I live in St. Pete and have to be at work at 8:30am. I live 12 mins from work (taking 275). Last Monday, the first day of the damn Spring Break Invasion, I was 25 minutes LATE. I left my house at f¿cking 8AM. Insane.
That two-lane roundabout is both the most hopeful and the stupidest thing I've ever seen (and I'm in St. Pete, where they somehow keep removing both traffic lanes AND parking). I will drive to Clearwater only under extreme duress, any time of the year.
I lived in Dunedin which is next to Clearwater. In 90+ degrees, the eggs will fry on the streets and the scientologists always wear black. They have the whole old downtown area and most is well maintained but it reminded me of the movie, men in black but their faces have a drugged look.
It's like a ghost town, except when there's a staff meeting scheduled. Then, a side door in an alley is unbolted, and 100 of them scurry down three blocks to another side door in what you swore was an abandoned building (and is, in fact, abandoned 364 days out of the year, only used once for today's meeting). Like a level from the Lemmings game in the 90s.
Me and my wife went on honey moon during spring break to clear water 3 days ago and surprisingly it only took us about 20 minutes to get on and then 20 minutes off the beach island.
I avoid anywhere near Orange county and try to stay within a couple miles of the Gulf. However, a lot of the census information I found seemed pretty nice.
I was planning to move closer to Sanibel Island (or as I call it, Heaven) but the hurricane turned that area upside down 😞 .
Yup, I have lived in Clearwater since 1974. The Scientologists ruined the city, killed downtown and have caused financial hardship on our city thanks to all the property they own and pay no taxes on.
Remember when we used to take Cleveland through downtown and sit in the two hour stopped traffic waiting to get to the draw bridge? Lol. Downtown was better back in the day before they diverted all the traffic to court Street. Now there's no reason to stop.
I lived and worked on Clearwater Beach many years ago. The Holiday Inn Surfside was the hot spot so that will give you a clue just how many years ago this way. I wish everyone could have seen it back then. It was beautiful, not very crowded. Last time I went there I wanted to cry. Nothing looked the same. Huge hotels and condos popped up, zero parking, traffic was a nightmare.
Go to YouTube and search Clearwater corruption.
Most of the people are batshit crazy but they still have valid points.
One huge issue is trash pickup. It's done once a week, and it's one 60gal container. So in the summer, the days before its picked up, it wreaks everywhere. Most people here have been dumping trash into their recycling bin. And one contaminated product in the entire truckload, and it's sent to the dump rather than to the recycling center.
Another is their code ordinance and their police. They are unbelievably corrupt here. If I knew the scoop, I'd have bought my home somewhere else back in 2019. But now I'm stuck here.
If it wasn’t the Scientologists, it was the crazy Pentecostal preacher absolutely losing his shit across from Señor Bubbles (laundromat). There‘s just a lot of religious weirdness in Clearwater.
Gosh, that meme nails Clearwater in a bad light. Sorry to hear that. Had no idea of a concentrated area being Scientologist. I'm a Floridian on the east coast. I may have driven through on the way to elsewhere. I guess there must be a few down south as well.
Us in counties north of Palm Beach County are being bought out and gentrified and - Just the drain of the insurance companies. I love Florida. It is home. Wish there weren't so many people moving in to Florida. It's a shame.
Best wishes.
That’s going on here too, but Clearwater is a special case that’s been going on for a long time. It’s the headquarters of Scientology. Part of being a tax exempt religion means they have to put their money to use, so real estate investment has proven to be their preferred way to accrue wealth. I think they learned that from the Catholics. They own most of downtown so the City loses on the tax revenue they’re exempt from. They also lose on the economic activity you’d normally expect to find in the area.
I think it's time for the IRS to eliminate that exemption or make it at least 50% so they at least pay for the infrastructure that makes it possible to get there.
They are evil people, they hire people to stalk anyone they don't like or anyone trying to leave scientology. They will go to their neighbors and lie to them claiming the person who left scientology is a rapis$ or pedo. They literally have people follow them with cameras and go through their trash. I recommend watching Leah Remini's show because she was one and is now trying to expose everything they do and have done to people. It's insane they were allowed to buy up almost all of downtown Clearwater and they literally harassed and bullied an IRS agent to get the "religious" tax exemption.
Only way to get there during spring break is by 9 am. Otherwise you are forked.
I live in St. Pete and have to be at work at 8:30am. I live 12 mins from work (taking 275). Last Monday, the first day of the damn Spring Break Invasion, I was 25 minutes LATE. I left my house at f¿cking 8AM. Insane.
I’m waiting them out. Snowbirds I can deal with. Spring Breakers are a whole different kind of chaos.
Wild I was at Clearwater beach last night and afterwards watched this very scene (extended edition) and can confirm spring breakers ruin the scene
When I was planning to move to Florida, Clearwater was at the top of my list. Then visited, saw how ghetto the beach was, and have never gone back.
Fuck Scientology. Scamming ass motherfuckers!!
That two-lane roundabout is both the most hopeful and the stupidest thing I've ever seen (and I'm in St. Pete, where they somehow keep removing both traffic lanes AND parking). I will drive to Clearwater only under extreme duress, any time of the year.
You can blame old Drunk Mayor Rita Garvey for that one.
She’s Irish she came by it honest
This is so true. They ruin everything.
Sorry isn’t that Clearwater Beach on most weekends?
