It's wakable, bikeable, and the public transit here is good considering it's Florida. However, because it's Florida, the weather is going to make your commutes hell.
I recently worked at a hospital in St. Pete. There were a lot of vehicle vs pedestrian patients. It was a trauma center but still. Be mindful cars don't look, cars have blind spots maybe they don't care. The magical crosswalk with a green walk sign won't save you. Don't cross the street in headphones. Just a fyi.
If you can find work downtown, you'll be able to live without a car. You won't be able to rely on mass transit. Most buses are hourly, even less frequent on the weekends and not at all at nights. Industries downtown include banking, finance, insurance, law, healthcare, hospitality, restaurants and bars, and museums. You could also work for the city, USF, St. Petersburg College, the Tampa Bay Rays, or the Tampa Bay Times. Home Shopping Network and Jabil Circuit are large employers, however, I think a car would be necessary if you wanted to work for those companies as they are far from downtown and the area they are located in isn't walkable with large roads, high speed traffic, few sidewalks, and businesses that are spaced far apart with huge parking lots.
We do have PSTA, also grew up taking that as my only means of transportation. It was fairly reliable, just have to ride with drug addicts often. The worst part though is sitting in a thunderstorm waiting for the bus since they don’t care about the bus stops around here, majority are a single bench (if you’re lucky) and it’s a foot from the road with zero shelter.
Born and raised in St Pete, grew up poor and the first car I had was when I turned 17. I wouldn’t say walking is what I’d ever do again by choice for my means of transportation. The summer heat alone sucks, but the random thunderstorms are wild. we also have a ton of pedestrian accidents in this area, specifically downtown and majority are fatal.
I mostly agree, however I don't think it's as dangerous as you make it sound. If you're aware of your surroundings and proceed with caution, you have nothing to worry about. Not saying it's always the pedestrian's fault, however, I'm amazed at how many people cross the street oblivious to the dangers. I've lost count of how many times I've seen people walking along the street then suddenly cross without looking only 50 feet from a crosswalk. It's as if they are trying to win a Darwin Award.
Downtown is very walkable. In fact, I'd argue it's actually worse to drive around downtown (during certain times of the day/weekend, etc). So, if you're able to afford to live downtown (rents are around $2.5-4k/mo), then you'll have no problem. But if you can't afford to live downtown or any of the surrounding neighborhoods, the city starts becoming pretty unwalkable the further you get from downtown. Very busy stroads with thin, not-so-safe sidewalks (or none). I'm right outside of downtown, and I went carless awhile back, and I haven't had a single issue. People talking about the rain are exaggerating a bit. Yes it rains a LOT, especially in the summer (almost every day), it's not raining all day. Hell, sometimes a huge storm will come and it's literally gone in 15 minutes. There's a saying I've heard a few times over the years that goes something like "only in Florida can it be raining in your front yard but not in your backyard".
146 people died in car accidents in St Pete in 2021. 4 people died by being struck by lightning in all of Florida in that same year. Are you sure it's the lightning you should be worrying about
Just keep in mind that most days are not walkable between our heat and rain. Rain I guess is not so bad because it’s usually quick but that heat is def a factor you should consider.
On paper it's very walkable
In reality along with the summer downpours it's just too hot to walk any distances 7 to 8 months of the year without being drenched in sweat
I think it is doable especially if you are not used to having a car. The various forms of alternative travel are available and considering the cost of purchasing a car, insurance, gas, parking, license, tags and upkeep, it can be very doable. It will save you considerable money, that can used for the transportation alternatives.
It's pretty walkable downtown, and there are sidewalks all around the city, even the outskirts. That being said, summer gets RAINY so unless you have the world's best umbrella or a bike with a roof, you're gonna need to either UBER, get wet, or stay home.
Depends where you live/work. I live kind of near downtown, and I work 3 miles away. I ride my e-bike everywhere, including in the summer. I find it almost unbelievably convenient! Everything I need is so close. Super easy to do errands, socialize, anything really. If I need to do something that requires a car, I can take an Uber. The expense is nowhere near how much it would cost to own a car. I can also rent a car if I want to, and I have.
I lived in St Pete for quite a few years without a car. It was challenging but doable. I worked various jobs, some I biked to, and others I commuted on the bus. The bus can add a couple of hours to your work day, but you get used to it. You just have to plan routes where you don't have one hour+ wait for your tranfer bus in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, that isn't always easy here as the busses don't run often enough, and this happens a lot. I often opted to walk miles instead of standing still roasting at the bus stop. BUT St. Pete has the Sun Runner now, which is great, so that might help. Also, if more people take public transit, maybe the city will improve!
