Holiday

The known history of Tarpon Springs, Florida, only dates back about 150 years, but its marshy coast of Anclote has been known to Caribbean pirates, Spanish Conquistadors and sponge divers since the 16th century. Today, the southwestern-most region of Pasco County remains a quiet, semi-suburban escape still popular with local seafarers, especially anglers, who are reeled in by some of the hottest fishing spots near Clearwater. Though a bit removed from the rest of suburban Clearwater, the remoteness offers a vast expanse of undeveloped park land inscribed with nature trails and bayous that are within a short cast of the area's spacious waterfront estates. “Anclote is not quite close enough to downtown St. Petersburg to head in for a weeknight dinner reservation,” says Helle Hartley, a Realtor at Century 21 Jim White & Associates. Undisturbed expanses of nature are in no short supply around Anclote. The 101 acres that make up Key Vista Nature Park are filled with dog-friendly hiking trails. The boardwalks these trails lead to traverse rich bayous and creeks, offering a place to photograph egrets and other native wildlife. If looking for leisure, Anclote River Park offers a fishing pier and a 300-foot beach that some locals go to for swimming and sunbathing. The Coastal Anclote Trail links these two parks together, offering a challenging out-and-back running route. Although many homes in Anclote include a private boat slip of their own, plenty of other residents save precious driveway space by renting a slip at the Anclote Village Marina. In fact, its location at the mouth of the Anclote River is one of the region's most active fishing sites because the waters are warmed by a confluence with the Anclote Power Plant's outfall canal. The mostly unspoiled corner of Tarpon Springs consists of small residential sections to the north and south, buffered in between by a large swathe of park land and the Anclote Power Plant. Throughout both sections, homes tend to be built during or after the 1990s. Modern ranch-styles with multi-car garages are a common architectural design, often priced from $300,000 to $550,000. Further north, spacious two- and three-story homes with gulf views, backyard pools and private boat docks often start close to $1 million and sometimes reach over $2 million. There are also some communities for manufactured homes in the south end of Anclote. Depending on their size, these manufactured homes can sell for $75,000 up to mid-$200,000. Although it might seem all-quiet in Anclote, there's several toe-tapping ways to get out and have fun. Less than a mile south of the Publix on U.S. Highway 19 is The Stockyard, a go-to nightlife spot for country music line dancing. The family-owned diner of Daybreak Cafe is a popular commonplace for live entertainment, such as Thursday night karaoke. Residents of the area also frequently often convene at local parks for outdoor activities, such as fishing expeditions and kayaking groups that put in at Anclote River Park. Residents living in the northern end of Anclote visit shopping centers along Highway 19 to complete errands or spend an evening away from home. Multiple supermarket chains can be found along the highway, including locations for Publix and Winn-Dixie. Those living in the southern end of Anclote have a longer drive to reach commercial areas on Highway 19, so many choose to stop short at the Marketplace of Tarpon Springs instead. There, locals start the day with a mimosa and plate of eggs benedict from Daybreak Cafe. In the evening, when boaters return to drop anchor at the Anclote Village Marina, the open-air grill at Miss Vicki’s On The River gets busy with orders for cold beers. Young students begin school at Gulfside Elementary School – a C-plus-rated school on Niche – before graduating to Paul Smith Middle School, a C-plus-rated school. From there, students head to Anclote High School, a B-minus-rated high school. All three schools are located within Anclote and offer free transportation. Because of its location, Anclote is a car-dependent area. There is no public transportation serving the area, and most major roads lack a shoulder for cyclists and pedestrians. Although most residential areas have sidewalks for strolls around the neighborhood, these do not offer connections to places outside of Anclote. However, many residents own boats, which can provide an alternative means of travel up and down the coast. The Anclote Power Plant is a natural gas-burning facility on an island across the plant's outfall canal. Large plumes of smoke can be seen rising over the neighborhood from the facility's industrial chimneys somewhat frequently. Residents of the area tend to experience noise and air pollution when the facility is running at peak efficiency.

