St. Petersburg is known for its parks, neighborhoods, and vibrant downtown, all set against the beautiful backdrop of Tampa Bay. The fourth-largest city in Florida, St. Petersburg was founded in 1888 by a Russian aristocrat and named for his hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Today St. Petersburg is a network of historic and architecturally significant neighborhoods, each with its own unique personality and almost all with a link to the parks that make this a real city-by-the-bay.

St. Petersburg Neighborhoods

Snell Isle

Snell Isle, Perched on Coffee Pot Bayou, Smacks Bayou and Tampa Bay.  A water enthusiast and nature lover’s paradise with its own harbor, Snell Isle was named for the developer who altered a mangrove island into this beautiful residential neighborhood. You’ll find the lush Renaissance Vinoy Golf Club at the center of the community, famous for its art deco era Mediterranean design.

Snell Isle is connected to downtown St. Petersburg by Snell Isle Boulevard and is close to the walking paths and open space of Flora Wylie Park, Crisp Park, and Coffee Pot Park a few blocks to the east. Read our full post on the Snell Isle here.

Historic Old Northeast

The historic Old Northeast district is adjacent to downtown, and claims nearly 3,000 historic buildings within its boundaries. Known for its pleasant shopping district, restaurants and a number of city landmarks, the neighborhood is a mix of Mediterranean and bungalow styles in a lushly green setting rife with jacarandas, pines, palms, and magnolias. Read our full post on the vibrant Old Northeast community here.

Historic Kenwood

Kenwood is a historic neighborhood in St. Petersburg recognized as an thriving artist community. Here you will find a charming neighborhood of bungalows  and green space. The neighborhood is known for its home studios where artists work, teach and sell their artwork.

Historic Roser Park

This historic Roser Park neighborhood features many private homes with Mediterranean or Spanish style architecture and claims 146 historic buildings. The Park from which the neighborhood takes its name from draws outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy its royal palms, oaks and lush flower gardens.

Winding along Booker Creek and throughout the neighborhood, the Historic Outdoor Museum of Roser Park is an award winning creation of local resident, Ron Motyka. The Museum features 28 markers that describe the features, homes and historical significance of the neighborhood.

Downtown St. Petersburg

As you might expect, downtown St. Petersburg is packed with office high rises. It is also home to the Tampa Bay Times Newspaper, the Mahaffey Theater Complex, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Salvador Dali Museum the Florida International Museum, and the Morean Arts Center as well as dozens of other art galleries. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg downtown branch of St. Petersburg College add to the neighborhood. Along Central Avenue and Beach Drive you will find restaurants and bars withing walking distance of the Waterfront and parks. Downtown is also home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays Tropicana field.

Grand Central District

The Grand Central District is just west of downtown St. Petersburg. Here you will find a bustling entertainment district packed with galleries, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and boutiques. Residential enclaves in this neighborhood remain quiet despite all the activity, nestled in green space around Mirror Lake and Williams Park.

Edgemoor

The Edgemoor neighborhood is a mix of apartments, triplexes, single family homes and condominiums, also home to a variety of shops, parks, restaurants galleries and bars, including Puryear Park, at the center of the community – including the nation’s only Jai Alai court.

Bayway Isles

Two islands make up this residential neighborhood in southwest St. Petersburg, extending from the Pinellas Bayway causeway to Boca Ciega Bay. This waterfront community is perched on the edge of a pristine aquatic preserve. Open water, great views and water sports are a part of the lifestyle here.

The community itself is eclectic, drawing students from adjacent Eckerd College as well as families. Fort DeSoto Park provides more outdoor recreation—on land, instead of by sea. St. Pete Beach is close at hand for sunbathing, swimming, and nature lovers. Even closer: the Isla del Rey Yacht Country Club, perfect for golfing and boating enthusiasts.

Best Neighborhoods for Custom Home Building

Which St. Petersburg neighborhoods do we recommend for your custom home building project? While St. Petersburg is blessed with vibrant communities steeped in arts and cultural, we are currently building homes in Snell Isle and Old Northeast. These communities are currently extremely popular for new custom home building projects.

If St. Petersburg neighborhoods sound like the what you are seeking for your custom home building project, use the handy button below to set up a free consultation with us to learn more about the neighborhood and our expertise in building custom homes in this neighborhood. You can also learn more about schools in the area using the school locator button.