San Antonio or FL West Coast?

[jhf4083]

Anyone have any advice in regards to these three locations? Curious how San Antonio specifically, and the West Coast area just north of Tampa Bay compare and contrast to the Metro Atlanta area in terms of cost of living, recreational activities, day-to-day life(traffic, schooling, climate, ect), and the attitude of the locals.

Never been to San Antonio, but I hear it's great and is a military town, which is nice. As for Florida, have an aunt and uncle who live in that general area and love it. But they're biased and won't say anything bad about the place. Anyone with info or helpful links would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Tbone]

I live in SW Florida Collier County, Naples To be specific, which is pretty expensive. I moved from New York, Long Island three years ago. The house I bought was $230K Then, now its worth about $460K. This area has gotten really pricey, homes start at $400. Lee County, one county north has cheaper housing Starting $300K, Cape Coral Too, but your taxes are more. I'm paying $1,900 Homestead. Trying to rent? Four getta bout it! North of here in Charlotte County is cheaper still, but your in the middle of nowhere, those prices have increased also. Sorry, But north of Tampa I Can't Help You.

[DeltaV]

Having been to all three areas and currently living in one, I can say that all three are pretty much completely different.

I'm not a big fan of Atlanta. Lots of traffic, lots of crime, and not the place that I would want to work as a LEO because of the reputation of the department and poor salaries and benefits.

San Antonio isn't a bad place. The police department has a good reputation and pays well for the area. The housing is cheaper than it is in both West-Central Florida and Atlanta. San Antonio is a historic city and there's lots of stuff to see if you're interested in that kind of stuff. There's also the Riverwalk and lots of good shopping, bars, and restaurants. They've also got several amusement parks in the area. There seems to be everything in San Antonio that one would expect in a large city of its size. The climate isn't bad either and by the numbers is somewhat similar to the West-Central Florida area.

I currently live in West-Central Florida. Depending on where exactly you're looking at, conditions can be very different. Traffic in and around the Metro Tampa area is rough at times, while it thins out the farther away you get from the big city. I like the climate, however several months in the summer are very hot and humid. It seems as if we get thunderstorms in the afternoon almost every day in the summer. There are also the hurricanes, which also could effect you some in San Antonio. As to stuff to do, you're on the Gulf coast, so obviously anything to do with beaches or water. There are also lots of golf courses. Tampa has Busch Gardens, a zoo, and a really nice aquarium. There are also several museums in Tampa and St. Pete. There are casinos, restaurants, shopping, etc. You're also only a couple hours from Disney and about four hours from Miami. Housing prices will vary greatly and have been steadily increasing around here. Again, the closer you are to Tampa, the more expensive the housing is going to be. As far as LE agencies go, there are only a handful that have good pay and benefits. Competition for jobs at these agencies is extremely fierce.

[jhf4083]

Tbone and PatrickM98, thanks for the info. Seems like San Antonio just keeps getting better and better. I'm currently in Cobb County, the county that borders Atlanta to the North/North West. Was looking at possibly going with Marietta PD or Gwinnett County Police. Cobb County Police is out of the question due to the nepotism clause they have, and don't want to work for the SO. I know a few officers with Marietta and they love it. Gwinnett is looking for 100 new officers and has a take home car program right now. I've got a year to finish school to decide. If I stay local, I'll try those two first, if not, I'll try and get with San Antonio.

Thanks for the input...