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CNNMoney.com: Retirees just l-o-v-e Dunedin

By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
In print: Wednesday, September 10, 2008

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ADVERTISEMENT [JOSEPH GARNETT JR. | Times] Kite boarding and fishing are among the things beachgoers and residents of Dunedin can enjoy. CNNMoney.com has named Dunedin as one of “6 terrific towns on the water’’ to retire. Among the pros: less crowded and expensive than similar towns on the East Coast. The con: hurricanes.

Dunedin has hit the big time.

The city was featured on CNNMoney.com on Tuesday as one of the six best waterfront communities for retirees hoping to stretch their budgets.

"We couldn't be happier. I always tell people that Dunedin is a really cool place, and people are starting to figure it out," said Mayor Bob Hackworth.

Dunedin was selected for being "less crowded and less expensive than many towns on the Atlantic (Ocean) side of the state."

The article, which also will be featured in a forthcoming edition of Money magazine, touts the accessibility of the Pinellas Trail and Caladesi and Honeymoon islands.

It's the second time this year the city of 38,000 residents has been recognized by national media.

In May, Caladesi, a barrier island off Dunedin's coastline, was named America's best beach by Stephen P. Leatherman, director of the Florida International University Laboratory for Coastal Research.

Lynn Wargo, president of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, said the city's unobstructed waterfront and natural barrier islands offer a modern-day version of the "old Florida" dream.

"It's that feel of being on a secluded getaway right in your back yard," she said.

The Money article lists just one negative for Dunedin: the possibility of hurricanes.

Despite a major hurricane poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico today, Wargo said her staff was fielding calls Tuesday from people across the country who read the article and were asking for information on relocating.

"Our staff is a little tired out there today," she quipped.

The other five waterfront communities highlighted are Beaufort, S.C.; Sequim, Wash.; Durango, Colo.; St. Joseph, Mich.; and Marble Falls, Texas.

Rita Farlow can be reached at farlow@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4162.