North Clearwater - Clearwater, FL

During the 1800s, Clearwater served as both a military fort and an agricultural region, where any citizen willing to work the land was given 160 acres on which to do so. The first road connecting Tampa to Clearwater opened in 1849. By the early 1900s, modern conveniences like paved roads and electricity arrived.

Clearwater’s leaders place great importance on the arts, and you can find several places that celebrate local culture, history, art and heritage. Museums, galleries, theaters, parks and gardens thrive in the area. The Clearwater Arts Alliance stages annual exhibitions and unusual interactive art installations, such as Pianos in Pinellas, where local artists decorate working pianos that they then place in key areas around town for anyone to play, view and otherwise enjoy.

North Clearwater and the surrounding communities host a wide variety of eateries. If you want fast food or comfortable chain restaurants, you can find plenty along just about every major roadway. If you crave exotic ethnic foods, your biggest problem may be deciding which place to try first.

Hit the Green Mint Asian Grill for fusion food as artful as it is tasty. Enjoy authentic Vietnamese cuisine such as bahn mi, the Vietnamese version of a sub sandwich. The spring rolls are a far cry from those you can find elsewhere. Wrapped in thin rice paper and exploding with the flavors of pickled carrots, daikons, and sweet chili sauce, they can be made with your choice of several meats or vegetarian proteins.

Come for a yummy meal on the patio, but stay for the live music. Nauti Nancy's on Eldridge Street has all the components of a local treasure. Not everyone knows about it because its off the beaten path, but the place serves great food. Venture inside this little hole in the wall to find down-home comfort food done right. Order the shrimp and grits for a real taste of southern Florida, or try the juicy bacon blue cheese burger.

Clearwater's nightlife can be anything you want it to be. Area bars run the gamut from laid back lounges to bass-pounding dance clubs. House of Beer, a few minutes away in nearby Dunedin, is one of the most popular haunts for bay area revelers. Choose from a staggering selection of high-quality beers, play some pool, and order up a burger or some hot wings if you get hungry. If it's a Friday, you might catch some live local music.

Those in search of wild times should hit Frankie T's Dive Bar. This bar has an outdoor deck, a pool table, and darts. Frankie T's used to be known as the Freaki Tiki Bar.

The amazing weather makes pedestrian travel quite popular, and bikers find friendly streets throughout Clearwater, especially in the downtown and beach areas.

Shuttles, buses and trolleys crisscross the peninsula and take you anywhere around Clearwater or into the mainland cities. If you prefer taking your own car, Clearwater is easy to navigate. U.S. Route 19 runs north and south through the peninsula, and State Road 60 connects central Clearwater with Tampa Bay. You can also take State Road 580 from the mainland to reach the peninsula via Safety Harbor.

Cab services operate throughout the entire area, but hailing one roadside doesn’t happen in Clearwater. Call a service or download the Uber application on your smartphone to have instant access to nearby drivers.

Free public parking in the northern parts of Clearwater tends to be readily available; however, you have to employ a bit more strategy when parking downtown or at Clearwater Beach. Hundreds of metered spaces can be found at the beaches, but they can reach capacity during busy times.

A real local treasure, Moccasin Lake Nature Park provides more than 50 acres of preserved natural habitat, including a five-acre lake. Open to the public, the park hosts classes, camps and nature tours. A day spent at the nature park presents lots of opportunities to teach children hands-on lessons about science, nature and conservation.

Dog lovers flock to Enterprise Dog Park, which features open space for off-leash running and even a playground designed just for dogs. Let your fur babies loose to run through tubes and jump off platforms while you relax and enjoy the remarkable scenery. Enterprise remains free and open to the public. Just make sure to use the provided baggies and receptacles to clean up after your pooch.

Downtown’s Coachman Park, a full-time outdoor event venue, hosts the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, which has become internationally recognized and draws top performers from around the world. Tens of thousands gather at the picturesque waterfront park for the four-day event.

The cost of living in North Clearwater remains about the same as it is for the rest of Clearwater City. However, rent rates skyrocket when you start looking at properties on Clearwater Beach. On the main peninsula, the monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment averages just under $800. Gas prices stay pretty consistent throughout the city, running slightly below the national average.

A bus ride runs about $2 for a regular fare. Clearwater’s Jolley Trolley costs just over $4 for an unlimited ride pass, which takes care of your needs for a full day. For further discounts, purchase multi-use passes or monthly passes. In Clearwater's north end neighborhoods, you should be able to find a pint of beer for less than $5 dollars.

North Clearwater offers a selection of American chain grocery stores in addition to some international markets and specialty grocers. Head into downtown Clearwater for the weekly open-air farmers market. The Clearwater area has no shortage of major department stores such as Walmart and Target, but it also maintains a number of charming little boutiques and local shops.

The Westfield Countryside mall houses a variety of places to shop, with stores like Dillard's, JC Penney, Macy's, Loft, Nordstrom Rack, Sears, and Whole Foods. Stop for a bite along Restaurant Row, or get some much-deserved pampering at Venus Mini Med Spa.

If you want a more unique shopping experience, head over to downtown Safety Harbor to check out Tupelo on 4th. Spend some time exploring its many shelves full of interesting and artful items. You can find everything from giggle-inducing gag gifts to gourmet coffee and beautiful pieces of art. Shop here for those occasions when a run-of-the-mill gift would simply fail to please.