appeal of South Tampa

[Shortbus901]

The appeal to me is definitely in the charachter of the neighborhoods/homes, the walkability and the local businesses. The reason my wife and I decided not to move there though is the congestion, busy streets and a trip we took down there after a rainstorm when we discovered just how bad the drainage is on many of the streets down there.

Other things to keep in mind: you have to deal with Gasparilla once a year (big stink being raised by the residents about this right now), people parking in the already congested streets to hit the bars every weekend, increased insurance premiums because much of the area will be underwater in even a moderate hurricane and a general sense of snobbiness (for lack of a better word) from many of the people in the area. It's an interesting area but a little too trendy for my tastes. Most of my friends have lived down there at some point or another (or still do), some love it and some list the same issues I had above. In the end it just comes down to what you are looking for and what your idea of an ideal place to live is.

[tampaguy03]

Originally Posted by Shortbus901

The appeal to me is definitely in the charachter of the neighborhoods/homes, the walkability and the local businesses. The reason my wife and I decided not to move there though is the congestion, busy streets and a trip we took down there after a rainstorm when we discovered just how bad the drainage is on many of the streets down there.

Other things to keep in mind: you have to deal with Gasparilla once a year (big stink being raised by the residents about this right now), people parking in the already congested streets to hit the bars every weekend, increased insurance premiums because much of the area will be underwater in even a moderate hurricane and a general sense of snobbiness (for lack of a better word) from many of the people in the area. It's an interesting area but a little too trendy for my tastes. Most of my friends have lived down there at some point or another (or still do), some love it and some list the same issues I had above. In the end it just comes down to what you are looking for and what your idea of an ideal place to live is.

I think you are speaking of just a few South Tampa neighborhoods regarding Gasparilla once a year parade, and the bars/congested streets. There are over a dozen neighborhoods in South Tampa, which is considered the land that is South of Kennedy Blvd from Westshore Blvd/Tampa Bay on the West to Bayshore Blvd/Hillsborough Blvd on the East.

[Aconite]

Originally Posted by tjax1000

Yes, I believe this is very true. The one thing that doesn't make sense is why/how there are still so many trailer parks in relatively good areas of Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Dunedin, etc. We all know the land is expensive and we all know that trailers are cheap and easy to get rid of. No wrecking ball required, just hitch them up and in one afternoon, presto... instant build-able land!

And in fact I'm surprised that there aren't more homes being bulldozed. If the market ever picks back up it might happen. There is a lot of near-bayfront land being occupied by homes that could be bought up cheap and disposed of.

Mmmm...yeah, like that lovely development that's being built at Belcher & Gulf to Bay.
Oh, wait, it's not. The developers just forced the elderly residents out, and left an eyesore when the market went south.