St. Pete Neighborhood Suggestions? (real estate, rent, crime)

[wallyb2013]

My husband is interviewing for a job in St. Pete, and we're considering relocating from Charlotte, NC. We currently live in a vibrant, historic, walkable neighborhood (Plaza Midwood) about 2 miles from downtown that is in a transitional phase of redevelopment and would like to find something similar in St. Pete. We're looking for something close to the water and downtown, and so far I've identified Old Northeast, Kenwood, Woodlawn, Uptown, and Old Southeast as options. We have 2 year old with another on the way, so a neighborhood that is walkable with access to parks is a must. We're ok with a diverse neighborhood and can handle minor property crime as long as the area is generally safe to walk in both day and night.

Any suggestions? We'll probably rent for a year and then buy something after our houses (we own two) sell in Charlotte. Once we buy, our price range will be between $350K and $500K for a house that is at least 1800 sq ft., which I know is a realistic range in all of the above neighborhoods.

[braineater2448]

To me, Old Northeast would be your best bet. It's a beautiful neighborhood and very close to downtown. You could even walk or bike into downtown if you lived in the southern part of Old NE. You could buy a historic bungalow or something new. Tons of new construction going on in DTSP. For example, these new townhomes were just announced for 11th Ave in Old NE. The homes range in size from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet, but are at the high end of your budget at $500,000-600,000. The Sanderlings

[wallyb2013]

Is Uptown safe? What about Euclid-St. Paul?

I've been looking at real estate, and it looks like Old NE might be slightly out of our budget for what we're looking for. We need a single-family home with yard that's either been recently updated (at least since 2000) or is new construction. We're not looking for a gated community or a street where all of the homes are brand new and look the same.