Situated along the west central coast of Florida,
just north of Clearwater, Dunedin (Dun-EE-din) receives great reviews
from just about everyone. Once an important seaport and the
site of Florida's largest sailing fleet, today this city of 37,000
people still boasts five miles of picturesque shoreline. Instead
of fishing vessels docking at the marina, though, now pleasure craft of
all shapes and sizes bob in the water. The average cost of living
here is just below the national average, and the median home price is
$160,000. Of the population, 25% is age 45 to 64, and 30% is age
65 or better.
Dunedin has a quaint, pedestrian-friendly Main
Street with a colorful assortment of eclectic cafes, pubs, galleries,
restaurants, shops and bookstores (no chain stores or commercial signs
are found here). Two beautiful beaches, Honeymoon Beach
State Park and Caladesi Island State Park, the latter of which is often
called the nation’s best beach, beckon with white sand and warm Gulf
Coast waters. Dunedin has been called the nation's most
walkable town (although the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority does
provide public transportation), and it is a bicycle friendly community,
with Pinellas Trail, a 39-mile long walking and bicycling pathway,
running right through downtown.
The Hale Senior Activity Center is operated by the
city and offers an extensive menu of programs and activities for those
age 50+ (no membership required). Each winter it hosts the Senior
Awareness Fair, a showcase of local resources available to the mature
demographic. Dunedin operates three other recreation
centers, as well, and it recently received a state award for its programs.
There are two golf courses in the city, but many more just a short drive
away. Each year, baseball-crazy crowds come out to watch the
Toronto Blue Jays' spring training.
This is a lively place, and festivals and events
are many. The city's Scottish roots are celebrated during the
Highland Games and Spring Clan Gathering each spring, and Mardi Gras,
Wines the Blues, Art Harvest, Celtic Festival, Hog Hustle, the Dunedin
Cup and Kiwanis Regatta and Oktoberfest are just a few of the town's
other happenings. Dunedin Public Library offers adult education
classes, film showings, book discussion groups and has Internet
access. The Dunedin Fine Arts Center is a lovely
facility and mounts various exhibits throughout the year.
The city also has a crime rate below the national average.
Mease Dunedin Hospital is a 143-bed facility in the
middle of a $19 million expansion and currently provides services in
cardiology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, oncology, stroke care, intensive
care, diabetes, imaging and surgery. It also offers 24-hour emergency
care with the goal of having patients be seen by a licensed health care
professional within thirty minutes of arrival in the emergency
room. In 2008, the hospital won the Magnet Designation, a
prestigious national recognition of excellence in nursing care, from the
American Nurses Credentialing Center. Several other major
medical facilities are within 5 to 15 miles.
Summer high temperatures usually top out in the low
90s; winter temperature highs are in the 60s and 70s with lows in the
50s. Average rainfall is 50 inches per year with the usual
summertime afternoon showers. Humidity averages 90% in the
mornings, tapering off to 60% in the afternoons.
Dunedin has some drawbacks. As with many
Florida coastal communities, the city has seen a rise in real estate
taxes and homeowners' insurance rates. Pinellas County, in
which the city is located, has a high foreclosure rate (partly because
the county includes the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater) but is
not among the worst in Florida, and Dunedin's rate is low within the
county. The city's tornado risk is 80% higher than the U.S.
average. Hurricanes are always a possibility. Jobs are few.
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Recommended
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It's coastal Florida, so Dunedin
has high insurance rates and the potential for
hurricanes, but a thriving downtown, walkability, good
medical care, affordable housing, beautiful beaches,
good senior programs, lots of festivals and a low crime
rate make Dunedin a place to consider for retirement.
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