Good Family area near USF-Tampa? (Brent, Temple Terrace: apartments, rentals, condos)

[mistert20]

Looking to rent a house starting this summer. Suggestions for areas to look in that would be safe and quiet. Have two small kids. Have browsed the posts here but still not getting a feel for the area.

Considerations:
Near parks or other outdoor recreation would be nice
Near USF a plus, but not a must
Safe, quiet area
Near healthy food markets, farmer's markets, etc. would be great.
Other interesting places to go nearby would also be a plus (art, music, dance, museum, etc.)

Non-factors:
School district is NOT a factor
Proximity to chain restaurants or Walmarts is not interesting

Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

Mark

[housingcrashsurvivor]

Pleasant Terrace just E of 50th to 56th & from Fowler to Fletcher. Walk to FAU. Recently I noticed a house go up for rent. I think it is a 3/2 asking just $1,000 (I thought a low price). I think the sign said "rent solutions" but now I don't see it advertised, nor do I see it on realtor.com. There was another too large house around there also asking about 1600 or 1800/month but I think it was like 4 or 5 bedrooms or something silly. If you drive through the area, I think the first house was on 52nd, a few houses south of 122nd ave but it might have been 127th.

As this area is directly across from the FAU rec facilities, you can join if you attend there or work there or even just by living in the area you can join the friends of USF and for like $100/year have use of their athletic facilities. Just a few blocks east on Fletcher is their access to the Hillsborough River with boat rentals. And just on the other side of I-75 is access to our 16,0000-acre wilderness area with an excellent paved bike trail (being extended to make even better) and about 30 miles of off-road biking trails. The paved section is actually in New Tampa but you can take offroad trails to get to it without ever seeing civilization. It is wonderful. The town rec center is unusually good with a complete gymnasium, swim pools, etc, also for just about $100/year.

The Temple Terrace crime stats show over 10 years at about the average for the country. And this area in particular is surprisingly quite, being so close to the university, with very few drive throughs thanks to traffic control via limited access from major streets.

There's a small health place, like a GNC or a Nutrition Cottage on Fowler and about 52nd I think and a small health food supermarket on the E side of 56th about a block south of Fowler. But for real health food shopping, sadly, one must drive out to Dale Mabry. I'm hoping something opens nearer to USF eventually, even in New Tampa, which would be closer.

Though the houses for rent are rare in that area, there are also numerous apartments for rent along 50th, and Fletcher, mostly occupied by students, it seems. There is a condo townhouse complex which seems to be a nice mix of residents though on 52nd, about a block south of Fletcher.

Other places I'd look are near the abovementioned rec center south of Fowler, E of 56th, vicinity Gillette & Whiteway such as this one http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Tampa_FL_33617_1113889317?mp=1

Or look around the golf courses E of 56th, between fowler & the river such as this one http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/308-Brentwood-Dr_Tampa_FL_33617_1114604005?mp=1

Also check out the north side of Fowler between 56th & the River (Ya, that river again, it keeps showing up, it's a windy river up here). I don't see any advertised on realtor.com but maybe you'll see some signs out.

Otherwise it's pretty much up to New Tampa http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5172-Sterling-Manor-Dr_Tampa_FL_33647_1116739386?mp=1 to deal with Bruce Downs traffic or out to Carrollwood which is closer to conveniences but further from school, of course.

[mistert20]

Thanks for the info, that is helpful. Can you expand on your comment about Bruce Downs traffic?

Thansk
Mark

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by mistert20

Thanks for the info, that is helpful. Can you expand on your comment about Bruce Downs traffic?

Thansk
Mark

Traffic is a complete nitemare in all of the Tampa area, has been for years.

[housingcrashsurvivor]

Originally Posted by mistert20

Thanks for the info, that is helpful. Can you expand on your comment about Bruce Downs traffic?

Thansk
Mark

Sorry for delayed response. Somehow missed your question. If you just look at a map of the area you'll see there are no alternatives to Bruce Downs in the New Tampa area. So everything feeds onto that and it is only two lanes in both directions. I've been up there, by mistake, during rush hour and, well, it wasn't pretty.

[FLsunshine_2010]

Temple Terrace and New Tampa are both nice areas. However, Bruce B. Downs does have the WORST traffic, but they are widening (thank goodness). If you live in New Tampa, Morris Bridge is the alternate route to take. A few more miles, but you will get there much faster.

[Deef1]

Originally Posted by housingcrashsurvivor

Pleasant Terrace just E of 50th to 56th & from Fowler to Fletcher. Walk to FAU. Recently I noticed a house go up for rent. I think it is a 3/2 asking just $1,000 (I thought a low price). I think the sign said "rent solutions" but now I don't see it advertised, nor do I see it on realtor.com. There was another too large house around there also asking about 1600 or 1800/month but I think it was like 4 or 5 bedrooms or something silly. If you drive through the area, I think the first house was on 52nd, a few houses south of 122nd ave but it might have been 127th.

