For those of us lucky enough to live or have lived there, St. Pete Beach is much more than a shoreline packed with tourists.

Sure, it’s got an award-winning stretch of beaches, historic hotels and excellent restaurants. But it’s also a town, a unique one — and walkable, too. There’s never a shortage of things to do, as long as you don’t have an aversion to water, sunshine or adventure.

In this, the latest of CL’s Neighborhood Guides, we’re offering an inside look at St. Pete Beach in its entirety, which includes historic Pass-A-Grille.

You’ll find there’s much more here than you can catch from first glimpse as you crawl up Gulf Boulevard in midday traffic. The Destinations Guides for St. Pete Beach and Pass-A-Grille cover a wide swath of familiar spots, from the TradeWinds to the Hurricane, but we also include can’t-miss eateries and shops a block or two off the main drag. We peer back in time at the Don CeSar, sample some old-school beach cocktails, consider the island’s eclectic architecture, and spend a Friday night getting lucky at Jimmy B’s. We also tell you what those giant yellow things on Upham Beach are all about.

But before all that, a little orientation is in order. The city’s geography can get a little confusing.

St. Pete Beach — don’t call it St. Petersburg Beach or St. Pete’s Beach, trust us — is a continuous barrier island that’s south and a little to the east of Treasure Island/Sunset Beach. On the north end, from the Blind Pass bridge to Corey Avenue, roughly, you’ll find a somewhat gritty — though still pleasant — stretch packed with restaurants and bars that are a bit of a walk from the beach. The middle of the island is where the beachfront hotels (and beach bars) are. The south end is where you’ll find storied Pass-A-Grille, its name believed to be a variation of the French phrase Passe Aux Grilleurs in honor of the fishermen who camped and grilled their catch on the once-remote island. Now it’s a quaintly appealing neighborhood lined by a gorgeous beach.

Wherever you end up settling on the island, the options are endless. Happy exploring!

—Kate Bradshaw

MORE CL NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES
Safety Harbor
Hyde Park/SoHo
Dunedin
Seminole Heights

This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2015.