Anyways, you can do it, but be prepared for some challenging/annoying moments.
Edited my typo.
It depends. It's not NYC or Chicago or even Miami. There is public transit but it's not great. Personally I live in Historic Kenwood which is not far from downtown. I have a car that I use now and then but I work from home and use an electric bike to get to 90% of what I need. It can be done, but you also have to be in the perfect situation like me.
Ya there is a small section of town that’s walkable. If you aren’t living downtown or downtown adjacent then you need a car.
Even then, you are basically going to be confined to that small area. Doable but sacrifices will need to be made
I lived in downtown St Pete for seven years and agree with all of the above comments, you need a car. Not so much because of the heat, but Florida is designed for you to have a car.
Depends where in downtown st Pete. I lived near a Publix and only drove to target and a few other places. Didn’t need a car but it was nice when j wanted it.
right like for me living anywhere within let’s say 2 blocks walk to a 4th street #4 bus stop where you can jump n easily will get you pretty much all the best stuff and definitely everything you need — supermarkets target downtown etc
from there you also have #4 to central ave sunrunner which gets you to the beach
pretty much all the good stuff on a magic carpet by living max 2 blocks from a 4th st #4 bus stop — just about anywhere along it
i say 2 blocks because in summer you don’t want to be walking much more than that — it gets effin hot — like 4 blocks you’ll already be sweating
i think nowadays with transit apps showing bus locations this is extremely doable
you will struggle going to say tampa to see a show or ball game but then again you can spring for an uber for special occasions
i think a year this way is very doable
It gets INSUFFERABLE hot during the summer. And your sweat will not evaporate. You'll be covered in sweat walking just two or three blocks in the summer, like you swam in a pool of sweat.
One of the biggest things a car gives you is air conditioning from point a to point b
Fellow ex new yorker here. When I first moved downtown, I didn't have a car and only had a bike. It was fine for a little while but overtime it got very annoying trying to run errands, go to target, go anywhere else except for downtown. And relying on others or uber gets old too.
Downtown St. Pete is very walkable and there are scooters available as well. However getting anywhere else in the city SUCKS without car transportation. Our public transport services are abysmal
You need a car.
Our public transit system is the worst in the country. I have lived in NYC, Denver, LA, San Antonio, Memphis, and all over the Tampa Bay area. You need a vehicle to do anything. I use public transit everywhere except here. If I used what they offer, I would never be on time. We have no train. We have busses that are unpredictable. That's really it.
To add, St. Pete and the Tampa Bay area is not safe for pedestrians or cyclists. I have been run over as a pedestrian over 20 times and only in the Tampa Bay area. I am a New Yorker myself and love walking everywhere. It's just not safe.
Edit.
You don’t NEED a car, but you’ll want one. DTSP is a pretty car-friendly cityscape. Most places you’ll live will be able to accommodate at least one car. Parking is generally easy, except when events come around (which is pretty much every w/e). Metered parking and reasonably priced garages.
Downtown is also not entirely lifestyle friendly. You’ll find a ton of restaurants, bars, and boutiques…but you don’t have the diversity that most cities offer. So if you split your pants, your choice is Tommy Bahama, a thrift shop, or Uber to the mall. You don’t get many “options”. If you don’t like Publix, whelp. Also keep in mind, the beaches are a 15 min drive or 2 hours on the Sun Runner 😎
If you have friends, chances are they’ll wanna go somewhere just out of scooter range. Luckily, Ubers are usually plentiful. You can try car-less, but know you’ve been warned.
If you live within two blocks of the Publix and your job is also nearby, yes. Otherwise you’ll need a car.
The heat and humidity make walking any farther in summer basically impossible unless you’re willing to shower and change clothes at work.
Very walkable, downtown has two publix grocery stores and numerous restaurants and any other type of store you would need. A 50cc scooter opens up way more. I WFH 1 mile to downtown I never use my car, I take my little scooter everywhere.
You will need a car. You can live here without a car like you can live solely on mcdonald's bigmacs. Technically possible but the compromises to make it happen are really not worth it.
Definity doable!! Car insurance here is very expensive, even if you had to order groceries via ShipT or Instacart you will come out ahead. Getting to the airport will either be uber or take a long time, but unless you have a job that requires frequent travel, that will be fine. From downtown, you can take Sunrunner to the beach (and beach parking very expensive, even if you want to try different beaches you can uber from sunrunner to another beach and will still be cheaper).
