Bay Pines

Cradled by a bayou of the same name, the Long Bayou community offers laid-back waterfront living, urban convenience and an overflow of opportunities to explore the outdoors. West of central St. Petersburg in Seminole, Florida, Long Bayou residents enjoy easy access to the Boca Ciega Bay, waterfront parks and a bevy of beaches. “It’s a great location; it’s within miles of popular Gulf beaches, and some places are walkable to grocery stores,” says Kristin Zimmerman, a Realtor at Keller Williams and serving the Pinellas County area since 2021. Although surrounded by a bayou, a nature preserve and endless outdoor recreation, the gated community’s proximity to Highway 19 allows residents to reach shopping, dining and entertainment within a few miles. “It’s a really quiet, off-the-beaten-path community, but then you go out past the gated part, and you’re in Seminole, in the middle of everything,” says Mary Butler, an associate broker at Realty Experts with nearly 40 years of experience who has been selling in Long Bayou for 30 years. Beyond convenience and natural beauty, Long Bayou’s diverse selection of townhouses, single-family and condo communities offer options for retirees, second-home investors, families and everyone in between. The community sits along a bayou of the same name, an arm of Lake Seminole that flows into Boca Ciega Bay, so boating and deep-sea fishing are common. Bay Pines Marina, 3 miles away, has served the community for over 150 years and offers 360 boat storage spaces and 600 feet of floating dock space. The neighborhood’s Blossom Lake Park has lakeside walking paths, a playground and a basketball court. St. Petersburg/Madeira Beach KOA Holiday campground hugs the eastern edge of Long Bayou and offers cabins, hook-ups for RV camping and sites for tents. The campground also has an outdoor pool, kayak rentals and volleyball courts. The 258-acre waterfront Lake Seminole Park sits directly above the neighborhood, stretching 2 miles along the lake’s shore. The park has a wildlife habitat, 2 miles of trails, ballfields, a playground and a boat launch. Three miles west on the bay’s shores, the 186-acre Boca Ciega Millennium Park offers a dog park, an observation tower and wooden walkways that look out over the bay and marshland. Madeira Beach is 3 miles from Long Bayou’s heart, and Redington Beach is 4 miles south for more outdoor fun. The 112-acre War Veterans Memorial Park is 4 miles south and has five plaques honoring each United States military branch, along with boat ramps and kayak rentals. Turtle Crawl Point sits at the tip of the park and provides scenic views of the bay and various wildlife and nature paths. The Pinellas Trail, a 38-mile multi-use path popular with cyclists and hikers, runs from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs and cuts through the neighborhood. It also crosses the Long Bayou Footbridge. Seminole Lake Country Club is 4 miles east and has an 18-hole course and a dozen tennis and pickleball courts. Membership is tiered, and the semi-private club offers single and family memberships for golf, tennis or both. The palm and oak-lined neighborhood is a mix of single-family homes, condos, townhouses and manufactured homes. “It has so many price points, so people can find what’s affordable for them,” says Zimmerman. Single-family homes, including ranch-style homes and coastal contemporary houses, are sprinkled throughout the community. Most single-family properties were built in the early 1960s and range from the low-$300,000s for a two-bedroom more than 1,000 square feet to the mid-$800,000s for a four-bedroom more than 2,400 square feet. Most homes have multi-car garages, spacious driveways for boats or RVs and backyard in-ground pools. Residents enjoy large lot sizes, most around 12,000 square feet, but many stretch to nearly a half-acre. Some have private docks with direct access to the bay. While Butler says home prices are higher than those in the surrounding area and homeowners’ association fees will vary based on home values, they include many services. “It includes water, garbage, flood insurance, insurance on the building, your gas for cooking, heating, hot water, internet and cable, too,” says Butler. Condos are available in a subdivision called Long Bayou, a gated 55-plus community along 62nd and 66th Avenues, several miles from the water. Prices here range from the low-$100,000s for a one-bedroom around 800 square feet to the mid-$200,000s for a two-bedroom over 1,000 square feet. The 55-plus condo community offers bocce ball and tennis courts, shuffleboard, a pool and an active clubhouse. “The clubhouse has a fitness center, a library and a craft room,” Butler says. “They also have a room with a bar, and they host bingo nights and holiday parties.” The Shores of Long Bayou offer waterfront condos sitting on a 77-acre nature preserve along Shoreline Drive. Condos in this guarded subdivision start in the low-$300,000s for a two-bedroom more than 1,000 square feet to the mid-$700,000s for a two or three-bedroom more than 2,800 square feet with direct water access. This community offers 2 miles of nature trails, 25 acres of lakes, two pools and a clubhouse. The gated Seminole Isle community, in the northeastern arm of Long Bayou, offers resort-style townhouses and condos. The Townhomes of Seminole Isle are under construction, and a three-bedroom townhouse is going for the low-$800,000s. This townhouse community offers walking trails, a clubhouse with a fitness center, a resort-style pool and two pickleball courts. Townhouses are available in the gated Bayou Grande subdivision, starting in the mid-$400,000s for a three-bedroom to the mid-$500,000s for a 2,000-square-foot four-bedroom. Manufactured houses are also available in the senior community of Harbor Lights Mobile Home Park. Prices start around $50,000 for a one-bedroom and go up to the low $200,000s for a two-bedroom near the water. Most shopping and dining options are along Highway 19, which surrounds the community. Pipo’s “The Original Cuban” Café has served the community its popular deviled crab dish and Cuban sandwiches since 1979. Savanh of Laos is known for its papaya salad and purple sticky rice dessert. The neighborhood’s only waterfront restaurant, Harbor Master Tiki Grille, is a favorite local spot for fresh fish tacos, burgers and live music. Aloha to Go – Hale is another popular spot for poke bowls, Huli Huli chicken and other authentic Polynesian recipes. Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is a 3-mile drive east down Highway 19. The eatery offers views of the bay, Caribbean and South American dishes and margaritas for a night out. Walmart is in Long Bayou’s southern corner, and Sprout’s Farmer’s Market, inside Seminole Plaza, is in the northwestern corner for essentials. The plaza also provides Home Depot, Burlington, T. J. Maxx and Sally Beauty. Seminole City Center, a major shopping mall, is less than 3 miles away and offers Publix, Wells Fargo, HomeGoods and other big-box retailers and dining options. Pinellas County Schools serves the area and is ranked the top district in the Tampa area, according to Niche. Students can attend Orange Grove Elementary, which offers summer camp, earns an A-minus on Niche and ranks as the No. 1 standout elementary school in the Tampa area. From there, they can attend Osceola Middle, which scores a B, followed by Osceola Fundamental High School, which has an A on Niche. Ranked the third-best public high in the county by Niche, Osceola Fundamental has a journalism program, a medical career club and basketball teams. It’s also the first fundamental high school in Florida with an education model centered around parent involvement. There are mandatory monthly parent meetings, regular communication with teachers and a homework-heavy curriculum. Students must apply to attend the school. Highway 19 loops around Long Bayou, providing easy access to the rest of the area. Bay Pines is 3 miles away, Downtown St. Petersburg is 13 miles away and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is a 12-mile drive. Public transportation is convenient via Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, with bus stops up and down Seminole Boulevard. HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital is the closest medical facility, 6 miles east.