Perhaps the most central of all Tampa neighborhoods is the Town N Country/Westchase area. Just minutes from the airport, a short drive to Downtown Tampa and just across the bridge from St Petersburg this area offers more than just a convenient location. Several shopping malls are in near proximity as well as the dining and entertainment Downtown Tampa and South Tampa have to offer. This is a highly developed area with lots to choose from when it comes to size and style of housing and apartment complexes. Westchase is a large network of neighborhoods
Housing
Housing in the Town N Country/Westchase area ranges from cozy family neighborhoods, older and new apartment complexes, luxurious towering apartments and condos, corporate rentals, planned communities, golf course communities and custom estates.
Things To Do
There are many great neighborhood parks in Town N Country including the Pam Callahan Nature Preserve, the Al Lopez Park which features a 2.5 mile paved trail and The Upper Tampa Bay Trail, which is a 5.6 mile widely used multi-use trail that is regarded as Tampa’s best urban trail. Golf courses include Countryway Golf Club and Rocky Point Golf Club.
Other entertainment includes nearby movie theaters such as AMC Veterans Expressway 24, AMC West Shore 14 and the Cobb Cinebistro in Hyde Park Village which features a movie theater that serves fantastic food and regular and adult beverages, including a full liquor bar and lounge. In nearby Downtown Tampa there is the Straz Center for Performing Arts, The Tampa Museum of Art, the Florida Aquarium, historic Ybor and the Channelside district. Town N Country is also home to The Bucs’ Raymond James Stadium and the New York Yankees spring training baseball field.
Westchase provides its residents with an 18-hole golf course, several parks, community swimming pools, tennis courts, nature preserves, and soccer fields.
Dining and Shopping
While there are many big name stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Bealls and Whole Foods there are also many niche and specialty stores in this area and it is close to three of Tampa’s best malls, the Citrus Park Mall, Westshore Plaza and International Plaza, which is home to such high end stores as Burberry, Crate & Barrel, J.Crew, Gucci, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. Shopping in Westchase is available in West Park Village Town Center and West Chase Square.
There is a wide selection when it comes to dining too. There are several locations of the Green Iguana in this area as well as Tokyo Japanese and Chinese Restaurant, Black Beans Cuban Bar and Grill, Bahama Breeze, The Rusty Pelican, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Ocean Prime and many more.
Additional dining options at nearby International Plaza features Bar Louie, Blue Martini, The Capital Grille and Ocean Prime and Westshore Plaza features Maggiano’s Little Italy, PF Chang’s and Mitchell’s Fish Market.
Traffic and Driving
While some areas of Town N Country can have periods of highly congested traffic there are many ways to get around it. The Veterans Expressway, I-275, I-4 and the bay bridges are easily accessible in most areas of Town N Country. There are many stops on the HART bus line, which makes using public transportation quite efficient and convenient in this area.
Schools
Public school include eight elementary schools, Webb Middle School, Alonzo High School and Jefferson High School. There are many private schools in this area including Berkley Prep, Town N Country Christian, West Gate Christian, Incarnation Catholic and Chapel in the Pines School. The University of South Florida has nearby campuses across the bridge in St Petersburg and the main campus to the northeast. Other colleges in the area include ITT Technical Institute, Phoenix University, International Academy of Design Technology, Galen, and Hillsborough Community College. The Town N Country public library serves this location.
Business
Commerce is generated from a wide variety of sources including retail and restaurants, banking and finance, hotels and tourism, Raymond James Stadium, Town N Country Hospital and Tampa International Airport.
From Wikipedia