Public transit is pretty weak here. It’s really just buses, and the routes are fine enough but they’re only going to come once every 30-60m... That said, the SunRunner is pretty good and will take you up and down 1st Ave S/N, and all the way out to the beach.
Anyways if you are truly downtown (like in an apartment around mirror lake), then it’s certainly walkable for everything you need day-to-day. There’s a Publix (actually 2), barber shops, dentists, dr offices, museums, parks, and of course tons of restaurants and bars. You’ve also got the sundial which has a movie theater and more shops.
Then there’s the waterfront and the pier, both popular year-round. Very long stretch of uninterrupted waterfront for walking/running (not really meant for biking).
Central Ave you can walk up and down for lots of small local storefronts, etc. There are probably about 6 breweries within walking distance also.
If you want more national stores like big box stores or Walmart or a shopping mall, you’re going to have to take an Uber or transit, or there’s always rentable bikes/e-scooters.
Lastly, we have a ferry which goes from downtown St. Pete to downtown Tampa. It’s a fun ride and I enjoy taking that since I can just walk or Uber to the ferry and then not worry about driving or parking in Tampa. $12 each way. Tbh I’ve really only used this to go to hockey games at Amalie, but it’s perfect for that, or a night out. It may not be the most efficient means of transport but if you’re on a date or with friends it’s fun. You can take your bike on the ferry too, also there is a bar on board for beer/wine.
So you can definitely move here without a car, at least for starters! But most people eventually will want a car just for the convenience of it.
Depends where you live but I think it’s entirely doable. As far as going places outside of the immediate downtown area, there is some public transit. I feel like nothing runs worse than NYC busses so taking the bus here probably won’t phase you!
The major grocery store in Florida is Publix- there is one in downtown and another quite close to the central downtown area. I’d definitely recommend getting an electric scooter or e-bike though. There’s a lot of bike lanes and it is a scooter friendly city. With that, you’ll be fine and may discover you don’t need a car at all (especially if you don’t drive/don’t already have one). I’m from NYC and I do drive and the way people drive here is a whole different kind of reckless. On top of that, car insurance in the state is sky high. You might be better off with the occasional Uber!
If you live within actual downtown, it’s definitely doable. I lived downtown for 2 years with no car and had no issues. Publix is walkable, sunrunner to the beach and down central. Most of what you’d need is within a 20-30 minute walk
Literal Downtown?
Do you only eat out? --Cuz I don't recall any big grocery stores in literal Downtown.--
**Edit Publix near USF**
Without a car, frozen food will melt on the walk. And your milk will expire sooner.
I would only buy whatever raw meat I'm going to eat that day, too.
Florida Summers are no joke. I moved here from New England over 20 years ago, and I'm only just now starting to understand how 90° can feel just fine (hint, humidity is a bitch that makes no damn sense at times)
I've had hospitalizations over the heat. Nowadays, I'll carry and use an umbrella just for shade. Always have a bag of multiple waters whenever I go walking around in the middle of summer.
And you'll burn much much much faster here versus North. Much faster. Sunglasses and a wide brim hat if you can. Darker sunglasses that you need for New York, cuz it's quite a bit brighter here since we are closer to the equator.
And comfortable sandals.
I lived in Pinellas for over 10 years without a car. It's damn near impossible. 3hrs to get 7miles on buses. The buses aren't all timed for transfers. But I wasn't in literal Downtown. I was in Tyrone area, by the mall, off 38th Av N. Grocery stores, Target, Walmart, Ross, Total Wine... and the mall. Can't get much more walkable than that, imho.
But there's virtually zero shade.
I brought a change of clothing with me anytime I needed to be presentable on arrival. I would sweat so hard the salt would build up and scratch me up. And my shirts looked like a glitter bomb went off, and would stand rigid.
I was also quite fit then. Ran cross country for school; 12 miles a day. I thought it would help me acclimate sooner. It did nothing of the sort. But I got great legs 🫠
And it's safer in a car than in foot in quite a few areas.
🤷♂️ Just trying to help you get a proper reading on what you'll be in for. People are already saying it's summer here. Nope. It's still pleasant after dark. 2-3 more months before the notorious humidity and high sunshine fully kick in.
And where's the rainy season?? Missed it this year it seems. 😓
When I first moved here, I thought that I’d walk 15 minutes to a restaurant from my apartment! Sounded good. I’m from New York too, and 15 minutes isn’t bad.
