Van Dyke Farms, crime, drugs? (Tampa, Lutz: condo, violent crime, chapel)

[Mister F]

Does anyone have experience with how it is to live in the Van Dyke Farms neighborhood? My wife and I are considering that as an area to move to. It seems like a nice neighborhood but I have a couple concerns.

One day as we were looking at houses in the community, we took the kids to the park there and talked with some other residents about how they liked it, if they felt safe, etc. They said it was a nice community but there had been some burglaries and car break-ins. Also, more concerning was on the small pavilion in the park, I found used condoms laying on the bench seat and there was trash all over the place. There were multiple philly blunt packages scattered on the playground and a rolled up dollar bill on the ground in the pavillion as well... I'm not naive, I know what philly blunts and rolled up dollar bills are used for and I wouldn't expect to find them at a playground in an area like this.

I'm more concerned with violent crime occurrences and I know kids will be kids but this seemed really trashy to me in a neighborhood where homes can cost upwards of 400k. Someone can’t clean up the trash/condoms or stop kids/people from doing drugs at the playground? Can anyone who has lived there or knows the area comment on this?

[tampamynewhome]

Are you open to other areas? You can get a lot more/better home/neighborhood if you opened your radius. Have you looked into Lutz, Wesley Chapel or Land o Lakes? citrus park is also nice.

Feel free to contact me via email and I'd be happy to share

[lavender]

You know that Van Dyke Farms has some really nice areas - its a deed restricted community with a good HOA. I think it was unfortunate that you experienced that situation - its not a bad area at all. You can get lower priced homes certainly farther out, but one of the reasons that area is more is because of its great communications via the Highway to the interstates and downtown Tampa . I had friends on Van Dyke who liked the immediate area so much, because it still feels rural, they have built their own home on a lake nearby now.

[jaybird45]

Over the summer we looked at some homes in Van Dyke Farms. We liked the area but the homes seem dated and needed updating. For similar prices you can find better homes within 10 minutes of there. It is in a great location for northwest Hillsborough and zoned to excellent schools.