Clearwater

Now I'm going to put on my tour guide hat and take you on a tour of the Bay Area. Fellow Tampa Bay bloggers might want to join in and add something, so feel free! I'm going to start with Clearwater because it's the most important city in Pinellas County, with Tampa being the most important city in Hillsborough County (which is across the water from Pinellas).

Unlike Hillsborough County, Pinellas County has beaches. And Clearwater Beach is one of the top 10 beaches in the state of Florida. In my opinion, it should be the top one, because the sand is amazing sugar-fine sand and feels incredibly silky and is much purer than other sands. No other beach in Florida has that sand (and I've visited many beaches).

If you'd like to get the opinion of someone who relocated from Texas to Clearwater Beach, go to Why Clearwater Beach? Its a little out of date (he's married now, he says in a sidenote, and they don't allow smoking in restaurants anymore) but it's pretty accurate. He also has some excellent tips in there for love and dating.

I was once commissioned to write a book on Clearwater history, but after doing my research, I had to decline it. I didn't have access to much material, due to the library burning down in the early 1900s. Even the librarians shrugged at me and said they had little they could give me.

You see, Clearwater has always been a town that 'lived for the moment.' It isn't famous for many historical sites, and although some luminaries performed in The Royalty Theater (which still exists) they were merely passing through. These performers included Elvis, Monroe, Chaplin, and others. Don't be at all fooled by the website; the theater is only a shadow of what it once was. Its impossible to get enough people who wish to travel to downtown and park there. And as a reference point: The picture of the owners is at least 30 years out of date.

Then there is the gorgeous, historical, haunted Belleview Biltmore which was built by the same gentleman who built the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. Many weddings take place here (I've always thought it would be lovely to be married there) and it's also a great getaway for golfers and vacationers. It's not directly on the beach, but that has it's advantages, too. It was bought up by some Japanese investors with no loyalty to the historical value of the place, and they are attempting to tear it down and turn it into condos. As a result, the Save the Biltmore group has formed (I've donated generously). We're looking for a purchaser!

The main parts of Clearwater are the actual beaches (you pass through the downtown to get to them) and the uptown and "Countryside" areas (where the real heart of the city is). These places are where most of the businesses and residences are located. Clearwater has tried to revive the downtown area for years, but with little to no success, with the exception of Scientology.

I will say (as I always do) that I have personally known some Scientologists and found them to be very personable. I feel they're as misguided as they feel *I* am. But if the concept of Scientology makes you queasy, then settling into the downtown Clearwater area would not be recommended.

Clearwater Beach is still my favorite part of Clearwater. It's where I grew up, and where I go when I need to recharge my batteries. It's still generally a haven of peace and quiet. Sadly, they now charge for parking there, and even those of us who are citizens must pay for the privilege of visiting our own beach. If you don't wish to pay to go there, other beaches are available with only a short drive of a couple miles down the beach. But there's just something about Clearwater Beach: it seems to be the perfect balance of commercial and residential buildings with a vast amount of sand, dunes, and water.

The rest of Clearwater is merely a nice, warm, breezy place with palm trees. Some parts are actually rather seedy looking, due to the lack of ordinances we had in the early years of our growth. But we happily drive past them, and give them our business. It's not really their fault that they were built in the tasteless 60s and 70s. The city council has rumbled for years about passing an ordinance that would force everyone to adapt their facades to a more uniform and (should we say it?) prettier style, but I doubt it will ever happen. The true beauty is on the beach and in some of the better office parks and residential areas, and that is really where it matters.