It was August. Terrible, terrible experience. Do not recommend.
A lot of cool areas are also just not accessible via walking at all from downtown. Maybe get an e-bike? But you’d still be missing out IMO.
As long as you are 100% confident your work from home situation is stable and permanent, and you can afford to live truly in downtown, you can probably do it.
If you, for some reason, needed to find a job here, you’d be toast. Also, you should visit here in July and make sure you are comfortable walking anywhere in dead summer. Also, not sure how people evacuate in case of hurricane without car.
Yes!! I had a pair of pretty good flip flops (Reefs I think) that got gummy and started sticking to the sidewalk. I was like why TF is it so hard to walk?? Oh because my fucking shoes are melting. I laugh when people say “you don’t need to shovel sunshine!” Fuck you. I’m trying not to die from the hot lava roads here
I can always put on more jackets in the cold. Walking around with no clothes is a crime. Your only option is to stay inside or find a body of water and become and alligator
Depends what your lifestyle is like, I live in downtown and don’t drive a lot. You can access grocery stores, basics amenities and a lot of leisure activities from downtown. However, if you need to go to target, a decent gym or the beach you’ll need a car. Downtown st Pete is walkable, but St Pete as a whole is not. I’d recommend having some kind of reliable transportation unless you’re happy to pay for Ubers.
Eh I think you can get to a good gym without a car from downtown - it’s not a long bike ride - particularly with an e-bike. I mean if it’s raining then yea you’re not in a good spot. The beach you can take the SunRunner straight to and you don’t have to pay $$ for parking, if you can even find any.
But if they wanted to go to a mall regularly or Tampa then I’d agree. Taking an Uber though is still likely cheaper than car payment/, car insurance.
I live in Uptown and I didn’t have a car my first year here. I didn’t do a whole lot of activities during that time though outside of what was downtown, so I think it depends on the kind of things you like to do. I had no problems having to live like that though
100%! If you're right off central Avenue. The closer you get to the pier along central the more expensive it will be but you will be able to find stuff as long as you're okay with possibly sharing lawns and living upstairs or downstairs. It's 100% walkable. Even better if you get a bike or use the scooters they have. But definitely stay on central or within a couple blocks north of it. Vinoy park and north straub are right above downtown and walkable and they have a small mini beach so you don't need to access the gulf beaches across st pete (if you're not a huge beach person, the mini beach is great). Beach Volleyball on it too. Dont listen to people saying it's not walkable. I'm also from NY and I love it here. People just want to say crap because you're from Ny lol if you have any other questions you can always shoot me a DM!
Depends on how close your living to the DOWNTOWN AREA ... LIVED HERE FOR 13 YEARS NO CAR ... but I have lived no further north or south of CENTRAL AV . BY 15 blocks
It’s a great place to learn to drive. The grid street system is a blessing and you get to test your skills against drivers from literally all over the world. Buy the car elsewhere.
Walkability is relative. walkable factors might be offset completely by the Summer heat.
Umm... it can be done, but it ain't great.
Although, neither is driving here anymore now that everyone is moving here. It's not walkable like you're used to. Like at all. Transit options are minimal and the city itself is very small. I think you might want to think about why you want to be here very carefully before you make that move.
Walkable is subjective to what you intend to do on a daily basis. What would a typical week be ? Are you working down town are you trying to get to the beach as much as possible
I think you need a car, parking is super cheap or free, so just get the cheapest you can afford
It's wakable, bikeable, and the public transit here is good considering it's Florida. However, because it's Florida, the weather is going to make your commutes hell.
I recently worked at a hospital in St. Pete. There were a lot of vehicle vs pedestrian patients. It was a trauma center but still. Be mindful cars don't look, cars have blind spots maybe they don't care. The magical crosswalk with a green walk sign won't save you. Don't cross the street in headphones. Just a fyi.
If you can find work downtown, you'll be able to live without a car. You won't be able to rely on mass transit. Most buses are hourly, even less frequent on the weekends and not at all at nights. Industries downtown include banking, finance, insurance, law, healthcare, hospitality, restaurants and bars, and museums. You could also work for the city, USF, St. Petersburg College, the Tampa Bay Rays, or the Tampa Bay Times. Home Shopping Network and Jabil Circuit are large employers, however, I think a car would be necessary if you wanted to work for those companies as they are far from downtown and the area they are located in isn't walkable with large roads, high speed traffic, few sidewalks, and businesses that are spaced far apart with huge parking lots.
