Saint Petersburg, FL 1 of 110 Active Retirement Communities Location

http://www.e50plus.com

Ivan Gillis

Active Retirement Communities

State: Florida

City: Saint Petersburg

St. Petersburg (often shortened to St. Pete) is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The city is known as a vacation destination for North American and European vacationers. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 248,232. As of 2006, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 248,098. The 2007 Census stated that the population of St. Petersburg increased to 249,079. That information made St. Petersburg the fourth largest city in the state of Florida and the largest city in Florida that is not a county seat. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, which is composed of roughly 2.7 million residents,making it the second largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state.

The city is commonly referred to by locals as "St. Pete"; neighboring St. Pete Beach, Florida formally shortened its name in 1994 after a vote by its residents.

The city is located on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is connected to the mainland to the north, connected with the city of Tampa to the east by causeways and bridges across Tampa Bay, and to Bradenton in the south by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Interstate 275), which traverses the mouth of the bay. It is also served by Interstates 175 and 375, which branch off I-275 into the southern and northern areas of downtown respectively. The Gandy Bridge, conceived by George Gandy and opened in 1924, was the first causeway to be built across Tampa Bay, connecting St. Petersburg and Tampa cities without a circuitous 43-mile (69 km) trip around the Bay through Oldsmar.

With a purported average of some 360 days of sunshine each year, it is nicknamed "The Sunshine City." For that reason, the city is a popular tourist and retirement destination, especially for those in the United States from colder Northern climates -- particularly New York City, Detroit, and Chicago. However, in recent years the population has shifted in a more youthful direction.

The city has a children's museum (Great Explorations), Museum of Fine Arts, a History Museum (which has a full-size replica of the Benoist seaplane and is located near the approximate spot by the St. Petersburg Pier where the first flight took place), a Holocaust Museum, and the Salvador Dalí Museum, which houses the largest collection of Dalí's in the world, including a number of famous and large-scale paintings such as The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. There are also various other smaller art galleries and entertainment venues, especially in the downtown area, which has seen a boom in development since the mid 1990s; these include: The Mahaffey Theater complex, The Coliseum, and Palladium Theatre, and The Midtown Royal Theater, The Arts Center, and the Florida Craftsmen Gallery.

St. Petersburg is well regarded for its beaches. In 2005, Fort Desoto was rated the number one beach in America by the annual Dr. Beach rankings.TripAdvisor also has the beach ranked number one in the nation for 2008. Also noted for its arts community, St. Petersburg regularly places top 25 in the nation among arts destinations^. Recently, St. Petersburg has become known and regarded as one of America's most livable cities.

Jutting a half mile into the Bay is the St. Petersburg Pier, a major tourist attraction with various activities. Due to its livability and myriad amenities, St. Petersburg's downtown has been rated among the best in the South. Also worth noting, the area's ranking beaches are a 10-mile (16 km) drive away from downtown.

Saint Petersburg boasts the largest dedicated public waterfront park system of any city in North America, with a waterfront park system that stretches seven miles and is used year round for public events, festivals and other activities.

Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2008: $43,305 (it was $34,597 in 2000)

St. Petersburg:	$43,305
Florida:	$47,778

Estimated per capita income in 2008: $27,452

Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $189,700 (it was $78,200 in 2000)

St. Petersburg:	$189,700
Florida:	$218,700

Mean prices in 2008: All housing units: $258,570; Detached houses: $267,511; Townhouses or other attached units: $356,233; In 2-unit structures: $250,444; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $134,102; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $214,605; Mobile homes: $23,686; Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $49,841

Median gross rent in 2008: $885.

Dec. 2009 cost of living index in St. Petersburg: 93.6 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)

In-Depth Facts and Figures as listed below, plus other information:

· Climate Charts

1. Average Temperature

2. Precipitation (Rain)

3. Humidity

4. Wind Speed (MPH)

5. Snowfall

6. Sunshine

7. Cloudy Days

· Tornado Activity History

· Hospitals & Medical