Pinellas County
Pinellas County sits almost entirely on a peninsula and includes barrier islands that stretch for approximately 37 miles. There are three causeways that connect the peninsula to the city of Tampa, so you’re never too far from all that a big city has to offer. The largest cities within Pinellas County are St. Petersburg, FL (population of 272K) and Clearwater (population of 117K). A portion of Clearwater includes a beach on the barrier island, but the county’s remaining beaches on the barrier islands are made up of a dozen small towns ranging in population of just under 9,000 residents (St. Pete Beach) down to as little as 73 residents (Belleair Shore).
Photo Courtesy of: Visit Dunedin
Photo Courtesy of: Visit Clearwater Florida
Photo Courtesy of: Visit St. Pete/ Clearwater Florida
Living in
St. Petersburg
Photo Courtesy of: St. Petersburg Parks and Recreations
With an average of 361 days of sunshine a year, it’s no wonder that St. Petersburg, FL is nicknamed “The Sunshine City”. The city lies at the southern end of a peninsula with Tampa Bay to its east and Boca Ciega Bay to its west. Take a quick drive west over the bay and you’ll find yourself on the beautiful beaches of St. Pete Beach.
Although water activities are plentiful here, there is much more to see and do. Take in a baseball game at Tropicana Field; watch an outdoor play at Williams Park; play a round of golf on one of the six courses within St. Petersburg’s city limits; visit the Salvador Dali Museum; enjoy an outdoor concert at Jannus Live (a unique downtown venue); or become a member of St. Petersburg’s century-old botanical attraction, Sunken Gardens, and get free year-round admission.
And if you enjoy the feel of older neighborhoods, you’ll love living in St. Petersburg! The city has many charming, historic neighborhoods with homes built in the 1920’s. This is not easy to find in Florida, since Florida’s population growth really didn’t start skyrocketing until the 1950’s. As these older homes are sold the interiors are being updated and the exteriors restored. If this type of neighborhood appeals to you, check out home for sale in the Kenwood area of St. Petersburg.
Living in
St. Pete Beach
Photo Courtesy of: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater
St. Pete Beach is a popular tourist destination on Florida’s Gulf Coast. This small town has the longest stretch of undeveloped public beach in the St. Pete/Clearwater area. Enjoy four miles of soft, powdery white sand.
Pass-a-Grille Beach is a coastal neighborhood within the town of St. Pete Beach known for its good shelling. Here you will find an array of restaurants, inns, distinct shops as well as a lack of high-rise buildings. Pass-a-Grille community is also brimming with history. At the heart of Pass-A-Grille is the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, built in 1917. And the Historic 8th Avenue is one of the largest Historic Districts on the Gulf Coast. Here, you can take the self-guided tour and explore the town’s old buildings.
The world renowned hotel, The Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa, is located in St. Pete Beach just north of Pass-a-Grille. It’s affectionately known as the “Pink Palace”, for its pink exterior and eye-catching, majestic architecture. You don’t have to be a guest at the resort to dine, shop and book spa treatments there. And if you really fall in love the place, you can join the Don Club (think beach country club).
St. Pete Beach’s downtown shopping district, Corey Avenue, is a great place to find shopping, restaurants, bars, recreation and more. It is a favorite among tourist and locals alike.
Living in
Clearwater
Photo Courtesy of: Visit Clearwater Florida
Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County and the smallest of three principal cities in the Tampa Bay area. Clearwater Beach is the part of the city of Clearwater that is located on a barrier island.
If you are a nature buff, you’ll enjoy Clearwater’s beautiful parks: Cliff Stephens Park, Philippe Park, Sand Key Park, and the 51-acre nature preserve Moccasin Lake Nature Park. Hiking tours, nature exhibits and educational camps are offered at Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center.
If live performances are more your thing, then check out the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in downtown Clearwater. It’s a place where the locals gather together to enjoy live music.
Clearwater’s 1,080-foot-long fishing pier is one of the city’s most popular spots. Pier 60 as well as its immediate surroundings serves as a recreational area with so much to do! You can enjoy the beach, rent paddleboards or jet skis, go fishing, dine, shop and enjoy the nightly sunset celebration. And if you have grandkids visiting, they’ll love the giant waterslide and the ocean-view playground.
If you have a passion for marine animals, Clearwater may be the perfect place for you. Are you looking to volunteer in your retirement? The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and treating injured animals as well as participating in conservation activities and conducting research.
Living in
Belleair Beach to Madeira Beach
Photo Courtesy of: Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber Of Commerce
The area from Belleair Beach to Madeira Beach is a 14-mile long barrier island that encompasses several small towns. The island is connected to Clearwater via a bridge on its north end, and connected to St. Pete Beach via a bridge on its south end.
Belleair Beach and Belleair Shores are two of the most secluded communities on this island. You can’t find any commercial businesses, churches or schools in this high-end community and residents take pride in preserving some of the last strictly residential beach neighborhoods in Pinellas County. Belleair Shores only has around 100 residents and all homes are gulf front.
Comparatively, Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores are a bit more “touristy” but are still pretty quiet, laid-back towns. Here you will find some great choices for shopping and dining, and outdoor activities. Visit the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, a non-profit bird sanctuary and rehabilitation center.
