Is Al Dana Park safe?
Tampa, Florida · safety score updated nightly
Mostly yes, with normal city awareness.
VibeLoco rates Al Dana Park as “Go, stay aware”.
Gogo's take on Al Dana Park
“Go with care. Al Dana Park is a modest, quiet residential pocket with little reason for typical visitors to stop, though it presents minimal safety risks during daylight hours. Standard urban awareness is recommended, particularly regarding vehicle security near surrounding commercial thoroughfares.”
Local law enforcement data shows periodic property crimes such as auto burglaries clustered primarily near neighboring commercial strips rather than violent residential offenses.
About the area
Al Dana Park is a small, primarily residential neighborhood situated in northwest Tampa near major transit corridors. The area features mid-century single-family residences and low-density blocks buffered from the bustle of surrounding commercial strips. Visitors mostly pass through for convenient access to West Tampa dining, shopping centers, and Tampa International Airport.
- Quiet Residential
- Car-Dependent
- Working-Class
- Suburban Pocket
Walking and biking in Al Dana Park
Walk score: 48/100 · Bike score: 44/100
There are no bike-share stations in the neighborhood, and dedicated bike lanes are scarce on interior roads, making cycling reliant on shared traffic lanes.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Quiet residential interior blocks with generally low violent crime rates.
- Central location offering rapid vehicle connectivity to Tampa International Airport and major business hubs.
- Relatively stable working-class community with established, long-term homeowners.
Cons
- Occasional property crimes and vehicle break-ins along adjacent retail corridors.
- Limited pedestrian infrastructure, including discontinuous sidewalks and sparse street lighting on residential roads.
- Lacks dedicated public parks, recreational venues, or visitor destinations within neighborhood bounds.
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is practically non-existent within the interior residential blocks, though individuals experiencing homelessness and occasional panhandling may be observed near major arterial intersections and strip mall parking lots along Hillsborough Avenue.
What Al Dana Park is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and calm as residents depart for work, feeling very safe for neighborhood strolls.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Low activity in the residential core with routine commercial traffic along outer perimeter roads.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Quiet and largely uneventful, though limited street lighting calls for general awareness after dark.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Streets are deserted and dark; visitors should keep vehicles locked and avoid walking alone on unlit side streets.
Transit, parking and getting around
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) operates bus service along perimeter arterials such as Hillsborough Avenue and Dale Mabry Highway; there is no passenger rail or BRT service in the immediate neighborhood.
Curbside parking on residential streets is free and readily available, while adjacent commercial plazas offer large, free surface parking lots.
Things to do in Al Dana Park
- Sample authentic Latin and Caribbean cuisine along the nearby West Hillsborough Avenue corridor.
- Take a short drive to nearby Al Lopez Park for walking trails, freshwater ponds, and shaded picnic areas.
- Explore independent bakeries and specialized Latin grocery markets along adjacent commercial corridors.
Local favorites
- Arco-Iris Cafe · Cuban Restaurant · 4.3★ (1150)Longstanding local institution serving generous portions of traditional Cuban fare and Chinese-Cuban specialties.
- La Teresita Restaurant · Cuban Restaurant · 4.5★ (6900)Celebrated landmark diner offering authentic Cuban sandwiches, roast pork, and classic cafe counter service.
- Perez Grocery & Deli · Latin American Deli · 4.4★ (140)Neighborhood bodega featuring freshly made pressed sandwiches, Cuban coffee, and staple Latin pantry items.
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.