Snell Isle is one of the most exclusive and sought after waterfront neighborhoods in St. Petersburg. The neighborhood is centered around Snell Isle Boulevard and also encompasses the popular Coffee Pot Bayou.
The community features many original homes from the 1920’s, waterfront living, and a charming history. The predominate architecture of the Snell Isle homes was inspired by European and Spanish designs. Most properties on Coffee Pot Boulevard, Eden Isle Drive, and Brightwaters Boulevard include direct access to Tampa Bay.
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The area contains many original historic homes along with other large homes, well-kept lawns and tree lined streets. The distinctive Women’s Club at 40 Snell Isle Boulevard, along with the newly renovated Renaissance Vinoy Resort, presents a spectacular view as you cross the newly restored Snell Isle Bridge. Snell Isle has two churches, two schools and a convenient shopping center along Snell Isle Boulevard.
The neighborhood owes its name and existence to Mr. C. Perry Snell. A Kentucky pharmacist, Snell first visited St. Petersburg during his wedding trip in 1898. The next year he purchased his first property in the area on 4th Ave N. That property has since been converted into North Shore Park. When all was said and done, Mr. Snell purchased 600 acres of land on the northern side of St. Petersburg. This area is now called Coffee Pot Bayou.
When Snell originally purchased the land it was such a low-lying area that fill dirt from Tampa was brought in to raise the ground. In 1911, he began his first development on the small isle of mangroves, which would become known as Snell Isle. The first nine homes he built were classic European design on Brightwaters Bayou. Snell wanted them to be as authentically European as possible and traveled throughout Europe for statues, tile, and decorative ornaments. The nine homes were completed at a cost of over $1 million dollars – a pretty hefty sum at that time.
Snell’s legacy continues to live on in the community today with his gift of land to the St. Petersburg Women’s Club in 1928. Once the Women’s Club voted to accept his offer, they immediately began working with the city to build a new bridge. On Christmas in 1931, the bridge was opened.
The architecture of the area contains a wide spectrum of classic European and Spanish design among the older houses dating from the 1920s. The prices of real estate in the area range from approximately $750,000 to several million.
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