Family Friendly Neighborhoods? (Miami, Clearwater, St. Augustine: renters, HOA, insurance)

[Keeper]

I agree Carrollwood area does sound more like what you are looking for in housing. The problem will be finding out where the kids are.. I would check out the houses in the afternoon or on the weekend to see if they are outside playing. While some kids stay inside more during the hot summer months, I know many would be outside in the late afternoon. You also have many families where both parents work so the kids may or may not be home alone.. If they are home alone many parents do not want the kids outside playing.

I worked and lived in Carrollwood and I made some really good friends there

[amax41]

well up north we couldn't keep them inside when it was -20 and now down here they still don't stay in when it's 100 LOL

[lavender]

We live in Largo (it's really Seminole but we are unincorporated Pinellas county/largo) Situated one mile from Ind Rocks Beach. Our neighbourhood is def. not Stepford Wives. We have a lot of older/retired, but not very old, like our family, many are just leaving, either in college or about to go there. Some younger children, but not tons. We have a lot of lovely homes round us, we are actually on the dividing street between two subdivisions, Hillcrest Manor and Woodland Hills, HM has deed restrictions, and HOA dues (of $20!! annually - hardly a bank breaker). Deed restrictions are not scary, however, you can't park a boat on the drive, and if you have a work vehicle with commercial writing on it, you have to put in the garage. This does allow the place to look nice. Woodlawn Hills doesn't have HOA or deed restrictions and there are several areas of Seminole/Largo that don't and many of them are really nice, but some tend to look a bit 'tired' when there are unkempt gardens and 3 or 4 cars parked around, so its a bit of a compromise. I would say maybe woodland Hills over Hillcrest Manor, unless you get a home with a newer roof, as one DR is that roof has to be replaced with concrete tile in HM but not Woodland Hills, so there is a cost factor there. I think WH allows sheds in yard, HM doesn't - well not if it can be seen!!! HM and Woodland Hills allow fences, so you can have privacy, unless you are on the lake in HM as it's very pretty and open to all the homes that overlook it. You can walk to the beach - if you like a nice 15 min walk, or bike in about 8 mins or drive in 2. Sidewalk streets, good schools around (check if you move north of Walsingham, you will be in Largo School district, not so good!). Good cross county access to the Bay - Ulmerton/Park-Gandy/Bryan Dairy-118th are all accessible to I-275 in about 15 - 20mins. 25 mins to downtown st pete via BayPines and 1st Ave S. We have been here since 1999 and do like it, our children have been through the PC schools and done well. Outdoor life is wonderful, our subdivs are non flood/evac for hurricanes and neighbours are friendly, I find walking the dog a long process because I keep stopping to talk to them! Crossing guards for schools - lovely, very little crime, very clean, shops nearby, some very nice restaurants and bars, all the typical ones, and other individual ones. Movies close by, the only things we drive to are theatre and museums really and we even have a couple of museums nearby.

[Negotiator75]

Originally Posted by amax41

ok back to the topic -

Anyone have some pointers to a Family Friendly neighborhood?????????

what you want is going to be found in a small town, like less than 15,000 or so. But make sure the small town is away from certain types of businesses.

Start with a google map of a particular area, zoom in where you can see major roads and highways.

Then start searching for pawn shops, payday cash loan places, liquor stores, malls, casinos, porn video stores, motels, salvation army, truck stops etc. As the red dots appear move the map away from that crap.

Then start looking for tanning salons, gyms, starbucks etc - stay away from those too. Those contain lots of people that are full of sh**, stepfords, etc (not all of course).

I think what you would be left with and would want to see in your local intersection is your mom and pop hardware store, restaurants, etc. Books stores here and there. A Publix supermarket maybe with a Walgreens nearby, etc. Some roads that are still gravel, etc. People mowing their OWN lawns, etc. I would be looking for those signs. If you see yard sales in those areas, go there and talk to the people.

[amax41]

Originally Posted by Negotiator75

what you want is going to be found in a small town, like less than 15,000 or so. But make sure the small town is away from certain types of businesses.

Start with a google map of a particular area, zoom in where you can see major roads and highways...............<clipped>

LMAO Negotiator that was pretty funny LMAO

[amax41]

Lavender - thanks for taking the time to post that - you hit exactly the type of information I'm looking for. that helps a ton!

[lavender]

I like this area so much and rate it as a good investment that I just put a contract on a house round the corner that is on the lake for our retirement home!

[amax41]

I can't find any meat on woodland hills, but I did find the Hillcrest manor site. Basically aside from the boat storage clause the HOA is exactly spot on for what we are looking for.... funny enough if you remove the commercial vehicle and watercraft stoarge items it is how everyone in the midwest lives with no HOA involved! This is exactly what we want in Florida.

Before it's asked, the watercraft? easy contrete slab on side of garage (fencing optional) or garage. The obvious thing is the boat is in good condition not a wreck.


Are there any other areas that are like Hillcrest Manor?

[lavender]

Think if you keep boat in garage it's ok, because I have seen a jetski in one. Trouble with much property here is the economy and people with homes they can't sell - well not for what they want back. So they are being rented. Therefore a subdiv with good HOA rules is better, or you may end up with a set of singles renting a house - there is one not too far from here, always got several cars blocking sidewalk and on driveway and junk piled up outside on trash day, it always looks unkemp.
It's no surprise that at least 4 realtors live in the block I live on, we all appreciate the location. But there are others, however, again if they don't have a major HOA in place, you are unlikely to be able to google them. Best thing is to drive the area - like we did when we first purchased here - and see what you like the look of. Nothing changes much locally, as most of Seminole and Largo (that is close by) has been settled for years and there is not much open land, except for the several parks and trails which are not developable, left.

[amax41]

if by "major HOA" you mean like Westchase - nope don't want that at all. I won't stand for that type of rediculousness, I'd rather move back north.

With that said - every area does have some occupation issues. such as that house with the set of singles - cars? well that is what a drive way is for.... blocking the sidewalk? easy walk around them. Junk piled up on trash day - did you expect 1 white hefty bag welded together?... at least the junk is piled up on trash day rather than all week. and unkemp means - the windows are full of muck, trash all over the year where the grass has grown 8 inches, etc.

guess they haven't had any parties.....you didn't mention that.

I've already driven through the Seminole, Largo, Clearwater, and most of the coast... I've seen what I'm looking for...what I'm willing to deal with. If the guy next door wants to fix his corvette on the drive on Sunday -I have no problem with that.... if he wants to leave a 1955 rust bucket that wouldnt' be considered a classic on his driveway so it gathers critters THEN I have a problem with it.

I think we went through the Oakhurst/Oaktree subdivision(s) on Sunday... not all that bad, I don't even mind those boats sitting on the side of the house. you live by water, you have a boat...what does one expect? hang it from a tree or something? LOL

I may have been raise gold coast Chicago, but I'm no snob, no better than anyone else, and am a realist. Life is real - there are certain parts of it I choose not to deal with - cows grazing on Tampa Blvd....and things I will - boat on a concrete pad next to the garage. Rules on how to do that - forget it. That is rediculous, as I said Hillcrest Manor's policies are fine and just enough (except for the boat thing) any area that does any more than that is over-tweaked. Not my style.