Safety Harbor (Tampa, Clearwater, Brandon: best neighborhood, sale, low crime) - Tampa Bay - Florida (FL) -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

tankerwifega · 12-01-2010, 11:09 AM

Can someone please tell me what the commute would be like from Safety Harbor to Macdill? What will traffic be like during rush hour? Is this area known to have Military families?
Thanks!

tankerwifega · 12-01-2010, 07:55 PM

After reading over alot of threads, I am not sure if Safety Harbor will be an option or not. I think the commute is going to be too long to Macdill. Looks like there is no dodging traffic congestion unless you live in South Tampa. South Tampa looks great but I am not so sure we can get the type of home we want for what we can afford.
To the military that live over in Brandon, Riverview, Lithia, etc. how do you like it? I have read so much negative on here about those places that I don't know what to do! I just want to do this move right, it may end up being our last one.

kyle19125 · 12-02-2010, 07:07 AM

I would seriously rethink Safety Harbor. It's a great small town with low crime, low congestion, friendly people and excellent schools. It's about 10-15 minutes longer to MacDill than Brandon, and about equal to Riverview. Brandon is 19 miles from MacDill and Safety Harbor is 24 miles. I think the extra half hour to 45 minutes a day would be ultimately worth it.

gypsychic · 12-02-2010, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankerwifega

After reading over alot of threads, I am not sure if Safety Harbor will be an option or not. I think the commute is going to be too long to Macdill. Looks like there is no dodging traffic congestion unless you live in South Tampa. South Tampa looks great but I am not so sure we can get the type of home we want for what we can afford.
To the military that live over in Brandon, Riverview, Lithia, etc. how do you like it? I have read so much negative on here about those places that I don't know what to do! I just want to do this move right, it may end up being our last one.

Personally, I would rethink south Tampa. It's the ONLY area you can live where you won't have a long commute. Safety Harbor is indeed nicer than Brandon, etc., but both will be very long commutes, one of our posters here who works on the base says it takes a long time just to get ON, that is on top of your commute. Check around Ballast Point, I love that area, myself.

If it were me, I would take the "lesser" house in the best neighborhood unless you want to be spending a lot of time in your car. JMO

tankerwifega · 12-02-2010, 10:15 AM

Thanks to both of you! OMG I am about to pull my hair out! I was very excited about getting our last move to Tampa, very close to my hometown, but now I just dont know. Also for my children who are military brats, we have promised them a great house when we retire! We retire while in this assignment, and due to the school grades of our daughters, we would like to stay put to get them through high school. We have had ALOT of transition the past few years and quite frankly we are sick of relocating!
I totally agree with gypsychic, I do not want to spend time driving around in my car. Found ourself in that same situation here in Hawaii and we ended up making another move ourselves to the right "location" for us. We lived a year in pure misery! I don't know why I would even reconsider the same set up again! That is just insane on my part!
What about WestChase? is it South Tampa? Those are definetly the type of homes we invisioned for our life after the ARMY. However I am not sure of the commute and just looking at the 4 sale photos, the bedrooms look very small. However this could be a great alternative?
What are the hours, morning and afternoon, for most congestion? My husband may be able to work his hours accordingly, leaving Safety Harbor an option :-)
Thanks again for the information.

gypsychic · 12-02-2010, 10:24 AM

Let me just add that the schools in south Tampa are some of the best in the county, or even in Florida. There are just SO many reasons I can see that this would be the best area for you. Why not consider getting a lesser house there for now until the kids get through school, you can always move to Westchase or wherever afterward. South Tampa always holds it's value, it is considered just about the most desirable location in Tampa to live. Also, almost all the best shopping in Tampa is found in south Tampa or nearby, and it is convenient to downtown or the Westshore area. You almost never need to leave your neighborhood if you don't want to.

Bottom line, you have to compromise somewhere. Can't say what your commute from Westchase would be, it is NOT south Tampa by a long shot. South Tampa is all old neighborhoods, no new developments in there although some homes can be newer where an older one was torn down and rebuilt.

Traffic can be bad in Tampa, and really bad if you decide to live in Pinellas (Safety Harbor) going over the water every day. Rush hour traffic probably worst at 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m., but it can be bad at other times as well.

I hope this helps, I really think you would be happiest somewhere in south Tampa, even if you have to settle for a smaller/older house at this point.

Badbird2000 · 12-02-2010, 10:33 AM

No, Westchase is north, but on the same side of the water as MacDill. Probably a 45 min. commute from Westchase. Rushhour, well at least two years ago before i moved up here, started around 7:00 am until about 8-8:30... afternoon it was 4:30-6:30 probably. I worked with a guy who lives in Safety Harbor, our office was in Hyde Park, which is south Tampa, maybe 15 minutes from MacDill. Took him about 40 minutes in the morning, but if there was an accident on the Courntney Cambell, expect to wait awhile... 1.5 hours on a few occasions..I lived in Brandon, the only plus for me was the Crosstown Expy... goes from Brandon all the way to GAndy in south Tampa, just a few miles from the main gate. Costs a few bucks not sure what the tolls are now, but it would save quite a bit of time. Their are some nice areas in Brandon, i grew up there, but sprawl is a problem... Safety Harbor is much nicer area...

Where were you stationed in Hawaii? I worked at Pearl Harbor for 4 weeks and one week at Barking Sands.. energy audits.. not a bad gig.. nice views.. plus it was February and March.. little cold here.. nice there

Sumermarie · 12-02-2010, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I would seriously rethink Safety Harbor. It's a great small town with low crime, low congestion, friendly people and excellent schools. It's about 10-15 minutes longer to MacDill than Brandon, and about equal to Riverview. Brandon is 19 miles from MacDill and Safety Harbor is 24 miles. I think the extra half hour to 45 minutes a day would be ultimately worth it.

^I agree.

Your commutes from either Westchase (which is Northwest Tampa) or Safety Harbor will run you around 35-45 minutes up to an hour, depending on traffic.

ISOnewplace · 12-03-2010, 11:19 AM

We are looking at those areas as well and while I don't live there yet, Safety Harbor to MacDill seems FAR. I will have to drive to DT Tampa but only a few days a week and I will have a flexible schedule. I heard just getting ON BASE takes forever. I would recommmed you check it out first. That being said we liked Saftey Harbor but I think many of the military familes probably live closer to the base (just a guess).

tamparesident26 · 12-04-2010, 11:45 PM

I agree completely with gypsychic. You don't want to make the drive from Safety Harbor OR Westchase down to MacDill if you have another viable option. Both are nice areas, but believe me, Tampa traffic is no joke. I live in Tampa and worked in Clearwater (next to Safety Harbor) for many years...even during off peak hours it wasn't a very quick or easy commute. (I didn't commute during rush hour as I worked a 6am-3pm schedule.) Fridays were always especially horrendous...I needed to be IN my car right at 3pm leaving the office otherwise I was looking at a good hour and a half home at least. I guess people cut out of work earlier than normal that day LOL

Westchase is really nice...I considered living there myself a while back but it's still going to be a heck of a drive every day. There aren't many easy or fast ways to get down to MacDill from there...it's basically a drive from one end of Tampa to the other.

South Tampa has a lot of nice homes with a lot to offer...I would do some more searching there as it is really going to save you SO much time driving. I second also that you have pretty much all you could want or need right there as far as shopping etc. Take a look too at Davis Island...that's a nice area and pretty close to the base I would say. I have some friends who recently bought there and it was not a ridiculously priced place at all.