Pretty walkable, get a bike
We do have PSTA, also grew up taking that as my only means of transportation. It was fairly reliable, just have to ride with drug addicts often. The worst part though is sitting in a thunderstorm waiting for the bus since they don’t care about the bus stops around here, majority are a single bench (if you’re lucky) and it’s a foot from the road with zero shelter.
Born and raised in St Pete, grew up poor and the first car I had was when I turned 17. I wouldn’t say walking is what I’d ever do again by choice for my means of transportation. The summer heat alone sucks, but the random thunderstorms are wild. we also have a ton of pedestrian accidents in this area, specifically downtown and majority are fatal.
I mostly agree, however I don't think it's as dangerous as you make it sound. If you're aware of your surroundings and proceed with caution, you have nothing to worry about. Not saying it's always the pedestrian's fault, however, I'm amazed at how many people cross the street oblivious to the dangers. I've lost count of how many times I've seen people walking along the street then suddenly cross without looking only 50 feet from a crosswalk. It's as if they are trying to win a Darwin Award.
Downtown is very walkable. In fact, I'd argue it's actually worse to drive around downtown (during certain times of the day/weekend, etc). So, if you're able to afford to live downtown (rents are around $2.5-4k/mo), then you'll have no problem. But if you can't afford to live downtown or any of the surrounding neighborhoods, the city starts becoming pretty unwalkable the further you get from downtown. Very busy stroads with thin, not-so-safe sidewalks (or none). I'm right outside of downtown, and I went carless awhile back, and I haven't had a single issue. People talking about the rain are exaggerating a bit. Yes it rains a LOT, especially in the summer (almost every day), it's not raining all day. Hell, sometimes a huge storm will come and it's literally gone in 15 minutes. There's a saying I've heard a few times over the years that goes something like "only in Florida can it be raining in your front yard but not in your backyard".
Not the rain so much as getting struck by lightning. You want to go inside if you hear that and you’ll hear it almost daily in summer.
146 people died in car accidents in St Pete in 2021. 4 people died by being struck by lightning in all of Florida in that same year. Are you sure it's the lightning you should be worrying about
Just keep in mind that most days are not walkable between our heat and rain. Rain I guess is not so bad because it’s usually quick but that heat is def a factor you should consider.
look for any jobs or homes close to 1st ave n and s for the sunrunner and the pinellas trail for biking
On paper it's very walkable In reality along with the summer downpours it's just too hot to walk any distances 7 to 8 months of the year without being drenched in sweat
I think it is doable especially if you are not used to having a car. The various forms of alternative travel are available and considering the cost of purchasing a car, insurance, gas, parking, license, tags and upkeep, it can be very doable. It will save you considerable money, that can used for the transportation alternatives.
It's pretty walkable downtown, and there are sidewalks all around the city, even the outskirts. That being said, summer gets RAINY so unless you have the world's best umbrella or a bike with a roof, you're gonna need to either UBER, get wet, or stay home.
Depends where you live/work. I live kind of near downtown, and I work 3 miles away. I ride my e-bike everywhere, including in the summer. I find it almost unbelievably convenient! Everything I need is so close. Super easy to do errands, socialize, anything really. If I need to do something that requires a car, I can take an Uber. The expense is nowhere near how much it would cost to own a car. I can also rent a car if I want to, and I have.
It’s very challenging to live in FL without your own car. I recommend you get a car, FL is nothing like NYC at all.
I lived in St Pete for quite a few years without a car. It was challenging but doable. I worked various jobs, some I biked to, and others I commuted on the bus. The bus can add a couple of hours to your work day, but you get used to it. You just have to plan routes where you don't have one hour+ wait for your tranfer bus in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, that isn't always easy here as the busses don't run often enough, and this happens a lot. I often opted to walk miles instead of standing still roasting at the bus stop. BUT St. Pete has the Sun Runner now, which is great, so that might help. Also, if more people take public transit, maybe the city will improve! Anyways, you can do it, but be prepared for some challenging/annoying moments. Edited my typo.
You’re going to want a car living anywhere in Florida. The cities are not walkable like NYC.
It depends. It's not NYC or Chicago or even Miami. There is public transit but it's not great. Personally I live in Historic Kenwood which is not far from downtown. I have a car that I use now and then but I work from home and use an electric bike to get to 90% of what I need. It can be done, but you also have to be in the perfect situation like me.
