Can someone compare these suburbs? (Tampa, Brandon: middle-class, apartments, renting)

[INeedAChange]

If anyone can provide input I would appreciate it...

Is the Brandon area a lot different from the northern suburbs like Tampa Palms, Lutz and Wesley Chapel? From the map it looks like Brandon is closer to downtown Tampa and St. Pete, but is there some attraction of the northern places because I hear them mentioned a lot more here than Brandon is? (I'm interested in renting an apartment). thanks!

[bnepler]

Brandon is like a small city, very commercialized. Wesley Chapel, Tampa Palms are more sub-divisions/rural and Lutz is mostly a somewhat rural slightly commercial strip of highway. Wesley Chapel is growing with more stores and malls coming. Tampa Palms is part of a major route (581), Bruce B. Downs, called New Tampa. It's relatively new and is made up of restaurants, stores, movie theaters and background sub-divisions, some very pricey. It's middle-class and upper-class. Wesley Chapel is mostly middle-class and Lutz is middle-class, business and lower.

[yukon]

Brandon is Franchise City. Looks like any other "new" city in the country. New Tampa is starting to look that way too. Both have major traffic problems. On the other hand, they're also both good places to live if the above two things aren't an issue with you.

Lutz/Land O Lakes was rural, is growing, and has a little more personality (but then, I live there so I'm a tad biased I think). Traffic isn't quite as bad, since we have access to Dale Mabry, Suncoast/Veterans Expwy, I-75, I-275, Hwy 41 and Business Hwy 41. Can't beat LOL/Lutz for convenience.

You'll find more apartments in Brandon & New Tampa. LOL is thin on apartments, and Lutz apartments are close to the university. I'm not sure if Wesley Chapel has many apartments, although you can get a good deal on a townhome (often for less than an equivalent sized apartment).

[INeedAChange]

major traffic problems--does that just mean getting around town, or getting to the highway to get out of brandon as well? thanks

Originally Posted by yukon

Brandon is Franchise City. Looks like any other "new" city in the country. New Tampa is starting to look that way too. Both have major traffic problems. On the other hand, they're also both good places to live if the above two things aren't an issue with you.

Lutz/Land O Lakes was rural, is growing, and has a little more personality (but then, I live there so I'm a tad biased I think). Traffic isn't quite as bad, since we have access to Dale Mabry, Suncoast/Veterans Expwy, I-75, I-275, Hwy 41 and Business Hwy 41. Can't beat LOL/Lutz for convenience.

You'll find more apartments in Brandon & New Tampa. LOL is thin on apartments, and Lutz apartments are close to the university. I'm not sure if Wesley Chapel has many apartments, although you can get a good deal on a townhome (often for less than an equivalent sized apartment).

[yukon]

major traffic problems--does that just mean getting around town, or getting to the highway to get out of brandon as well?

Both. It's a nice place, but the traffic is the worst in the area and drives me nuts. Maybe some Brandon folks can post some alternate routes, because I sure haven't found any. HOWEVER, to be fair, if you work downtown, my Brandon friends say you can't beat the Crosstown and the drive isn't that bad anymore.

[INeedAChange]

thanks everyone