ST PETERSBURG AS A RETIREMENT DESTINATION THROUGH THE YEARS During the mid-1920's St Petersburg ...
ST PETERSBURG AS A RETIREMENT DESTINATION THROUGH THE YEARS
During the mid-1920's St Petersburg shared in what was the widespread Florida land and real estate boom of the period. Cold northerners who could afford it increasingly broke up their winters with lengthy Florida vacations. It was during these years such local landmarks as the Vinoy Park Hotel (now the beautifully restored Renaissance Vinoy) downtown and the luxury resort Don Ce Sar hotel in St. Pete Beach were built. It was also during this period that C. Perry Snell, a lover of art and beauty, developed Snell Isle with great flair for aesthetic detail. St. Petersburg increasingly was no longer an agricultural port town inhabited mainly by Florida "crackers" .The city began to develop with more of an established elegance, especially in its Northeast area. Then came the Great Depression, and the local economy would suffer greatly. Fortunately federal moneys in the late 1930's and during World War II including the establishment of the Bay Pines VA Hospital (now renamed for the late Congressman Bill Young) helped propped up the local economy.
Post World War II When a Flood of Modest Income Retirees from the Industrial Midwest Flock to Pinellas County
With the general prosperity after World War II and the common usage of residential air conditioners, Pinellas County became a more desirable retirement destination for year around living. There was an especially huge population growth during the 1950's and 1960's. Much of the increase was due to retirees from the industrial Midwest who found the warm weather and relatively low housing costs to be inviting. It was during the 1960's and 1970's that most of the several hundred over-55 communities, mostly condominium but some manufactured housing/mobile homes were established.
By the 1980's St. Petersburg and southern Pinellas County was largely built out as orange groves to the immediate north and west were plowed under to make way for modest subdivisions and condominiums. Pinellas County occupies a relatively small coastal strip with Hillsborough County & Tampa immediately on the other side of Tampa Bay. That helps to explain why Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida. Nonetheless, most of the over-55 complexes were built when land was far less expensive and many have outstanding garden and recreational spaces in spite of what is now their very urban locations. Also, the County governing officials fortunately had the foresight to set aside considerable green space for public parks, hiking/biking trails etc.
Downtown St. Pete's "Green Benches" Favored by earlier St. Pete Seniors Who Just Sat, Chatted, & Watched the World Go By
The 1985 major studio "Cocoon" about a group of retirees and aliens was filmed in St. Petersburg. In fact, the city's national reputation for being a retirement haven caused local wags to describe the city as "God's Waiting Room." This helps to explain why so many age restricted communities were built half a century ago. During the last decade or two, however, the median age of Pinellas County residents has declined significantly. The increasingly hip and artsy atmosphere in much of central St. Pete has attracted thousands of new young residents who find downtown housing both limited and increasingly expensive. They are not permitted in the age restricted over-55 communities. The Green benches have long since been retired. The only remnant of a downtown filled with retirees is "God's Waiting Room" a trendy bar featuring craft cocktails. The last decade has seen a boom in high-end condominiums in the downtown area. Fortunately for seniors, a number of less expensive over-55 communities remain in areas around St. Pete.
St. Petersburg & Today's Active Retirees.
Few retirees in St. Petersburg fret about the loss of the famous green benches. After all, today's active seniors are generally not content to sit and idle their time away anyhow. They don't want to watch the world go by; many want to live in a vibrant diverse but not to frenetic city that offers great museums, entertainment venues, and idyllic beaches in addition to extensive medical and other facilities seniors that need. That's not to mention a cost of living that is at or just below the national average. In recent years both Forbes and Kiplinger's magazines have named St. Petersburg as one of the top U. S. cities for retirees.
During the mid-1920's St Petersburg shared in what was the widespread Florida land and real estate boom of the period. Cold northerners who could afford it increasingly broke up their winters with lengthy Florida vacations. It was during these years such local landmarks as the Vinoy Park Hotel (now the beautifully restored Renaissance Vinoy) downtown and the luxury resort Don Ce Sar hotel in St. Pete Beach were built. It was also during this period that C. Perry Snell, a lover of art and beauty, developed Snell Isle with great flair for aesthetic detail. St. Petersburg increasingly was no longer an agricultural port town inhabited mainly by Florida "crackers" .The city began to develop with more of an established elegance, especially in its Northeast area. Then came the Great Depression, and the local economy would suffer greatly. Fortunately federal moneys in the late 1930's and during World War II including the establishment of the Bay Pines VA Hospital (now renamed for the late Congressman Bill Young) helped propped up the local economy.
Post World War II When a Flood of Modest Income Retirees from the Industrial Midwest Flock to Pinellas County
With the general prosperity after World War II and the common usage of residential air conditioners, Pinellas County became a more desirable retirement destination for year around living. There was an especially huge population growth during the 1950's and 1960's. Much of the increase was due to retirees from the industrial Midwest who found the warm weather and relatively low housing costs to be inviting. It was during the 1960's and 1970's that most of the several hundred over-55 communities, mostly condominium but some manufactured housing/mobile homes were established.
By the 1980's St. Petersburg and southern Pinellas County was largely built out as orange groves to the immediate north and west were plowed under to make way for modest subdivisions and condominiums. Pinellas County occupies a relatively small coastal strip with Hillsborough County & Tampa immediately on the other side of Tampa Bay. That helps to explain why Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida. Nonetheless, most of the over-55 complexes were built when land was far less expensive and many have outstanding garden and recreational spaces in spite of what is now their very urban locations. Also, the County governing officials fortunately had the foresight to set aside considerable green space for public parks, hiking/biking trails etc.
Downtown St. Pete's "Green Benches" Favored by earlier St. Pete Seniors Who Just Sat, Chatted, & Watched the World Go By
The 1985 major studio "Cocoon" about a group of retirees and aliens was filmed in St. Petersburg. In fact, the city's national reputation for being a retirement haven caused local wags to describe the city as "God's Waiting Room." This helps to explain why so many age restricted communities were built half a century ago. During the last decade or two, however, the median age of Pinellas County residents has declined significantly. The increasingly hip and artsy atmosphere in much of central St. Pete has attracted thousands of new young residents who find downtown housing both limited and increasingly expensive. They are not permitted in the age restricted over-55 communities. The Green benches have long since been retired. The only remnant of a downtown filled with retirees is "God's Waiting Room" a trendy bar featuring craft cocktails. The last decade has seen a boom in high-end condominiums in the downtown area. Fortunately for seniors, a number of less expensive over-55 communities remain in areas around St. Pete.
St. Petersburg & Today's Active Retirees.
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| One of Dozens of murals on Downtown St. Pete buildings |
Few retirees in St. Petersburg fret about the loss of the famous green benches. After all, today's active seniors are generally not content to sit and idle their time away anyhow. They don't want to watch the world go by; many want to live in a vibrant diverse but not to frenetic city that offers great museums, entertainment venues, and idyllic beaches in addition to extensive medical and other facilities seniors that need. That's not to mention a cost of living that is at or just below the national average. In recent years both Forbes and Kiplinger's magazines have named St. Petersburg as one of the top U. S. cities for retirees.
