FYI: I am aboard the Sea Gypsy again, interviewing manufactured home residents some days, being deckhand and cook on my friend’s trawler on others. But I admire the beauty of the Intracoastal Waterway every day.
Here on the Gulf coast, the ICW is lined with houses, docks and canals. Houses may not be the correct word. Many are more like small palaces and it is probably safe to say there are more Tuscan villas here than in all of Tuscany. But that’s another story
Regards,
Ted
http://assetbuilder.com/scott_burns/you_too_can_live_near_water
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Here's the "rub" on some of those near-water costal areas - and there are several within a half hour's drive of Tampa. Driving through them you'll encounter magnificent million dollar+ homes bunched neatly together along tree shaded streets and fronting the expansive waters of the Gulf or just across the street from it. Beautifully manicured lawns, and some nice community parks and open areas too.
But drive half-mile or less from these pristine costal areas and you'll encounter some of the most dismally dilapidated homes and forlorne looking inhabitants wandering about one can imagine. "A wino on every corner" isn't a stretch. These are not areas you'd want to be caught in after dark. And it must be uncomfortable for the well-to-do who live in such close proximity. Gates, bars on windows, dogs and guns can only do so much.
No answers. Afraid I'm better at posing questions than at answering them.