New Port Richey or Apollo Beach (Tampa, Brandon: real estate, apartment complex, foreclosed) - Tampa Bay - Florida (FL) -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

joyjoy710 · 03-29-2012, 08:02 AM

Hi, I need advice/opinions please

I'm relocating to the Tampa Area. I'm a Single Female and need advice on a couple of places...I came down to Tampa a couple of Weekends ago to look around and was quite perplexed with some of the neighborhoods. I am making another trip down this weekend to look at some more rentals but want to know if, based on you guys advice, the areas are "SAFE" and as a Single Female would you live there

One area I'm looking at is Apollo Beach and the other is New Port Richey~specifically the Gulf Harbor Area.

Any information you can give would be greatly appreciated! i've cked the county sheriffs website for Crime Mapping and Google Earth to view the other homes in the area but yesterday when I called the sheriff's office to inquire a little further about a property in Town and Country the officer told me even though there was no crime in that particular neighborhood he wouldn't recommend it to me being a Single Female...so...even though the Crime Mapping may show no incidents it could still be an area I need to avoid...sooo confusing! please help

thanks
Joyjoy710

BucFan · 03-29-2012, 11:18 AM

The only place in Apollo Beach that I'd rent/buy is Mira Bay since it's gated and has very nice amenities. I might consider Lil Harbor, but there are a lot of temporary inhabitants living in the resort that you never know if you can trust, safety wise. I can't think of other places in Apollo Beach that I'd see as worthy. Just my opinion on the area.

LKJ1988 · 03-29-2012, 04:04 PM

Gulf Harbor in NPR is a nice area. All around within a mile or so most of NPR is pretty rought with lots of crime. I would stay away from TNC.

bentlebee · 03-29-2012, 04:59 PM

If you look or listen to some folks you can't live any where...

Check the sex offenders website and you get a huge scare but that is basically for every State with nice weather since sex offenders tend to live outside and rather be warm then cold.

I live for over a decade in Florida and love it over here and I believe that if a woman isn't going by herself after dark to certain places you should be fine, most incidents occur later in the evening and in places where not many people are seen.

I believe this is no different over here then it is in Europe (where I'm from and in Amsterdam in the evening you betetr stay away from certain areas as well) or else where in the world. If you want to live your life and listen to every one who doesn't like an area then it will be hard to move any where.

You can have a nice street but if people move and bad people move in that street can change overnight by just one person or one family, BUT it can also be the other way around as we have seen in our area when people were foreclosed on and their child was vandalizing so much over here, and finally after 5 years they are gone and it was a huge change...BUT they moved some where..so that area or street has a different family now!

algia · 03-31-2012, 04:16 AM

I wouldn't live in NPR or Apollo Beach single or not single!

NPR is spread, old and ugly...long commute to anywhere...and Apollo is the same, nothing there really...I mean are you looking to drive a lot?

IF you enjoy walks at night, then find a gated subdivision...guarded... to be sure? I don't know...that's what I'd do...but I don't like to take walks at night because there are a lot more bugs, and I can't see them as well...or alligators...you can be in a safe area "people" speaking, and the get bitten by an alligator...which negates the word: "SAFE"!

Those two areas that you mention are boring, busy traffic wise, have a lot of retirees, and ugly in general. It is truly mind boggling how a beautiful state can be turned ugly by people in regards to the buildings, and overall landscape of a city. IMO.

In Apollo Beach there is one area that is filled with million dollar homes, and that's about it; everything else is sparse, and you have travel quite a ways to Tampa for "entertainment"!

I don't know where you'll be working...but these two areas are complete opposites...I would be concerned with where you work first, and then find a place withing 15 minutes or less from your work. That would be ideal.

Look at these maps:
http://www.commercialphotoservices.com/npr%20to%20apollo.png (broken link)

2nd route:
http://www.commercialphotoservices.com/npr%20to%20apollo%202nd%20route.png (broken link)

Irishiis49 · 03-31-2012, 04:49 AM

I like Apollo Beach...the key west style homes and shopping centers.Mira Bay is gorgeous...I'd research the HOA's and other fees before buying because they can add up! My husband works in Seffner and he said it would take him 25minutes to work...compared to over an hour drive from Palm Harbor!I didn't see any seedy people and we stopped at the convience store at AB Blvd and 41 and they said there is very little crime! Compared to NPR where we looked into Watersedge it is truly seedy around there!Gulf Harbors on the west side of NPR is nice but watch out for flood insurance rates when you have older home in insurance co's hassle you about older roofs etc.!!

bentlebee · 03-31-2012, 05:28 AM

I guess Algia has not been there for a long time since Trinity and NPR are almost waived into each other and some parts of even one street are officially NPR while the next door neighbor can be living in Trinity. There have been complete new build apartment complex build that are almost ready to move in, brand new hospital, etc...

Any one who claims an entire area is awful doesn't sound reasonable to me. Tampa has their good and bad areas but nobody can say tampa is bad, the same count for Brandon, Riverview where new build homes were build with Chinese drywall but that doesn't mean ALL the homes have it!

I usually skip posts of people who decide everything is bad...they usually have no clue about real estate and have a secondary reason to say things or just no common sense and no clue and try to scare people.

What will algia say to all the single woman who live there for a long time and have no issues and like where they are living? I wonder what your neighbors say about you and your landlord after reading all your posts?

Wwanderer · 03-31-2012, 06:55 AM

I'd be thinking about your commute into Tampa, if that's where you'll be working, and I'd also be thinking about night life, and a compatible demographic--you don't say what age you are, or where you'll be working.

joyjoy710 · 03-31-2012, 04:21 PM

Hi! I appreciate all thd info! I'll be working by the airport...just signed lease on place in gulf harbor...hope the area is good! It looked nice and I didn't see any "crime" in that neighborhood...I'm in my early 40's...moving from Atl so if i didnt have to commute or sit in traffic I don't know what I'd do with myself! Lol hopefully it won't be too bad! I hope! Thanks again! I'm excited to be joining your community!

LKJ1988 · 03-31-2012, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joyjoy710

Hi! I appreciate all thd info! I'll be working by the airport...just signed lease on place in gulf harbor...hope the area is good! It looked nice and I didn't see any "crime" in that neighborhood...I'm in my early 40's...moving from Atl so if i didnt have to commute or sit in traffic I don't know what I'd do with myself! Lol hopefully it won't be too bad! I hope! Thanks again! I'm excited to be joining your community!

Gulf Harbor is like heaven compared to the areas around it. Gonna be a pain when it comes to driving to the airport. From PortRichey to Danashores it's a solid 45 to 50 min drive anyway way ya go.