Need some advise on Good Family Cities around the Tampa area (Lakeland: apartment, rental) - Tampa Bay - Florida (FL) -Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater - City-Data Forum

Trenahaz · 01-27-2009, 07:53 PM

Hello! We are looking to move to Tampa area soon and are looking for a nice nieghbor hood to raise children in and that also has a good school system. We are currently living in South Bend, Indiana where it is freezing cold right now...Brrrrrrr Not really looking to purchase a home at this point but are willing to find a nice town house or apartment with atleast 3 bedroom, 2 bath and excepts larger dogs(yellow Lab) but very friendly dog!

nar69 · 01-28-2009, 05:57 AM

westchase is a great place to raise a family. newer part of the city, very family oriented and close to everything. growing area, lots of new stores and such going up. houses are newer.

if you dont mind older houses (my preference) and want to be closer to "city" life check out carrollwood. new tampa is also a good area, traffic is bad but the area is worth checking out.

Keeper · 01-28-2009, 06:46 AM

What is your budget for rent?
Where will you be working?
What is an acceptable commute time?
How much does the dog weigh?
What is important in the area where you live?

It is pretty hard to answer without knowing the answer to these questions.

All the areas Nar69 mentions are nice but the costs for housing varies in each of these areas.
There is also Brandon and Riverview where housing costs are generally lower, however if you have to commute an hour or more to work then that is a consideration.
Land O Lakes, Lutz and Odessa also come to mind.

SunsetBeachFL · 01-28-2009, 07:47 AM

I have given the following advice before: rent before you buy. I have been able to rent from owners that have advertised, "no pets". I was able to do so because when I have traveled overseas and in the US (I only had one dog at the time and now employ a petsitter when I travel since I now have 3) I always made it a point to get recommendations from the owners regarding my dog's excellent behavior and the fact I went out of my way to clean up dog hair daily (I do it at home anyway, just part of having four-legged family members). I agree w/Keeper about the areas mentioned as your rental experience - better chance of finding a short-term rental that will accept dogs and the commute time will not be tolerable for long but for the short term you'll have the opportunity to really investigate various neighborhoods, visit schools, etc. Good luck!

cs2go · 01-28-2009, 09:39 AM

Brandon, Valrico,and Plant City are good small areas. I have been in all three and find it smaller than anywhere in Tampa. Plant City is right off the I-4 which gets you into Tampa in about 20-30 minutes depending on time and Brandon is next to Tampa.

Trenahaz · 02-11-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nar69

westchase is a great place to raise a family. newer part of the city, very family oriented and close to everything. growing area, lots of new stores and such going up. houses are newer.

if you dont mind older houses (my preference) and want to be closer to "city" life check out carrollwood. new tampa is also a good area, traffic is bad but the area is worth checking out.

Thank you so much for your info. Recently we made a trip to the Brandon area and we liked it in that area. Didnt visit much of the Tampa area since it was super bowl weekend that we picked to go there.

Trenahaz · 02-11-2009, 12:21 PM

Thank you.
We have our own business and will be possibly running it out of the southeast side of Tampa or maybe even Brandon.
The most important things we are looking for is that it is a safe area for kids and that the schools are good!!
Our dog wieghs 108 lbs

jewels_2472 · 02-12-2009, 07:51 AM

Have you looked into Wesley Chapel? Meadow Pointe or Seven Oaks area's are very nice gated communities and are relatively new... My family just moved here from Minnesota in January and we also have kids. The schools here are excellent and A rated...at least John Long middle and Wiregrass Ranch high are....they are both only two years old and in very good condition. We love it here!!! Oh...and we rent a house that was built in 2005 and they accepted our two dogs with a 300.00 non refundable deposit even though their ad said "no pets".....

cs2go · 02-23-2009, 09:29 AM

Make sure to do your research on schools in Brandon. Most are very good. Brandon overall is great and has plenty to do for families. We are in Plant City and do a lot of activities there or Lakeland.

mquintana · 02-23-2009, 09:35 AM

WOW-South Bend Indiana, huh? I have a friend who lives there. I am sure the cold is unbearable!

Brandon, Riverview, and Valrico. Plant City is a little too far out in the boonies for me. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods here, but I would suggest renting a home-you can get for for around the same price as an apartment and you won't have to worry about breed restrictions. Labs are one of the most restricted breeds in this area (I am an assistant manager in the apartment industry here in Brandon). Townhomes to rent are relatively reasonable as well. Brandon is nice because it's close to everything and not right on top of it, plau everything you need is here-a mall that is forever growing, changing and expanding-resturants galore, Super Target and Target, Super Walmarts, grocerey stores all over...