Vacation On The Beach In Florida? How About St Pete Beach!
I love St Pete Beach. It’s not just one of the largest beach communities along the shores of Pinellas County, but it is also probably the most popular vacation place for tourists who come to Tampa Bay. They are coming from NY, Michigan, Pennsylvania and we call them “snow birds”! There are also many tourists here that come from Canada and Europe and many of them own timeshares.
LOCATION
St Pete Beach is the southernmost beach area in our county. It stretches about 5 miles from north to south and can be only several hundred feet wide in some places. One of the things that make St Pete Beach popular is ease of getting here. It is under 30 minutes by car from Tampa International Airport and it’s easy to get here from I-275 via BayWay. Another route to and from the island is through South Pasadena. Yes, St Pete Beach is a barrier island, with lots of water access all around, beach or intracoastal, so there’s no lack of available water activities, from fishing, dolphins watch cruises, parasailing, jet skiing or simply lounging on the beach.
POPULATION
There are around 10,000 local residents with around 5,000 residential units. The city is also a popular winter residence for many people living in other parts of the United States, Canada and Europe. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come to St Pete Beach annually and stay in over 3,000 transient accommodation units, including major hotel and motel operations. You will also find many small lodges and resorts where you can spend your vacation in a more private setting.
REAL ESTATE
St Pete Beach is very diverse and most anyone can find a piece of real estate in this city whether you are here to stay or looking for a vacation home. In 2011 there are single family homes here listed from sale from mid $100k’s to several $ million. There are a good combination or condos, townhouses, villas and single family homes. If you are looking for a condo, you can find a 1 bedroom place for under a $100k, it won’t be Gulf front but you are within 10 minutes walk from the water anywhere you are on the island. Waterfront condos can come close or above $1 mill in places like The Lido, Silver Sands and The Dunes. You can choose from a beach front house or condo to a home on intracoastal with a private boat dock. There are also many homes here without direct water access for half the price of a waterfront home. You will love neighborhoods like Belle Vista, Pass-A-Grille, Maritana and Boca Ciega Isle. If you are into sailing and need deep water and access to Gulf without wait for bridges to open, check out Vina Del Mar, you’ll love it. Most homes in neighborhoods like Bahia Shores, Three Palms and Brightwater are waterfronts, while in Belle Vista, Maritana and Along Blind Pass you will find many single family homes without water access.
DINING
There are many places to choose from fine dining to fast food – it’s all here. Sea food is a must in Florida and there are several really good places here like The Hurricane in Pass-A-Grille, Snappers, Woody’s by the Blind Pass and several others. If you like Mexican food, they have probably the best place in town called Agave. And for BBQ lovers – Wildwood BBQ at the Postcard Inn is a place to visit.
VIDEO TOUR
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