The beautiful thing about living in Tampa Bay Real Estate is that it is not quite a concrete jungle. Beyond the city streets and high rises, we are lucky enough to have the sunny, sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast. From St. Pete's Beach to Johns Pass and northward to Indian Rocks Beach - Tampa Bay boasts a pretty extensive sun and fun landscape.

Our beaches are unlike any other. They are more than just sand and ocean. A typical beach can feature everything from a campground to something as extravagant as an archaeological site. With too many to cover in one sitting, Team Chais would like to present you with…

The Featured Beach of the Week: St. Pete's Beach

Report by the American Medical Convention in 1885:
"Where should a healthy city be built? Overlooking the deep Gulf of Mexico, with the broad waters of a beautiful bay nearly surrounding it, but with little upon its soil but primal forest, there is a large sub peninsular, Point Pinellas, waiting the hand of improvement. It lies in latitude 27 degrees and 42 minutes, and contains, with its adjoining keys about 160,000 acres of land. No marsh surrounds its shores or rests upon its surface; the sweep of its beach is broad and graceful, stretching many miles, and may be improved to an imposing extent. Its average winter temperature is 72 degrees. Those who have carefully surveyed the entire state think it offers the best climate in Florida."

Nicknamed the Sunshine City, St. Petersburg is more than just a beach, it's an entire city. Just as this report says, this beach stretches many miles and may be improved to an imposing extent. St. Petersburg is vast and, year after year, continues to make improvements to its beaches and its community. Within the boundaries of this Sunshine City, there are five beaches.

Fort De Soto Beach
The first beach is one of the best around - not just in Florida, but in the entire United States according to numerous rankings and awards. The beach boasts a year-round county campground, miles of nature trails, paved fitness trails, canoe trails, and 800 foot boat launch with floating docks, fishing piers, picnic pavilions, a concession stand and shower facilities.

St. Petersburg Municipal Beach
11260 Gulf Blvd. Treasure Island
On the border of Gulf of Mexico sits the 500 feet of St. Peteresburg's sandy white shores. This beach features full shower and changing facilities, snack bar, beach volleyball courts and a beach wheelchair for the handicapped. Its biggest accomplishment is its cleanliness, recently proven by winning a Blue Wave Beach Award from the Clean Beaches Council.

Maximo Beach and Park
34th Street and Pinellas Point Drive
This beach has recently become the place to be with its newest venture - the "Tocobaga Disc Golf Course." A championship 18 hole course for Frisbee that winds through 47 wooded acres. It also touts three boat ramps, a nature boardwalk, two beach-side playgrounds, bike and nature trails, a 70 acre archaeological site, and a 10 foot observation tower which offers the perfect panoramic view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Gulf of Mexico and Boca Ciega Bay.

Downtown St. Petersburg's Spa and North Shore Beaches
2nd Avenue NE and Tampa Bay
A common place for tourists, this area offers two public beaches where visitors can rent paddleboats, jet skis and other watercrafts, as well as enjoy a playground, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, a palm arboretum, and plenty of parking. It is also the setting of big events such as the St. Anthony's Triathalon.

Egmont Key
If you're looking for the perfect place to take a long midnight stroll, this is it. This island features an 87 foot lighthouse, 440-acre wildlife refuge, and miles of beach offering the perfect view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

So as you can see, life in Tampa Bay really is a beach! It is part of our culture to spend a Saturday lounging the sand, running the length of the beach, or taking advantage of the amenities of the beach for a day of amusement with the kids. If you are thinking about Tampa Bay Real Estate, please don't hesitate to contact Team Chais. Living on the beach is not as far-fetched as you think.

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Join an All-Encompassing Volunteer Group with Handson Tampa Bay
Brought to you by the United Way of Tampa Bay, HandsOn is Tampa Bay's premier volunteering and community service platform. Its structure is ideal, uniting volunteers together in a fun and flexible environment, allowing you to choose from various volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

There is no better way to get to know your community than by volunteering. It makes a relatively large place like Tampa Bay seem much smaller when you are working within your community. If you are looking to move to Tampa Bay, Team Chais is a great resource for Tampa Bay Real Estate or simply advice about this great city.

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. This particular event is definitely one of those….

The Museum of Science and Industry Presents - CSI: The Experience

For every die hard CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Fan out there who has ever wanted to play detective, this is your chance. The exhibit allows visitors to play the role of the crime scene investigator, learn the scientific principles and investigative techniques, and actually solve one of three crime scene mysteries.

DNA, latent prints, forensic anthropology, toxicology - this is the stuff that Forensic dreams are made of. This hands-on exhibit comes complete with special effects direct from the TV series.

The exhibit will be available from June 19th to September 6th, from 9 am - 6 pm. The Museum of Science and Industry (The MOSI), located at 4801 E. Fowler Ave in Tampa, boasts more than 400 exhibits, the nation's largest science center, an IMAX theatre, a planetarium, a 3-D theater and a butterfly garden. Once again, the MOSI is typical Tampa Bay. It has everything that you could possibly want, in one place, that you couldn't get anywhere else.

