Tampa Bay History

I’ve heard them say some views and locations are simply priceless.  I can nod in agreement standing at the edge of Grand Canyon, but not on the balcony of a luxury condo with water views.  It may be a million dollar view but it’s not priceless.  Fortunately, there are many breathtaking views and locations in [...]

We are officially starting our monthly newsletter.  Frankly, I don’t know what kind of information would perk your interest on a regular basis, yet we’ll try to provide only high quality content.  We are Realtors, so naturally we want to share news related to real estate in St Petersburg and Tampa Bay area.  But we [...]

What Will Take Place Of This Historical Building In St Pete? A well-familiar structure in St Petersburg, FL at 232 2nd St N came crashing down.  A nearly 100 year old building of a unique mission-style was recently demolished.  It was sitting vacant for several years, slowly deteriorating.  I often wondered about the fate of [...]

Lassing Park and Old Souteast Judge Robert B. Lassing donated Lassing Park (see video below) to the city in 1924.  The gift included an understanding that the city of St. Petersburg would erect “no buildings other than necessary for park purposes,” according to a citation included in the survey. The City acquired additional land in [...]

A Peninsula of Paradise in Pass-A-Grille Pass-A-Grille!  What a unique beach community!  Located at the southernmost tip of Pinellas County, it is a peace of paradise and a vacation haven for locals and tourists alike.  Although Pass-A-Grille belongs to the St Pete Beach municipality, it feels like a separate little town with a culture of [...]

How about a vacation on Indian Rocks Beach? Shady cottages, quaint businesses, less crowds, few high rise condos…These features characterize perfectly the uniqueness of Indian Rocks Beach, my favorite among them all (and there are many here).   Every time we cruise through Indian Rocks on Gulf Blvd, I confess than I’m a little jealous of [...]

All You Need To Know About Snell Isle in St Pete When was Snell Isle developed? –  1920s Snell Isle was developed by C. Perry Snell in 1899 after he returned to St. Petersburg from traveling around Europe.  The first piece of land purchased was North Shore Park followed by Crescent Lake (located off of [...]

What will the new St Pete Pier look like? The news about the total restructure of St Pete Pier is no longer news.  We’ve all been hearing for a while about this plan and possible architectural ideas of what the future Pier should look like.  Not too long ago we’ve written a post about the Pier and [...]

Old Historical Homes In Tampa Bay, pre-1920 Tampa Bay real estate doesn’t have centuries of unique history, so an “old house” for us is often something over 50 years old.  Well, there are actually quite a few homes in St Petersburg, Belleair, Tarpon Springs, Tampa and all over Tampa Bay that were built even over a 100 [...]

Snell Isle: Oasis in the City Looking for a serene place in the city where historic homes line shady, winding streets?  A quaint neighborhood that has an authentic “old Florida” charm?  Snell Isle near downtown St Petersburg, Florida may suit you to a tee.  Located just minutes from downtown St. Pete and connected to the [...]

1920’s: The Florida Land Boom   Easy credit.  Sky-high real estate prices.  Speculation. Sounds like the housing situation of recent years but these trends were the norm in early 1920’s Florida.   The Victorian Era was long gone and the new middle class had leisure time and money to travel.   Florida was readily accessible through railways [...]

Did You Know Al Capone Lived In St Petersburg? In 1926 St Petersburg, FL became a regular get away for Al Capone.  While being an occasional guest at the Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa, it is also rumored that he owned a home in Shore Acres.  Supposedly he used a house for his elderly [...]

How Much Do You Know about Old Northeast? by Emily Zobanov, guest writer Historic Old Northeast, located between 5th and 30th Ave N and east of 4th Street, was the first official neighborhood in St. Petersburg.   There are approximately 4,000 households in Old Northeast.  A walk or drive through the shady, brick-paved streets of this district [...]

What’s the Deal With That Sign? Have you ever tried to read this sign while driving down Park Street in St. Petersburg?   I’ve never bothered to stop there and wander but after driving by it for a few years I finally know what it says.   I’m still curious about Panfilo de Narvaez and the ancient [...]

Quick Facts About Florida.  How Will They Affect You? Just read some interesting facts about Florida in Florida Realtor® magazine.  As Realtors® we are continually studying local and state real estate market and statistics.  So, we thought you may be interested to know that in Florida there are: -          1,000 people move to Florida each [...]

In short about Peter Demens Many of us know that St Petersburg, FL was named by a Russian immigrant Mr. Peter Demens.  He named it after St Petersburg, Russia where he spent many years in service.  As a successful Russian entrepreneur he made good money in selling off lumber coming from trees that grew in [...]

The Snell Arcade Building By Emily Zobanov, our guest writer Do you ever wonder about that beautiful old building on the corner of Central Avenue and Fourth Street in downtown St. Pete?   This 1926 gem is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Judy Lowe Wells is the author of C. Perry Snell: His Place [...]

St Pete’s Central Aventue Through A Wide Angle Lens Since The HOME Team’s office is located Downtown St Petersburg, I like taking a break and stroll down Central with my camera in hand.  I’m no experience photographer, but I wanted to share with you a few shots I took today Downtown St Pete. ART REVIVAL [...]

If You Build It – They Will Come? The Pier Downtown St Petersburg. By guest writer Emily Zobanov Ideas and opinions are astir concerning The Pier, the famous (or infamous) inverted pyramid we all love or love to hate. Recently the city of St. Petersburg’s Pier Advisory Task Force issued a report titled “Alternatives For [...]

Chattaway Drive-In In St Petersburg FL, Review and Video If you’re into “old Florida”, the Chattaway restaurant is a must-visit spot in St. Petersburg.  This local favorite has been around since the early 1950’s.   The outdoor atmosphere is casual-kitsch. Here’s a great description from www.Poynteronline.org    The Chattaway, a Southeast gathering spot at 22nd Avenue [...]

How Much Do You know About Florida’s Pink Lady, The Don CeSar Hotel? By Emily Zobanov If you find yourself on St. Pete Beach, you can’t miss the lovely Don CeSar Hotel.   This hotel, in all it’s pink glory, presents a striking contrast against Florida’s clear blue skies.   Listed on the National Register of Historic [...]