Six Months in the Harbor

Six Months in the Harbor

Melissa J. Dallago

           David and I have lived in Safety Harbor for six months.  We moved here in February, and have no intention of leaving. 

            David has always been fond of Safety Harbor.  He found his way here on the weekends.  He would spend afternoons eating barbeque from Brady’s down at the marina watching the boats coming and going.  It was peaceful here, and he enjoyed the quaint, Old Florida feel of Main Street.  Ultimately, it was his love of the Harbor that led us here.

            I, myself, traveled through the area on several occasions, and while I appreciated the town, I was too much of a St. Pete girl to take notice.  Plus, David wasn’t in my life at that time, so I guess, my coming home to the Harbor would wait until we found our way to each other.

            When David and I decided to live together we considered a few areas as potential places to live namely St. Petersburg, Dunedin and Gulfport.  Yet, the thought of Safety Harbor didn’t come to mind until one day at breakfast I reminded him how much he had loved it here.  His face immediately lit up, and the next thing I knew we were in the car and looking at houses.  It was as if destiny had intervened because we found our new home that very day.  The house had all of the amenities we were looking for, a garage, double sinks, and, most importantly, it was within walking distance to downtown.  To top it all off, David even found his new pub, Nolan’s, that day when we stopped to have a stout ale and Craig’s wonderful sangria. 

            From the moment we moved here we fell deeply in love with Safety Harbor.  The gorgeous oak trees strung with Spanish moss.  The eclectic, well-loved houses blending in together.  The beautiful gardens and intriguing art sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods.  The Spa perched serenely on the edge of Tampa Bay.  Biking through Philippe Park and along the pedestrian paths nestled amongst the mangroves.  Watching birds soar over the water by the marina.  The sun’s rays cresting over the horizon at sunrise casting a pinkish hue over the boat docks and paths.  There is so much beauty in Safety Harbor; all of it unique and special to this area.

            David and I frequent the many restaurants in the area, and we always enjoy trying to decide where we would like to eat.  I am a daily visitor to the library as I am a voracious reader who just can’t get enough.  We always go downtown on Fridays for a drink and to stroll under the white lighted palm trees.  We also take our Saturday walk to the new fruit stand to say hello to Bill.  We have frequented Main Street Jewelry and admired Shawn’s skill in creating beautiful pieces of art.  We always go to Third Fridays to enjoy the music and see the vendors’ wares.  Mostly though, David and I enjoy strolling through our town and looking for a place where we can buy our first house.

            Safety Harbor is truly the brilliantly shining jewel of Tampa Bay.  It has a small town feel in the middle of three raging cities.  Yet, it is the people that make Safety Harbor so special for us.  They are always quick to smile and stop for a chat, and tell us what they love best about this place.  Friendly, quiet, serene and beautiful are words that describe the essence of Safety Harbor.  We are proud to call this place our home.  Like the Baranoff Oak Tree standing solidly outside of the library, we have laid down roots in a town that truly is a safe harbor.