If you love the sounds of having fantastic places like the MOSI right in your backyard, maybe its time you look into Tampa Bay Real Estate. We would be happy to point you in the right direction. After all, we know and love Tampa Bay and are happy to help anybody else find a home here too.

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The participating restaurants will offer a $25, $30, or $35 prix fixe 3 course menu featuring an appetizer, entree and dessert per person. Tampa Bay's restaurants run the gamut - from local charming bistros to Asian fusion hot spots, tapas to sushi, gourmet to the local beachside gem, from Spanish, French, and Italian, to every ethnic cuisine in between.

Here is the full list of participating Tampa Bay restaurants:

• 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House
• Avanzare
• Bella's Italian Cafe
• Blue Water Grill
• Boizao Steakhouse
• Brio Tuscan Grille
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
• Café Dufrain
• Capital Grille, The
• CineBistro @ Hyde Park Village
• Columbia Cafe at the Tampa Bay History Center Channelside
• Columbia Restaurant - Clearwater Beach
• Columbia Restaurant - St. Petersburg
• Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City
• Dempsey's Steak House
• Donatello, Inc.
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
• Gallagher's Steak House
• Grape at International Plaza, The
• GrillSmith- Tampa
• GrillSmith- Lakeland
• GrillSmith- Clearwater
• GrillSmith- Brandon
• Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge, The
• Hula Bay Club
• Jackson's Bistro, Bar & Sushi
• Kona Grill
• Marchand's Bar and Grill - Located at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort
• Melting Pot of Oldsmar, The
• Melting Pot of St. Petersburg, The
• Melting Pot of Tampa, The
• Mise en Place
• Mitchell's Fish Market
• NoHo Bistro and Catering, The
• Ocean Prime
• Oystercatchers
• Palm Restaurant: Tampa
• Parkshore Grill
• Pelagia Trattoria
• Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant
• Ruth's Chris Steak House
• Seasons 52
• Shor American Seafood Grill at Hyatt Clearwater Beach Resort
• Shula's Steak House
• SideBern's
• Spain Restaurant/Toma Bar
• StarLite Majesty Dining Yacht
• Tinatapas
• Urban Culinary Cuisine Cafe
• Yacht StarShip

As you can see, living in Tampa Bay puts you at the center of every possible amenity that you need. Its restaurants are a perfect example of this. Choose an area of the country, choose a type of venue ranging from luxury to local hole-in-the-wall, and choose from a large chain to a local gem. This is the beauty of Tampa Bay. If you are thinking about Tampa Bay Real Estate, please don't hesitate to contact Team Chais. We would love to show you around.

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Tampa Bay Florida is up for a pretty exciting opportunity...

To host the 2022 FIFA World Cup!!!!!



That's right, Tampa Bay is one of the 18 finalists to be the host of one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Tampa Bay Real Estate has everything going for it and we can't think of a better candidate to host the world class soccer championship. What makes Tampa Bay a front runner in this race?

• Highly populated metropolitan region - Check!
  

Tampa Bay is the second most populated city in Florida and the 19th largest metropolitan area in the US.

• Home to a World Class Airport - Check!

The Tampa International Airport is one of the best - backed by both Conde Nast Traveler (who rated it as the third best airport in the world) and IATA Skytrax (who named in the number two airport in North America). It accommodates over 17 million passengers each year, with an estimated 25 million expected by 2020.

• Plentiful sunshine - Check!
• Amazing hotels and conference centers - Check!
• A huge variety of restaurants - Check!
  

Whether you are soccer fan or not, you probably understand the breadth of hosting an event like the World Cup. This international soccer competition hosts 32 teams from the Federation Intertionale de Football Association (FIFA). In the same manner of another grand event (the Olympics), the tournament is only held every four years.

Team Chais encourages you to go to the World Cup page of the Visit Tampa Bay website and sign the petition to show your support for Tampa Bay Florida! The decision will be made December 2nd.

The FIFA World Cup will bring innumerable benefits to Tampa Bay Real Estate including creating new jobs and providing hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development. Over 16 billion dollars in sponsorship dollars would go straight to the economy of the local Tampa Bay communities.

Moving to a Tampa Bay home offers all of the aforementioned benefits and more. Full of energy and excitement, sun and fun, and great neighborhoods - all the elements that make up your Tampa Bay dream home. Give us a call when you're to make the move.

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Tampa Bay home. So when it's your turn to be the guest, keep in mind these tips to make it as easy on the host as possible to pull off the perfect holiday celebration...

7 Tips to Holiday Party Etiquette

1) Surprise Gift
It's always a nice surprise to bring the host something little to show them your appreciation for throwing a fantastic shin dig.

