St. Petersburg voted the #4 Best Places to Retire (Tampa, Clearwater: sales, 2013)

[kbrkr]

St. Petersburg, Fla.


Population: 244,800 (39% over age 50)
Housing costs: $108,000 to buy a home/$1,000 a month to rent
Cost of living index: 94 (100 is average)

Can't imagine retirement without a beach? In St. Pete you can dip your toes in the Gulf of Mexico or Tampa Bay -- plus play a round of golf, eat virtually any type of cuisine, and see famous art, all in a single day.

While St. Petersburg is undoubtedly a retiree hotspot, the city has also drawn more young families in recent years, says local realtor Judy Horvath. The mix helps keep the city vibrant and stocked with boutiques, galleries, and restaurants.

Where to live
Downtown: The market for new apartments and condos was flattened by the bust, but developments are now back on track and in many cases selling out quickly. New two-bedrooms downtown start at around $300,000, says St. Petersburg agent Rachel Sartain.
Surrounding neighborhoods: If that's too expensive, going five or 10 minutes outside of downtown brings prices down dramatically; condos in many central areas start in the $200,000 range, says Sartain.

What to do
Beaches: Two of the nation's best (according to TripAdvisor readers) are just a 10-mile drive from downtown, including North Beach, located in the 1,140-acre Fort De Soto Park.
Art: Try the Dalí Museum for works by the Spanish surrealist, or the Museum of Fine Arts for Monet and O'Keeffe.
Sports: Tropicana Field is home to the Tampa Bay Rays. There are also plenty of golf courses, including Mangrove Bay, a par-72 championship course. At $25 a round, these municipal greens may be the city's best bargain.

Taxes
Retirement income is not taxed. Permanent residents get a property tax exemption of up to $50,000.

Income tax: None
Sales tax: 7%
Median property tax: $1,080

St. Petersburg, Fla. - Best Places to Retire - Money Magazine

[tinytrump]

oh I saw a diff write up but they will say anything on paper... I like St Pete, don't get me wrong, but the " retirement crowd has to SHARE a bit to a upcoming younger crowd for the area to survive.

[alaskan adventurer]

we went to Lakewood hi school ( south st pete) left in "75" never to look back. BUT at age 60 we think St pete is the spot to grow old . (At least during the winter) been looking for a shack for 1yr and not had any luck yet

[Roscoe Conkling]

Bought me a place at Waterside at Coquina Key at the bottom of the crash and never looked back - I can't think of anywhere else I'd like to retire.
It's a really well-run community with a great HOA and an excellent mix of retirees and working stiffs.
St Pete is a great small city with plenty of fantastic bars and restaurants.
And me and the wife generally spend at least one day a week at the beach in Passe-a-Grille.
Anytime we fancy a change we either bimble down to Key West or up the coast to New Orleans on a road trip.
We consider ourselves to be incredibly lucky.

[BucFan]

curious how flood insurance rates have affected retirees in St Pete - who seemingly would be on fixed incomes and unable to afford steep increases in home insurance rates.....St Pete, if anywhere would be taking a direct hit if a hurricane hit the area, along w/ the storm surge. Think that would be an important consideration. Living downtown St Pete would seem to be a decent place to live with all the happenings down there (Rays, Mahaffey concerts, Rowdies soccer, USFSP, Dali) - but would seem to be expensive for a retiree to live (expensive rent). Seems like good access to healthcare, though - major medical centers right downtown.

[lavender]

I agree with it being a great place to retire to, planning to do that ourselves, we live on other side of county and love beach area, but its all going on downtown and I want to enjoy the walking/galleries/culture etc. I have an invite to a preview of the new condos on Snell Isle, not exactly downtown, but am going to see what they are offering this week, and hoping they might be a little less steep than downtown condo prices. Will keep you posted.

[mquintana]

I personally wouldn't retire in St. Pete but that's just me. I can see the surrounding areas...but not St. Pete.

[gypsychic]

It's nice to see a positive writeup. The whole Gulf coast from St. Pete down through Naples is a great place to retire, depending on what one wants. Each city has it's own vibe. I like St. Pete, but happy where we are in Sarasota/Bradenton.

[kbrkr]

Yes...it's curious the article didn't mention flood insurance, but I think that is because it is a nationwide issue. Ask the residents around the areas hit during Sandy; they are looking at the same price increases.

I like Clearwater, Dunedin, and Sarasota/Bradenton myself. I work in St. Pete and I agree with the others. The entire Gulf coast is a special place that I'd be proud to call home.

[vaughanwilliams]

I like the West or Pittsburgh for retirement. After 40+ years here, Florida has just wore me out physically and mentally. What I wouldn't give for some non-summer like weather. That being said, St. Pete is a wonderful city, been my home for most of my life and I wouldn't live anywhere else in Florida.