Condo Hunting in St. Pete

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 – Condo Hunting in St. Pete

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  What I’m talking about is looking at real estate, Elliott’s favorite vacation pastime.  Last summer when we were in the Boca Raton area, we spent three or four days looking at ridiculously low-priced condos in adult communities.  Then we went over to the Gulf Coast, and looked at condos in Sarasota for too many days.  Every time we passed a real estate office, we had to stop and look at the listings in the window.  And since I had the computer with us, we spent hour after hour looking for property online.  So it was inevitable that we’d end up doing the same thing here in St. Petersburg.  While I find a lot that I like in St. Pete, I don’t know if I’m ready to give up a D.C. area residence, at least not yet.  It’s true that Elliott could be more active and independent if we lived in downtown St. Pete.  The winter weather wouldn’t keep him trapped indoors and he’d be able to walk a lot instead of depending on others for transportation.

While we were out last Saturday morning, we struck up a conversation with a couple exiting one of the high-rises on Beach Drive.  Elliott mentioned that he was curious about downtown residential buildings and she just happened to be a real estate broker.  Prophetic?  Perhaps.  She showed us a few condos today that were very attractive in terms of size and location.  The buildings had plenty of amenities, such as a pool, a fitness center, etc.  To be honest, it sounds quite tempting.  But it would have to be our year-round residence.  The more I think about being a snowbird, the less I like that idea.  I need one home base, not two. 

We took a break from real estate shopping after lunch.  Elliott napped and I decided to check out the closest beach.  Spa Beach is in a true downtown location, just off the extension of 2^nd Avenue North, leading to the pier.  It’s small, but it’s definitely a beach.  It has sand, palm trees, and little wavelets that make a gentle but insistent statement as they lap the shore.  If you were so inclined, you could come down here at dawn and watch the sun rise over the waters of Tampa Bay.  A dog and its owner frolicked at the water’s edge.  A few benches were occupied, but otherwise, the beach and the adjacent park were deserted.  A local gentleman, sitting at a picnic table and chomping on a cigar, assured me that, come summer, the beach would be packed.  Under a threatening sky (a front is moving in), I sifted through the sand for miniature shells.  If you have keen eyes, you’ll be rewarded with some perfect gems. 

Late in the afternoon, we looked at one more condo in a bayfront high-rise.  Like the ones we saw earlier in the day, this one had amenities galore.  We’ll certainly have a lot to mull over once we get back home. 

We strolled down to the St. Pete Brasserie for an excellent dinner (snapper for me, rack of lamb for Elliott, a shared apple-cranberry tart), then capped it off with chocolate covered marzipan back at the Ponce.