Dunedin, Clearwater and the Hood (Tampa, Largo: relocating, job, houses)

[jconrad]

Relocating to Clearwater for my husband's job. Some people mentioned in an earlier post that there are bad parts of Clearwater and Dunedin. We really want to stay out of any bad neighborhoods. Dunedin looked like a really nice community, but we have also seen several places in Clearwater we might be interested in. Can anyone tell me the specific areas to stay away from?

[mawilkes1951]

Originally Posted by jconrad

Relocating to Clearwater for my husband's job. Some people mentioned in an earlier post that there are bad parts of Clearwater and Dunedin. We really want to stay out of any bad neighborhoods. Dunedin looked like a really nice community, but we have also seen several places in Clearwater we might be interested in. Can anyone tell me the specific areas to stay away from?

Clearwater Beach
Bellair Bluffs
Dunendin
all have very good and safe neighborhoods

[xlabel]

In Clearwater the bad neighborhoods are just north of downtown, Greenwood Ave, and south of downtown, Lakeview RD,Clearwater-Largo Rd. The nicer neighborhoods are east of Highland Ave, near Clearwater High School, off Belcher Rd., Mcmullen-Booth Rd, US 19. The closer you live to downtown the worse it is. The Safety Harbor and countryside area is where I would try and go.

[Mike Peterson]

You need to watch it because some of the bad areas abut the nice areas.
Just north of downtown Clearwater you have some rough areas and then 3-4 blocks over you are on the water with million dollar homes.

[summergal]

Originally Posted by xlabel

In Clearwater the bad neighborhoods are just north of downtown, Greenwood Ave, and south of downtown, Lakeview RD,Clearwater-Largo Rd. The nicer neighborhoods are east of Highland Ave, near Clearwater High School, off Belcher Rd., Mcmullen-Booth Rd, US 19. The closer you live to downtown the worse it is. The Safety Harbor and countryside area is where I would try and go.

Lakeview Rd.?? There are nice/decent homes and neighborhoods all along this road! Some parts are more blue-collar that others and those homes range ~120k-175k, but that doesn't make those areas "BAD" areas. Now MLK (Greenwood) by the lake is not so hot. Also North of downtown between Myrtle and Betty Lane, not favorable either.

Safety Harbor is great but VERY pricey! Last time we looked, the cheapest wreck of a shack there was over 300k

[Haai]

Originally Posted by jconrad

Relocating to Clearwater for my husband's job. Some people mentioned in an earlier post that there are bad parts of Clearwater and Dunedin. We really want to stay out of any bad neighborhoods. Dunedin looked like a really nice community, but we have also seen several places in Clearwater we might be interested in. Can anyone tell me the specific areas to stay away from?

Clearwater isn't as bad as eastern Tampa, IMO. As people posted, the worst neighborhoods are the ones that are close to downtown.

You may wish to visit to have a look around and see which parts you like best. The interesting part of it all is that blocks can make a huge difference. You may go from a bad neighborhood to an affluent area just by crossing the street.

[summergal]

Most of Clearwater area (not speaking of downtown) is fine and safe.

[Aconite]

The area north of downtown Clearwater, east of Highland, south of Beltrees in Dunedin, and the water is spotty at best, out & out slummy in spots. There are random blocks where the houses are cute, well-kept, and populated by nice people. Then the next block will be Crackhead City. Even on a nice block, you still have to deal with the scuzzy people-- you'll be awakened more than once in the middle of the night by the sheriff's helicopter spotlighting your back yard, looking for some thug who's likely as not hiding under your shrubbery.
Just north of downtown Dunedin is also pretty spotty-- some okay, some heading toward shady, though not as bad as, say, Greenwood. And the Skycrest area north of Drew St., and much of the area south of downtown Clearwater (Myrtle, Druid, S. Greenwood) isn't necessarily the most exclusive area going, either, though there are sporadic attempts at rehabbing going on.