Just moved to Hyde Park and need some help (Tampa: renting, home)

[martinigal97]

Hey everybody!
I moved to the Hyde Park area about a week ago and I'm trying to escape the moving boxes and explore my new 'hood. I was wondering if you guys and gals would be so kind as to provide me with recommendations on a few things:

1. Where can a get a pedicure?!?! (My toes are hideous and much in need of love.)

2. Are there any good local fruit stands or farmer's markets nearby?

3. Any advice on gyms?

Thanks muchly in advance!

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by martinigal97

Hey everybody!
I moved to the Hyde Park area about a week ago and I'm trying to escape the moving boxes and explore my new 'hood. I was wondering if you guys and gals would be so kind as to provide me with recommendations on a few things:

1. Where can a get a pedicure?!?! (My toes are hideous and much in need of love.)



2. Are there any good local fruit stands or farmer's markets nearby?


3. Any advice on gyms?

Thanks muchly in advance!

2. Best place to get fruit in my opinion is Fresh Market on the corner of Dale Mabry and Henderson, but there is a small farmers market typle place on the corner of MacDill and Swann

3. Now this is a question I can definately answer. You are gonna want to get a membership at the Hyde Park Lifestyle on Swann, next to Timpano, across from Cinibistro. You can park in that parking garage there and you'll see signs for "LFF" once you are inside, or you can access the main entrance from Hyde Park Village.

There are other gyms... but you would be wasting your time!

[martinigal97]

thanks!

[Badbird2000]

Agree on the gym. That's where i worked out when i lived in Brandon and worked in Hyde Park.. used to go during lunch time actually. Not many people in there during lunch and i could get in a decent workout..

[JSnFla]

Originally Posted by craigm1841

There are other gyms... but you would be wasting your time!

i assume u r suggesting that the talent pool is top notch? how is that new Powerhouse gym in the channelside area or Xtreme fitness on Howard? i had an LA Fitness membership from south florida and still use it in brandon but the talent is non existant, need to change gyms.

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

i assume u r suggesting that the talent pool is top notch? how is that new Powerhouse gym in the channelside area or Xtreme fitness on Howard? i had an LA Fitness membership from south florida and still use it in brandon but the talent is non existant, need to change gyms.

Male or Female... you'll love the HP Lifestyles...

I still have my LA Fitness membership from Brandon, I keep it active because if I am on vacation or on business, there is a chance I can find an LA Fitness nearby.

I haven't heard anything bad about the Xtreme fitness, but nothing good either. The idea is if you live in south tampa, the HP lifestyles is the place to work out. The powerhouse in grand central is nice, but more of a serious gym. I hear their dumbells go up to like 200, which is nice, but the attitudes are very gym-rat meat head oriented. I am not saying anything bad about it, it just isnt LFF.

My LFF membership quite a bit more expensive then my LA Fitness membership. I pay $35 a month for my nationwide LA Fitness, I pay $68 a month for my LFF membership, and it is only local (Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater/Brandon).

There are also some 'anytime fitness' gyms around tampa, one on kennedy, which isnt very good. it is quite small.

Whether you are looking to get a great workout, possibly chat it up a bit, or just work out with some good looking people (It is the official gym of the Bucs cheer squad), then LFF is a great spot. The only complaint I have is that the dumbells only go up to 100. I personally go to the gym to work out. I already spend an hour and a half working out without talking- so i dont need to up my gym time by chatting with women who could likely care less to be meeting a guy while standing there in smelly in sweaty clothes... but I guess people do that.

There is also a great LFF iPhone App which shows you all of the classes scheduled for that day at whatever location you want- it is pretty sweet.

[tjax1000]

Originally Posted by craigm1841

You are gonna want to get a membership at the Hyde Park Lifestyle on Swann, next to Timpano, across from Cinibistro.

While I haven't worked out at the Hyde Park location, I have worked out at some of the other area LFF in the bay area and I agree, they're consistently good.

My wife uses their child care three times a week and it works out great. Their gyms always seem clean and in good maintenance. One of the trainers told me that they replace every piece of equipment after three years. I'm not sure if I completely believe that but it probably isn't too far from the truth. From what I gather they are corporate owned, which to me seems better than something like Gold's. I've seen nice Gold's and I've seen ones that look like prison gyms. I guess they'll sell their name to anyone.

The Life Center thing seemed like a hokey gimmick to me when I first joined. (For those who don't know, this is a small booth-like thing that checks your weight, blood pressure, heart rate, etc.) However, I now use it once a week or so, and it is great that I can log in from home and actually look at my weight and blood pressure over the last 2 years!

The Clearwater location has a couple Aqua Massage capsules that are included with the premium memberships. If you haven't used one of these, it is a cylindrical type thing you lay in, and a very powerful stream of water massages you from the other side of a piece of rubber. It is not as good as a normal massage but it is probably the closest thing to it. Sadly, the North St. Pete location doesn't have these.

The only negative is that I've read a lot of reviews about people having problems canceling their membership. I can believe this, because their formal policy on this is draconian- I think you have to notify them in writing some ridiculously long amount of time before you actually want to cancel. Even if they do what they are supposed to (which it sounds like they don't always do), I could see it being difficult to get the timing right and chances are you'll end up paying for a month or more that you won't use. I guess that could be a big negative if you're renting and might move in the near future.