Question about Seminole Heights
I received this email:
". . . . .I love, love, love the look of Seminole Heights, but I'd like to ask a real person who has a real interest in the area for information - I guess I'm not sure I can trust a realtor. My son is nine and I need a neighborhood that isn't riddled with crime and danger to feel as if I can justify making a life inside it. I'm curious about the quality of the schools in the area, the crime levels and any other information you might feel like passing along. I adore bungalows and want a front porch! I think tampa is beautiful, and I'm trying not to look only at the attractive surface. . . . "
These are some very good questions. I've put this out to the whole group to get a broader perspective.
Bearing in mind that where you live is a matter of choices. What can you put up with for the benefits? What adjustments do you need to make?
In general crime had been decreasing. Drugs and prostitution especially. That does not mean that there are not pockets of problems or occasional flurries. Without looking at the crime activity maps of TPD, over all I would would say the best area to live is near the river. The river acts as a barrier, so there is less drive through traffic in that part, therefore less wandering criminals. Of course this means the houses are pricier, being near the river. However that does not mean you should not check out the rest of Seminole Heights, as there are lots of nice areas, and some of this niceness is less obvious. In general you will find Seminole Heightsians to be very friendly and helpful. This is most evident in the SE Seminole Heights and the Hampton Terrace areas that have very strong cohesive groups with very friendly and supportive people. Sometimes is a matter of choosing one block or street over another. For example, my block of New Orleans 900-1000 is a great block. The 1400-1500 block of Palifox has a lot of issues. Talk to neighbors. Ask them if there a drug house or problem house on the block? For families, areas near parks are good. Also look for sidewalks, as they are a good feature for families. Some place for kids to ride bikes on. Look for neighboring houses that have other kids so your kids have close neighbor kids they can play with.
Of course anytime you live in the city you have to pay more attention to the basic rules of crime prevention that police always give out.
There are some very good churches here. Seminole Heights United Methodist Church at Central and Hanna, St. Paul's Lutheran Church across from Hillsborough High School, Seminole Heights Baptist Church at Hillsborough and Nebraska, Metropolitan Community Church at Central south of Osborne, Tampa Baptist Church off Florida and Sligh near Bo's Ice Cream and many others.
I don't have kids so I can't really answer the school question except to say Broward Elementary has a very,very good reputation. Edison Elementary has a poor one.
8 comments:
My son goes to Seminole Heights elementary and we all love it!
not having kids, i can't speak to the issues of schools but there are a few kids on my block who all play with each other up and down the street; there is a park a few blocks away and two libraries within 2 miles. my street has a side walk but the streets north and south of me do not. i know most of my neighbors and tons of people in the neighborhood. they are not only neighbors they are truly my friends. there is not one day i have regretted moving here.
To be totally honest my love for Seminole Heights has weaned since our son was born. I really don't think it is a family friendly neighborhood.
have lived in Southeast Seminole Heights for four years. I offer the following. Scott is quite correct, pick your street, talk to neighbors. I used to live in the country. But upon divorcing I decided a single mom with ten year old daughter with then questionable transportation, should NOT live in the country! I searched through all the inner city neighborhoods. In the beginning I had to rent. I now own. I found a rental in Old Seminole Heights,,,,,,,,,,,,it was not inexpensive, it WAS beautiful. Before I rented I drove the neighborhood day and night, even around midnight. I saw people walking dogs at midnight. AND they were not pits, but little fuzzy guys! I felt I had made a good choice.
Later when I wanted to buy, I started where I lived and kept widening the area around where I rented until I found something which fit my needs. It happened to be in Southeast Seminole Heights. Because my daughter has always been in Magnet Schools, I did not even worry about the schools in the area. As to safety, we are on a wonderful street - Shadowlawn- and have never had a moments worry about anything to do with safety. However, let me add that we exercise intelligent caution. I never leave anything unlocked. I look before I go in my yard at night (which I do all the time) and I own three lovely dogs. (One would do it, the others are because of their beautiful faces and their sad stories!)
We cannot deny that there is the typical inner city crime. But the thing that is different about our area is the interest and the cohesion of the residents. There are always people out there to help if you have a problem. We are very much a group of activists and we have little fear in taking on the trouble!
