Help on what area in St Pete's sounds good for me to move to? (Tampa: apartment)

[PeachInTheCity]

So here is the skinny...

Visited Tampa last year didn't really care for it but I did enjoy the little I was able to see of St Petersburg and Clearwater. After spending a year in Jax I'm ready to move to a city that has little bit more to offer and hopefully settled down and purchase a home in the next two years.

That said here is what I'm looking for:
- I would to live in a setting where i am able to walk to shops, lounges, restaurants etc
- I would like to be no more than a few mins from the beach or even right on it.
If this isn't possible I also enjoy a downtown setting as well
- I would like a 1 to 2 bedroom , pet friendly, in a decent safe area
- commute is not an issue at this time , nor is finding a job ( I wfh 100%)
-If possible I would like to be no more than 30-35 mins from the airport.
- I would like to live around a mix of people of (some families, young professionals , a FEW retires, a FEW snowbirds) or mainly late 20s to 30s something's .
- prefer not to live close to a university or hospital. Don't mind if its in the vicinity but don't want to live literally on top of them or up the street.
- $850 max for a rental. I've seen in my research lately that housing is much cheaper in St Pete's than Tampa or honestly even Jax so I'm thrilled about that and am really hoping to score something in the 6 to 7 range.

Insight on the better beach area to go to and also to live in would be great.
If someone could pm or point me in the direction of a good realtor or rental company that would much appreciated. Really trying get things locked down ASAP.
Any help you all could provide will be much appreciated as I'm looking to make a visit in June and move toward the end of July.

[vaughanwilliams]

Ten years ago, 850 would get you a decent apartment a block away from the beach. Now, I don't know. Stay out of Clearwater Beach, though-it's the most tourist infested community on the West coast and there is nothing (I mean nothing) even remotely interesting there.

Downtown St. Pete is 15 minutes to Treasure Island.

[BBI]

There are no young professional beach communities here. They can be fun on vacation, but not a good place to live -- during beach season, everyone you meet will leave after a few days; the other half of the year, it's you and the snowbirds. Made that mistake...

Every Pinellas neighborhood has more than a few retirees/snowbirds, but the only spot in Pinellas that's walkable to fun stuff and has a good number of young professionals is downtown St. Pete. There is a little bay beach around 12th Ave NE, and it's 15-20 mins to gulf beaches (Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, Ft. Desoto). 20 mins to the airport in Tampa, and closer airports if you're flying regional or private. There is a branch of USF downtown, but it's small; definitely not a "college" sort of feel downtown. Hospitals are a few blocks away and do not impact the area you'd want to live in.