1. The Cost of Living
Tampa is an unbelievably beautiful and lively city, however living here does not come without a price. In just the few years I have been here, the cost of living has been on a steady incline. For example, when I moved in 2021, my 3 bed 2 bath apartment downtown was going for just over $3,000, which split between 3 people was more than manageable. By the time our lease renewal was offered, it was at just under $5,000, almost a 40% increase. Unfortunately we all agreed this was insane, and moved to South Tampa, which is a bit cheaper.
Of course daily living expenses like groceries, gas, and basic necessities are also getting more expensive the longer I live here. It isn’t something that has taken me completely by surprise, but it definitely wasn’t at the forefront of my mind when I moved here. Had I known this, it would have been a bit easier to plan out my move, and living arrangements in general. This isn’t a knock on Tampa though, you are certainly getting your money’s worth with all this city has to offer.
2. Tourist Traps vs Local Gems
Given that Tampa is a city with a huge amount of tourism traffic, there are a lot of spots that I wish I knew to avoid before I came here. I don’t want to name names, but there’s a handful of bars and restaurants around I like to consider “all vibes no substance”. They certainly look cool from the outside, but once you really spend time there you realize they aren’t much more than an overpriced cocktail and a great backdrop for an Instagram story.
Talk to a local, and find the real spots worth visiting. There are so many places in Tampa I would never have thought to go to, which are now some of my favorite spots in the city. Temple Terrace, Ybor, and South Tampa are all full of hidden gems, away from the mainstream crowds of the downtown and SoHo area. Explore those areas and I promise you will have a much better time, probably for half the cost as well.
3. Gasparilla
If you have never experienced Gasparilla in Tampa I truly feel sorry for you. If you had just one day out of the year to visit Tampa, I would suggest Gasparilla, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do so. In short, it’s like Mardi Gras, but for pirates. The entire city is a Pirate fueled party, including the 3rd largest parade in the entire Unite States, which runs down Bayshore Boulevard.
I always have heard of Gaspy, but never fully experienced it until I came down to Tampa. Now that I have been a part of 3 Gasparilla’s I feel like I have been cheated out of the past 24 years of my life. It’s always incredible to see an entire city come together for something so uniquely their own, with an equal sense of pride and excitement each year. Rain or shine, Gasparilla is happening, and it can only be described as an absolute spectacle.
4. Driving in Tampa
I always thought drivers in New England were bad, but living in Tampa has made them look like they could all be professional chauffeurs. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the average driver in Tampa looks like they are driving with their feet on the steering wheel. Driving around the city requires your head on a swivel at all times. There is no telling when someone will cut in front of you, slam the breaks, or zoom by you at 115 mph on a back road. Apparently no one has ever heard of a turn signal here, and the speed limit is completely optional. On top of this, the SunPass, a tolled highway designed to alleviate traffic, is very often backed up. In other words, you are paying money to sit in traffic.
The worst part is that Tampa is really spread out, so not owning a car can be a tough ask. I try to use ride share apps as often as I can, just because I don’t feel like being the one to deal with the chaos that is the Tampa roads. On the plus side, it’s not uncommon to see one or multiple people riding in the bed of a truck, which always puts a smile on my face and makes me say “yep, this is Florida baby”.
5. Hurricane Season
Of course I’ve always known about hurricanes in Florida, but experiencing them first hand is a whole different ballgame. My first hurricane season here was in 2022, when Hurricane Ian hit Tampa, and it’s surrounding coastal cities. Conveniently, Hurricane Ian was one of the worst hurricanes to hit Florida in very long time. Even more conveniently, the area I went to take refuge, as it was supposed to miss that are, ended up getting hit when it was at a category 5. I can safely say that was the single scariest day of my life, and I’m happy to be sitting here unscathed talking about it.
It’s always fun to imagine going outside in a storm and acting like nothing can stop you, but the hurricanes here really are no joke. Next time a big one is coming, I think I’ll elect to spend those few days at my parents house up in Connecticut.
6. How to pronounce Jai Alai.
There’s no quicker way to get someone to say “where are you visiting from?”, than to absolutely butcher the pronunciation of Jai Alai. I get it, I’ve been there too. It’s humbling. Jai Alai is one of the most popular beers in Tampa, made by Tampa’s own Cigar City Brewing Company. Great IPA. One of my favorites. But someone has got to start passing out pamphlets on how to pronounce it at the arrival terminals in TPA.
Of course this is just a microcosm of plenty of local nuances in Tampa. Not knowing what a Cuban sandwich is, referring to St. Petersburg as “St. Pete’s”, or getting startled when a torrential storm happens in the blink of an eye are all quick ways to get recognized as an out of towner. It’s great to know all these things now, but a quick crash course would have been nice.
Ok now say it with me folks, “HY UH-LY”!
International Loiterer 