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Historic Old Northeast |
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The historic elements which characterize the Historic Old Northeast neighborhood are brick streets with granite curbs, a mix of concrete and hexagon block sidewalks, a grid network of streets, avenues and alleys and its proximity to the waterfront known as Tampa Bay. The large oaks, jacarandas, pines, palms, maples and magnolias provide lush overhanging canopies in the landscape. The Historic Old Northeast enjoys a unique quality being adjacent to downtown St. Petersburg. North Shore Park runs along its eastern boundary. This park offers the neighborhood large open spaces, a large public pool, tennis courts, a baseball field, bike trails, long continuous sidewalks for leisurely strolls, a children's playground and a beach with white sand.
Along Coffee Pot Bayou are privately owned docks which house colorful boats and provide the opportunity to fish, sail and boat in protected waters. The Bayou is known for the manatees which feed in its shallow waters. The historic Snell Isle Bridge crosses the Bayou to link North Shore and Snell Isle. The Historic Old Northeast subdivision began in 1911, by a group of men led by C. Perry Snell and J.C. Hamlett. Their goal was to establish the area as the premier residential neighborhood adjacent to the burgeoning city of St. Petersburg along the shores of Tampa Bay and Coffee Pot Bayou.
C. Perry Snell was a staunch advocate of William Straub's waterfront park system. Snell was instrumental in extending the park northward to Coffee Pot Bayou by giving the City the major part of the waterfront land from 13th Avenue North to Coffee Pot Bayou. This open space park is an invaluable resource of our community. The Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood area contains approximately 9,000 people and 5,300 houses, apartments, and condominiums. The Historic Old Northeast is approximately 82 years old and was virtually "built-out" by the 1950s and 1960s; so the basic character of the overall area is that of an older neighborhood. This makes it rich in history and historical value and, as a community resource, unparalleled and irreplaceable. The Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood was the first established neighborhood within the City of St. Petersburg. Many of the original homes of the era still exist. The architecture in the Historic Old Northeast area is dominated by a wonderful mixture of Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Prairie, Tudor Revival, Minimal Traditional, Ranch, Mission, Neo Classical Revival, Art Moderne, Italian Renaissance, Mission, Monterey, and Masonry Vernacular. As a result of this mix, combined with the age of the neighborhood, Historic Old Northeast enjoys a residential character which sets it apart.
Many of the homes sport front porches, horizontal wood siding, large casement windows, columns, white picket fences, fireplaces with large looming chimneys, as well as steeply pitched roofs with an assortment of roofing materials. Always a part of the architecture, landscaping makes a dramatic statement in Historic Old Northeast with numerous and rich combinations of foliage throughout. From azaleas of all kinds to flowering crepe myrtles, dogwood, tree of gold, hibiscus, bird of paradise, firecracker, giant lirope, gardenias, roses and all types of annuals, flowers are always in bloom somewhere.
The residential flavor is so different from what one might expect for Florida; however, when taken into consideration that the early settlers here in the Historic Old Northeast emigrated from mostly northern states, perhaps it is not strange at all. While many of the homes in the central avenues of Historic Old Northeast have been beautifully maintained throughout the decades, the lower section of the neighborhood (13th Avenue to 5th Avenue) continues to provide ample opportunity for home renovation and restoration. Drive the avenues on any Saturday afternoon, and one will see dramatic home restorations in progress. The Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association is the nucleus behind all efforts to protect, enhance and maintain the quality of life within its boundaries. The association has been actively involved in many organizations and programs. The Association belongs to the Council of Neighborhood Associations, participates in the City's Crime Watch program, Neighborhood Policing Program, Neighborhood Conservation Program and Certificate of Inspection Programs.
The neighborhood association meets every month to discuss current business. The Board of Directors meet and discuss the important issues of the day. The policy positions and recommendations made by the Board of Directors are then submitted to the association members for voting consideration. The association meetings are chaired by the president. Based on Robert's Rules of Order, the organization is conducted in a democratic manner with membership being extended to all who live in the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood. Historic Old Northeast neighborhood boundaries are Fourth Street North to Tampa Bay from 5th to 30th Avenues North.
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