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Many of the streets in Shore Acres are named after states and the size of the neighborhood is much larger than the traditional St. Pete neighborhood. There are 3 main ways to enter Shore Acres via Snell Isle on Overlook Drive, 40th Ave NE, and 62nd Ave NE.
As you drive along these winding roads you’ll notice a lot of greenery, water views, and homes. The northern portion even borders the Cypress Links Golf Course. With over 2,300 properties in the neighborhood there’s a lot to explore in this waterfront suburbia located just north of downtown St. Pete.
8. Weedon Island
There are plenty of things to do at Weedon Island. If you want to explore the rich history of the area, you’ll want to stop by the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center. This 3 story, 6000 square foot center puts on educational classes every month including classes on botany and archaeology.
The preserve is well-maintained with boardwalks and a maze of mangroves to explore and kayak through. The guided preserve hikes are a great way to get a lot of great information on wildlife, archaeology, and history as well.
There is also an observation tower, fishing pier, picnic area, and rentals available if you don’t have your own kayak.
While Weedon Island does cater to hikers and history enthusiasts, the best way to experience it is on the water. A popular spot for people to park their boats near, it is described by paddle boarders, kayakers, and canoers as feeling like you are in another world.
7. Boaters Paradise
Living in a neighborhood that’s completely surrounded by water, it’s no surprise that Shore Acres is a great neighborhood for avid boaters. If you find a home situated on the water there’s a good chance it comes equipped with a dock.
The beauty of Shore Acres is that it has many water canals throughout the neighborhood that gives boaters access to the open water. This makes it more unique compared to other St. Pete neighborhoods where water access is exclusive to homes on the eastern or southern shores.
If you live on one of the canals, you will want to factor in your boat height and whether it’s high tide for passing under some of the lower bridges.
The city is always looking to improve their neighborhoods and there are already plans underway to reconstruct the 40th Ave NE bridge in Shore Acres to raise the height of the bridge. The city estimates construction will start in 2020 with a completion time of 18 to 24 months.
Other nearby opportunities for boaters include: The St. Petersburg Sailing Center (located just in downtown St. Pete), The St. Pete City Marina which has 640 wet slips, Sailing Florida Charters (located at the Vinoy Resort Marina), and the invitation only St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
6. The Perfect Walking Neighborhood
Shore Acres might just be one of the most walkable neighborhoods in St. Petersburg, Florida. The sheer size of the neighborhood is perfect for walkers, runners, and bikers to get in some serious exercise. Just about everytime I’m showing homes over there I’ll see someone walking or riding their bike around the neighborhood. People feel really comfortable here and it truly shows.
Location is a big factor into Shore Acres walkability. A true suburban neighborhood, most people visiting Shore Acres are usually residents or visitors of those residents. As you get closer to the water, traffic dies down a lot.
Years ago Chris and I would door knock the neighborhood for our open houses and I never felt like I had to get out of the way for passing cars. If walkability is at the top of your criteria for your next neighborhood, you’ll want to keep Shore Acres on your list.
5. Beautiful Waterfront Homes
Shore Acres has such a diverse collection of homes, it’s pretty wild! What I love about Shore Acres the most is it’s a community that is welcoming to a variety of price ranges. As you travel the roads you’ll see homes from the 200’s all the way to waterfront (1 to 3+ million dollar homes).
Some of the waterfront homes are truly astounding. The design varies from modern influences to coastal chic and mediterranean-influenced homes. If you truly want to be inspired, drive along these roads: Bayou Grande Boulevard, Bayshore Boulevard, and Arrowhead Drive. I’ve seen homes that look like they were made for Steve Jobs or even homes that look like castles.
Most of the higher-end waterfront homes have anywhere between 3000-5000 heated square feet and come equipped with docks. Private pools are a common feature as well as open concept designs.
I’ll be the first to say, I’ve seen a lot of homes all over the county and the Tampa Bay Area. You can find nice homes just about anywhere but there’s something special about having a nice home on the water within 10 minutes of one of the most exciting downtown areas in Pinellas County.
Even if a million dollar+ home is not in your price range, you can still enjoy all the great features of this amazing community and find something that works for you.
4. Great Schools
Shore Acres is within close proximity of many great schools in the area. For public schools, Shore Acres features it’s very own Elementary school – Shore Acres Elementary. There are also private options right outside the neighborhood including: Shorecrest Preparatory School, Canterbury School Of Florida, LCC Day School, St. Raphael Catholic School, and more!
Even if you don’t have kids, a lot of value is given to homes near great schools. One of the homes we sold in Shore Acres was of a young family that had raised their young kids out there. I remember the father was able to walk his son to and from school directly from his house.
There’s something powerful about having that convenience and I truly think those elements help bring a community closer together.
3. Shore Acres Recreation Center
Shore Acres Boulevard is home to the Shore Acres Recreation Center. Originally it was a clubhouse with a pool and the local homeowners group purchased it in 1970. It features a six-lane pool, half-court basketball, picnic shelter, covered playground and it also hosts youth, teens, and adults programs.
The recreation center does a variety of events including family nights, karate, yoga events, field trips for schools, dog obedience training, and for those of you who are into that Pokemon game, I heard it’s a Pokemon Go Stop.
There are even plans underway to replace and improve the Recreation Center. What do I mean? The goal is for the new Recreation Center to be approximately 20,000 square feet and will include a gymnasium and a pool.
According to the city of St. Pete construction is scheduled for February of 2020 and ending February 2021.
2. Bikeable To Downtown St. Pete
If you want to live in St. Pete, there’s a good chance one of your reasons might be staying close to the thriving downtown area that continues to grow every year. Powered by art, local businesses, and a whole lot of culture, prices on homes tend to increase the closer they are to downtown especially in the northern part.
While Shore Acres residents aren’t right next door, the good news is they are within biking distance and can usually reach downtown on a bike within 10-20 minutes. A popular path to take that has the most gorgeous views would be Overlook Drive to Snell Isle Boulevard ending up on Coffee Pot Boulevard that borders the waterfront and North Shore Drive which will take you past many of the waterfront parks in downtown.
Even if you don’t have a bike, biking is integrated into the culture of St. Pete. There are many bike rental stations around the city so even if you elect to drive and park in downtown coming from Shore Acres, you can still tour the downtown area in style.
1. 4th Street Shopping
With that being said, 4th Street North just a few minutes West from Shore Acres is the perfect haven to get in all your shopping needs without having to head into downtown. Another amazing thing about 4th Street North is it features both national chains and restaurants that are unique to St. Pete.
Some of the most popular locations along 4th Street North unique to St. Pete would be: Three Birds Tavern, Jwags, Red Mesa Restaurant, and much more!
For chain businesses there is just way too many to list but there are close to 100 of them if you go far enough.
In Conclusion
If I were to describe Shore Acres to someone new to the area, here’s how I would explain it. Shore Acres is a great neighborhood for someone that wants to live in an area that truly feels like a neighborhood. Instead of being mixed in all the action, your home and community is unique and you’ll enjoy close proximity to all the amenities you could possibly want in our tropical area.
One downside to Shore Acres is most residents who have a mortgage will have to carry flood insurance for the life of the loan due to the low elevation and proximity towards the water. However, once you experience this area, you’ll find that’s a small price to pay for everything that you get in return.
I hope you enjoyed this article! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at the727team@gmail.com