Just south of Indian Shores are the three Redington Beach Communities (Reddington Shores, North Reddington Beach, and Reddington Beach), known as the “triplet towns”. Although these towns abut each other they maintain their own distinct character.
Directly south of the triplet towns is Madeira Beach which is nicknamed the “Grouper Capital of the World”. If you are into fishing, perhaps Madeira Beach is a good retirement choice because it is home to the Old Salt Fishing Foundation. Madeira Beach is also home to John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk, Pinellas County’s #1 tourist attraction. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the coastal views along the 1,100 foot boardwalk. Here you will find restaurants, bars, shops, entertainment, tour operators and water sports vendors.
Living in
Treasure Island
Photo Courtesy of: Visit St.Pete/Clearwater Florida
Treasure Island got it’s name around 1915 when some supposed treasure chests washed ashore there. This small 3 mile long town is located on the barrier island between Madeira Beach and St. Pete Beach.
The majority of single-family homes in this town have Boca Ciega Bay in their backyard, and many of the condos overlook the Gulf of Mexico. Although Treasure Island is largely a residential town, it is just a few minutes drive from all there is to do in St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburg.
Treasure Island’s beaches are beautiful and because they are especially wide, the town hosts some annual beach events. Two of the bigger events include a kite festival that is held every January and an incredibly popular sand sculpting competition which occurs in November.
Living in
Tierra Verde
Photo Courtesy of: Visit St.Pete/Clearwater Florida
Tierra Verde is a census designated community on a small island located near the entrance of Tampa Bay. Although this neighborhood may seem secluded, it is just 20 minutes from Tampa International Airport, 10 miles from downtown St. Petersburg and a mere 10 minute drive to Pass-a-Grille Beach and St. Pete Beach. This unincorporated community offers its residents great boating and fishing opportunities in pristine natural areas. The beautiful Shell Key Preserve, known for its wildlife and great shelling, can easily be reached from Tierra Verde by kayak or the the Shell Key Ferry. And Pinellas County’s largest park, Fort De Soto is connected via bridge to Tierra Verde at the southern end of the main island.
Tierra Verde is a deed-restricted community comprised of under 2,000 homes and condos managed by the Tierra Verde Community Association. The residential properties are scattered on a series of islands connected by bridges. And although this community is mostly residential, you’ll find plenty of nice, casual restaurants here.
Living in
Tarpon Springs
Photo Courtesy of: Explore Tarpon Springs
Do you love Greek food and culture? If so, consider Tarpon Springs for your retirement. This town of approximately 25,000 residents has the largest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the United States. Greek immigrants came to the area in the late 1800’s & early 1900’s to work in the booming sponge industry. Although the sponge industry here isn’t was it was a century ago, Tarpon Springs still considers itself to be the “Sponge Capital of the World”. It houses the World’s largest assortment of natural sponges at the Spongeorama Sponge Factory.
The Sponge Docks are on located on Dodecanese Boulevard where you’ll find a great selection of Greek restaurants. And from there you can walk to Tarpon Springs’ historic downtown where you’ll find more great restaurants, bars and shops.
For the history buffs, the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum contains a collection of Native American archeological artifacts from local excavations, and it tells the history of the city’s sponge industry and Greek heritage. On Tarpon Avenue you will find the Historic Train Depot, and you can enjoy guided tours at the Safford Museum near the Spring Bayou.
Tarpon Springs is also a great choice for lovers of the arts. Attend concerts and plays at the 300-seat Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, known for its intimate atmosphere and excellent acoustics. Enjoy the permanent art collection and ever changing exhibitions at the Leepa-Rattner Museum, and possibly volunteer there as one of your retirement activities. Also, the Tarpon Springs Art Guild is a great place to shop, take classes or sell your art. And be sure not to miss the annual Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival at Craig Park.
And last, but certainly not least, Tarpon Springs is an excellent retirement choice for those that love outdoor activities such as canoeing, hiking, birding and fishing. Yes, Tarpon Springs was named after the big-game fish, but that’s only one of many types of salt and freshwater fish that people catch here.
Living in
Dunedin
Photo Courtesy of: Visit Dunedin
The waterfront city of Dunedin has no high-rise buildings to obscure the views of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico. Here you can enjoy a relatively laid-back, small-town atmosphere while still being close to all there is to do in Tampa and Clearwater. Dunedin has a lot to offer retirees. There is a charming historic district which includes a main street with quaint shops, restaurants and bars; and this little downtown hosts numerous art festivals throughout the year. Boaters will appreciate that Dunedin’s marina is right in downtown at the west end of Main street.
If you’re a baseball fan, you can watch the Toronto Blue Jay’s spring training, as well as the Dunedin Blue Jays minor league games. Golfers are sure to enjoy the historic Dunedin Golf Club designed by Donald Ross in 1927.
Other outdoor activities include walking or biking the 45 mile Pinellas Trail that goes through downtown Dunedin, and kayaking the mangrove trails in Caladesi Island State Park. Caladesi Island as well as Honeymoon Island State Park boast beautiful, unspoiled beaches with coastal hiking trails.
