Sitting to the west of Downtown, Historic Kenwood St. Petersburg thoroughly deserves its title. Many of the homes on the shaded streets are approaching a century in age and most have been well preserved or restored.
There's an eclectic mix of styles, including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Craftsman Bungalow and Dutch Colonial Revival, each adding its own unique style to the overall feel. In 2003 the entire area (covering around 375 acres, with over 2,000 residences) was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which once again emphasizes its importance as a heritage center.
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Aside from its sense of history, Historic Kenwood is steeped in culture, especially in the subject of art. The City Council recognized that the area had attracted a high concentration of artists, and so they declared it an Artists Enclave. This commendable step promotes art by allowing the neighborhood artists to sell their work directly from their homes as well as to teach classes.
And if that wasn't enough, the cultural center of St. Petersburg, with its Waterfront Arts District is, as they say, a stone's throw away, along with some of the best beaches.
To add to the attraction of the area, the weather generally skips two seasons, sticking to summer and spring. Aside from having to cope with an occasional tropical storm or (very rare) hurricane, the weather is excellent for most of the year.
There are obvious signs of development, especially towards the waterside districts of St. Petersburg, which threatens to bump up house prices that have so far managed to remain stubbornly below the Florida average. However, investment in the area can only be a good thing, pulling in more tourists and businesses.
On a similar theme, the cost of living is about 7% less than the national average, and a general search of reviews will show that wages, in general, are fairly low when compared with other parts of Florida. The continued investment in regeneration and development may well bring about changes in the future, however.
Historic Kenwood St. Petersburg offers a range of eating places that is best described as 'cosmopolitan', as befits the more liberal vibe of its laid-back art-loving community. It also hosts a couple of great pubs that are great for cheering on your favorite soccer club. And the term community emerges often in any reviews for the area, with a general sense that folk here know, and look after, each other as well as their neighborhood. The streets and properties are kept clean and generally in good repair.
In fact, they are so proud of their homes that they offer tours of them! As well as taking a guided walking tour around Historic Kenwood, residents sell tickets to see inside some of these unique bungalows in the oldest part of 'St. Pete'.
Crime here is lower than average, with trouble generally confined to outlying areas connected with some of the poorer neighborhoods.
Overall, though, if you love art, culture, friendly neighbors, peaceful walks and tranquil nights, you could do a lot worse than visiting - or settling in - Historic Kenwood St. Petersburg.
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And if you'd like to learn about more neighborhoods across the bay in Tampa, be sure to check out our guide for the best neighborhoods in Tampa.
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