What the heck is a Wimauma anyway? It's the first two or three letters from the names of the daughters of the town's founder C.H. Davis. Wonder where Willie, Maude and Mary are today?
Wimauma, Florida (pronounced Why-MAUGH-muh) is an unincorporated area in western Florida about a 30 minute drive, or an eight hour walk, from the southern end of Tampa. But don't walk it; it's too hot outside here. It could almost be considered a suburb of the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, although the population crush of those city's doesn't quite extend as far as Wimauma. This is a rural community that is primarily residential, meaning you're not going to find a lot to do entertainment-wise within the boundaries of the town, and it's not located along a major highway or interstate. The Church of God Campground, a retreat center, is the closest thing Wimauma has to a community center.
Moving to Wimauma
Since Wimauma is so small the town doesn't have distinctive neighborhoods, although there are small clusters of individual homes for rent and apartment complexes in this community. Even though this is a rural community prices for house rentals in Wimauma tend to be higher than towns similar in size elsewhere, but on the flip side single-family homes in the area come with larger lots than you'll find for comparable prices in the Tampa/St. Pete area.
When you're looking for places for rent in Wimauma try to keep an open mind. Finding a one-bedroom apartment or two-bedroom apartments for rent isn't too difficult, but finding three-bedroom apartments, town homes, condos or luxury apartments is pretty much out of the question.
Most apartment complexes in Wimauma have application fees. The property managers also conduct background checks and require proof of employment, such as a pay stub. You're going to need a driver's license, state ID or passport, social security number and a list of prior rental references when you fill out the application, so make sure to bring those with you. You might as well go to the DMV once you have all of your information together because Florida law requires you to get new tags, license plates and a driver's license within 30 days of moving to the Sunshine State. If you're already from Florida and just relocating, then you have nothing to worry about now, do you!
Neighborhoods in Wimauma
Since Wimauma proper is an entire neighborhood unto itself, it doesn't have any distinct divisions to speak of, or shopping for that matter. This makes looking for apartments that much easier!
Apartment Complexes in Wimauma
La Estancia Apartments: Located in the upper northwest corner of town on W. Lake Drive, La Estancia offers one-bedroom and two-bedroom rental apts with interior courtyards at the center of each building and designated parking spots throughout the development. Just up the road from a Florida Tropical Fish Farms Co-Op Store to help you take care of your fish tank.
Groves at Wimauma: Found just around the corner from La Estancia, Groves at Wimauma has one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments for rent. This apartment complex offers on-site parking, laundry facilities and a swimming pool. Tours are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Groves at Wimauma is directly across the street from Reddick Elementary, and just around the corner from Walmart.
New Maum Home: This apartment complex is found on the northeast side of Wimauma. New Maum Home has one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartment rentals with designated parking, on-site laundry and some utilities paid. This is just up the street from three tiny but killer authentic Mexican restaurants -- Los Angeles, El Su, and Ana's Restaurant, the latter being a local favorite which grew from its humble beginnings as a food cart. There's also a Southern Auto Parts store, a couple of gas stations and Cubano Loco Super Market.
Living in Wimauma
As mentioned earlier, this is a small, rural community that doesn't have a downtown or any entertainment options if you want to go out for a night on the town. Nearby Sun City Center has options for dining out, catching a movie, shopping and just about anything else you may want to do. Near Wimauma, on the outskirts of town to the west, you'll find a Walmart Supercenter, and just a little bit further up the road is a shopping plaza with a Publix grocery store (so you can always get one of their famous subs), an Office Max and a McDonald's.
Around the Wimauma area there are opportunities for outdoor recreation, including biking, hiking, boating, fishing and golf. Although Lake Wimauma is on the south side of town it doesn't have any public access; unfortunately, the only way to get down to the water is to know someone with waterfront property. Little Manatee River State Park and the Gulf of Mexico each are only about a 30 minute drive away, so living in Wimauma means at all times you're just a few minutes away from sticking your toes in the sand.