Saint petersburg : Florida

What Saint Petersburg is like for active adults

St. Petersburg is one of 3 closely related cities on Florida's Tampa Bay. The other 2 are Clearwater and Tampa (the largest and most urban of the 3). St. Pete has been a classic retirement and tourist destination since the 1920's because of its winter warmth, great beaches, and ideal location on a peninsula in Tampa Bay. St. Pete, aka "The Sunshine City", has many interesting and historic neighborhoods. Some of those include Grand Central, historic Kenwood, Old Northeast, and Roser Park. One of the prime shopping areas is Baywalk, and there is also the Central Business District (home to wikipedia.org). There are at least 3 colleges in St. Pete - University of Florida St. Pete, St. Petersburg College, and Eckerd College (located on the waterfront on one of the most beautiful campus settings in the world).

Whereas Tampa is more urban and Clearwater a bit more suburban, St. Pete offers a happy compromise in a very livable city, particularly in the desirable neighborhoods and near the water. Many people agree that St. Pete has one of the nicest and most vital downtowns in Florida. St. Pete, with almost 300,000 people, is the 4th largest city in the state.

Zillow's Home Value Index in mid 2009 says that the median home in St. Petersburg is worth $120,800, down 20% from the year earlier. There are many active adult and/or 55+ communities in St. Pete.

Edit | History

What is special about this retirement community

St. Pete offers a pleasant lifestyle near the water with many diversions. There are many interesting neighborhoods and attractions. Having 3 colleges in town is a big plus. The St. Petersburg Pier is a big tourist attraction. The Tampa Bay Rays have their home in St. Pete.

Edit | History

What is not special about this retirement community

Certain parts of St. Pete are high crime areas, particularly some of South St. Pete.

Edit | History

What kinds of people like retiring here

People looking to retire in a low-key Florida city with a lot to do will like St. Petersburg. It is particularly nice for beach and water lovers.

Edit | History

Local economy is driven by

Tourism, retirees, healthcare are some of the big parts of the St. Pete economy.

Edit | History

Climate and Physical Environment

St. Pete is located on a peninsula running along the southwest part of Tampa Bay. Clearwater is to the north and Tampa to the east. The western part of town is comprised of barrier islands facing the Gulf of Mexico.

Edit | History

Cultural environment

Being home to 3 colleges helps the cultural scene in St. Petersburg. It also has several interesting museums: the Salvador Dali Museum, the Holocaust Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Florida International Museum, and a Children's Museum. The Mahaffey Theatre Complex, the Arts Center, Palladium Theatre, and Jannus Center are just some of the cultural outlets. The St. Petersburg Pier always has something going on, and throughout the year many festivals are held. If that is not enough, a quick trip across the Bay will turn up many more events in Tampa.

Edit | History

Medical facilities

There are at least 3 hospitals in St. Pete and many more in nearby Tampa and Clearwater. Medical specialists of every description abound.

Edit | History

Transportation

Tampa International, a major airport, is close. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority provides bus service. A trolley runs through the downtown district. I 275 runs through St. Pete and connects to the mainland.

Edit | History

Valuable Links

Florida retirement guide
St. Petersburg Wikipedia
City of St. Pete
St. Pete Chamber of Commerce

Edit | History

Was this review helpful?

Yes

Please share your opinions on this community in the Forum
Register to become a Site Guide to Edit these sections or Add a Community If you have suggestions on how Topretirements.com could improve these reviews, contact us.
Suggest a community we want to know about your top retirement spots

Please note that all contributions to Topretirements may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you don't want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then don't submit it here. By submitting content and/or photographs here you agree to give Topretirements.com the rights to use them in any manner without cost or attribution.You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Project:Copyrights for details). DO NOT SUBMIT COPYRIGHTED WORK WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Forward to a Friend | print

Facts about SAINT PETERSBURG

State: FL
Environment: Suburban,College Town,Coastal,
City Population: 100,001+
Median age of Population: 25-44
Avg Jan Temperature: 41-60
Median HH Income: 41,001-60,000
Average Home Price (MLS): $100,000-$200,000
Annual Property Tax on a $200,000 house: 2000-4000
Total Crime Index: 111-120 (high)
Cost of Living Index: 81-90 (low)
Culture Index: 111-120 (high)
State Sales Tax: Yes
State Income Tax: No
Name of the Guide: boomer1

Can you add to or correct these Facts? Or do you have a photo of this community we could use? If so, please click on Edit these facts

Add Your City Photo here

Vote on the Ratings for Saint Petersburg

Total Ratings

1. Overall Retirement Ratings Discuss

Currently 0.00>/5
1
2
3
4
5