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Variety– in terms of price, property type, and age– is what you can expect in Tampa’s local housing market. And while just about every market sector is well-represented, what dominates Tampa real estate are single-family homes and apartments. A good chunk of residences in the city were built between the 1940s and 1990s, but you can also expect a sizable collection of more recent builds as well as new construction.

Some of the most popular neighborhoods in Tampa include:

Among homes for sale in the Tampa Bay area, St. Petersburg’s local real estate offers some of the highest appreciation rates in the entire country. Buyers and investors alike will be pleased to know that over the past decade, homes here have appreciated by approximately 199%. But it’s not only the increasing home values that draw people to St. Petersburg. Sunshine, water recreation, and being one of the oceanographic research centers in the region endear it to many as well.

There are many fabulous neighborhoods in St. Petersburg, such as:

A home in Clearwater means living a short distance away from almost every water activity imaginable in the Gulf Coast and Tampa Bay. That said, there’s more to the local lifestyle than being on the beach. Furthermore, strong real estate investment opportunities, impressive historic appreciation rates, and a vast array of housing options– in an equally wide range of styles and prices– make Clearwater quite a force to be reckoned with in the Tampa Bay area.

Make the following neighborhoods part of your home search:

Even if you choose to live in the farthest part of the Tampa Bay area, you’ll still be a short 30-minute drive from the best beaches in Florida’s West Coast.

On top of the list is Clearwater Beach with its sugary white sand. It’s easy to see why it was recently recognized as the best beach in the Southern U.S; although packed with beach- and water-based activities, it’s a well-maintained public space with pockets of quiet if you just want to lay out and relax.

Southwest of St. Petersburg, you’ll find Fort de Soto Park and its five interconnected islands. In its entirety, the park covers over 1,100 acres, making it the largest of its kind in the local park system. A seven-mile trail connects various parts of the park and also doubles as your main access point to Fort de Soto’s beaches.

In the Tampa Bay area, foodies will also find much to celebrate. The local culinary scene is a cornucopia of dining experiences, from cozy cafes and scenic waterfront eateries to Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants.

Lilac at the Tampa EDITION is one of Tampa’s three Michelin-starred restaurants; a love song to Mediterranean cuisine with Chef John Fraser at the helm. Mediterranean flavors are also at the heart of East Bistro in Clearwater, but this time the mood is homey and laidback. As for hearty surf-and-turf feasts in an elegant setting, locals love to go to Bascom’s Chop House. Down in North Redington Beach is The Conch Republic Grill, a Key West-inspired eatery that specializes in Caribbean cuisine and “super-fresh” seafood. You can enjoy the house specialties just as you like it with their Conch Platter. Guppy’s on the Beach also has a seafood-forward menu, made even better as the restaurant is located surfside.

If you’ve had your fill of the Tampa Bay area’s beaches, don’t fret. Rivers, forests, wetlands, and adventure parks with obstacle courses and guided tours are scattered throughout the region. You’ll never run out of outdoor activities when you live here.

Manatees are some of Tampa Bay’s most treasured friends. You can say hi to them at the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. It connects to the Great Florida Birding Trail, which also means various opportunities for bird watchers to spot local shorebirds.

For those who love to pedal, cycling paths ribbon throughout the Tampa Bay area. The five-mile Bayshore Boulevard Trail is one of the best spots for urban bicycling in Tampa. Not far is the Tampa RiverWalk, which connects several attractions along the Hillsborough River. Some of the bike paths in Tampa Bay pass through wilderness areas, such as the Flatwoods Park Trail and the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. Meanwhile, there’s some excellent mountain biking to be had at Alafia State Park in Lithia.

More outdoor recreation awaits in Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa. Open year-round, this vast state park is a local hotspot for hiking, camping, and horseback riding. River-based activities are also offered. Those with fishing licenses can try to reel in bream and bass. Thrill seekers, on the other hand, can try to brave Hillsborough River’s Class II rapids on kayak.

The Tampa Bay area’s urban centers are filled to the brim with an assortment of arts, culture, and entertainment options.

Essential museums to visit in the region include the Smithsonian-affiliated Tampa Bay History Center, the Glazer Children’s Museum in downtown Tampa, the Cracker Country Living History Museum within the Florida State Fairgrounds, and the Henry B. Plant Museum, which is an amazing repository of exhibits that detail life during Victorian-era Tampa.

Art is front and center in many places in the Tampa Bay area. The Imagine Museum is dedicated to contemporary glass art from around the world. More glass art can be found at St. Petersburg’s Chihuly Collection, which shines the spotlight on Dale Chihuly’s impressive body of work. St. Petersburg is also the home of the Salvador Dalí Museum– it’s a surrealist and impressionist wonderland. Meanwhile, the works of renowned photographers are showcased at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.

Various entertainment venues are also scattered throughout the Tampa Bay area. First and foremost is the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, where you can watch Broadway productions, concerts, the Opera Tampa, and the Tampa City Ballet. The historic Tampa Theatre, built in the 1920s, is the place to go for independent and documentary film screenings. Tampa’s Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park also turns into a massive outdoor entertainment venue every year for the annual Gasparilla Music Festival.