereas a rainy day in Portland is usually going to be drippy and dreary all day long, a rainy day here will actually be sunny for most of the day. Then, all of a sudden (usually at rush hour, it seems…), it will start pouring for about an hour. Rain like you’ve never seen before. Buckets of it. Then it’s done, the sun comes back out, and it all dries up.

As far as traffic, what everyone else said. It really depends on where you are, where you want to go, and when. Our traffic isn’t as bad as Boston or Houston, but it doesn’t always flow either. If you’re crossing a bridge, you’re more likely to encounter bottlenecks. If it’s tourist season, everything is worse. I commute from Seminole Heights to North St. Pete every day. Morning commute around 8:15 is 40 minutes. Getting back home takes an hour unless I wait until about 6:30 to leave. Worse if there’s a hockey game downtown, or an accident (or the aforementioned rainstorm). But on a Sunday afternoon, I can make the 20-mile trip, either way, in 20 minutes. Whatever you do, don’t commute on a bike. This is *not* a bicycle-friendly town. There are trails, and lots of recreational places to go and ride, but you don’t want to be on the roads. There are *very* few bike lanes, and the tourist nature of this place tends to mean a lot of people who aren’t sure exactly where they are going – so they’re not paying attention to you on your bike.

The bugs aren’t bad. I live near a river, so there tend to be mosquitoes in the summer, but aside from that, you learn to compensate for other things. Add a pest control service to your utilities budget. Learn to keep cereal in sealed plastic jugs instead of the original box (so things don’t get into it). Same with flour/suger/etc. If there are bugs in my house, I don’t see ‘em.

Anywho. 2 cents. :-)

]]> By: David Jenkins http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76843 David Jenkins Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:49:25 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76843 Thnaks, Gar, I was thinking maybe there were more rain days there, but we get a much different kind of rain, not that generally just whizzing rain. Our rain seems much harder, if in shorter bursts. Thnaks, Gar, I was thinking maybe there were more rain days there, but we get a much different kind of rain, not that generally just whizzing rain. Our rain seems much harder, if in shorter bursts.

]]> By: dreaming http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76840 dreaming Wed, 14 Mar 2007 00:53:53 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76840 right, this is not a bike or pedestrian friendly area, though there are bike trails. you risk your life riding the roads. its hotter in tampa than the nw, for sure. but i wdnt call it unbearable. in this world, there are heat people and cold people. figure out which you are before you go anywhere new. there are 300k 3/2s out there, but you will commute if you buy one and expect to work in either urban core: tampa or st pete. there are valid reasons why it costs more to live in so tampa or old northeast in st pete or at the beaches. the old areas like tampa heights and seminole heights can still be bargains, but there are tradeoffs such as lousier public schools, more crime and general ugliness. of course, if anyone is actually really moving here, my so tampa house has been for sale for 7 mos w/o an offer or even many lookers, so beware. the tax and insurance mess in fla is real and might not get much better any time soon. oh, and the hurricanes? we're supposed to be getting more and more of them, just fyi. due to global warming or whatever. right, this is not a bike or pedestrian friendly area, though there are bike trails. you risk your life riding the roads.
its hotter in tampa than the nw, for sure. but i wdnt call it unbearable. in this world, there are heat people and cold people. figure out which you are before you go anywhere new.
there are 300k 3/2s out there, but you will commute if you buy one and expect to work in either urban core: tampa or st pete. there are valid reasons why it costs more to live in so tampa or old northeast in st pete or at the beaches. the old areas like tampa heights and seminole heights can still be bargains, but there are tradeoffs such as lousier public schools, more crime and general ugliness.
of course, if anyone is actually really moving here, my so tampa house has been for sale for 7 mos w/o an offer or even many lookers, so beware. the tax and insurance mess in fla is real and might not get much better any time soon.
oh, and the hurricanes? we’re supposed to be getting more and more of them, just fyi. due to global warming or whatever.

]]> By: PortTampa http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-76834 PortTampa Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:49:32 +0000 http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/13/unbearable-bugs/#comment-76834 On bike trips- Recreational or actually going somewhere? The husband either rides his bike or runs to work from our Port Tampa abode, however, he also jumps out of airplanes and does other things many people consider risky. This is not a cyclist/pedestrian friendly area. Our location does put us 20 minutes by car from just about anything worth going to except the beaches-but Picnic Island Park suits us fine for kayaking and "don't want to spend all day at the beach" days. A new 3/2 single family would be about 350K and up in our neighborhood, though older homes are much less. The older homes are quite small and built on concrete slabs at ground level so insurance is high if you can get it. On bike trips- Recreational or actually going somewhere? The husband either rides his bike or runs to work from our Port Tampa abode, however, he also jumps out of airplanes and does other things many people consider risky. This is not a cyclist/pedestrian friendly area. Our location does put us 20 minutes by car from just about anything worth going to except the beaches-but Picnic Island Park suits us fine for kayaking and “don’t want to spend all day at the beach” days.

A new 3/2 single family would be about 350K and up in our neighborhood, though older homes are much less. The older homes are quite small and built on concrete slabs at ground level so insurance is high if you can get it.

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