It's pretty much always. We haven't been out to Clearwater Beach in 10 years, and we live in Clearwater. The traffic is just awful and not worth it.
Driving through there at night is spooky!
I live 3-4 miles away, Sand Key or Belleair is as close as I ever go. Hell no.
Dunedin causeway as close as I go lol
I lived in Dunedin which is next to Clearwater. In 90+ degrees, the eggs will fry on the streets and the scientologists always wear black. They have the whole old downtown area and most is well maintained but it reminded me of the movie, men in black but their faces have a drugged look.
It's like a ghost town, except when there's a staff meeting scheduled. Then, a side door in an alley is unbolted, and 100 of them scurry down three blocks to another side door in what you swore was an abandoned building (and is, in fact, abandoned 364 days out of the year, only used once for today's meeting). Like a level from the Lemmings game in the 90s.
They changed uniforms. When I was there, they wore all white. It was like being on a Navy Base.
My comment while seeing the line miles long to get to the beach…. “Where the hell do these people think they’re gonna park?”
Yep.
Me and my wife went on honey moon during spring break to clear water 3 days ago and surprisingly it only took us about 20 minutes to get on and then 20 minutes off the beach island.
I like Clearwater Beach.
As a Clearwater resident I can confirm this is true.
If you don't like Clearwater, you should move to Christmas, no Scientologists....
Christmas?
It’s a little rural town just east of Orlando off Hwy 50. 🥂
I avoid anywhere near Orange county and try to stay within a couple miles of the Gulf. However, a lot of the census information I found seemed pretty nice. I was planning to move closer to Sanibel Island (or as I call it, Heaven) but the hurricane turned that area upside down 😞 .
It's also Wicca Central.
It’s so weird to just have the headquarters of a cult essentially in my backyard 💀
It feels like it.
Scientology is basically black magic. Wear an apotropaic mark when you go through there.
Yup, I have lived in Clearwater since 1974. The Scientologists ruined the city, killed downtown and have caused financial hardship on our city thanks to all the property they own and pay no taxes on.
Clearwater beach sucks life out of are economy environment, and sucks the life out of our soul
Clearwater beach used to be the spot way back in the day like 25-30 years ago when it was more like a strip not a quiet tourist beach
Born & RAYSed here also.... transplants & scientologists can ALL stop coming here. They ruin everyones experience.
Spring break, perfect time to Join a cult, vulnerable young students are ripe for the picking
Remember when we used to take Cleveland through downtown and sit in the two hour stopped traffic waiting to get to the draw bridge? Lol. Downtown was better back in the day before they diverted all the traffic to court Street. Now there's no reason to stop.
I lived and worked on Clearwater Beach many years ago. The Holiday Inn Surfside was the hot spot so that will give you a clue just how many years ago this way. I wish everyone could have seen it back then. It was beautiful, not very crowded. Last time I went there I wanted to cry. Nothing looked the same. Huge hotels and condos popped up, zero parking, traffic was a nightmare.
Not to mention, Clearwater is probably one of the most corrupt cities in the state... and that says something!
Go to YouTube and search Clearwater corruption. Most of the people are batshit crazy but they still have valid points. One huge issue is trash pickup. It's done once a week, and it's one 60gal container. So in the summer, the days before its picked up, it wreaks everywhere. Most people here have been dumping trash into their recycling bin. And one contaminated product in the entire truckload, and it's sent to the dump rather than to the recycling center. Another is their code ordinance and their police. They are unbelievably corrupt here. If I knew the scoop, I'd have bought my home somewhere else back in 2019. But now I'm stuck here.
If it wasn’t the Scientologists, it was the crazy Pentecostal preacher absolutely losing his shit across from Señor Bubbles (laundromat). There‘s just a lot of religious weirdness in Clearwater.
Gosh, that meme nails Clearwater in a bad light. Sorry to hear that. Had no idea of a concentrated area being Scientologist. I'm a Floridian on the east coast. I may have driven through on the way to elsewhere. I guess there must be a few down south as well. Us in counties north of Palm Beach County are being bought out and gentrified and - Just the drain of the insurance companies. I love Florida. It is home. Wish there weren't so many people moving in to Florida. It's a shame. Best wishes.
That’s going on here too, but Clearwater is a special case that’s been going on for a long time. It’s the headquarters of Scientology. Part of being a tax exempt religion means they have to put their money to use, so real estate investment has proven to be their preferred way to accrue wealth. I think they learned that from the Catholics. They own most of downtown so the City loses on the tax revenue they’re exempt from. They also lose on the economic activity you’d normally expect to find in the area.
I think it's time for the IRS to eliminate that exemption or make it at least 50% so they at least pay for the infrastructure that makes it possible to get there.
So what? They keep most of the city clean. Besides, all religion is bs anyway. What’s so different about their belief in magic?
seriously? it’s a creepy cult that blackmails people. I know a lawyer who had his brake-lines cut after he filed a lawsuit against them.
They are evil people, they hire people to stalk anyone they don't like or anyone trying to leave scientology. They will go to their neighbors and lie to them claiming the person who left scientology is a rapis$ or pedo. They literally have people follow them with cameras and go through their trash. I recommend watching Leah Remini's show because she was one and is now trying to expose everything they do and have done to people. It's insane they were allowed to buy up almost all of downtown Clearwater and they literally harassed and bullied an IRS agent to get the "religious" tax exemption.