Template Info

Site Index:

A Revival of Community

~West Park Village~

Cover Story - Westchase Style Magazine, April/May 2006

(This article does not appear here in its entirety. It has been published in print and copyrighted. No portion of it may be reprinted without permission. Photos and some parties' names will not appear in this version.)

There’s some nostalgic home-building going on around the country, and Tampa will not be left out. It seems a lot of people are lonely for the “front porch communities” in which they were raised; and while some are renovating the real thing, developers are busy constructing new houses that look-like-old.

One such place is West Park Village at Westchase. On Linebaugh Avenue, to the left as you cross Montague Street, is an updated version of where many of us grew up – a neighborhood that had apartments over stores and houses with front porches where people congregated, waved, and actually knew their neighbors! It’s a contrast to the last quarter century of modern stucco homes with back patios (or as we call them in Florida, lanais).

West Park Village is a unique mix of properties with looks ranging everywhere from Ben Franklin-style row houses to "those were the days" 1950's bungalows, complete with chairs on the front porch just waiting to be occupied in the evening after supper.

As you enter, there’s a small-town-feel with individually styled storefronts and unique restaurants situated on ground level under the apartments. You won’t see many big chain store names, but coffee-holics, don’t worry - there’s still a Starbucks! The wrought iron balconies, outdoor seating, ice cream shop and “pizza joint” add another aspect to the old-time charm.

Just beyond the shops, “The Village Green”, a mini-park with an old-fashioned gazebo sits in the center, where carnivals, art festivals and music concerts take place. It’s hard to tell that all this is only minutes away from busy Waters and Sheldon Avenues.

Curious to find out if the whole place was as friendly as it looked, I caught up with a few residents on a bright, sunny day.

[ ] and her two small children were taking advantage of ice cream cones from the “One Scoop or Two” shop. She and her husband were among the first families to move in. Their single family, two-story bungalow has a “granny flat” in the back, which they use as a guest house. I asked if the front porches really made it more conducive to making friends with the neighbors.

“We’re out there all the time”, she said, “Everyone knows each other. It’s so friendly we’ve even taken vacations with some of them”.

[ ] and [ ], out for a stroll with their grandbaby, were also willing to stop and chat. They were attracted to West Park Village while living in another section of Westchase, sold their other house the first day it was listed due to the overall popularity of the area, and have now been loving their Village home for a year.

“I liked all the stores and restaurants being right here”, [ ] said, “the only thing we need is a little food market, and we’d never have to leave”.

Both remembered areas like this from their childhood, and agreed that there is a real sense of community.

Stopping in at the adorable children’s store Mi Bebé, I talked to [ ] who has worked there since its opening. [ ] says the faces become very familiar and friendly, and the store also does well with people from other communities.

If just for dinner, come see West Park Village. Try “Catch 23” for seafood or Italian at “Bellisimo”. Bona Pizza rounds out the food options. Or if you have a hankering to live in your “childhood hometown”, for West Park Village Apartments call Bay West Realtors, 813-926-8005. ▪

A Free Template by
Round the Bend Wizards