NEW TAMPA AREA- What do you know Pros & Cons (Lutz: real estate, apartment complexes)

[CONTACTROXY]

Hi
Iam planning to relocate to FL and I am considering to move to New Tampa, Could you help me to get to know more about this area?
For exaple things to do, shopping, people (younger crow or seniors), job opportunities in comparison with the area, neighborhood or good areas to rent, after a year or 1 1/2 yr we will be buying a home. What areas would you recommend?....Your favorite place in New Tampa, safety,experience with people etc Please advice thanks

[annaegel]

I live in Tampa Palms. It is an older community like Hunters Green. The homes were built around 1986. Some of Tampa Palms have newer homes. The older section has old money. They are the snobby ones. The newer section is not as snobby. I like Tampa Palms because I don't have to deal with the extensive traffic that people living north of I-75 do. It could take them upwards of 20 minutes just to get onto I-75. I think that my section of Tampa Palms has more seniors or people with high school or college age kids. Though it can be block by block variance. When we were looking for a house 4 years ago, we like West Meadows. Arbor Green, to me, seems to be more upscale. I wouldn't want to live in Cory Lake Isles (off of Cross Creek Blvd) or Live Oaks (off of Bruce B. Downs) community. Pebble Creek is not as upscale, but seems to be more family oriented. We especially liked Seven Oaks, in Wesley Chapel, just north of New Tampa area. Unfortunately at the time we were looking at the height of the market, there were no homes in our price range.

Things to do. Depends on what it is you like to do. Muvico (movies), YMCA, tennis, golf, restaurants, biking, rollerblading or walking in Flatwoods, swimming, billiards, etc. For kids there is softball/baseball, soccer, dance, gymnastics, music/voice lessons, You Do The Dishes (you paint your own ceramics), swim team, volleyball (at the YMCA), basketball, etc. All this in just New Tampa. Nearby there is MOSI (Museum Of Science and Industry), canoeing at Canoe Escapes, malls, Lowry Park Zoo (number 1 family zoo), learn scuba diving, nature centers and parks (i.e. Lettuce Lake Park).

Job market, what job market??? Husband has been looking for several months after being layed off.

How much rent can you afford to pay and how many bedrooms you need??? There are many apartments communities to choose from. I would not suggest any of the apartments on Compton Drive in Tampa Palms. Richmond Place has some nice apartments, Grand Reserve (in Tampa Palms) is suppose to be nice. West Meadows apartments seems nice too. There is a rental agency in the same shopping center as Michaels craft store, right next to Mens Warehouse by Highwood Preserve. They can take you around to the different apartment complexes.

Safety, I feel pretty safe in New Tampa. Not to say it has no crime, but nothing major.

The people overall are superficial. It has been hard making new friends. They are into how they look, nice cars, expensive jewelry, inplants, shiny teeth, etc. They say hello, but that is as far as it goes. This maybe just my little area that I have experienced this.

Shopping, we have a new mall (Shops at Wiregrass). It is a new outdoor mall that has Barnes and Nobles, Pottery Barn, etc. We have all kinds of shops and some more coming. Some store closed down (Circuit City, Linens N Things).

[NWUNYEDR]

Originally Posted by annaegel

I live in Tampa Palms. It is an older community like Hunters Green. The homes were built around 1986. Some of Tampa Palms have newer homes. The older section has old money. They are the snobby ones. The newer section is not as snobby. I like Tampa Palms because I don't have to deal with the extensive traffic that people living north of I-75 do. It could take them upwards of 20 minutes just to get onto I-75. I think that my section of Tampa Palms has more seniors or people with high school or college age kids. Though it can be block by block variance. When we were looking for a house 4 years ago, we like West Meadows. Arbor Green, to me, seems to be more upscale. I wouldn't want to live in Cory Lake Isles (off of Cross Creek Blvd) or Live Oaks (off of Bruce B. Downs) community. Pebble Creek is not as upscale, but seems to be more family oriented. We especially liked Seven Oaks, in Wesley Chapel, just north of New Tampa area. Unfortunately at the time we were looking at the height of the market, there were no homes in our price range.

Thanks for the post - very informative.

Just want to know how far Tampa Palms is from Downtown Tampa? How good are the schools in Tampa Palms? Next year my first child will be entering kindergarten. Thanks for your help!!

[CONTACTROXY]

annaegel, Thanks so much for your comment and all the advice and for going into specific names and detail. Very helpful. I heard from other people to that the people can be superficial and all about themselves".... I hope when I moves I have better luck... I love expending time with people and it would be nice to have another young couple to do dinner, bbq and hangout together...will see.... Thanks for the feedback.

[annaegel]

I don't drive down there during rush hour, so I really don't know. During nonrush hour, it usually takes me about 20 minutes to TPAC. During Rush hour, I-275 is PACKED! My neighbor takes the back roads (Bruce B. Downs to Busch Blvd, get onto I-275, exit Hillsborough to drop kids off, then back roads from there). I think it takes them about 40 - 50 minutes.

