Moving further West.....

Krisann79

We live in Brandon FL now but are planning to buy out closer to the coast.  I prefer the St Pete beaches over the Clearwater ones but obviously I'm not buying a home based on the closest beach.  Here's my problem.  Everyone keeps telling me to buy in Clearwater or just north of it because St Pete is not a safe place to live?  Is this actually true.  I go there all the time but not through the neighborhoods.

MrsChelseaP09

I don't know if its true or not but I "feel" like it is. I have a few friends that live in St Pete and I personally don't feel safe outside of their houses. I don't think I have ever been in a neighborhood in St Pete that I actually feel safe in.

Sarah K. B.

I'm always hearing of robberies and crime occuring mainly in St. Pete, so I don't know if it's actually the truth or what the media just portrays. I would go onto citydata.com and look up demographics and crime rates, along with other pertinent info.

vanillabean81

I think with any city, there are definitely safER places to live and then not so safe. Parts of Old Northeast, parts of Gulfport, Snell Isle, the Coffee Pot Bayou area, etc. are some of the nice, safer areas. South St. Pete has a few decent spots but seems to be the hardest hit with crime and rundown areas. I used to live in a decent area of south St. Pete a few years ago, but just in the short time since I moved it has gone downhill. If you're serious about a place, you'd probably do well driving around the specific areas and asking around about the safeness.

KimL84

Every city has its good neighborhoods and bads. I am from Old Northeast St. Pete and it is a beautiful neighborhood with minimal crime and foreclosures. The only problem with St. Pete is that it has become terribly over populated with the addition of the "night clubs" downtown. They are fun to hang out at but not so great to live around. Plus the Rays Stadium is DT so your commute can sometimes stink. Personally, I would head a little farther north like Clearwater or Palm Harbor. Clearwater is close to the beaches and gives easy access to Tampa, PH, St. Pete, ETC. Palm Harbor is definitely the best place to raise a family. The neighborhoods are safe and there are several good schools. I have lived in this area my whole life. Good luck to you and your family

regenab

I have a couple of friends that have houses in the Pasadena area of St. Pete and they really like their communities and feel safe living their with their young families.

I live in the Palm Harbor area and love it. Very safe and wonderful neighborhoods and great schools. I also have friends that live in the Countryside area of Clearwater, which is north of city of Clearwater and they really love their communities. I also have heard great things about the Safety Harbor area and they have wonderful schools.

Where I live at in Palm Harbor we are close to Honeymoon Island beach and this is my favorite beach to take my girls. It is not overcrowded like Clearwater or St. Pete beaches and it is very clean. Even during spring break and snowbird season it is not overcrowded with tourists. We have some great restaurants in Palm Harbor and Dunedin area. And we have some beautiful parks to take the kids.

If you are set on St. Pete, then I agree, look up a couple of areas you are interested in and go drive around. You will know right away if it is an area you want to stay away from. I rented several places in St. Pete when I worked down there. I always stuck to a couple of good neighborhoods, but if you went about 10 blocks down you would be in not so nice areas.

melaniec718

I used to live in North Clearwater, near Palm Harbor. I think it is a lot safer of an area to raise a family in Clearwater than St. Petersburg. There is also a beach near Clearwater too that is very nice!

cnbyrd

I grew up in St.Pete & would not raise my daughter there. I am in North Clearwater right now and moving even further north. The school systems are better, the neighborhoods are kid friendly. All in all its a nicer place to live. I would look in Tarpon Springs, Trinity, Palm Harbor, Eastlake, N. Clearwater etc.

stacylash

I agree! St. Pete is beautiful but does seem to have many more crime issues than CLWTR. I live off of Bellaire in Clearwater and like it a lot but Dunedin is my dream city! The people there are kind and there are great parks however I have no idea about the school systems. But just like with any place there is a "dirty side" of Dunedin. Also Safety Harbor is very nice! I know there is an EXCELLENT day care in Trinity however it is quite a drive!

stacylash

Oh boy I meant Palm Harbor, not Safety Harbor!