If you are looking at living in one of the apartments in Tampa, you may be wondering what exactly you should be expecting. Maybe you have your own expectations, formed from media and friends as to what Florida and the city of Tampa are like. Whether your expectations are right or wrong is not something that I can completely confirm, but I can try to give you an idea of what you might witness based off of my own experiences.
First let's take a look at the state of Florida in general. If you are expecting mostly heated weather and sunshine, then you are partially right depending on the season. Florida is usually hot, but can become surprisingly cold in the winter, dropping down to almost freezing levels. This usually takes place in the months of December, January, and February. So while it may surprise you, residents of Tampa apartments do end up using their heaters, and you will be too.
Florida is also generally sunny for the most part, with the exception being in the summer. Living in Florida you can expect it to rain almost every day in the summer, and sometimes without stopping. When it isn't raining in the summer, it is usually too hot to even want to go outside, so most of the best sunny weather actually takes place in the fall and early winter.
Not what you were expecting? Probably not if you aren't already a Florida resident. The weather is just an example of one of the stereotypes that isn't true in the Sunshine state, but that is not to say that all Florida stereotypes aren't true. We still have beautiful beaches, fantastic seafood, and a great night life.
Now what about the city of Tampa? After all, you are looking at Tampa apartments. Most people think that Tampa is large city that border the Gulf of Mexico, but this is not entirely accurate. What you are most likely thinking of is the Tampa Bay Area, which encompasses an entire region of the state of Florida including the neighboring cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Brandon.
Tampa actually doesn't border the gulf either, but instead borders Old Tampa Bay. If you want to go to the beaches lining the gulf, you will have to cross the bridge over the bay and into Clearwater. Don't worry though, as the drive to the nearest beaches isn't really far at all, maxing out at around twenty minutes.
Tampa is beautiful however, and gives you great access to anywhere within the Tampa Bay Area. Whether you are looking to go to the beaches, restaurants, or night clubs, you will never be truly far while living in one of the Tampa apartments. Accessibility is one of Tampa's greatest strengths for its residents, and is definitely not one that should be overlooked.
The expectations and realities I have described here are just some of the misconceptions you may have had about what living in Tampa, Florida may be like. Regardless of which of the Tampa apartments you move in to, don't let any mismatched expectations you may have discourage you from discovering what the city and this state are really about. Tampa is a great city to live in and I don't think you should have any misgivings about living there; that is something you can expect.