Top 8 Luxury Condos In Downtown St. Pete, Florida

March 16, 2018 by The727Team

 

St. Petersburg, Florida is an ever changing and evolving city. One drive through in 2018 and you’ll see new construction buildings are booming everywhere. There are mostly residential units being built – Condos, townhomes and apartments. There is so much to do downtown and now everyone wants to live in this very walkable and laid back downtown city. The luxury market here is just taking off and some of the finest properties in St. Pete are still dwarfed in price compared to bigger Florida cities like Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Miami.

There are all sorts of homes downtown. For this article we will focus on a little bit of everything. Some of these buildings were built for pure luxury while others are more basic buildings that may have units with luxurious finishings.

This is not supposed to be an exhaustive list of all the best condos in the Downtown St. Pete area.  The purpose of this article is to get your feet wet if you’re considering buying a home in DTSP. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered.

A few of these factors that would help me narrow down your search are your budget, square footage, HOA fees, what types of amenities you need, build quality, views, if you have pets and which part of Downtown you’d like to be in. There are established districts and up and coming areas as well.

Banyan downtown st pete

Gorgeous Tree on Beach Drive in Downtown St. Pete

This list is my opinion of the Top 10 Condos Downtown. I will start with the most extravagant condos downtown and end with the homes I believe have the best value. I will also recommend other condos that are similar in price point, amenities and build quality to these recommendations. Let’s get started!

8. The Vinoy

Vinoy Condo DTSP

The Vinoy Luxury Condos

The Vinoy located at 555 5th Ave NE, this ultra luxury condo building is situated next to the historic Vinoy Hotel which is a notable landmark in Downtown St. Pete. The Vinoy Condos were built in 2002 on a plot of land that is arguably the best location to live Downtown.

These units overlook Vinoy Park and Tampa Bay and also have a view of the beautiful downtown marina and St. Pete skyline. It’s the perfect mix of nature and city life. Some of the condo owners downtown complain about the noise coming from bars and restaurants that are open late every night, The Vinoy however is just far enough away to not have that issue.

These units are basically small mansions in the sky. Each home has it’s own floor. Most units are at least 3,000 square feet heated with multiple balconies for different views. Each of these units in the tower have two elevators that take you directly into your residence. There are also ground floor units available which are separate from the main tower.

As you would expect, this community has some pretty impressive amenities as well including 24 hour security, two heated pools and spas, a billiards room, tennis courts and climate controlled storage. The architecture is considered mediterranean which really adds to that Florida resort style vibe. If you’re considering a condo here, you may also consider buying at 400 Beach, Bliss, Ovation or ONE St. Pete.

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at The Vinoy. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

7. 400 Beach

400 Beach DTSP

400 Beach sits in front of North Straub Park Downtown

400 Beach is the address and also the name of this building. You will notice there is also a restaurant at the base of this building with the same name. This building is at the intersection of Beach Drive and 5th Avenue North and sits kitty corner to the Vinoy Hotel. 400 Beach houses 93 total luxury condo units.

400 Beach completes the row of high rise buildings located on Beach Drive and comes second in price point to The Vinoy. Two units occupy each floor of this building and similar to the Vinoy, each unit has an elevator that provides direct access into your residence.

Unlike the Vinoy, this building is a taller building which provides expansive views of Tampa Bay and the Downtown St. Pete waterfront. Most units have beautiful views where you can watch boats coming in and out of the harbor and airplanes taking off and landing at Albert Whitted Airport.

This building has some great amenities including a 4th floor pool deck that provides a relaxing place for residents to gather and great views of the Downtown waterfront.

This building was constructed during 2007 when St. Petersburg was experiencing it’s first development boom. There are multiple high rises along Beach Drive that went up during this time period and that’s when the Downtown St. Pete skyline really started to take form.

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at 400 Beach. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

6. Parkshore Plaza

Parkshore downtown st pete
Parkshore is another high end condo that has a few floorplans comparable to 400 Beach. There are plenty of larger 2-3 bedroom units between about 2,200-3,000 square feet that would work well for a bigger family.

These floor plans are typically a similar price point to what you would find at 400 Beach. This building also has smaller more affordable 2 bedroom units on the lower levels. These smaller units are between 1,400 and 1,700 square feet heated.

Parkshore Grille located at the base of this building has some of the best food Downtown. With hundreds of restaurants as competition, this is not a title that’s earned easily.

This restaurant is hard to miss – The outdoor furniture is complete with vibrant blue colors that really catch your attention. This restaurant serves up the best steaks and seafood Downtown (In my humble opinion).

Another selling point is that this building is located right in the middle of the Beach Drive action. Within a 2 minute walk you’ll find the upscale gastro lounge Tryst, and a 2 minute walk the other direction will get you to the extremely popular Canopy Rooftop Bar.

Be sure to stop by Annata, an upscale wine bar that serves a wide variety of wines and charcuterie. Annata is owned by local legend Mazzarros so it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will have a great experience.

