Clearwater is everything you think of when Florida springs to mind…azure waters, white sand beaches, hotels, tourists, and miles of palm trees. But that’s only part of it. You have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to beach life. To be a resident here means living within a few miles of city life in Tampa and the beaches of Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, just to the south. Clearwater, Tampa and St. Pete are the perfect beach lover’s trifecta. So if you’re one of those people who prefers cool mountain breezes or hiking in the hills, this isn’t the place for you. Florida is flat, Flat, FLAT. But if you love the beach life and you feel as I do that there’s no such thing as too many beaches, this is the place for you. Logically, the entire Gulf Coast is a dumb place to have a beach. Clearwater is a barrier island that Nature put there to be a buffer against the winds and high waters of hurricanes. People aren’t supposed to actually live there. But look how pretty this is! How could you not build a resort community there? It’s magnificent! So much so that the yearly hurricanes are just the cost people are willing to pay to live and work in paradise. 

When I think of walkability, I’m thinking how far is it on foot to all the interesting and fascinating things there are to see in a city. But that’s not the point in a place like Clearwater. The only walkability I care about is how far is it to the beach. And if it’s not walkable, is there a shuttle to and from the hotel? That’s all that really matters. Because when it comes to food, nightlife and things to do, those businesses always spring up around beach resorts. Wherever there are hotels, there’s always someone peddling hang gliding, banana boats, jet skis, and speedboat rides. As for food, the beauty of beach towns is that you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a restaurant. As long as you have money, you will never lack for food and fun. And you don’t have to go looking for them either. Walkability isn’t an issue simply because on an American beach, everything you could want to see and do comes looking for YOU! You don’t have to walk around looking for it. If what you want to see or do is not within walking distance, I guarantee you there will be way too many tour buses and taxis waiting to take you anywhere you could possibly want to go.