South Tampa’s inventory includes an array of vernacular styles. Mid-Century Modern, Spanish Revival, Coastal to Bungalow in over a dozen neighborhoods.
South Tampa Housing Market Heats Up
Bit by bit, around Florida and around the country, the tender shoots of a recovery in the housing market are pushing tentatively towards the light. But in Tampa Bay, those shoots are already beefing up and putting down roots – and in strongholds of value including South Tampa, things are looking a little bit like Jack and the Beanstalk.
The summer has been hot in more ways than one. Stats from Florida Realtors show that in July, single family home sales were up around 20%, while average sale prices were up 18% and inventory has plummeted 17%. Those numbers are even more dramatic in Tampa Bay, where July saw a year-over-year price bump of 27% on average, with volume up 20%.
But as anyone moving in this market knows, the biggest impacts of the bounce are clustering in South Tampa and a few other areas just outside of downtown. Developers are scrambling to grab land in the area south of Kennedy Blvd, and if you’re a sports fan, you might have heard that Rob Gronkowski stands to make a tidy profit off the South Tampa property he bought just a year ago. Some guys have all the luck, huh?
Of course, these areas never lost as much value in the first place as some of the less stable areas of Tampa Bay. I’d say there are a few factors in both the area’s stability, and its popularity as a destination for money on the rebound. Access is an obvious one – most South Tampa addresses put you within 15 minutes of downtown.
But I’d say the root of the area’s value is more subtle. With an abundance of lifestyle amenities on the main thoroughfares and well-tended homes in the neighborhood, South Tampa marries access with a small-town feel. You won’t find that in the uplanned, chain-store dominated sprawl of Clearwater or Temple Terrace. The variety – from business networking at Buddy Brew Coffee to downing a Guinness at MacDinton’s – means South Tampa has a lot to offer both young singles and professionals with growing families. And ultimately, whatever the ups and downs of the giant, confusing financial machine that has so much sway over the real estate market, that’s what really matters – you want a great house in a place where it’s great to live. South Tampa definitely qualifies.
The resurgence of Mid-Century Modern architecture
The resurgence of Mid-Century Modern architecture and how it lends itself to “Green Building” – ideal for Tampa climate:
America has had its share of enduring architectural movements, from Greek Revival to Spanish Colonial to Arts and Crafts. Those are all styles, by the way, that describe both new and existing homes that you’ll see on the market. For obvious reasons, architectural movements – unlike transitory fashions in clothing, for example – leave signs of that last for decades or centuries.
One of the most distinct architectural trends of the 20th century, though, is also one that has had a less prominent impact in America. The Modernist movements in art and design probably make you think first of European names like Le Courbusier and Mies Van Der Rohe, whose minimalist buildings centered on open spaces, curtain walls, and innovative use of light. While there are some remnants of the European modernist architects in the U.S., for instance the Eichler Homes in parts of California, naturally their work was less widespread here than back home. Luckily, America had its very own modernists – Frank Lloyd Wright and his Prairie school, associated with names like Richard Neutra, William Krisel, and John Lautner, produced houses that minimized ornamentation, aimed to meld with the landscape, and made smart use of space and light.
Today, midcentury modern buildings continue to hold up as examples of some of the most beautiful architectural design anywhere. But they’re more than just great-looking – the use of natural light, cantilevered roofs, and attention to landscape also make them some of the smartest and greenest houses ever built. Here’s a great rundown from the architectural firm Build of 10 Forgotten Lessons of Mid-Century Design, including some decidedly ‘green’ features like roof eaves that provide shade in summer while letting in light during cold winters.
Maybe that green sensibility is why Midcentury Modern has been making such a comeback in both product design and architecture. (Then again, the Mad Men factor doesn’t hurt, either). South Florida has more than its share of surviving Modern homes and buildings, since the area boomed in the 1950s and 1960s when air conditioning made things a little more livable. That means Tampa Bay got hyperactive Atomic Age wonders like the Thunderbird and Bilmar Beach resorts on Treasure Island – but also more than a sprinkling of understated Prairie Modern homes, with flat lines and expansive views.
And appropriately enough, the Modern look isn’t confined to beautiful history pieces. The lessons are being adapted to more and more new construction Modern homes in Tampa, too. Keep an eye out, and you may find a modern new construction gem tucked in just about any corner of South Tampa!
Hyde Park Village Fresh Market
Aaaaaaaah, fall in Florida. In some parts of the country, chilly denizens dream of summer all year round – but in here, fall is the real golden time, when the weather becomes friendlier and the tourists pack up, leaving the still-warm beaches to the locals. As if we weren’t already spoiled, fall is also a great season for locally-grown produce, with cooler weather making way for broccoli, lettuce, carrots, and an array of fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, and fennel.
If your mouth is watering at the thought of fresh, locally-grown produce, there’s a great place in Hyde Park to scratch your itch. Now in its third year, the Hyde Park Village Fresh Market expertly serves the resurgence of food-consciousness over the last ten years, and the first Market of the Fall is coming October 6th. The Market returns the first Sunday of every month from 10am to 3pm, with more than a hundred vendors, local food, handicrafts, live music, and some consistently great people-watching.
Everything old, it seems, is new again. Many methods of handcrafting food and household goods fell out of favor when our grandparents’ generation happily adopted convenience foods and manufactured goods. But in the U.S. and elsewhere, a movement for more local and organic food has formed around activists like Michael Pollan, whose book The Omnivore’s Dilemma became the bible for a food movement pushing for more local, healthy food.
Vendors will bring herbs and plants from Lakeland, hydroponic produce, eggs from Seffner, locally-made chicken coops, organic fertilizer, and more. The Fresh Market also offer a unique Kid’s Market where sprouting foodies and crafters can sell goods they helped create. With 10 to 15 booths each month, the Kid’s Market aims to foster an entrepreneurial drive in kids, and also, hopefully, teach them something about the value of creating something with their own hands.
You could say that the Hyde Park Fresh Market offers just what every omnivore needs to solve their dilemma. Head out to Hyde Park Village on October 6th to get a taste of the creative eclecticism of one of Tampa’s most exciting neighborhoods!