Tampa Bay Area, Florida, USA

From bayside homes to beachfront condos, from shaded districts of historic mansions to private gated communities and modern downtown high rises with soaring views, the Tampa Bay area real estate is one of the state’s most multifaceted markets.

Comprising the most populated metropolitan center on Florida’s west coast, Tampa and St. Petersburg are commercial and entertainment capitals. The cities are oriented around Tampa Bay, a vast, open estuary and harbor that serves as a vital—and scenic—recreational outlet and shipping channel (Port Tampa Bay is the largest port in Florida).

Tampa residents get an eclectic, big-city lifestyle with shopping and dining in unique neighborhoods like Ybor City and Hyde Park Village; nightlife, luxury buildings and the 250,000 square-foot Florida Aquarium in the emerging Channelside district; and professional NFL, NHL and MLB sports franchises. Buyers in search of Tampa’s traditional luxury properties will be interested in discreet, historic sections like Davis Islands, or, for boating enthusiasts, places like Culbreath Isles that offer direct bay entry. The area near Avila Country Club, in Tampa’s northern “Lake Region,” offers larger estates and the finest in private, gated living.

St. Petersburg is located on a peninsula and connects residents to both the bay and the Gulf where a string of keys sport the area’s finest beaches. The city is full of charming, older neighborhoods, and downtown St. Petersburg has evolved into a thriving, walkable destination featuring shops, hotels, waterfront parks and attractions like the Salvador Dalí Museum. Some of the most desirable residences are just north of downtown at Snell Isle, a gated golf community with luxury waterfront property developed from the bayous along the bay.

Historic Harbor Oaks, located in Clearwater 20 miles north, is another quintessential Tampa area neighborhood, a collection of 81 estates and mansions in a mature section of town overlooking the harbor. Considering the bay, beaches, golf and the Gulf, all at the doorstep, Tampa is spoiled with options—and they are all outstanding.