Want a small town feel, walk to a beach in Tampa Bay area (Clearwater: condo, buy)

[Bluecastor]

I would appreciate any info, suggestions etc. regarding small towns/areas that are walkable and near a beach. I was wondering about Gulfport, Dunedin, and Safety Harbor. I just want to be very close to a beach. Thank you

[FL_Expert]

Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Gulfport, and Tarpon Springs are all good options in Pinellas County. In terms of the downtowns, I’d rank it as Safety Harbor, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs, Gulfport. That said, one advantage downtown Gulfport has is its own small beach which the other cities don’t have. All of the cities are nice, but I’d probably lean towards Dunedin if it were me since it has a nice downtown and it’s close to Honeymoon Island for the beach.

[JacquesMeihaufer]

Dunedin is probably the closet to what you're looking for if you're limiting to a smaller town.

[fajitajamboree]

Any of the towns you listed would meet your criteria and have small, walkable downtown areas with restaurants and shops. Personally, I think Safety Harbor or Gulfport would be my choice as I like their ambience. Fl_Expert is correct that Gulfport has a small beach in the downtown. Dunedin is really close to Honeymoon Island, but not really a short walking distance to it. Safety Harbor is on Tampa Bay and has some beachy areas but it isn't the open ocean.

You might also look into Crystal Beach. It doesn't have a downtown area per se, but it's location on the gulf is really great and it is a very short drive or bike ride on the Pinellas Trail to Dunedin or Palm Harbor. They also have a waterfront park with a beachy area which is popular with the locals for sunset.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Bluecastor

I would appreciate any info, suggestions etc. regarding small towns/areas that are walkable and near a beach. I was wondering about Gulfport, Dunedin, and Safety Harbor. I just want to be very close to a beach. Thank you

What is your budget? Your previous inquiry in the Sarasota forum were about trailer parks, and not near a beach? Small town with beach and walkable is almost non-existent, and what there is costs $$$$$$$. Prices all over Florida, even inland, have skyrocketed in the past few years, with very tight inventory.

Can't blame you if you are just "dreaming." Many of us would love that same dream.

Good luck!

[engineman]

We lived in Treasure Island some years ago. It was a very nice little town with the gulf on one side and Boca Ciega bay on the other. We could walk to the beach. St Pete was just a couple of miles across the causeway if you had big town needs.

Don't overlook the beach towns from St Pete Beach north.

[Bluecastor]

Thanks everyone… all of your comments are very helpful and appreciated.

[formerlynorthofnowhere]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

What is your budget? Your previous inquiry in the Sarasota forum were about trailer parks, and not near a beach? Small town with beach and walkable is almost non-existent, and what there is costs $$$$$$$. Prices all over Florida, even inland, have skyrocketed in the past few years, with very tight inventory.

Can't blame you if you are just "dreaming." Many of us would love that same dream.

Good luck!

I hear ya. Was looking at places on the barrier islands (St Pete Beach -to Clearwater Beach). For twice as much money as what I could get for my place, I could buy a place that was half the size of what I'm living in now.
Location, location, location.

[bobisinthehouse]

When you say small town, what do you mean?

[Bluecastor]

Somewhere with 50,000 or less population, less urban area than Tampa or St. Pete. Good question, I really want info on nice condo or mh parks for retirees that are known for their good reputation. I realize that Florida has a “sprawl” feel in places, so I just want to find a niche where is a downtown near a beach.