Hyde Park and Bayshore Blvd.

I wanted to share a few more scenes of Hyde Park and Bayshore Blvd. from the recent kitchen tour.

This house is right on Bayshore Blvd. I love the beautiful windows.

A corner view of the same house.

Nearby is this very stately Georgian mansion.

Its symmetry and classical columns lend a formal feel.

A two-story mediterranean. The houses along Bayshore tend to be more grand than those on the side streets.

This home is about a block off of Bayshore, and typical for the area – smaller bungalows on small lots, but loaded with charm.

I love the exterior color palette that the owner (the charming Laurie) chose for her home - pale khaki walls with white and french blue-gray trim. And the purples and pinks of the flowers in the planters add more softness. The generous proportions of the porch give a wide-open and welcoming feel as you approach. This house is so graceful, yet not at all pretentious, and is one of my favorites. Notice those beautiful french doors to the left of the entry.

My friend, Rebecca, (take a look at her wonderful photography over at Boxphotos) on Bayshore Blvd. (Happy birthday, Becky!) Running right by the road, in the background along the balustrade, is the world's longest continuous sidewalk – about four and a half miles. Joggers, bikers and skaters love the route, with sky and water (the real and only Tampa Bay) on one side and grand historic homes on the other. Bayshore Blvd. starts near downtown Tampa, and extends south towards MacDill Air Force Base (this view is south). The annual Gasparilla pirate invasion and parade happens right here too. You won't find me in the area when that happens on Feb. 7 - I'll be at home, away from the crowds. The scene will be much different then from what you see above! Can you picture throngs of parade-goers, drunken pirates and ships firing off cannons?

All photos by Topsy Turvy. Please click on any image to enlarge.
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