Carrollwood vs New Tampa (Hunters Green/Richmond Place/Cross Creek) (apartments, rentals)

[eifvfeuin]

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I are planning to relocate to the Tampa area in August. We will both be attending USF, myself in the evenings/weekends and my wife during the day. We aren't too familiar with Tampa, having only been there once for a two-week vacation.

We have narrowed down the areas where we would consider renting to Carrollwood and New Tampa (Hunters Green/Richmond Place/Cross Creek). We also like to go to the beach and for that reason are leaning towards Carrollwood which appears to be much closer to the popular beach areas.

Also, from what I have read online, it seems like the distance to USF would be about the same from any of these areas, but the New Tampa commute would be worse due to neverending construction/heavy traffic on CR 581? We don't want a long or painful (sitting in bumper to bumper traffic) commute to USF but want to be far enough away to avoid young rowdy college kids. We are in our mid-30's.

Regarding the rental market, it seems that the going rate for townhomes or single family homes for rent in these areas is around $1600-$1800 for approx. 1800 square feet with garage, lawn service and at least a community pool included. Does that sound about right? Is it possible to negotiate the rent down a bit or is that unusual?

Any recommendations regarding these different parts of town would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[bentlebee]

You can always try to negotiate the rental amount but by that time most likely the place has been rented to someone else since rentals move fast and many management companies will skip you for the one that is not requesting a price reduction unless the property is sitting on the market for a long time for whatever reason.

Lately rentals are gone within days.

Some potential tenants approach it in such different way by stating the rental is over priced and that a couple of hundreds dollars less would be reasonable and we tell tham that this place is probably not the price range for their budget since we will have enough candidates who are not asking for price reductions which and market value is set by tenants who sign the lease.

Inventory is going down every day right now so it will be your choice to try to get it cheaper and someone else to step in...

[gulfer]

The feel of Carrollwood and the feel of New Tampa are very different to me. I like them both but for different reasons.
For living - New Tampa. I am mid 40's and like the quiet that these beatiful subdivisions have (there are some in Carrollwood, but much more normal city streets).
For dinning out/shopping - Carrollwood. It is busy there. Place of business after place of business, but nice to have it all in one location.

Recommendation - Google Earth. A great tool to see what they look like.

Also - the construction will be done soon. They are getting there and very close to the I-75 interchange right now.

The pay off to live in the New Tampa area to me far exceeds living in Carrollwood. But they are different. I would come down before you decide. Give yourself 4 hours to drive Dale Mabry through Carrollwood and Bruce B Downs through New Tampa and you will know what which area you want to live in.

[annaegel]

I know someone who is currently living in Richmond Place apartments. He said they are having problems with palmetto bugs. Maybe from all the road construction, I don't know. Several years ago I knew someone who lived there and said it is really nice. Richmond place is just feet from the construction and road noise of Bruce B. Downs. Personally, if time and travel is an issue, I wouldn't live near Cross Creek. The traffic is pretty slow. Why not look more into Tampa Palms area. That is still New Tampa, but it is just south of I-75. You avoid the commuters traveling to I-75. I live in Tampa Palms and work at USF and it takes me around 15 to 20 minutes. If you lived on Cross Creek, you can easily double that time.

Carrollwood is another nice area. They do have many shops, restaurants, etc. However, if you drive just a block or two from Dale Mabry, you are in suburbia. I think it depends on what you are looking for. Carrollwood has several health food stores and a Whole Foods coming soon. There are many nice restaurants and plenty of shops to pick from. I think it offers more that way than New Tampa. Both areas have traffic, especially during rush hours. If you can, I would come down for a visit and see for yourself which area you like.

Living in Tampa Palms, I see many USF students in this area. The commute from here is easier than any where else you mentioned. What are you looking for in the community you want to live in? That would be helpful to make further suggestions.

[eifvfeuin]

A very important factor for us is SAFETY. We want to be in a low crime area with plenty of walking, jogging, biking trails where you don't have to worry about getting assaulted if you go out at night.

[annaegel]

Richmond Place is right across the street (really, just across the street) from an 11 mile bike path (Flatwoods). I don't know about riding at night because I don't think it there are lights. As far as crime, I feel it is safe. My husband has seen wild animals on the trail like snakes, boar, deer, etc. Tampa is not really a bike friendly place. If you want to hook up your bikes to your car and drive to a trail like Flatwoods, fine. However, I would be very careful about riding around any where else. My husband was walking across the street with his bike (he had the right of way and the green light), a car wanted to make a right turn. The car owner looked left and ran right into my husbands bike (he wasn't hurt). He looked at my husband, grinned and sped away.

[Occifer]

Originally Posted by eifvfeuin

A very important factor for us is SAFETY. We want to be in a low crime area with plenty of walking, jogging, biking trails where you don't have to worry about getting assaulted if you go out at night.

You don't really have to worry about crime in either of those places, as the crime rates in both Carrollwood and New Tampa are low compared to other areas. You're going to find more dedicated jogging and biking trails up in New Tampa because the area is newer and those things are being put in. Carrollwood is an older and more developed area, and there isn't a lot of room for putting in new trails. Some of the busier roads are getting bike lanes, but I'd much rather prefer biking on neighborhood streets without bike lanes but with much less traffic.

[TampaKaren]

The biggest difference in my mind for you is the commute to and from USF. New Tampa is closer distance wise but you have one way in and one way out. I suppose you could take I-75 but it is very congested from Fletcher to Bruce B Downs at peak commuter hours. I exited I-75 at Fletcher this past Thursday afternoon and traffic was going maybe 30 mph. Earlier in the week, I had been on Bruce B Downs and due to the roadway construction, it was scary! Someone mentioned earlier that it won't last forever - thank goodness!

There are multiple east/west routes to and from Carrollwood: Ehrlich, Fletcher, and Gunn Highway. And there have been bike lanes through Carrollwood Village and Northdale for many years. I see the (more serious) bikers very early every weekend morning and casual bike riders throughout the day and night. Carrollwood is also just a couple of miles from the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. It is very popular with walkers, bikers, and bladers.

I guess the deciding factor will be your personal preference. Either Carrollwood or New Tampa should work well for you and your girlfriend.

[tinalimey]

From Cross Creek, you can take Morris Bridge Road down to I-75 at Fletcher and avoid the Bruce B. Downs mess altogether.

[FloridaKash]

Sounds like you need to visit both areas to decide. Look at the bright side. You have narrowed it down already.