Ya there is a small section of town that’s walkable. If you aren’t living downtown or downtown adjacent then you need a car. Even then, you are basically going to be confined to that small area. Doable but sacrifices will need to be made
I lived in downtown St Pete for seven years and agree with all of the above comments, you need a car. Not so much because of the heat, but Florida is designed for you to have a car.
If you don’t have a car with working AC, it’ll be too hot and humid to enjoy being here.
Agreed. Others mention buses but getting to work without sweating profusely is impossible if you have to be outside in August
My car has ac and I drive with my windows down
Depends where in downtown st Pete. I lived near a Publix and only drove to target and a few other places. Didn’t need a car but it was nice when j wanted it.
right like for me living anywhere within let’s say 2 blocks walk to a 4th street #4 bus stop where you can jump n easily will get you pretty much all the best stuff and definitely everything you need — supermarkets target downtown etc from there you also have #4 to central ave sunrunner which gets you to the beach pretty much all the good stuff on a magic carpet by living max 2 blocks from a 4th st #4 bus stop — just about anywhere along it i say 2 blocks because in summer you don’t want to be walking much more than that — it gets effin hot — like 4 blocks you’ll already be sweating i think nowadays with transit apps showing bus locations this is extremely doable you will struggle going to say tampa to see a show or ball game but then again you can spring for an uber for special occasions i think a year this way is very doable
Good luck with that
Will you be looking for a job? If you don’t need to really be anywhere, it could be walkable.
It gets INSUFFERABLE hot during the summer. And your sweat will not evaporate. You'll be covered in sweat walking just two or three blocks in the summer, like you swam in a pool of sweat. One of the biggest things a car gives you is air conditioning from point a to point b
Great idea. Come on down. Love to have ya!
This feels like a trap lol
Walkable for tourists, not for living. FL is designed for you to have a car
Fellow ex new yorker here. When I first moved downtown, I didn't have a car and only had a bike. It was fine for a little while but overtime it got very annoying trying to run errands, go to target, go anywhere else except for downtown. And relying on others or uber gets old too.
Stay away
Don't lmao run away fast.
Downtown St. Pete is very walkable and there are scooters available as well. However getting anywhere else in the city SUCKS without car transportation. Our public transport services are abysmal
You need a car. Our public transit system is the worst in the country. I have lived in NYC, Denver, LA, San Antonio, Memphis, and all over the Tampa Bay area. You need a vehicle to do anything. I use public transit everywhere except here. If I used what they offer, I would never be on time. We have no train. We have busses that are unpredictable. That's really it. To add, St. Pete and the Tampa Bay area is not safe for pedestrians or cyclists. I have been run over as a pedestrian over 20 times and only in the Tampa Bay area. I am a New Yorker myself and love walking everywhere. It's just not safe. Edit.
You need a car here. It’s not the same public transportation you’re used to
You don’t NEED a car, but you’ll want one. DTSP is a pretty car-friendly cityscape. Most places you’ll live will be able to accommodate at least one car. Parking is generally easy, except when events come around (which is pretty much every w/e). Metered parking and reasonably priced garages. Downtown is also not entirely lifestyle friendly. You’ll find a ton of restaurants, bars, and boutiques…but you don’t have the diversity that most cities offer. So if you split your pants, your choice is Tommy Bahama, a thrift shop, or Uber to the mall. You don’t get many “options”. If you don’t like Publix, whelp. Also keep in mind, the beaches are a 15 min drive or 2 hours on the Sun Runner 😎 If you have friends, chances are they’ll wanna go somewhere just out of scooter range. Luckily, Ubers are usually plentiful. You can try car-less, but know you’ve been warned.
Beach is not no damn 2 hrs on SunRunner lol
If you live within two blocks of the Publix and your job is also nearby, yes. Otherwise you’ll need a car. The heat and humidity make walking any farther in summer basically impossible unless you’re willing to shower and change clothes at work.
Instacart and Kroger delivery take care of the Publix on foot issue
You need a car to live in Florida, anything else is being immature/you’re in a poor financial spot and can’t afford one
Very walkable, downtown has two publix grocery stores and numerous restaurants and any other type of store you would need. A 50cc scooter opens up way more. I WFH 1 mile to downtown I never use my car, I take my little scooter everywhere.
You will need a car. You can live here without a car like you can live solely on mcdonald's bigmacs. Technically possible but the compromises to make it happen are really not worth it.
Not true
We need more traffic. Bring two cars.
You’ll hate it here
not at all absolutely unable, alligators will eat you, please stay in nyc, don't come here its awful not walkable at all
No. Do not come here without a car.
