Odessa

A master-planned community with a deeply rooted local history, Starkey Ranch has too many amenities to count, just 25 miles from Tampa. “It’s a great area for families and has a wonderful culture,” says Patti Reading, a local Realtor with Future Home Realty who’s been selling homes in the southeast region of Florida for over a decade. “It’s just a really nice, old-fashioned neighborhood.” In 1922, Jay Starkey got into the cattle ranch business with the help of a few friends and soon ended up with 16,000 acres in southwest Pasco County to raise his purebred Brahma cattle. Today, the Starkey Ranch neighborhood is filled with hundreds of acres of parks and has many streets named after Jay’s old partners and friends who helped make his ranch possible. While being a master-planned community gives Starkey Ranch a certain sense of walkability, it is still more spread out than the city scene in nearby downtown Tampa. “I’d consider it suburban since it’s a big area,” Reader says. “But you’ve got shopping and retail and restaurants about five minutes away.” There are plenty of home options to choose from in Starkey Ranch. “They have every size of everything, starter homes, townhomes and millennium mansions,” Reading says. Residents will find 55+ communities and gated communities with 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom homes ranging from $500,000 to $1.2 million. Spanish revival homes that range from $800,000 to $1 million with three-car garages and extensive driveways. Queen Anne and craftsman-style homes with shingle roofs are available as well, ranging from $460,000 to $930,000, depending on the number of rooms and other amenities like a pool and fenced backyards. Most dwellings have modest, shrub-filled front yards and wide sidewalks. Starkey Ranch has no shortage of parks in all shapes and sizes, such as the Heart Pine Pond Overlook, a quaint little wooden walkway that offers scenic views and a perfect picnic area. Sports lovers will enjoy the Starkey Ranch District Park, a 150-acre recreational complex with tennis courts, soccer fields and a track. The park also has a trailhead to 12 miles of paved community trails, where residents can take their four-legged friends. In the warmer months, neighbors visit the Heritage Springs Country Club is used for its golf course, meeting spaces and restaurant. People can also take a day trip to Howard Park Beach, which is 15 miles away and offers an area for relaxing, kayaking and boating. Residents visit the Publix Supermarket and pharmacy at Starkey Ranch Square for grocery restocks and prescriptions. There is also an ATM available here, as well as a nail salon. Starkey Market offers locally sourced produce, gourmet coffee, fresh pastries, and a small in-house gourmet restaurant called The Trough on Starkey Boulevard. They regularly host events, live music and trivia nights, with visits from food trucks on the weekend. Vallarta’s Mexican has been serving up classic Mexican dishes since 1992. The Wicked Pour is a popular spot to gather with friends while enjoying self-serve craft beer. The Pasco County Annual Fair brings in many Starkey Ranch residents every February, offering carnival rides, concerts, fair food, a pageant and more. During the holiday season, neighbors visit Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park for their Christmas lights. The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center is a popular destination for book enthusiasts. Residents drive south to Tampa for places such as Splitsville Tiki + Social, which offers a bowling alley and full restaurant, and Tampa Theatre, that’s been entertaining people since 1926. The Pasco County School District receives a B-plus from Niche and serves students in the area, which includes B-plus-rated Longleaf Elementary. Children may attend here before advancing to Seven Springs Middle, which earns a B-plus and has a very successful music program. Kids can move on to J.W. Mitchell High School, which has an A from Niche and offers students many programs such as a business technology and medical program. Commuters can use the Pasco County Public Transportation bus service to get around and to work. Major employers such as HCA Florida Trinity Hospital and the Pasco County School District are nearby, offering residents a smooth drive to work. Florida State Road 54 is used by drivers to reach places. Tampa International Airport is 24 miles away.