Is Abbey Trace safe?
Tampa, Florida · safety score updated nightly
Mostly yes, with normal city awareness.
VibeLoco rates Abbey Trace as “Go, stay aware”.
Gogo's take on Abbey Trace
“Go with care. Abbey Trace is a relatively quiet residential enclave in North Tampa that poses few direct threats to everyday visitors, but staying alert is still sensible. While violent crime inside the neighborhood is uncommon, the surrounding arterial corridors experience regular vehicle break-ins and typical suburban-fringe property crime.”
About the area
Abbey Trace is a residential neighborhood located in the northern sector of the Tampa metro area, close to Bearss Avenue and within easy reach of the University of South Florida. The community consists mostly of multifamily apartment complexes and modest single-family homes surrounded by suburban retail. Visitors to the area are generally visiting residents or utilizing adjacent amenities rather than touring dedicated attractions.
- Residential
- Car-Dependent
- Suburban Enclave
- Low-Key
Walking and biking in Abbey Trace
Walk score: 38/100 · Bike score: 45/100
There are no municipal bike-share hubs in Abbey Trace, and dedicated bike lanes on surrounding major roads are sporadic and subject to fast-moving vehicular traffic.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Interior residential streets are relatively calm with low pedestrian through-traffic.
- Convenient proximity to major regional medical centers and Interstate 275.
- Lower rates of severe violent crime compared to urban core neighborhoods in Tampa.
Cons
- Surrounding commercial corridors experience elevated rates of vehicle burglaries and petty property crime.
- Adjacent census tracts report below-average median household incomes and higher renter turnover.
- Street lighting is uneven on secondary streets, making night navigation less secure.
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is rare within the residential core of Abbey Trace, though panhandling and unhoused individuals are occasionally seen near busy intersections along Bearss Avenue and Nebraska Avenue.
What Abbey Trace is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and safe as residents start their morning commutes and walk pets along local driveways.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Quiet with routine residential deliveries and minimal foot traffic, presenting few safety concerns.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Calm atmosphere as families return home, though reduced lighting requires casual situational awareness.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Desolate with very little activity; it is best to avoid walking along nearby dark arterial roads late at night.
Transit, parking and getting around
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) operates bus routes along neighboring main roads like Bearss Avenue (such as Route 33 and Route 400), but there is no rail or BRT station nearby.
Parking is abundant and free, utilizing designated apartment complex surface lots and residential driveways with no paid or metered street zones.
Things to do in Abbey Trace
- Take a nature walk or rent a canoe nearby at Lettuce Lake Park along the Hillsborough River.
- Visit the tranquil plant collections and greenhouse displays at the nearby USF Botanical Gardens.
- Enjoy casual shopping and dining options across the nearby Carrollwood and University corridors.
Local favorites
- Mr. Dunderbak's Biergarten and Brewery · German Restaurant · 4.6★ (3450)A long-running Tampa staple serving traditional German sausages, draft beers, and European deli items.
- Vallarta's Mexican Restaurant · Mexican Restaurant · 4.3★ (1150)Popular local eatery on Bearss Avenue known for generous portions, fajitas, and margaritas.
- Babe's Pizza · Pizza Restaurant · 4.6★ (720)Neighborhood favorite serving deep-dish and thin-crust specialty pizzas in a relaxed setting.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.