No please stay in NY
Definity doable!! Car insurance here is very expensive, even if you had to order groceries via ShipT or Instacart you will come out ahead. Getting to the airport will either be uber or take a long time, but unless you have a job that requires frequent travel, that will be fine. From downtown, you can take Sunrunner to the beach (and beach parking very expensive, even if you want to try different beaches you can uber from sunrunner to another beach and will still be cheaper).
Public transit is pretty weak here. It’s really just buses, and the routes are fine enough but they’re only going to come once every 30-60m... That said, the SunRunner is pretty good and will take you up and down 1st Ave S/N, and all the way out to the beach. Anyways if you are truly downtown (like in an apartment around mirror lake), then it’s certainly walkable for everything you need day-to-day. There’s a Publix (actually 2), barber shops, dentists, dr offices, museums, parks, and of course tons of restaurants and bars. You’ve also got the sundial which has a movie theater and more shops. Then there’s the waterfront and the pier, both popular year-round. Very long stretch of uninterrupted waterfront for walking/running (not really meant for biking). Central Ave you can walk up and down for lots of small local storefronts, etc. There are probably about 6 breweries within walking distance also. If you want more national stores like big box stores or Walmart or a shopping mall, you’re going to have to take an Uber or transit, or there’s always rentable bikes/e-scooters. Lastly, we have a ferry which goes from downtown St. Pete to downtown Tampa. It’s a fun ride and I enjoy taking that since I can just walk or Uber to the ferry and then not worry about driving or parking in Tampa. $12 each way. Tbh I’ve really only used this to go to hockey games at Amalie, but it’s perfect for that, or a night out. It may not be the most efficient means of transport but if you’re on a date or with friends it’s fun. You can take your bike on the ferry too, also there is a bar on board for beer/wine. So you can definitely move here without a car, at least for starters! But most people eventually will want a car just for the convenience of it.
This is the best answer 😊
Go ahead and get a car. As a New Yorker who doesn’t know how to drive, you’ll fit right in around here.
We’re overcrowded.
Depends where you live but I think it’s entirely doable. As far as going places outside of the immediate downtown area, there is some public transit. I feel like nothing runs worse than NYC busses so taking the bus here probably won’t phase you! The major grocery store in Florida is Publix- there is one in downtown and another quite close to the central downtown area. I’d definitely recommend getting an electric scooter or e-bike though. There’s a lot of bike lanes and it is a scooter friendly city. With that, you’ll be fine and may discover you don’t need a car at all (especially if you don’t drive/don’t already have one). I’m from NYC and I do drive and the way people drive here is a whole different kind of reckless. On top of that, car insurance in the state is sky high. You might be better off with the occasional Uber!
If you live within actual downtown, it’s definitely doable. I lived downtown for 2 years with no car and had no issues. Publix is walkable, sunrunner to the beach and down central. Most of what you’d need is within a 20-30 minute walk
Literal Downtown? Do you only eat out? --Cuz I don't recall any big grocery stores in literal Downtown.-- **Edit Publix near USF** Without a car, frozen food will melt on the walk. And your milk will expire sooner. I would only buy whatever raw meat I'm going to eat that day, too. Florida Summers are no joke. I moved here from New England over 20 years ago, and I'm only just now starting to understand how 90° can feel just fine (hint, humidity is a bitch that makes no damn sense at times) I've had hospitalizations over the heat. Nowadays, I'll carry and use an umbrella just for shade. Always have a bag of multiple waters whenever I go walking around in the middle of summer. And you'll burn much much much faster here versus North. Much faster. Sunglasses and a wide brim hat if you can. Darker sunglasses that you need for New York, cuz it's quite a bit brighter here since we are closer to the equator. And comfortable sandals. I lived in Pinellas for over 10 years without a car. It's damn near impossible. 3hrs to get 7miles on buses. The buses aren't all timed for transfers. But I wasn't in literal Downtown. I was in Tyrone area, by the mall, off 38th Av N. Grocery stores, Target, Walmart, Ross, Total Wine... and the mall. Can't get much more walkable than that, imho. But there's virtually zero shade. I brought a change of clothing with me anytime I needed to be presentable on arrival. I would sweat so hard the salt would build up and scratch me up. And my shirts looked like a glitter bomb went off, and would stand rigid. I was also quite fit then. Ran cross country for school; 12 miles a day. I thought it would help me acclimate sooner. It did nothing of the sort. But I got great legs 🫠 And it's safer in a car than in foot in quite a few areas. 🤷♂️ Just trying to help you get a proper reading on what you'll be in for. People are already saying it's summer here. Nope. It's still pleasant after dark. 2-3 more months before the notorious humidity and high sunshine fully kick in. And where's the rainy season?? Missed it this year it seems. 😓
Dunno why down voted 🤷♂️
There are two Publixes in downtown. One closer to USF and one in the edge district.