This family of neighbors is, to my way of thinking, the very best of what is great to live here. Very diverse. You will have neighbors of every occupation, educational level and color. If you allow yourself, you will learn much from these people. Every day in the hood is interesting if you involve yourself..........get to know your neighbors, on your street and in the entire hood.
And move here knowing it is the order of the day to "give". In other words. You will get multifold back from the neighborhood what you put into it,,,,,,,,,,,,,but you must put in something! If you wish your neighbors to look out for you, they need to know who you are!
The decision to be an Urban Pioneer is individual to each of us. But I can tell you I have never regretted a single moment of my now almost ten years in Seminole Heights. I love it here!
Sherry Genovar-Simons
SESH neighbor
My wife and I bought a house in the Lowry Park area last year and crime stats is something we looked very closely at. Compared with Land O Lakes where we previously were living the crime rates were much lower. The vast majority of crime in LOL was theft(car/house breakins)and domestic violence. Most of the crime were we bought the house was on the major roads and were for prostitution and drugs.
Our family has lived in beautiful Seminole Heights since 1983 when we were 2 yuppies with no kids and all the neighbors around us were retired folks who stayed home all day. After the birth of kid #1, it was great because we had instant grandmas and grandpas. Over the years, the older folks have passed on and younger families have moved in and spruced up the homes and yards. They are all friends too at this point.
This area is, in my opinion, the most beautiful in Tampa. We live a block north of historic Hillsborough High School, probably the most gorgeous school in Florida. Mature trees, stately homes, many with interesting architectural details and friendly people. Also, did I mention how you can get anywhere in Tampa within 20 minutes? It's so convenient living here; minutes from downtown, malls, colleges, etc.
As far as school go, I am very pleased with Broward Elementary. All 3 of our kids attended school there with all the other neighborhood kids. Now, in high school, they go to school with friends they've known since kindergarten. Broward is a neighborhood school - that means no school buses. Everyone either walks here or gets driven by a parent. Seminole Heights Elementary has a good reputation as well.
I think, all in all, that you couldn't find a better neighborhood full of all ethnicities, lifestyles, and true beauty. I am happy to have made the choice many years ago to purchase our home - did I mention how much the value has increased? Over 200% and that just in the last 4-5 years. If you are going to live in a subdivision, why not choose one that's convenient, beautiful, and stable?
I am a REALTOR who has just moved here, specifically for Seminole Heights and all I can saw is wow! This area is truly a cross section of life in America with all the bliss and problems. The great thing is that everyone is invited to take part in their community to enjoy it and to help solve it's problems, and there are problems everywhere. Come, Enjoy!!!
As a resident of the Hampton Terrace section of Seminole Heights, I am puzzled to hear one commenter state that the area is not "family friendly." What does that mean? My partner and I are a family. We find this area very friendly. ;-) Or is it not "kid friendly"? And if not, why not?
We moved to Hampton Terrace from Las Vegas having no idea what we'd gotten ourselves into. Walk your dog or kid down to little Lake Roberta and meet 5 people on the first day. Neighbors actually use the porches on the front of the house and, gasp!, invite you up to socialize with them. There are pot luck dinners every week in Hampton Terrace, and Porch Parties at least once a month in all of Seminole Heights. We have a Christmas concert in front of Lake Roberta each year for neighbors. There's a halloween parade around the lake lead by the fire department--kids only! (So much for not kid or family friendly, eh?) This year we've had two neighborhood concerts in river-front parks (S. Seminole Heights and Old Seminole Heights) where neighbors from all three "zones" intermingled without boundaries.
Since the area was first re-colonized by gay couples and childless straight professionals, the number of children here is lower than most other areas. But now that crime is down over 40% and those straight couples have rennovated and settled in, the stork is becomming a frequent visitor. I can't speak for elsewhere, but here every baby is born with about 12 gay uncles and aunties all vying for the chance to babysit. For free. Seriously. Children never go unwatched-over.
Politically, Old Seminole Heights is the most active and vocal neighborhood association in Tampa. Recent events have gotten all three associations working together to ensure our community gets the City Council's attention. Our crime watches are award-winning success stories with great ties to the police department. The area is a favorite for local journalists and college professors--people with public voices.
I cannot state strongly enough how unusual this area is with respect to neighborhood involvement, friendship, and just plain old playfullness. I've never lived anywhere better.
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