A quiet residential neighborhood whose streets are populated by palms and other native trees, Holiday Lake Estates occupies a convenient location on the Nature Coast a little over 30 miles northwest of Tampa. “It’s close to beaches, boating and fishing,” says Pam Pampanella, a Realtor with New Dimensions in Real Estate, who has sold homes in the Clearwater/Tampa Bay area for two decades. “You can practically walk to Anclote Beach.” Anclote River Park, 31 acres at the mouth of the river, which flows westward into the Gulf of Mexico, is not only home to Anclote Beach but also a fishing pier, picnic pavilions, and boat and kayak launches. Nearby is the Anclote Village Marina, where folks can book a charter at Bottoms Up Fishing Excursions. Adjacent to the marina is Miss Vicki’s On The River, an Old Florida-style dockside restaurant. Housing in Holiday Lake Estates consists of a collection of ranch-style homes on mid-sized lots with yards and private driveways. The homes are differentiated by architectural flourishes that include Craftsman-inspired use of natural materials, Mission-style entryways and angular dormers. Home sizes range from around 900 to 1,400 square feet, and prices typically fall between $200,000 and $370,000. Without public transit nearby, Holiday Lake Estates residents rely on their cars for the 55-minute commute to Tampa or the 20-mile journey to Clearwater. Pinellas Avenue provides residents with access to nearby retail and dining options. The Anclote Corners shopping mall is anchored by The Market Place of Tarpon Springs, a popular indoor flea market, and the Daybreak Café, a favorite breakfast spot. Only a few blocks away is the Tarpon Springs Aquarium & Animal Sanctuary. This family-run attraction is known for its interactive shows where visitors can hold, pet and even feed a variety of marine animals. Pinellas Avenue connects directly to downtown Tarpon Springs and the vibrant Sponge Exchange Shopping Village, where a refurbished Greek fishing village is home to a variety of shops and restaurants, like Pelican Gifts and Mama's Greek Cuisine. A trip to the beach is likely to take one past several educational institutions that serve the neighborhood. “All the schools are right there, within walking distance,” Pampanella says. Gulfside Elementary School, rated a C-plus by Niche, offers specialized programs before and after school in traditional subjects, such as art and reading, along with alternative subjects, such as yoga and Legos. Paul R. Smith Middle School, also given a C-plus rating, operates under a three-point plan to maintain academic standards, while Anclote High School, which earns a B-minus, offers the Cambridge International learning tract, focusing on college preparation based on a global curriculum. Neighborhood youth can take advantage of the amenities at the nearby J. Ben Harrill Recreational Complex, home to the Greater Holiday Little League. The complex provides an array of indoor and outdoor athletic opportunities, and visitors can fish and watch birds amid the natural Florida landscape. The neighborhood is served by the Holiday Lake Estates Civic Association. The independent, multipurpose organization, which has been part of the community since 1969, hosts community events throughout the year. Monthly meetings are held at the recently renovated community center, which can be rented out for private parties and celebrations. Annual association-sponsored events include a community cleanup day. The neighborhood’s first pet expo was held in the spring, and the first back-to-school night, featuring free haircuts, was slated for late summer. The organization keeps residents up to date on events and pertinent news through its website as well as an active neighborhood Facebook page.

Positioned between a system of public parks along the Gulf of Mexico and a bustling recreation complex, Key Vista supplies residents with many ways to get active or relax in the sunshine in a gated community east of Holiday. Robust HOAs maintain the community’s aesthetics and amenities, ensuring residents live in picture-perfect subdivisions of single-family homes painted in complementary colors. With shopping essentials a brief drive down Highway 19 and Pasco County Schools serving the area, residents of Key Vista have no trouble accessing nearby community hubs and the greater urban amenities of Tampa. Key Vista consists of the Single Family community and Villas 55+ community which are regulated by individual HOAs as well as a Master HOA. Homes in Key Vista were built in the early 2000s along quiet, palm tree and sidewalk-lined cul-de-sacs and contain Spanish revival and craftsman architectural details like warm, stucco exteriors and street-facing two-car garages over broad driveways. Homes in the 55+ community with less than 2,000 square feet of living space sell for $280,000 to $440,000, while Single Family HOA homes with upward of four bedrooms sell for $370,000 to $600,000. Monthly fees vary in price based on which HOA(s) each home is covered by. “People in Key Vista get wonderful community amenities and properties which are not in a flood zone which is huge for people who don’t want to pay for flood insurance,” says Renee Gialousis, a Realtor at Coldwell Banker with 23 years of experience in the area. The Main Clubhouse includes community amenities like a swimming pool, fitness center, playground and tennis courts. Villas residents have access to the broader community’s amenities as well as their own private clubhouse, pool and spa. Access to Key Vista and its internal amenities are controlled by key fob. Recreation on the Gulf is less than a mile from Key Vista in a system of parks sandwiched between Key Vista’s subdivisions and the thickets of forests lining the beach. Key Vista Nature Park runs walking and biking trails through wooded areas and along the gulf, heading south to the popular fishing pier and playground at Anclote Gulf Park. “Many residents own boats and keep them in their garage or lock them up at a community building for a fee,” Gialousis says. Boaters can tow their watercraft 3 miles south to Anclote River Park's boat launch or post up on the beach and watch pelicans fly by. The J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex forms much of Key Vista’s eastern border, its indoor and outdoor athletics fields catering to league tournaments and pick-up games of baseball, soccer, basketball and more. Families also make use of the shaded playground and picnic benches. The Pelican, Key Vista’s community newsletter, keeps residents abreast of upcoming events in issues released every other month. Athletics classes like tennis and yoga are held at regular times each week, and Food Truck Friday brings rotating food trucks into Key Vista every few weeks. Residents can volunteer for positions within their HOAs from welcoming committees to budget and paint committees. Highway 19 runs through Holiday, providing Key Vista residents with shopping and dining options within 3 miles of home. Winn-Dixie, Aldi and Publix are a few of the closest grocery options. Miss Vicki’s On The River is a popular open-air bar and restaurant on the Anclote River just south of Key Vista where locals enjoy casual seafood fare, cold beers and views of the Anclote Village Marina. Kids in Key Vista attend Gulf Trace Elementary School which earns a C-plus on Niche, followed by Paul R. Smith Middle School which also earns a C-plus and Anclote High School which earns a B-minus. Students at Anclote High School can opt into the AVID Elective, a program encouraging college readiness through rigorous course loads and weekly Tutorial sessions in which tutors provide academic support. Residents of Key Vista depend on personal vehicles to get to nearby commercial hubs and more distant commuter destinations. Highway 19 to the east of Key Vista is the main coastal connector, running from towns further north into southern destinations like Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Tampa’s urban amenities like the Tampa International Airport are about 35 miles southeast of Key Vista.