Gated Apartment Rentals in Tampa area (Clearwater: apartment complex, high crime, safe neighborhood)

[ejp823]

Looking for a safe neighborhood and kid friendly. Most of the apartments we have found are only small 2/3 bedroom, not many 4 bedroom apartments. Of course we are looking for the best in amenities and school district is top of the list, do these rental apartment (gated communities) really exist like they advertise on their websites, we don't know the area so as nice as they are described we tend to worry about what is right on the other side of the gate, are we in high crime, lots of drugs, ghetto areas?

[tampaguy03]

Originally Posted by ejp823

Looking for a safe neighborhood and kid friendly. Most of the apartments we have found are only small 2/3 bedroom, not many 4 bedroom apartments. Of course we are looking for the best in amenities and school district is top of the list, do these rental apartment (gated communities) really exist like they advertise on their websites, we don't know the area so as nice as they are described we tend to worry about what is right on the other side of the gate, are we in high crime, lots of drugs, ghetto areas?

Let us know the location of some of the places you are looking to...

[stpeteguy]

Gated apartments are sort of an oxymoron.

I have lived in a "gated" apartment complex, not once, but twice in my lifetime.
Both times, the gate stayed broke nearly all the time because of the constant flow of traffic. So in other words, the gate will always be open.

That is one of those selling points they use to give you the illusion that it's safer or higher class or whatever, truth it. It's not.

You still have just as many lowlifes in gated apartments as non gate apartments.

Pay more attention to the monthly rent than anything else. Nothing weeds outs lowlifes like expensive rent.

[ejp823]

We were looking at some apartments we saw advertised on online websites from a google search in zip codes predominantly in and near Clearwater ... We don't know the area at all but we were very interested in the Gated Communities that showed up on our search.

[OhhRaa]

we have family in spring hill but they say that is mostly a set retirement community and they said renting for at least the first year is a good idea and tampa is not as expensive as some areas but visit the area to see not just your apartment choices (gated or not) but also the schools, the neighborhoods and the beaches.