So you live in St. Pete now. You’re in your 20’s, 30’s or 40’s and you would like to make the most out of your time here. You could tell when you got here that this is a very social city. You’re ready to live that life that you’ve been dreaming about – Meeting new friends for drinks downtown, having a relaxed Sunday get together at the pool, playing beach volleyball by the ocean. You have one chance to do this thing right, you have to find the lifestyle that fits your needs best.
To paraphrase a quote I heard and enjoyed – You are the sum of the people you spend time with. What better way to assimilate into the Florida lifestyle than to live near the people who are already doing it right? As a Realtor, one of the best parts of my job is to go see how people live so I can see first hand what kind of lifestyles these people are living.
Some key things I considered for this article –
What places are the best places to live and have the option to be social? I picked places where it is possible to meet new people and also places that have the amenities where you can have your friends over for some fun.
Where can I live and also have a great place to relax without leaving?
Where can I live that’s close to fun things to do, walkable to bars, restaurants, microbreweries and other exciting things?
With that said, let’s get started for my Top 3 picks to buy a home as a young professional in St. Pete.mtgsbylou@gmail.com
3. Uptown Kenwood
Park in Historic Kenwood
Location & Amenities
This is a new construction townhouse development that is currently being built in North Kenwood at 2536 13th Ave N. The builders Icon Residential planned this development specifically to market towards young professionals. This place really hits all the right chords – Great location, a pool, a dog park and a variety of floor plans to appeal to many different demographics of young professionals. There is always a trade off between proximity to downtown and the amount of space you get for the money. At this community, you aren’t close enough to downtown to pay those premium prices however you’re getting a high quality, low maintenance, brand new spacious townhome with a social community that’s still close to civilization.
Prices & Floorplans
There will be a total of 5 different floorplans at Uptown Kenwood and these units will range anywhere from 315k-450k. One of the nice things about new construction is that you get to pick out your own finishings. The nice thing about townhome / condo living is you are able to close your door and leave town without having to worry about any exterior maintenance or yard work. Less maintenance equals more free time for you to live your life.
Fun Factor For Young Professionals
Only a 10 minute casual bike ride away you will find all the amazing restaurants, bars and microbreweries in the Grand Central District. On your bike ride you will get to cruise through the beautiful streets of Historic Kenwood, a neighborhood with over 1100 homes which consists of mostly renovated bungalows from the 1920’s.
If you’re not familiar with the Grand Central District area let me highlight a few of my favorite places. Cage Brewing, 3 Daughters Brewing and Pinellas Ale Works are all really great places to enjoy locally crafted beer. These are all microbreweries that make their own beer on site. They all have entertainment such as live music, DJs, bar games including cornhole, darts, arcade games and a variety events like the St. Pete Night Market and other seasonal events throughout the year.
As far as bars go – Right Around The Corner is a fun bar dedicated to a wide variety of games. The split floor bar is entirely dedicated to games such as pool, darts, old school arcade games, video games and more. They also have a nice little relaxing patio out back. This bar was started by the Running For Brews organizers, a club that meets 4 times a week to run/walk a 5k and then enjoy a beer or two after and socialize with your fellow runners. They meet at Right Around The Corner every Tuesday at 7pm for this event. I used to do this event quite a bit when I was into running and it was a really good time. It’s amazing how much better a beer tastes when you have that sense of accomplishment from finishing a 5k.
The Dog Bar – Seeing how Uptown Kenwood allows dogs and even has a dog park, you will probably consider getting a furry companion if you don’t already have one. One of the things that I love about St. Pete is all the unique bar concepts that are embraced here. Would you go to a bar by yourself? I wouldn’t, because I would feel awkward trying to break the ice with people I don’t know. Would you go to a bar with your dog to hang out with other folks and their dogs? Absolutely, that’s the perfect ice breaker. Sometimes I regret getting cats, a few times it’s crossed my mind to get a dog and put the cats outside to fend for themselves.
I could go on about all there is to do in the Grand Central District however I’d like to point out that Downtown St. Pete is only another 10 minute bike ride from this area. Continue your casual bike ride down Central Ave heading east and you’ll be sure to run into dozens of bars and restaurants. If you’re looking to go out for the night, this area is so close to downtown it’s actually many times a better option to jump in an Uber or Lyft and pay the $5-$10 fare to get dropped off and not have to deal with finding a parking spot.
Another reason why I would recommend Uptown Kenwood is that I have first hand experience with the builders. We recently closed on a townhome at The Arlington in downtown St. Pete which was constructed by the same builders, Icon Residential. They were great throughout the whole process, all the finishings are high quality, their designs are very modern and the customer service was top notch. There were a few minor things that we noticed after they were done with construction but they were more than happy to come fix all the issues to make sure their work was to the highest standard.
Does this sound like something you’re interested in? Reach out to us and we will get you a list of all the available units for sale.
2. Coquina Key Waterside
Coquina Key Waterside is a pretty amazing place if you want to feel like you’re on vacation where you live. Built in the late 1970’s, this community has two locations on Coquina Key – One on the north side and one on the south side. Both communities feature homes that overlook the water as one would expect from a community named Waterside. Both communities also have a club house and a pool however Waterside South has extra amenities including a bar, tennis courts, volleyball courts, shuffleboard, boat slips and more.