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at Parkshore Plaza. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

5. Signature Place

Signature Place Condo
This is the most dramatically designed high rise Downtown in my opinion. The first time I saw this building I was really impressed with the style of architecture.

I took a trip to South Beach, Miami a few years back and saw a building with very similar styling elements. I’m assuming it’s the same builder as the condo I saw in Miami. Honestly Signature looks like something that belongs right in South Beach.

The units in this building feature floor to ceiling windows and a clean, modern design element that in my opinion will stay relevant for years to come. The lobby area sets the tone when you walk in with dramatic high ceilings and an abundance of natural light. The pool deck and amenities area include a similar modern design element that stays consistent with the rest of the building. 

Signature had some problems in it’s infancy with a major special assessment imposed on it’s residents for a shoddy job done by the original contractors. The whole building had to be reenforced because the re-bar was not properly constructed during the original build. This has since been taken care of and now future buyers hopefully don’t have to worry about potentially getting hit with another major assessment.

I love this building. It’s modern design really resonates with me and the price points for luxury condos are on the lower end compared to buildings like The Vinoy, 400 Beach, Parkshore, Ovation and the ONE Tower.

A young professional may choose to live here in a one bedroom unit whereas these other condos typically have more space for a bigger family. It has more of a hip, trendy vibe than other condos mentioned on this list. It’s located right next to The Rowdies soccer stadium where the local Tampa Bay minor league soccer team plays. This parking lot is also used for the Saturday Morning Market about half of the year. 

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at Signature Tower. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

4. Bayfront Tower

Bayfront Condos
Located on 1 Beach Drive Bayfront Tower was the very first high rise condo building in Downtown St. Pete. Bayfront Tower is still a unique place to live, built in 1975 this building is older however every unit I’ve seen has been updated to the point where it’s on par with many of the other downtown condos on Beach Drive, typically at a lower price. As far as condos on Beach Drive go, this is at the top of the list when it comes to value.

There are two things I really like about this building that make it stand out compared to other downtown condos. The first one – They have complimentary valet parking. You simply drive in to the valet area and your car gets taken care of by the staff. This may come in handy when grocery shopping or if you’re in a hurry to get home. That’s the type of amenity you would expect in a 5 star hotel.

The second is the rooftop pool area. This provides a great area to bring friends to for a relaxing day and meet your neighbors while you’re at it. The rooftop provides panoramic views of the Downtown Skyline, Tampa Bay and the Albert Whitted airport.

There’s so much to do Downtown however some nights you may just want to take it easy on the rooftop instead of getting dressed up to go out on the town. The rooftop also has a grill area which provides a great place to make a tasty meal for your friends and family.

Below the pool deck there are other amenities including a billiards room and indoor community area for those rainy days or if you just need a break from the hot Florida Sun. There’s also a fitness center for those who choose to live an active lifestyle.

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at Bayfront Tower. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

3. The Sage

the sage condo downtown st pete
This building is a little off the beaten path but definitely makes up for it in value. When doing your research for high end condos, you’ll notice the price disparity between the condos located directly on Beach Drive and the rest of the condos in this city.

The Sage is located only 4 blocks from the Downtown Waterfront and only 5 blocks to Beach Drive, so even though it’s “off the beaten path” it’s still walking distance to everything. When you see how much further your money goes buying one of these units, you really won’t mind taking the extra 3 minute walk.

Built in 2007, these units still look far from outdated. You’ll notice the finishings here are top of the line.  Similar to The Signature building you’ll see that there are floor to ceiling windows to let plenty of natural light in.

The views here aren’t as dramatic as what you would get on Beach Drive, however you still get the same high end luxury feel and build quality as these other buildings at a lower price. Like anything in life, there’s a tradeoff. There are still some units at The Sage that have amazing views, you just need to wait for the right one.

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at The Sage. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

2. The Madison

Some may not consider this a luxury condo however I’m going to include it because I love this building, especially the amenities included. The Madison was also originally apartments.

The inside of the units sort of have an apartment feel to them, some units are pretty basic and don’t have a whole lot of natural light. What they do have however is a great location and an amazing courtyard with a pool, hot tub, lounge and grill area.

I like this community because it is designed to be social. It seems like every time I’m showing a unit in this building the people that live here go out of their way to tell me and my clients how great of a place it is to live. I think the courtyard in the middle creates a sort of energy that encourages social interaction.

The Madison is comprised of two identical buildings that were built in 2002. Although they aren’t located directly on Beach Drive, they are some of the closest condos to Beach Drive without actually being on Beach Drive. 

These units were not originally built as luxury condos, however the majority of these units have been upgraded with high end finishes. 

All in all The Madison is a great place to live. If you want the exciting vibe of Downtown at a great price point, The Madison is where you want to be.

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at The Madison. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

1. The Beacon

the beacon downtown st pete
Ok let’s throw The Beacon a bone. Built in 1965, The Beacon has been around and has seen some stuff. This building is currently going under some major renovations which is why the homeowners here are all experiencing some steep special assessments.

