Do you want to play and live like a legend on the beach?
You really can live in paradise and enjoy the same beaches loved by presidents and celebrities throughout the decades — and no, it won't cost you your firstborn.
The Gulf beaches of Florida are still greatly undiscovered, and properties there can be a tremendous value. When people think of Florida, most think of two places: Orlando, the house of the mouse, and Miami, the hot, spicy, and extremely expensive coastal life.
St. Pete Beach is where you can live like a legend on the award-winning beach and not break the bank. This fabulous beach community is all about community spirit, and it shows through the local farmers' markets and the holiday boat parades that bring the community together. It is a laid-back, chill town with a lot to brag about — but no one would. St. Pete Beach is also home to one of the greatest hotel comeback stories, and in no small part due to the community that came together.
The iconic Pink Castle, aka The Don Cesar, stands like a beacon calling all party-loving beachgoers home. The history of the Pink Castle is a beautiful comeback story. Originally built in 1928, The Don CeSar was a high-end hotel hosting the celebrities of the day. Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda, dancing in the fountains during epic parties made the mystique of the Pink Castle grow. The Pink Castle suffered a sad turn of events when in 1942, the US Army purchased the property. The hotel later became a convalescent home and fell into disrepair. Facing the possibility of the wrecking ball, the community of St. Pete Beach came together and formed a committee dedicated to saving the hotel and bringing it back to its glory. In 1973 the renovation was underway, and the Pink Castle was in full comeback mode.
When The '80s and '90s rolled in, the Pink Castle played host to celebrities again. Hulkamania hit the Pink Castle, and grunge hit when Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam joined the long list of celebrities to party at the Pink Castle.
Playing host to the likes of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the pink castle is full of history and sentiments such as, "Oh, if those walls could talk…". On that note, it's rumored that the original owner still walks the halls of the Pink Castle. Can you blame him? I wouldn't want to leave, either.
The legendary lifestyle is still affordable, with one-bedroom inland condos (walking distance to the beach) priced from the $ 250,000s and waterfront two-bedroom condos from $500'000s.
It's no surprise to the locals that St. Pete Beach is an award-winning beach. St. Pete Beach residents love their community, and it shows.
Photo credit: Jacob Pierce
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