michigander moving to tampa
tommyA commenter from a previous post on Sticks needs some help. Ben-DC asks:
Hi guys. I’m formerly from DC, now Grand Rapids, Michigan, also en route to a job transfer in Tampa. I have 3 kids, will be working near the intersection of Interstates 75 and 4. Can anyone recommend neighborhoods that aren’t too suburban but near that location?
In a follow-up email, Ben says:
I like to be able to walk to libraries or cafés or to the local park/school/etc. without crossing major highways, you know? Right now we live in an isolated suburban neighborhood where all the homes (and people) look the same…. Its safe, I suppose, and very kid friendly, but a tad depressing otherwise.
If you ask me, unless you live in the city, it’s gonna be suburbs. And suburbs here sound just like you describe in Grand Rapids. Although you are working near the beginning of the suburbs, so driving from an urban area to your new gig will be against the typical flow of traffic, and in theory an easier drive than the other way around. Readers - do you have any additional info for Ben?
Tags: for you, tampa
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February 2nd, 2006 at 9:35 am
Without knowing your income range but assuming it in the $30K to $70K range, I suggest renting not buying to learn the lay of the land for a time.
The days of nice tight little walk to shopping and parks days are over thanks to Henry Ford and the NIMBY attitude relative commercial enterprises within what once were truly called “neighborhoods.”
Suggest something in Temple Terrace, zip 33617, generally staying West of 56th St.
Unless you live on the bus line and aren’t afraid to mingle with the population-at-large, you can figure you’ll be taxiing yourself and your kids wherever they go just like everybody else in this day.
HTH
February 2nd, 2006 at 9:36 am
Oooops make that **east** of 56th St. Sorry . . .
February 2nd, 2006 at 9:51 am
I was gonna say, Mike. I used to work for the BigHuge cable company here, and I’ve been in the houses west of 56th. East is definitely preferable.
But I’d definitely agree with the suggestion of renting at first. Figure out what areas are a good fit for you before committing to buying a house somewhere you might later regret.
February 2nd, 2006 at 12:04 pm
One more thing to consider, not just for Ben but all new residents heading down here, is that renting is not only a good idea to learn the neighborhoods but also to catch home prices later when they come down to more realistic levels. I believe this will happen soon enough once “flipping” loses its appeal and investors stop pumping money into condo contracts, aka “housing futures.” I might be looking to buy something that I will actually live in once those “price reduced” signs start popping up around town.
One more thought about east-of-56th: That’s way more preferable than the west side of the street, which was my first address when I moved to Tampa eight years ago. I learned the hard way, but thanks to blogs like this others won’t have to!
February 2nd, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Hey Tommy isn’t that near your neck of the woods? Offhand I would say he might be better served to look at the new developments in the south part of the county. Don’t count on prices “dropping” at all though. Most people predict a slowdown in how fast home values rise that will affect returns on investment properties but home prices won’t actually fall. Typically the Price Reduced signs you see are because the homeowner or their agent initially set an unrealistic asking price and were forced to reduce it to be competitve
February 2nd, 2006 at 6:04 pm
oops sorry about the italics, also the other stuff you want like walking to stuff and near your home? Good luck unless you have the scratch for Davis Island.
February 2nd, 2006 at 7:02 pm
I live in a building at the Ashley exit from 275. I walk to the grocery store (the Chinese market two blocks away) and the library (John F. Germany, also two blocks away), and several coffee shops and restaurants are only a few more blocks along, not to mention the Performing Arts Center. And my building is still affordable, One Laurel Place. But if you don’t want to be in a condo, you’re looking at burbs unless you can stomach dropping serious cash on not much house in South Tampa. West Tampa is catching on, smaller homes on smaller lots are still reasonable, but all the homes need work and the neighborhood is still sketchy.
I’m not sure I’d recommend anyone rent first. Yeah, you can learn a neighborhood, but as someone who moves every few years and has owned and rented numerous homes, there’s really no reason in the Tampa market not to buy. Rent is just money thrown down a rathole, sorry, but it’s true.
February 2nd, 2006 at 8:54 pm
To the fellow in GR:
Seminole Heights/Sulphur Springs = Eastown
Hyde Park = Gaslight Village before they took down Jacobsons
Dale Mabry = 28th St.
Nebraska Ave = S. Division
Carrollwood = Kentwood
Temple Terrace = Wyoming
February 2nd, 2006 at 8:57 pm
Also:
South Tampa = EGR
West Tampa = intersection of Burton & Hall
February 3rd, 2006 at 7:51 am
Heya!
We just moved from old Seminole Heights, it is the area East of 275 between Hanna & Hillsborough. we moved there for all your reasons & loved it. We sold our house because it’s still a sellers market (& we have a baby on the way) but that’s about to change therefore I would recommend renting just at first…. we’re renting in Temple terrace right now & i guess if you want to be a bit closer to 75 that it would work to; but for cafes, non-suburb, unique homes & great neighbors East seminole heights has my vote!
February 3rd, 2006 at 8:52 am
Personally, I think the renting is the way to go at first. Especially since there are so many nice area’s to check out here. If you want something that is close to work stick with the Pasco area. Lutz is a great area to grow up in. There are parks for the kids and you can get a nice house on about an acre of land. The newer areas in Pasco that are being developed are over populated. You can stand between houses and and touch both of them with the tips of your fingers. Not to mention they all look alike so you’ll never be able to find your house unless you go by the numbers on the mail box. If you don’t mind the drive you’ll love the Westchase area. You can walk to a couple restaurants, bars, grocery stores and lots of stuff for kids to do. Schools are in the Westchase community as well as daycares. That is just my opinion, but good luck and welcome to Florida. Don’t forget the sun screen spf35.
February 3rd, 2006 at 9:47 am
I highly recommend making a neighborhood hunting trip. If at all possible come during the week and drive to/from your work site to likely neighborhoods. I did this last year without even touring a single house and am so glad I did. No one knows what you can or can’t live with like you do. We would have totally overlooked our Port Tampa block if we’d relied on the advice of even our most trusted friends. You can narrow your neighborhood search by checking out crimetracker on tbo.com, school performance at the Hillsborough county schools site, and I used tampa.gov extensively to check out civic associations and parks/rec. Good luck!