Anyone live in or near Riverview? (Orlando, Brandon: low income, fit in, crime)

[lilacmama32]

So I have been looking at cities outside of the one I work in, but what about Riverview? Anyone live here or near it?

I will be traveling to Riverview in August if not sooner to check it out. I was told there is nothing there and that is why I am looking elsewhere. I have found Temple Terrace online and looks like new communities.

[Bgotti]

We live in Apollo Beach, which is south of Riverview. Before choosing Apollo Beach, we looked at Riverview and depending what you are looking for it's a pretty decent area. What city do live in now? I personally would not recommend Temple Terrace area, which is near USF and Busch Gardens. Yes, there are some nice homes on the river, but otherwise forget about it.

[TamRE]

I have a friend that works in Riverview but lives in Apollo Beach. They love the area but travel south to go to the beaches. They also have to travel to go to a mall. Their kids went to a choice school and also had to travel, long bus time. I recommend checking out different areas.

One of the most important things to determine in buying a home is location, location, location. How do you know what neighborhood is right for you? Here is a list that might help you.

1. Would you enjoy living there?
2. How far of a commute is it from work, school, shopping, hospitals, restaurants, parks, entertainment and transportation? Take a test drive.
3. Drive through the neighborhood to get an idea of what it is like. You may want to go at different times throughout the day. What is the noise and traffic level?
4. Does the neighborhood have curb appeal? It is well maintained? Does it have nice landscaping?
5. Does the neighborhood fit in with your demographics? Are you looking for a family friendly neighborhood, a deed restricted neighborhood, a 55 and older retirement neighborhood, or a high or low income neighborhood?
6. Price makes all the difference. Do some research to find out the price range of the neighborhoods so that you can eliminate ones that do not fit within your budget.
7. Check to see what the neighborhood crime statistics are. Look around for graffiti or other signs of criminal activity. Check with local police or check the police blotter in the local newspaper. You want to live in a safe neighborhood.
8. Be aware of any new construction or zoning laws that may be in the neighborhood.
9. If you are choosing a deed restricted community with a homeowner association, find out what the fees are?

[rezfreak]

We live in Brandon, which is right next to riverview and we love it here.

[NALEXAND]

I live in Riverview and like it a lot. Its a new up and coming small community. The only downside right now is the drive to shopping and dining. That will change in the future as Riverview is growing! So, in that regard, I would think long term. Overall, it is very clean, consists of mostly middle class families from all over.

[wdwcrazy]

We live in Riverview and really like the area. We are in the South Fork subdivision, which is close by to Apollo Beach. My son attended Summerfield Crossings and is now at Eisenhower MS. We have been happy with both. I looked into one of the charter schools before my son started middle school, but decided to give Eisenhower a try and have been so happy.

We have two Wal-Marts within 3-5 miles to us, Sam's just opened right around the corner and there are several restaurants and grocery stores. Lots of medical offices, so you don't have to travel far for those, but for a mall or the movies, you do need to drive 15 or so minutes into Brandon.

But, every time I have to drive into Brandon, I am thankful I don't have to do so every day. Of course this area is growing and I am sure traffic will be just as bad in a few years. They are currently widening 301 from 2 lanes to 6 if that gives you an idea. But at least this is being done before the traffic is bumper to bumper for miles.

I do like that I can find nice beaches within an hour, and drive to Orlando in little over an hour.

[MortonR]

Can you be more specific? Riverview encompasses some pretty diverse areas, from nasty/trashy to fairly nice. There are some areas of new development that are nice, but just adjacent to them are older (50s-60s) areas that are poorly kept.

There are also some rural parts as well, so it's tough to make a blanket statement about the area.

Got an address or development in mind?

RM

[crazynip]

There are some crappy areas that you may construe as part of riverview. IE: Gibsonton, Progress Village, etc

[MortonR]

Those are some of the surrounding areas I was referencing. They aren't Riverview, but they are immediately adjacent to parts of it...

RM

[Dryphter]

How about Summerfield Village area? We were orginally looking to buy a new home in Brandon/Valrico and widened our search a bit and came across Summerfield Village.

Neighborhood looks nice from what I can find online. But that doesn't tell me much about the place.