[Editor's Note: For more on the beaches, check out our full Summer Guide 2010 coverage.]
The Indian Rocks/Belleair Beach/Redington area is a gently curving beach corridor that connects Clearwater Beach to the north with Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach to the south. Subdivided into several unique communities, there's more to this area than hotels and tourists — though the latter can be said to be the lifeblood of the businesses.
Indian Rocks Beach serves as a central hub for this string of neighborhoods, with the largest cluster of bars, restaurants and businesses concentrated here. This is partially because of geography: a significant stretch of Gulf Boulevard is situated on a narrow strip of land running through these neighborhoods, which doesn't allow for much development. But a lack of businesses can also be by design, which is the case in Belleair Beach, an entirely residential community just south of Clearwater Beach that does not allow commercial development.
Click here to read more about Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores and Reddington Shores …
This article appears in May 13-19, 2010.