My kids did go to Tampa Palms Elementary. It is a good school, but was not a good fit my older daughter. Both my kids now go to a charter school, Learning Gate Community School in Lutz. Takes me about 10 - 15 minutes. The kids and parents are snobby at Tampa Palms Elementary. I have heard that Chiles elementary (the other side of Tampa Palms) is not that way.

CONTACTROXY: I am sure you will find people to hangout, bbq, etc. with. Unfortunately, I live with a bunch of older folks or people with college age students, so they keep to themselves.

I drove by to see if the rental agency is still there. They must have recently closed down. There is a good real estate agency (Prudential) by the West Meadows strip mall off of Bruce B. Downs.

[ferret111]

Recently, I decided to go take a drive through New Tampa. I'd never been up there before, as I live on the other end of town. I took 275 up to Fletcher, and then Fletcher to Bruce B. Downs. Traffic was absolutely fine, but keep in mind that this was after 8 on a Saturday night. To be honest, it seemed like normal suburbia. There are a lot of new developments. I went down Cross Creek Blvd and into some neighborhood. It seemed okay.

Entertainment-wise, I think there's a movie theater on Bruce B. Downs by the 75 overpass. They're also building a mall over the Pasco line. Other than that, it's your typical shopping centers and big box stores.

I have interacted with people from New Tampa before, as sometimes they filter down to my job in South Tampa. They seem to be very snobby and superficial. Think of Range Rover driving soccer moms that will circle a parking lot just to get a space next to the front door. They really have some extraordinary gene pool up there, as everyone is blonde and perpetually youthful in appearance.

Overall, I think I would prefer New Tampa over Westchase. Westchase feels hollow and slightly..off? New Tampa seems to have more life to it, I guess, as well as nicer-looking homes.

Remember that all this information is coming for someone who has only briefly wandered around there.

[Tampa Liz]

I do agree with Annaegel. Great Post. Unfortunately, yes, I do feel allot of people appear superficial but, nobody really cares too much about them anyway. I came from LI three years ago. NY was very clickish. Every decent area has something. It is very nice in Grandhampton. Good Security, great for kids and lots of amenities.

[bentlebee]

Careful with your speed limit near Tampa Palms...the police is always pulling people over on the Bruce B. Downs near Tampa Palms.

Isn't it so that superficial people are every where and other people as well...it is JMO who you choose and some people might seem superficial but when you get to know them they are super nice...I never put a label on people unless I know them.

I like the Wesley Chapel area and with the new mall it is even better. Soon St. Rd 56 will be opened all through out Meadow Point and more stores are being build so if you want to be where the action is going to happen I would suggest that area and it has good deals with new houses and good schools.

Btw it is Pasco County and that makes it much better to live when the property taxes has to be paid....

The County line is at the Super Target so everything west of that on the Bruce B. Downs is paying way more. Most communities have reclaimed water which makes watering your lawn also cheaper than in the older communities.

[annaegel]

I have tried to get to know them and they still superficial. I choose not to befriend them. I have found people who aren't superficial and FYI, they are mostly from NYC/NJ area. I have noticed there are more superficial people in New Tampa area. Not sure why. Maybe they think because they have some money, they can look down at people.

Yes, the police are everywhere here in Tampa Palms. Doesn't seem to stop the speeders though. They just know where they typically hangout and slow down long enough to see if they are there, then speed up again.

I would have loved to have bought a home in Seven Oaks. Yes, the taxes are cheaper, but I think once the economy gets better, they will start building again, up in Pasco County. Our realtor told us it is only a matter of time before Pasco county's taxes are equal to Hillsborough.

I think Wesley Chapel is a fine town. I have heard good things about the schools too. Wish we were up there. I love the new mall up there. I was so excited to have a book store nearby.

Anyone know what is happening to the Cypress Creek Mall??? Is it still being built or has something happened to stop it all together? It was suppose to be Florida's largest outdoor mall. I know there were problems with environmental impact. Then they found gopher tortoises that had them stop construction.

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by annaegel

I have tried to get to know them and they still superficial. I choose not to befriend them. I have found people who aren't superficial and FYI, they are mostly from NYC/NJ area. I have noticed there are more superficial people in New Tampa area. Not sure why. Maybe they think because they have some money, they can look down at people.

Yes, the police are everywhere here in Tampa Palms. Doesn't seem to stop the speeders though. They just know where they typically hangout and slow down long enough to see if they are there, then speed up again.

I would have loved to have bought a home in Seven Oaks. Yes, the taxes are cheaper, but I think once the economy gets better, they will start building again, up in Pasco County. Our realtor told us it is only a matter of time before Pasco county's taxes are equal to Hillsborough.

I think Wesley Chapel is a fine town. I have heard good things about the schools too. Wish we were up there. I love the new mall up there. I was so excited to have a book store nearby.

Anyone know what is happening to the Cypress Creek Mall??? Is it still being built or has something happened to stop it all together? It was suppose to be Florida's largest outdoor mall. I know there were problems with environmental impact. Then they found gopher tortoises that had them stop construction.

I guess your realtor works and lives in Hillsborough and was trying to sell you a home in Hillsborough and thought it was in his best interest to scare you about Pasco property taxes....