As this area is directly across from the FAU rec facilities, you can join if you attend there or work there or even just by living in the area you can join the friends of USF and for like $100/year have use of their athletic facilities. Just a few blocks east on Fletcher is their access to the Hillsborough River with boat rentals. And just on the other side of I-75 is access to our 16,0000-acre wilderness area with an excellent paved bike trail (being extended to make even better) and about 30 miles of off-road biking trails. The paved section is actually in New Tampa but you can take offroad trails to get to it without ever seeing civilization. It is wonderful. The town rec center is unusually good with a complete gymnasium, swim pools, etc, also for just about $100/year.

The Temple Terrace crime stats show over 10 years at about the average for the country. And this area in particular is surprisingly quite, being so close to the university, with very few drive throughs thanks to traffic control via limited access from major streets.

There's a small health place, like a GNC or a Nutrition Cottage on Fowler and about 52nd I think and a small health food supermarket on the E side of 56th about a block south of Fowler. But for real health food shopping, sadly, one must drive out to Dale Mabry. I'm hoping something opens nearer to USF eventually, even in New Tampa, which would be closer.

Though the houses for rent are rare in that area, there are also numerous apartments for rent along 50th, and Fletcher, mostly occupied by students, it seems. There is a condo townhouse complex which seems to be a nice mix of residents though on 52nd, about a block south of Fletcher.

Other places I'd look are near the abovementioned rec center south of Fowler, E of 56th, vicinity Gillette & Whiteway such as this one http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Tampa_FL_33617_1113889317?mp=1

Or look around the golf courses E of 56th, between fowler & the river such as this one http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/308-Brentwood-Dr_Tampa_FL_33617_1114604005?mp=1

Also check out the north side of Fowler between 56th & the River (Ya, that river again, it keeps showing up, it's a windy river up here). I don't see any advertised on realtor.com but maybe you'll see some signs out.

Otherwise it's pretty much up to New Tampa http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5172-Sterling-Manor-Dr_Tampa_FL_33647_1116739386?mp=1 to deal with Bruce Downs traffic or out to Carrollwood which is closer to conveniences but further from school, of course.

Vote #2...all the above

[deuces333]

tampa palms has nice town houses and apartments, its a really nice neighborhood with a brand new publix down the road. about 5 miles from USF , bruce b down traffic is awful from 330-7 is the worst. dont live on fletcher/56th area its a pretty bad area even if you find a nice gated area to live, its not a great place. tampa palms, new tampa is the best places to live or lutz.

[vdubs]

I have the exact same situation and moving in a few months. Any apartment suggestions- 3bdrm- looking for pool, playground.

[rcm267]

Originally Posted by vdubs

I have the exact same situation and moving in a few months. Any apartment suggestions- 3bdrm- looking for pool, playground.

New Tampa is still one of the better areas that has a reasonable commute to USF. Bruce B Downs is still kind of a mess and likely always will be unless some miraculous new artery in and out of there appears. There's just so many more people up there now that there were say, 10 years ago, so the infrastructure is still kind of catching up.

I don't know your budget, but there are some nice condos/apartments in Tampa Palms which offer what you are looking for. There are also some which are just on the border where Tampa Palms begins but is still technically Tampa (they would have addresses that N 46th Street etc) Eagles Point is pretty good - my sister in law lived there when she was a USF student a few years ago and it was one of the better complexes. Of course, like everything else in that area of 46th Street pretty much, it is filled with students so if you prefer to live among non-college students then that's probably not the place for you.

The area which surrounds the USF campus is largely not good at all. Temple Terrace is OK in some parts, but you have to be careful about where in TT in you are - the area that surrounds it is sketchy and crime spills over many times. There are not a ton of apartments in Temple Terrace except perhaps along Bullard Parkway and some of those complexes are not the nicest looking, but the area is OK safety wise for the most part. The further you are from the part where it turns into Busch Boulevard, the better. If a complex advertises Busch Gardens is across the street/a block away/under a mile or two...stay away from those places.

On Fletcher Avenue, very close to I-75 there is Village Oaks which is nice (that's technically Temple Terrace) - that's maybe a 10 minute drive down Fletcher to USF. There is also a complex called The Falls which used to be quite nice a long time ago, but from what I understand, a new management company took them over about 2-3 years ago and they have sort of let the place go to Hades. Those are, I believe condos but I don't think most of them are owner occupied. Might be worth checking out but probably not a place you want to rent sight unseen.

Hope that helps. Good luck in your search!