The Nest

We live in a townhome in Riverview...and it's about a 15-20 minute drive to downtown.  I like it a lot and it is definitely a young adult/young family kind of development.  I don't plan on staying in the townhome for too long b/c I want a house (H bought the townhome before we got engaged).  But I wuold definitely suggest looking into the area.  Another great area is South Tampa, but it is more expensive and has potential flood problems (=might need flood insurance).  The are that is the most up and coming is the Apollo Beach/Ruskin area, about a 30 minute drive to downtown.  My mom actually sells new homes in Ruskin.  Their website is sunporthomes.com if you would like to take a look.  HTH!

Hey Joelen! I think I answered all of these questions in my original email to you but I'll answer again.  And if you have any questions on a certain area, email me again - katmachine@hotmail.com.  I've lived in the Tampa/St Pete area since 1980. I could give you the pros and cons of what I know about neighborhoods.  There are some ares that currently are not good given the recent foreclosures. 

I live in South Tampa near Bayshore/MacDill AFB. For us it is a perfect place to live.  Neither of us have the patience or time for a long commute to the suburbs (i.e. New Tampa, Wesely Chapel, Riverview, etc).  Nor do we like the feel of a planned community such as these areas. 

South Tampa is quite pricey for what you get square footage wise. You're going to get an  older smaller home in a quiet tree lined residential area.  Our home is low to mid 300's in So Tampa but would likely be low to mid 200's elsewhere (to give you an idea of price variances).

There are a lot of family owned restaurants, and you are close to downtown, the airport, the beaches, St Pete, Clearwater, Brandon, shopping, etc.  For you going to Rocky Point would be a great place given that you would be driving against traffic.  I work Downtown and have a 8 - 10 minute commute.

Again, everyone has their own ideas about where they want to live. For us this is perfect.  It reminds me a lot of the neighborhood I grew up in on the South side of Chicago.  I like the feel of an older established neighborhood with mature trees.

Good luck!  See you in the 2nd!!

hey girl...i am still pretty new to the area and love our  area of wesley chapel, but it is quite a drive to down town....about 30-40 mins due to traffic...but we love it as it is a small town feel in a larger city type area...great food, shopping and quiet peaceful neighborhoods....

cant wait to see you soon!

We live in Old Seminole Heights, which is about 15 minutes from downtown Tampa. http://www.oldseminoleheights.com/ It is a national historic district, filled with bungalows and historic neighborhood charm. There are several small businesses that our neighborhood strives to support. There is a great sense of neighborhood here, everyone takes pride in living in Seminole Heights, there are porch parties, neighborhood events, and a lot of neighborhood involvement.

Pros: Close to everything (look on a map and you'll see), great neighbors, every house has character & charm, local businesses, close to new Heights Development on the River. Up & coming neighborhood, lots of potential.

Cons: Pockets of good areas and bad within Seminole Heights, bad reputation, smaller homes (since they are 1920-30's homes, don't expect a master suite with a walk in closet ;) )

In South Tampa the Hyde Park area is beautiful, but pricey, there are also bungalows and old homes with lots of charm. There are tons of restaurants and local businesses there as well. It has a great reputation.  I would definitely check that out as well.

Another piece of information..just south of Seminole Heights is Tampa Heights (kind of sketchy) and Riverside Heights (pockets of good and bad). There is a new large development just South of Riverside Heights, and just North of downtown planned called The Heights of Tampa: http://www.theheightstampa.com/ which will be located right along the Hillsborough River and include restaurants, shopping, and housing.  

Here's a link to the New Heights Magazine which consists of information from the Urban Corridor of Tampa: http://www.newheightsmag.com/ 

Urban Corridor: Seminole Heights, Downtown, Ybor, West Tampa, Tampa Heights, Riverside Heights, Davis Islands, Hyde Park & Surrounding Areas

Oh! Also check out St. Pete. It's pretty close to Tampa, and it's such a cute little city. Close to beaches, they also have several historic districs with an urban feel. Downtown St. Pete just has a completely different feel than downtown Tampa, so you should check it out too.

Ok this is getting rather lengthy...Good Luck in your search!

 

Riverview is not a long commute to the city...I drive it everyday, twice a day...and it takes no more than 20 minutes.

I live in South Tampa about 5-10 mins from downtown. Flood insurance isn't required where I live, but you do have to watch out for it in certain areas. This has been a summer with LOTS of rain, so you're coming at the perfect time. DH and I drove around the area after big rain storms to see where the flooding was. :) I really love the location because we're about the same distance to St Pete, North Tampa, and are really close to downtown.

I second the Riverview area.  Things are really growing and it is close to Tampa (20 mins tops) and beaches in St Pete (30-45 mins) or Sarasota (1 hr).  My DH and I moved here 2 yrs ago.  There is a Wine Styles that we frequent for tasting.  We have met a few couples there.  There are several gyms, places to eat and soon tons of shopping.  There plans to build a out door mall/shopping center on the river.  People with boats will be able dock and then eat and shop before heading in to Tampa.  There are a few hotels coming to the area and a hospital.  The homes in the area have been marked down because of the market so you can get some great deals.  I know there are a few Nesties on this board who live in Riverview and like it.  Good Luck!

Hey! I live in New Tampa. When there is no traffic it takes me about 25 minutes to get to down town, though my neighborhood is right by the on ramp to the interstate so I do not have to deal with the Bruce B Downs traffic. Honestly, I would not live in New Tampa if I didn't live right by the interstate. You will Love South Tampa. There are TONS of great restaurants that are not chains. DH and I often make the drive to have good food since there are only chains by us. The problem with south tampa is it is pricey but I'm sure your used to that since you have been living in Chicago. When we bought our house 3 years ago we wanted to buy in South Tampa but at our price range we would have only been able to get a small house (this was also when the market was hot though) In new tampa we were able to get more house for our money. Good Luck!

Hey Joelen,

We live in NE st pete, lots of cute houses, just a few blocks south of us is Old NE st Pete which boarders downtown, can be pricey but great neighborhood, old brick roads, some fancy neat old houses. Downtown st pete in the winter months has an awsome farmers market, every friday night there is a dance in the street, lots of restaurants, and is right next to the water. We are like 4 miles from downtown in NE st Pete nice neighborhood, we live near a park that had a boat ramp there so if you get yourself a boat and want to take me out for the day I wouldn't turn you down. lol

affordable housing with small town feel. we rent a house so i don't know if this area requires flood insurance or not, but we have lived in a few different neighborhoods in st pete area, and have fallen in love with this one. Lots of places for sale around here. 

we leave East of 4th St N and Right off 38th ave NE  St pete, for a neighborhood wise, and then stay north of 12th Ave NE (or you might have the hookers in your front yard in the middle of the night ;)  )

going north in that same area up to Gandy. Is all pretty nice neighborhoods, Stacey lives just on the other side of 9th St (MLK BLVD) and South of Gandy whis is a nice neighborhood too

WE have only been here about 2 years so we are still learning good and bad as well. If you want to come check out St Pete while you are in the area let me know we'd be glad to have you over and show you around a little bit. 

I live in the NW Tampa area near Westchase. With rush hour traffic, it can be a bit tough getting to downtown, but we love it out here.  We liked South Tampa, but it was just too expensive.  We were able to buy more house for our money out in the 'burbs.

If you are looking for more of a community feel, then the Westchase area is great.  Lots of families, lots of activities, kept up very nice.

Coming from Chicago, you might find South Tampa a better fit.  Just depends on what you can afford and what's at the top of your list.

I plan on being at the GTG, so I am happy to answer any of your questions on the greater Tampa Bay area then!  See you on 9/2!