Another Relocating to Tampa Thread (Palm Harbor, Holiday: apartments, lease, condos)

[dalamarjj78]

I know there are a ton of threads like this already but many of them are old and I was hoping to get some information based on my specific scenario.

My family relocated from Boston to Port St Lucie about six months ago and, while we like the suburb aspect of PSL, we miss having access to a large city nearby. Our lease is up in six months so we’ve decided to start travelling around to larger cities to see if we can find a place we like better.

We have a 3 year old son so good schools, low crime, and kid-friendly activities are extremely important. We're looking for a nice suburb type area - a nice quiet area full of single family homes with fenced in back yards. We’ll be renting for the first year and then look to buy later if we like the area.

Here’s a few more things:

• I work remotely so commuting will not be an issue.
• We’ll be looking for a 3 bed / 2 bath house with a yard (no apartments, condos or townhomes).
• Preferably not more than $1,400 per month for rent
• We would like to be able to get into Tampa in a reasonable amount of time (30-45 minutes max outside of rush hour)
• Safe area with lots of outdoor and kid friendly activities.
• Close proximity to the beach isn’t necessary. We rarely go as is.
• We’re not interested in clubs, bars, etc.

As I’ve been searching this forum I’ve seen a lot of comments saying the following neighborhoods are good:

• Land O' Lakes
• Lutz
• New Tampa
• Wesley Chapel
• Westchase
• Carrollwood
• Odessa

What are your thoughts on the above areas in comparison to what my family is looking for? Are there any other neighborhoods we should look into? We’ll be travelling to Tampa in a week or two to scope out some of the areas so any suggestions or information will be greatly appreciated!

[jsun556]

Trinity or Odessa maybe.

[Irishiis49]

All places on your list would be great...If you want newer and bang for the buck...Land-o-lakes would fit your needs...As with all decisions check the local schools not only by rating but visit them before you purchase!!! Palm Harbor and Safety Harbor are in Northern Pinellas county are great too...Palm Harbor has great schools and Safety Harbor gets you to Tampa quickly...They both can be a little pricey but are well worth it in my estimation! Good luck!!

[Pragmaticus]

Add to you list Keystone and Citrus Park while you visit West base and Carrollwood.

[lavender]

Don't just look into Tampa, if you don't mind drive over the bay each day look at Pinellas County. 45 mins would put you in the heart of Pinellas by the beaches in Seminole area - good schools, lots of mid range homes with yards and nice neighborhoods low crime and good schools. Best of all the beach is right there for your 3 yr old to enjoy (free amenities!)

[lavender]

45 mins will also put you nicely in the middle of Pinellas County in Seminole School district, close to beaches - 3-10 mins drive max depending on where you live and very safe, good schools, nice neighborhoods very friendly and lots of medium range homes to buy. Some to rent, look around $1500-1800 for a 3/2/2 without/with pool that is decent

[dalamarjj78]

Excellent, thank you everyone for the suggestions. We'll definitely add a few of these to the list for when we're visiting the area.

As we'll be staying at a hotel during our trip, any suggestions on the best area to stay that will be more centralized to all of the places mentioned above?

Our initial trip will likely only be for an afternoon or two so we don't want to waste a lot of time travelling from point A to point B just because we picked a hotel that was out of the way.

Thanks again!

[MAniacTHW]

Of the areas you listed, there are very few hotels. There's a Holiday Inn off of Waters near Carrollwood. Try it out.