tampa locals, need a quick summary of riverside heights/south seminole heights please (rentals, houses)

[user8]

looking at some rentals in riverside heights near s. seminole heights, off n. boulevard. i'm a tad put off by google's street view but sometimes the shots are outdated, not to mention it's hard to gauge a neighborhood by this kind of stuff. researching the area shows reviews all over the place. can anyone give me a crime/quality summary? hoping to get some quick responses as a realtor is breathing down my neck.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by user8

looking at some rentals in riverside heights near s. seminole heights, off n. boulevard. i'm a tad put off by google's street view but sometimes the shots are outdated, not to mention it's hard to gauge a neighborhood by this kind of stuff. researching the area shows reviews all over the place. can anyone give me a crime/quality summary? hoping to get some quick responses as a realtor is breathing down my neck.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!

Hopefully someone who lives near there currently can chime in, but as a native of Tampa (who hasn't lived there for quite awhile) Riverside Heights always seemed to be kind of a nice little Oasis in the heart of town. There were some threads in the last year or two about this neighborhood, and most reviews were positive. Not sure exactly whereabouts you are looking, but overall it's at least as nice as most of Seminole Heights, IMO.

Good luck!

Here is a link to their association site:

http://www.riversideheights.org/

[user8]

thanks for the link! one of the places is on kentucky ave.

does anyone know about this part of town?

[ferret111]

Kentucky Avenue should be fine, especially if it's west of Boulevard. That neighborhood is pretty quiet for the most part. It can get a little sketchy around the Columbus/Boulevard intersection, but Kentucky is quite a few blocks north of there.

[Innertuber]

I'd be cautious about renting without a visit first in that area. Along the river is nice and there are pockets both good and bad. Go about a half mile in any direction and you might not like it, but I can't speak for you. Even along the river has some strange places.

I'd choose Seminole Heights and stay north of Hillsborough, west of 13th, south of Hanna and east of the river if you are renting sight unseen.

[user8]

thanks folks.

[Eastern Roamer]

I like the area. One of the things I really like is how most houses are situated close to the street with a yard behind the house. So, instead of just having a yard to maintain, you get a fenced off, private, outdoor space you can actually use. Houses closer to the street also helps deter crime, IMO. It's more likely someone will see you if you're doing something nefarious on the street.

I've lived in S. Seminole Heights and have a good freind who owns in Riverside Heights. It's been said already that it can get sketchy if you go a half mile in the wrong direction, but I'd live there.

[user8]

Originally Posted by Eastern Roamer

I like the area. One of the things I really like is how most houses are situated close to the street with a yard behind the house. So, instead of just having a yard to maintain, you get a fenced off, private, outdoor space you can actually use. Houses closer to the street also helps deter crime, IMO. It's more likely someone will see you if you're doing something nefarious on the street.

this is a huge draw to the properties in that area for us. well that and the 2 car garage. i think we're going to go for the place. i talked to a couple other folks who live in that area and they said it was plenty safe. one of them is a single female who goes running at night. never has a problem.

[gypsychic]

Riverside Heights is one of those Tampa neighborhoods that seems to kind of get overlooked here, it is small for one thing, but to me there are many pluses. It is historic without being designated historic (which always limits what you can do with a place). It runs along the river and has charming brick streets. And it is smack in the center of the city, close to EVERYTHING. Honestly, for anyone looking to buy, this neighborhood is a hidden gem, IMO. And it is dirt cheap compared to south Tampa, and even Seminole Heights. If I were moving to Tampa, I would definitely consider this neighborhood.

[user8]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

It is historic without being designated historic (which always limits what you can do with a place).

good to know that it hasn't been officially designated (yet).

my current neighborhood is like a civil war museum. great for visiting, annoying for living. we can't even use blinds in our windows that aren't white. the city won't let verizon install fiber-optic cabling underground because several streets are preserved civil war era cobblestone. sigh.