Why South Tampa is one of Tampa’s Most Desirable Areas 

South Tampa is one of the best, most beautiful and trendiest areas in all of Tampa.  The neighborhood of South Tampa offers a great standard of living, high-quality schools, water views and the historic Hyde Park neighborhood.  This neighborhood is ideal for those looking for a high quality of life and prefer to spend less time commuting major highways. 

Marcella Ruta, a local resident, sums up living in South Tampa perfectly.  She has lived in South Tampa with her husband and two young children for 10 years.  Here is what she has to say about it: 

How South Tampa got started

South Tampa was developed 100 years ago in the beginning of the 1900s. Henry B. Platt sold the land that made up South Tampa in the 1880s.  There were no plans to develop, as the area was considered uninhabitable.  The area was filled with brush making it too expensive to clear it.  However, the Mabry family purchased the land in hopes of convincing people to live there naming it “Beach Park by the Bay”. 

At the turn of the century, people began clearing away the brush and moving in.  In the mid-1920s a man named D.P. Davis began building desirable homes for those relocating to South Tampa.  He cleared away the brush, and developed over 300 lots. Within 3 hours the lots were all sold. Wow!  During that same time the roads were paved, and a historic district was created. 

South Tampa has the longest continuous sidewalk in the U.S.

One of the best perks of living in South Tampa is Bayshore Boulevard.  Along the Blvd is a 10-foot-wide sidewalk that runs 4.5 miles from Gandy Boulevard to downtown Tampa.  The sidewalk is the longest continuous sidewalk in the U.S.  It is Tampa’s biggest outside gym where at all hours of the day you can find people walking, jogging, biking, and rollerblading down the nearly flat pavement.  With water and skyline views on one side and Tampa’s most expensive real estate on the other, it provides beautiful scenery.  It is also the location of the city’s biggest annual celebration, the Gasparilla Pirate Parade that occurs in late January.

Excellent Access to Shopping in South Tampa

South Tampa also offers the best shopping in town. It is within proximity to Westshore Mall, International Plaza, and Hyde Park Village.  Westshore Mall houses many mainstream retailers like Old Navy, Macys, Sunglass Hut, JCPenney, and more. International Plaza offers more high-end shopping like Dillards, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom.  Hyde Park Village is an outdoor lifestyle center offering shopping at stores like Sephora, Lululemon, and Anthropologie.

South Tampa has its own Food Scene

South Tampa also has one of the best local food scenes in Tampa Bay.  It is a foodie’s paradise where you can dine at a restaurant that is original only to the area.  

Some of the top named restaurants are Oliva where you can order blackened scallops, Wrights Gourmet for an outstanding sandwich, 7th and Grove offering southern cuisine, Pane Rustica for homemade pizza, or Osteria Natalia where the $9 tiramisu is divine.   If you aren’t eating out you will have Publix, Trader Joes, Sprouts, or Fresh Market around the corner.

AAA Rated Schools

South Tampa is family oriented and a great place to raise a family as it is zoned for the top-rated public-school system in Tampa.  Grady Elementary ranks within the top 10% of all elementary schools in Florida.  Coleman Middle School has earned an “A” grade for 20 consecutive years and has a variety of electives such as Speech & Debate and a well-rated music program.  At Plant High School the graduation rate is 97%, it is rated A+ by Niche, and is the number one ranked high school in Tampa Bay.  These aren’t the only good public schools to choose from as there are several more.

Neighborhoods within South Tampa

South Tampa is made up of several suburbs to include Beach Park, Ballast Point, Bayshore Beautiful, Bayshore Gardens, Bayside West, Belmar Shore, Port Tampa, Davis Islands, Fair Oaks-Manhattan, Golfview, Hyde Park, New Suburb Beautiful, Virginia Park, Gandy-Sun Bay South, South Westshore, Sunset Park, Oscxawana, and MacDill Air Force Base.  

South Tampa is District 4 of Tampa City Council and the zip codes are 33606, 33608, 33609, 33611, 33616, 33621 and 33629.  South Tampa is located between Kennedy Boulevard and MacDill Air Force Base. 

The residents in South Tampa enjoy living in such a safe city.  What’s unique about South Tampa is the different neighborhoods to choose from.  Most of the people moving to South Tampa are families and young professionals.  The Beach Park neighborhood is filled with historic homes that were built in the 1930s and 1940s.  Most of them have been remodeled on the inside, but others have been torn down and rebuilt.  

You will find families and older, established professionals in Beach Park. The Bayshore Beautiful neighborhood has large homes and brick streets.  It holds a lot of history, and the homes can get expensive.  Close to Bayshore Boulevard are apartments, condos, and shops drawing a young professional crowd.  Palma Ceia incorporates million-dollar homes with professionals working downtown.

What are Home prices like in South Tampa?

South Tampa real estate has a mix of everything.  You can buy a mobile home for under $300K or a single-family home for $15M. They also have a variety of condominiums, townhomes, and new construction.  The average price of a home in South Tampa is $450K.  Condos are in the $300-$400K range however can go beyond $1M given the luxury and views.  Most single-family homes are between $450K to $15M.  Though South Tampa’s cost of living may not be the cheapest, it's one of the most beautiful, safest, and convenient places to live.

South Tampa Location is Close to Downtown, Beaches, Airport, Air Force Base

South Tampa’s location makes it ideal. You are just a few miles and minutes from Tampa Airport.  You are also within less than an hour’s drive to the most beautiful beaches in the country.  You have plenty of options to choose from. Take the Courtney Campbell Bridge directly to Clearwater Beach, the Howard Franklin Bridge to Indian Rocks Beach, or take the Gandy Bridge to St. Pete Beach/Ft. Desoto. 

South Tampa is also home to MacDill Airforce Base.  You don’t have to go far to be in the middle of the action in downtown Tampa or Channelside. 

South Tampa is a unique blend of history, contemporary influences, performing arts, restaurants, shopping, schools, and nightlife making it one of the most desirable locations to live, work and play in Tampa Bay.

In 2022,  Bankrate rated Tampa within the top 20 best places to reside in the nation due to the job market, safety, affordability and wellness.   If this sounds like a place you would like to live, our South Tampa Buyer Agent is ready to assist. Contact Buyers Broker of Florida to get started on South Tampa home options.

Buyers Broker of Florida 727-202-9130, 

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