Imagine this – On your day off you wake up in the morning, make your coffee and go drink it while sitting on your patio that overlooks the ocean. You decide you want to go get some sun so you grab a book and walk out your front door to go sit by the pool. There you run into some of your neighbors. Your neighbors just like you live in a place that many people would consider a vacation spot. In fact some of these units are used as vacation rentals and you’ll meet some folks that are visiting from all over the globe.
Later that day you decide to have some friends over. Your friends arrive and you crack open a few beers and fire up the grill on the patio. As you’re waiting for your food to cook, you enjoy the view of Tampa Bay and see the dolphins coming out to find their dinner. Dinner is served and you sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. After dinner you and your friends decide that it would be nice to get out of the house and do something. You take them to the clubhouse where there’s an upstairs bar with gorgeous open water views, a pool table, corn hole and of course a pool and hot tub. There you run into some of your neighbors and make some new friends while having a relaxing evening near your home.
Of the 3 communities I mention in this article, Waterside will be the most affordable. There are a couple reasons for this. The buildings are from the 1970’s so sometimes you can get a good deal on a unit that hasn’t been renovated. It’s also a bit far from everything – About a 10 minute drive to the closest grocery store and about 15 minutes to Downtown St. Pete. Luckily there’s a 7/11 convenience store on the island in case you need to pick up some beer for a pool day.
Many people consider Waterside South the more desirable community to live in because it has the majority of amenities on site. Waterside North has a pool and a club house but it’s not quite as social and active as the club house at Waterside South. The good news is you will access to all the amenities regardless of which community you decide to live in. Waterside North residents often make the 5 minute drive to come take advantage of the waterfront club house and neighborhood social events. If you value a more quiet living space than Waterside North may actually be more desirable for you. Waterside North is also closer to the entrance of the island so it is about a 10 minute commute downtown instead of the 15 minutes for Waterside South.
As you go over the bridge to from the island of Coquina Key to the mainland, you will find a fun local spot that is home to Southside Coffee and Munch’s Diner. Munch’s was actually featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It is a typical American style diner with some great breakfast food and friendly staff. Southside coffee is a tiny little spot that serves up a variety of specialized coffee drinks. The inside of the shop is only big enough to order your drinks but outside there is an cozy little patio that creates an intimate environment for this tiny shop. I included Southside Coffee in my article about the best coffeeshops in St. Pete.
Coquina Key Waterside is an amazing place. When you’re out sitting by their pool overlooking Tampa Bay, enjoying a meal with water views or jumping on a boat from your own backyard, you will realize that this is what living the Florida lifestyle is all about. Does this sound good to you? Here is an up to date list of active listings at Waterside.
1. The Madison
The Madison located in Downtown St. Pete
Location & Amenities
Location, location, location and also a fantastic courtyard built for a good time. This community consists of two buildings right next to each other right in the heart of Downtown St. Pete. They each have their own identical courtyard, both of which have a beautiful pool, a cozy hot tub as well as some great outside seating areas to drink your morning coffee, lounge or have a potluck with friends. You will almost always see people hanging out by the pool, reading a book or just taking in the sun.
Explore downtown St. Pete via Google Streetview
Besides going out, you have to stay healthy right? The Madison has a small fitness center and is also within proximity to other more advanced fitness training centers downtown. Put on your running shoes, plug in your headphones and walk out the front door to some of the most beautiful places to jog in the city. There are miles of great walking/biking/running trails spanning the Downtown St. Pete waterfront.
Downtown waterfront only blocks away from The Madison.
The Madison is secure and feels safe. You will need a coded access key to get into the complex on foot. If you own a car, you will have a reserved space or two in the secure underground lot.
Many people that live here seem to like it because there is a sense of community. The courtyard in the middle provides a meeting place where it’s easy to run into your neighbors and start a conversation. There are comfy cabanas, pool side lounge chairs and a grilling area with tables to eat at. The social aspect of this condo coupled with downtown location make it an amazing place to live.
There are a combination of renters and owners in this complex. You will see the younger crowd including young professionals and local USFSP students that attend university right down the block. You will also see some retired folks and everything in between. Part of the reason for that is the wide variety of floor plans in this complex.
There are anything from 556 sqft one bedroom apartments to 1,389 sqft town homes. Some of these units overlook the street and others have an interior balcony overlooking the courtyard. The 2 bed / 2 bath units have a really great floor plan that is ideal for roommates. If you’re looking to purchase a unit and subsidize your mortgage payment with a roommate this is a perfect way to do it. The floor plan has a communal area in the middle where the living room and kitchen are located. On each side the bedrooms and their own respective full bathrooms give individuals the perfect amount of privacy. There is a huge demand for rentals downtown so this would also be a good unit to buy as an investment. Does this sound right up your alley? Here is a current list of active listing at The Madison. Note – There may not always be homes for sale here due to the high demand of these units. The good ones usually get snatched up pretty quickly. If there is not anything available, we can ask around and potentially find a home for sale that’s not on the market yet.
Final Thoughts
Our goal was to highlight the best places for living the lifestyle you want to live as a young professional as well as providing a variety of different options to obtain to that goal. Are you looking for the social suburban atmosphere of Uptown Kenwood? Does the permanent vacation vibe of Coquina Key waterside sound tempting? How about The Madison where you’re always immersed the downtown action? Maybe none of these fit your lifestyle. If that’s the case we’d be more than happy to help you find what does.
We hope this article got you excited about finding your new lifestyle in St. Pete and as always feel free to email us at the727team@gmail.com to get the process started or reach out to us through our contact page. Thanks for reading!