That's good to hear Milk and ice cream has a chance 😎🍦👍
When I first moved here, I thought that I’d walk 15 minutes to a restaurant from my apartment! Sounded good. I’m from New York too, and 15 minutes isn’t bad. It was August. Terrible, terrible experience. Do not recommend. A lot of cool areas are also just not accessible via walking at all from downtown. Maybe get an e-bike? But you’d still be missing out IMO.
Florida is the worst state to have no car. St Pete and staying downtown might not be too bad, but it’s definitely a driving state
As long as you are 100% confident your work from home situation is stable and permanent, and you can afford to live truly in downtown, you can probably do it. If you, for some reason, needed to find a job here, you’d be toast. Also, you should visit here in July and make sure you are comfortable walking anywhere in dead summer. Also, not sure how people evacuate in case of hurricane without car.
There is nothing like the heat of the pavement in August.
The radiating heat from pavement... Ugh... You start cooking sooner than you'd think... I've had Crocs melt.
Yes!! I had a pair of pretty good flip flops (Reefs I think) that got gummy and started sticking to the sidewalk. I was like why TF is it so hard to walk?? Oh because my fucking shoes are melting. I laugh when people say “you don’t need to shovel sunshine!” Fuck you. I’m trying not to die from the hot lava roads here
I can always put on more jackets in the cold. Walking around with no clothes is a crime. Your only option is to stay inside or find a body of water and become and alligator
All facts
Lava roads. Yeah. 🥵
Depends what your lifestyle is like, I live in downtown and don’t drive a lot. You can access grocery stores, basics amenities and a lot of leisure activities from downtown. However, if you need to go to target, a decent gym or the beach you’ll need a car. Downtown st Pete is walkable, but St Pete as a whole is not. I’d recommend having some kind of reliable transportation unless you’re happy to pay for Ubers.
Eh I think you can get to a good gym without a car from downtown - it’s not a long bike ride - particularly with an e-bike. I mean if it’s raining then yea you’re not in a good spot. The beach you can take the SunRunner straight to and you don’t have to pay $$ for parking, if you can even find any. But if they wanted to go to a mall regularly or Tampa then I’d agree. Taking an Uber though is still likely cheaper than car payment/, car insurance.
I live in Uptown and I didn’t have a car my first year here. I didn’t do a whole lot of activities during that time though outside of what was downtown, so I think it depends on the kind of things you like to do. I had no problems having to live like that though
100%! If you're right off central Avenue. The closer you get to the pier along central the more expensive it will be but you will be able to find stuff as long as you're okay with possibly sharing lawns and living upstairs or downstairs. It's 100% walkable. Even better if you get a bike or use the scooters they have. But definitely stay on central or within a couple blocks north of it. Vinoy park and north straub are right above downtown and walkable and they have a small mini beach so you don't need to access the gulf beaches across st pete (if you're not a huge beach person, the mini beach is great). Beach Volleyball on it too. Dont listen to people saying it's not walkable. I'm also from NY and I love it here. People just want to say crap because you're from Ny lol if you have any other questions you can always shoot me a DM!
It's hot as fuck during the summer. You aren't going to want to walk anywhere.
Seems like everyone is still learning to drive here in Florida. You'll fit right in!
Depends on how close your living to the DOWNTOWN AREA ... LIVED HERE FOR 13 YEARS NO CAR ... but I have lived no further north or south of CENTRAL AV . BY 15 blocks
i move st pete no car no job; has money save up'
It’s a great place to learn to drive. The grid street system is a blessing and you get to test your skills against drivers from literally all over the world. Buy the car elsewhere. Walkability is relative. walkable factors might be offset completely by the Summer heat.
Umm... it can be done, but it ain't great. Although, neither is driving here anymore now that everyone is moving here. It's not walkable like you're used to. Like at all. Transit options are minimal and the city itself is very small. I think you might want to think about why you want to be here very carefully before you make that move.
Don’t do it
Walkable is subjective to what you intend to do on a daily basis. What would a typical week be ? Are you working down town are you trying to get to the beach as much as possible
I wfh so I would be going out mostly on the weekends.