You’ll notice a lot of units here are currently for sale with the cost of the special assessment built into the price. This is most definitely the most inexpensive place you can buy downtown right now and the location really isn’t bad.

Located right next to University of South Florida St. Pete, you are sitting right on the south side of Downtown. It’s actually nice and quiet down here.

You’re not near any loud bars, you can still easily walk to the waterfront and Beach Drive and it’s very reasonable to live here compared to most other buildings downtown.

What are the downsides to living here? Well it’s an older building that needs some work however the big things are being taken care of with the pending special assessment. Currently there are some original windows from 1965, they are in the process of replacing those with floor to ceiling windows which will help this building look less dated. The other part of the special assessment is the replacement of the HVAC unit that ventilates the entire building. Instead of each individual unit having their own AC unit, there is one large unit that services the entire building. 

Another drawback is that most of these units don’t have a washer/dryer hookup. There are community laundry stations on every floor though. You can go do your laundry and make some friends while you’re at it. 

One thing I do know is that this building will go up in value once these assessments are finalized. It is an older building but it is right downtown. You ever hear about people that want to buy the worst house in the best neighborhood? This is essentially the worst condo in the hottest downtown area in all of Florida. It is a solid building with a lot of potential. 

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at The Beacon. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

BONUS – Honorable Mentions

 

The ONE Tower

ONE St Pete condos

The ONE Condo being constructed. The ONE is the tallest residential building between Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta.

I decided to leave The ONE Tower off of this list because it was not completed when I was writing this article and I had never been in it. Sine then I have had a chance to go inside this building and check it out. As you would expect this brand new building is extremely well done with high quality finishes and some amazing amenities.

The pool deck looks like something you’d see in South Beach Miami complete with a pool, a hot tub with cascading waterfall and grill out area with plenty of little areas to sit with friends. There is also a common room that overlooks Tampa Bay, a game room, and a state of the art fitness center connected to the pool deck. 

It is in a great location – Not directly on Beach Drive but only a block away. It is also only a block away from the historic district of Downtown St. Pete where you will find many laid back bars, restaurants and live music venues. Here’s a virtual tour on their website.  

Does this sound like a community that interests you? Click here to see active listings at ONE St. Pete. Keep in mind that this page will only display listings if they are currently on the market. 

The Salvador

So here’s an update on this building. The Salvador should have made the list. Consider this a great option if The Sage is not nice enough for you but you’re not ready to spend that ONE Tower money.

What’s great about this building is it’s an artistic, state of the art, ‘Green Certified’ modern condo building that is in the quiet area of Downtown but still close to the beautiful Downtown St. Pete waterfront. 

This complex has some amenities that set it apart from what you might see in other buildings. Some of these amenities include a sculpture garden, an outdoor yoga area on the amenities deck and a fire pit area to encourage socialization.

The form meets function in this artistic, modern building with luxurious finishings. Their website provides some great details, pictures and renderings of the units and shared amenities.

Want to see if any more of these units are available? Take a look here for listings fed directly from our MLS system.

The District on 9th

The District on 9th is a new construction townhome community in the EDGE District of Downtown St. Pete. Built by Icon Residential, this community is destined to be a winner judging by the other complexes Icon has completed in the St. Pete area. Last year we sold a very similar unit at The Arlington which is their sister development right down the block which is now sold out of new units.

These townhomes are luxurious with high end furnishings, high ceilings and plenty of living and storage space. This area of downtown is the best place to buy a home in my opinion. The price per square foot is unmatched. You can get a 3 or 4 story townhome with a private garage and roof top deck for what you would pay for a 2 bedroom condo on Beach Drive.

Both The District on 9th and The Arlington are very focused on the individual homes rather than the community amenities. They will take care of your exterior maintenance and secure parking however neither of these communities has a pool or any common space to meet your neighbors. The trade off is your HOA fees are significantly lower than other condos with expensive amenities such as pools, common areas and elevators.

If you’d like to read more about these two communities feel free to check out this article I wrote about my opinion of their value compared to other downtown homes. Are you looking for a more spacious layout in your Downtown St. Pete home? Feel free to click here for all active listings at The District on 9th.

In Conclusion

There’s no where like Downtown St. Pete.  Typically only bigger cities attract these sorts of top notch restaurants, world class craft beer, eclectic artists, a wide variety of nightlife and an impressive mix of diversity among residents. We have all of these things in this little big city.

There’s so much to do yet this city still maintains it’s local feel. Now many developers are picking up on this trend and the word is getting out, people are starting to realize what a special place St. Pete really is. 

We’ve seen this city explode and it’s popularity has been growing exponentially every year. We think you’ll find that there is no competition when it comes to the lifestyle in St. Pete compared to any other part of Florida. Considering living here? Reach out to us at the727team@gmail.com and we’d love to get in touch with you!