Palm Harbor Real Estate Listings of Houses and Homes for Sale in Pinellas County, Florida

Palm Harbor

Florida is a dynamic, culturally diverse state with exciting cities, varied terrain, exotic wildlife and spectacular weather. Palm Harbor, in its splendor, is a microcosm of Florida as a whole. However, what distinguishes this city from most other coastal Florida cities is the fact that the terrain here is not flat. In fact, the average elevation is 25 feet with some land stretching as high as 80 feet above sea level. This may seem insignificant to someone not familiar with Florida, but for those who realize that with tropical weather you also get tropical storms, this little tidbit is an important one to consider when purchasing property along the waterfront.

Palm Harbor is located in the northwest corner of Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Park Department maintains 4,159 acres of the county’s most beautiful examples of pristine Florida landscapes. Sun-drenched beaches, tranquil lakes and lush emerald green expanses of native habitat in addition to playgrounds, learning centers and convenience facilities provide park visitors immeasurable opportunities for relaxation and recreation. So, whether you enjoy water sports, land sports, or simply reading a book under the umbrella of a towering tree, Palm Harbor is a terrific place to unwind.

Speaking of unwinding, the city has a tremendously active nightlife with fine restaurants, exhilarating live entertainment and a healthy nightclub scene. So, when it is time to loosen your tie and unbutton your top collar, or simply let your hair down, a little dinner, dancing and drinks are easy to find without having to travel far from home. Fortunately for locals, the social scene does not stop here. Annual public special events hosted by the community and many of its volunteer societies keep the social calendar filled throughout the entire year.

The Fine Arts, Crafts and Music Festival every December was originally founded by Louise and Bill Hoskins. The event juries the work of local participating artists who are awarded prizes for winning projects. Proceeds from the event are also used to award a scholarship to a deserving high school student for his or her artistic achievements. Other events in the area include the Evening Extraordinaire Fine Wine, A Food and Auction Night, many golf tournaments for various causes, the Upper Pinellas Business Week Events Bash, the Palm Harbor Days Carnival, tradeshows and the festive Holiday Parade. If all this is not enough, residents can simply make the short drive into larger neighboring cities such as Tampa, Clearwater or St. Petersburg for social activity on a slightly grander scale.

One of Palm Harbor’s mottos is: “Come join us for a brighter tomorrow.” The future is definitely bright and the city’s current strong economy is an indication of such promise. There is a tremendous sense of community and pride amongst citizens, translating into clean city streets and neighborhoods. This pride is said to have existed and matured from one generation to the next ever since the original pioneering families migrated to this land over 125 years ago. Attracted by the beauty of St. Joseph Sound, settlers laid stake to the area’s gentle hills rolling from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Tarpon and beyond. Growth has been steady due to the area’s promise of warm weather and opportunity. Although original explorers came to this land in search for precious metals like silver and gold, if they were to visit today they would find such riches in the form of tourism revenue.

Tourists helped generate nearly $2 billion dollars in revenue for Pinellas County and Palm Harbor received a generous portion of business from the more than 4 million estimated visitors for the year 1997. These astounding numbers make many local retailers, restaurateurs and specialty shop owners smile when they see a tourist walking in their direction. Still, despite this highly profitable industry and the flocks of people it brings to the area, the city of Palm Harbor is a very pleasant, peaceful place to live. Residents take pleasure in watching the sun slipping beneath the Gulf each night, the sun appearing over Tampa Bay each morning and rocket ships streaking towards the moon and beyond every now and again.