Best Places to Retire in Florida: Seminole

Seminole birdeye view

“The Natural Oasis of Florida” is a peaceful, beautiful, and well-located city that is perfect for retirees looking to enjoy Florida living. Incorporated in 1970, Seminole has grown quickly, offering access to classic Florida attractions, such as beaches and sunshine, without the inconveniences that often go along with bigger cities. If you want one of the best places to retire in Florida, you can hardly go wrong with Seminole. Its friendly, welcoming people, quieter lifestyle, and stunning surroundings make it an ideal place for a work-free life.

What to expect

Bird-eye view of Seminole, FL

Area

Seminole is a small city of 18,852 in Pinellas County, Florida. Located just 30 minutes from St. Petersburg and Clearwater, and just 45 minutes from Tampa, this oceanside city puts every Florida amenity within reach. Its multiple retirement communities, including Bedrock’s Porpoise community, create an environment that makes Florida living for seniors easy and fun. The city’s residents have an average age of 52, which makes it a great place to forge new friendships with other retirees, and its low cost of living and beautiful location make it both affordable and desirable for retirees from all walks of life.

Weather

While Seminole receives more rain per year than the national average, the city is known more for the glorious Florida weather that attracts retirees in droves. With an average summer temperature of 91 and a comfortable winter low of 51 degrees, this city experiences none of the winter cold and snow that can dampen your retirement living elsewhere. Add in 241 days of sunshine a year, and you have a cheery city where the weather allows for year-round adventures.

Safety

Seminole is one of the best places to retire in Florida, in part because of its high level of safety. Ranking safer than 53 percent of the cities in Florida, Seminole experiences a crime rate that is 15 percent lower than the national average and 35 percent lower than the national average when it comes to violent crime. While the northern part of the city has the lowest crime rates, nearly every neighborhood has a reputation for safety and security.

Practical Living

Porpoise ParkAirport

Seminole sits less than 30 minutes from St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport, and 40 minutes from Tampa International Airport. These major airports have flights from all major airline carriers, which makes it simple to find convenient flights in and out of your retirement home.

Getting Around

The best way to get around Seminole is by car, but the city has a higher-than-average walkability score that does mean you can take a stroll around certain areas of the city. If you cannot or do not want to use a car, you can also take advantage of the PTSA public transit system, which services all of Pinellas County. This system can help you get to the most important areas of the city, allowing you to reach major shopping, entertainment, or healthcare locations without using a car.

Shopping

Seminole may be a small city, but it does have a number of shopping options, including a small mall and the store-rich Seminole Towne Center. You can grab essentials, such as medication and groceries, within the city limits, and explore everything from home furnishings to hair salons right within your community. With major cities just a short drive away, you can also find any item you desire in a convenient and fun location.

Doctors/hospitals

While there are no hospitals in Seminole itself, you can access any of the hospitals and medical centers in nearby Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. In addition, Seminole is home to a number of medical centers and doctor offices. Find any of the following healthcare options near your Seminole home:

  • Urgent care
  • Primary care
  • Senior care
  • Internal medicine
  • Dentists

When you choose Seminole to retire, you enjoy Florida living for seniors that includes access to reliable and diverse healthcare, right outside your door.

Banks

Managing your retirement finances is easy in Seminole, due to the presence of numerous financial institutions. Choose from credit unions, major institutions such as Wells Fargo and Chase Bank, and more local options such as Suncoast Credit Union. These banks can help you obtain loans, withdraw cash, write checks, build up savings, and complete all of your financial transactions without leaving Seminole.

Mail

Conducting all of your postal errands is also simple in Seminole. The city houses post offices, UPS stores, and FedEx locations where you can purchase shipping materials, drop off packages, pick up mail, and more. If you live in a retirement community such as Porpoise, you can also do some of your postal errands without ever leaving the community.

Things to Do

Fishing boat in Seminole lakeBeaches

One of the greatest attractions in Seminole is its location by the ocean. The beach is just a few minutes away, often only 5-10 minutes, depending upon where you live in the city. These beaches have beautiful white sand, great views, and much smaller crowds than the larger beaches, such as the one in Clearwater. However, if you want to enjoy fishing, sunbathing, coating, and more by a bigger beach, Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and more are just a short drive away.

Pinewood Cultural Park

Enjoy the Seminole area’s beautiful natural attractions in one location at Pinewood Cultural Park. Located in Largo less than 10 minutes from Seminole, the park has multiple attractions including the following:

  • Parks that offer shelters, boats, and more
  • Environmental education
  • Heritage Village-A 21-acre, 28-building historic estate
  • Florida Botanical Gardens

These attractions promise endless opportunities for relaxation and recreation practically outside your front door when you choose to live in Seminole and in Bedrock’s Porpoise community.

Nature Parks

Pinewood Cultural Park may be the best-known park in the area, but there are other nature parks in and around Seminole for you to enjoy. Try the 350-acre Walsingham Park with its many trails and Lake Seminole Park, with its opportunities for hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming. The Sunken Gardens provide a century’s worth of botanical beauty.

And of course, each of these parks provide the opportunity to see bountiful wildlife and incredible natural beauty.

Arts and Culture

Seminole may be a small city, but it provides access to multiple arts and cultural attractions. Visit the following to feed your desire for a rich and well-rounded retirement:

  • Dali Museum featuring Salvador Dali’s surreal work
  • Mahaffey Theater with its variety of shows, from drama to comedy
  • Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg

If you want even more to do, the big cities near Seminole, such as Clearwater and St. Petersburg, offer an endless array of activities for families, individuals, retirees, and more. Satisfy any hobby or pursuit with just a short drive for a rich and rewarding retirement.

Find a Home

Seminole boardwalkBedrock Communities Living

With a median home price of $339,000, Seminole housing is a little bit pricey. Before you decide that Seminole is not one of the best places to retire in Florida because of its home price, however, embrace the lower cost of housing in our Porpoise retirement home community. Our beautiful, quality mobile homes make Florida living attainable regardless of your retirement budget.

Features

Our Porpoise community provides features that make your retirement the rewarding experience you deserve after a lifetime of work. Enjoy the following features:

  • Lakeside location
  • A short drive from shops, dining, entertainment, beaches, and big cities
  • Beautiful mobile homes for an affordable price
  • An active and friendly 55+ community

Amenities

In addition, our Porpoise community has many amenities available to make life within the community as satisfying as the attractions available in the wider Seminole area. Move here and find the following amenities:

  • Homes with a deck
  • Social activities
  • And more

If you want some of the best Florida living for seniors, you need to consider Bedrock’s’ Porpoise community. The beauty, affordability, and friendliness of this area, and of our community, is meant to make your retirement wonderful. Contact us today to learn more!

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