You may have seen the Living Local series videos of local neighborhoods pop up on Facebook in the past year or so. The city commissioned professional videographers to create candid videos of local neighborhoods, interviewing residents and providing a quick snapshot of the local culture in these neighborhoods.
What I also noticed is that these videos are really well done but don’t get the attention they deserve. I’m glad that I’m able to embed these videos on my blog posts and write about these neighborhoods a bit as well.
The neighborhood residents in these videos briefly touch on what makes their area special to them, check it out! Before I forget – Here’s my phone number 727-307-1111 in case you want to call/text me with any real estate related questions! OK here we go.
Roser Park is an amazing neighborhood. The main reasons I say this is because it is so different from any other neighborhood that I’ve ever seen in Pinellas County let alone the rest of Florida.
Our entire county is mostly flat and this is the only neighborhood that has actual hilly terrain. Besides the terrain, there are other notable features this neighborhood has that makes it a very special place to live.
I’ve condensed these into The Top 8 Reasons To Move To The Roser Park Neighorhood In St. Pete Florida. Let’s get started!
8. The Atmosphere
I didn’t know about this area until I made a friend who owns a house here. When I first drove through the area it was almost like going back in time. I could tell things just move a little slower in this neighborhood.
I was driving through a maze of narrow brick roads with dense vegetation surrounded by historic homes. Nowadays many neighborhoods are built with wider roads allowing for a higher volume of traffic to pass through efficiently.
Back in the day there were less cars, the cars were smaller, therefore the need for a wider road didn’t exist. These tiny brick lined roads will require patience on your end when you have to take turns letting oncoming traffic come through and navigate around parked cars. On the plus side, these roads are also a bit bumpy so you don’t have to worry about anyone driving recklessly fast through your neighborhood.
I mentioned before that this neighborhood has dense vegetation which also contributes to the atmosphere. It’s like a subtropical jungle in some areas with beautiful natural plants, landscaped lawns and mature trees providing shade. There’s even a small man made canal which provides a peaceful feeling when you hear the water running through this neighborhood.
7. The Proximity To Downtown St. Pete
Roser Park is the first neighborhood to border the south end of Downtown St. Pete. You can literally walk from your peaceful historic neighborhood to the bustling mini-metropolis that is Downtown St. Pete.
Living Downtown you will have to deal with a noisy atmosphere, traffic, sirens, loud bars etc. When living here you can go enjoy all the things to do downtown and come back to your peaceful retreat when you’re done. The sheer amount of vegetation absorbs the city noises and creates a peaceful oasis type feeling throughout the neighborhood.
6. The Historic Homes
There are a few neighborhoods in St. Pete that take pride in their historical nature. Old Northeast, Kenwood and Roser Park are the ones that stand out. All of these neighborhoods host an annual tour of homes in which local residents open up their homes for the public to come see.
Most of these homes were built in the 1920’s when the original development boom of St. Pete happened. Homes from that time period typically have more character than many modern homes that are built today.
It’s interesting to see how people buy these homes and renovate them to their own style. Some aim to restore them to their original glory and others prefer to put more modern touches in these historic homes. Sometimes on these home tours the owners will show pictures of before and after renovation which you may appreciate if you ever watch HGTV.
5. The Serenity
I had mentioned before that this is a peaceful neighborhood. There are a combination of factors that play into this. Many of these historic homes have front porches to sit outside and enjoy nature.
The nature of these brick lined winding roads prevents much through traffic and keeps cars moving slow. The shade from the mature trees keeps this area a little cooler during our hot Florida summers. The colorful dense subtropical vegetation makes you feel one with nature when going for a walk.
4. The Walking Trail
When you find the canal, you will notice that there are almost always people walking right alongside it on the main walking trail. This trail sort of serves as a main area where you will more than likely run into your neighbors and get to know them.
This trail runs under a bridge, by the canal and borders the southern edge of Downtown St. Pete. It is a great place to walk because some of the most beautiful historic homes overlook it. I’ve noticed a recurring trend in desirable historic neighborhoods in St. Pete, there always seems to be some sort of common area that residents enjoy outside of their personal residence.
3. The Landscaping
You’ll notice many of these plaques around Roser Park showing pictures of what the neighborhood looked like in the 1920’s. The vegetation is much more lush now.
It’s interesting to see how the city owned land and the personal residences sort of blend together. Many people here take pride in their meticulously landscaped yards and the city does their part to make this area beautiful as well.
I think it’s great to see both parties take pride in this neighborhood. What’s interesting is that all the historic pictures of Roser Park from back in the day show a more barren landscape. This area has gradually transformed into a sort of subtropical jungle.
2. The Historic Brick Streets
The historic neighborhoods in St. Pete are filled with these brick lined streets. It’s amazing to stop and think how each one of these bricks were laid by hand. These streets are around 100 years old and many of them are still in great shape.
These roads have not only stood the test of time, they add a lot of charm to these historic neighborhoods. Since Roser Park is built on a hill, you’ll also notice the many retaining walls that also add a bit of charm to the area.
1. The People
I don’t have any pictures of people who live here so please enjoy the picture of the bridge over the Roser Park Canal.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a friend who lives in this neighborhood. I’ve met a few of his neighbors as well. I’ve noticed a common theme in the type of people that live in historic neighborhoods such as Roser Park, Old Southeast, Old Northeast and Kenwood – The pride of ownership that comes with owning a historic home sort of breeds a common ground for the local residents.
There are annual neighborhood tours of these areas and many people like to show off what they’ve done to make their homes special. The easiest way to make friends is to have some sort of common ground right? What better way then to put time and effort into a historic home that you take pride in, and having other people that are there for the same experience?
In Conclusion
Roser Park is the best of both worlds. You can live in a Historic neighborhood where it feels like a step back in time while still being within walking distance to a bustling mini-metropolis with endless possibilities for fun and entertainment.
If you want to live in a neighborhood unlike any other in the Tampa Bay area, Roser Park may be the spot for you. If this sounds interesting to you, We highly encourage a drive through this area to see what it’s all about. Feel free to check out the active Roser Park listings here or drop your information in the boxes below if you’d like to set up some showings in the neighborhood! You can also email me at chrisformico@gmail.com or give me a call or shoot me a text at 727-307-1111. Thanks for reading!