1) The Dreaded Double Dip
No matter how sneaky you are about it, double dipping is not acceptable. Not only does it turn people off, but it is also unhealthy. The correct move is to spoon some sauce onto your own plate, allowing you to dunk all you want.

2) Removing Shoes
If the host asks you to remove your shoes, you should oblige. If it makes you uncomfortable to traipse around barefoot, bring an extra pair of your own shoes. A good hostess, however, should be flexible, or at least provide you with slippers.

3) To Sip or to Stir?
That little plastic straw served with your cocktail was originally intended as a stirrer - not a straw. If you're in a bar, you can probably pull it off and use it as a straw. But if if the drink is served in fine crystal, it should be kept to its original intention.

4) Whoops! I spilled!
Don't try to cover it up! It will only make you feel worse in the long run. If you spill, tell your host right away, apologize profusely, and offer to help clean it up. If it needs professional work, offer to pay for the service to do it. If the host doesn't accept, mail them a check with a note expressing your apologies.

5) Pass the Potatoes
For a family-style dinner, the proper way of serving requires the host to serve the meat and the side dishes passed to the right (counterclockwise), with each guest helping themselves.

6) Help - Only if Wanted
Ask the host if they want help with anything - setting the table, cleaning up, etc. But if they decline, don't insist. It might just stress them out more to find something for you to do.

7) Send Thanks!
It may seem like a little much, especially if Grandma was the host, but a nice thank you card goes a long way. Imagine what a nice surprise it will be for the host to receive a card in the mail, long after the last guests leaves, thanking them for all their efforts.

At the end of the night - even after all of the stress and anticipation - entertaining in your Tampa Bay Home, surrounded by your friends and family, is one of the thrills of owning a home. It's such a wonderful feeling to have a place to bring everybody together, filling the air with laughter and delicious smells. With every party comes a new memory, a new story, and a new tribute to your home. If you're interested in Tampa Bay Real Estate, we would love to help you find your dream home.

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RedefiningRefuge.org.


Ride 2 Recovery Florida Challenge
Date: Monday November 15th-Sunday November 21st

United Healthcare is sponsoring the Florida Challenge, an event promoting the health and recovery of America’s wounded veterans who utilize cycling in their recovery treatments. Riding from Tampa Bay to Jacksonville, participants will see some of the best of Florida’s unique and beautiful landscape including the gulf coast, swamps, and horse country. A $75 registration fee includes hotel housing, rest stops, snacks, meals, and more. All injured veterans can participate free of charge. Visit Ride2Recovery.com to learn more.


Ameriprise Financial "HungeRun" 5K Run/Walk
Date: Sunday November 21, 2010
Time: 8:30 AM
Place: Al Lopez Park, 4810 N. Himes Avenue

At this event, one hundred percent of your $25 registration fee will go towards providing 50,000 meals for the hungry this holiday season. Participants are urged to bring a nonperishable food item while enjoying live music from Shaun Hopper and appearances by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders. With goodie bags, raffles, and family fun, this event is sure to be a good time. Register online at FeedingAmericaTampaBay.org.

As you can see, the city of Tampa Bay is a place where people can come together for the good of both themselves and others. If you are looking to become a part of the Tampa Bay community, be sure contact us – we would love to welcome you!

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11/30/2011

Team Chais would like to remind you that November is the official month for Alzheimer's Awareness. We could not agree more that setting an official time of year to raise awareness is one of the best ways to make strides towards finding a cure for this widespread disease that continues to affect our parents, grandparents and friends.

It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (source: www.alz.org). That number is doubled, if not tripled if you think of the number of people who are affected by this debilitating disease - the friends, family, healthcare and social workers, advocates, and volunteers.

So this November, Tampa Bay is standing up and taking a walk to raise awareness with the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk and you're invited!

Place: Lowry Park Bandshell, 7530 N. Boulevard, Tampa, Florida
Date: Saturday, November 6th 2010
Time: 8 am (Pre-walk activities); 9 am (Walk step off)
Length: 2 Miles

Team Chais is participating and we would love to see you there! This is such a great cause and such a successful event. Since its inception in 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $300 million for the cause. The money goes towards Alzheimer's Association support and research. The mission of the Association is to provide care and support to those affected, reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health, and ultimately eliminate Alzheimer's disease through research advancement.

Team Chais welcomes your donations and your words of encouragement. Go to the Team Chais Facebook Page to check out the Team Chais Memory Walk Event. Or visit the Team Chais Donation page to make a contribution to the cause. We are always happy to get more involved in the Tampa Bay community and encourage new and old residents to do the same. If we can use this blog as a platform to make one more person aware of this disease and feel that they need to do something about it, then we have done our job.

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Unfortunately, with all of the good, also comes some bad. There are always precautions we should be aware of when it comes to Trick or Treating.

7 Tips to Tampa Bay Trick or Treating Safety

At Least One Adult: Children should always go trick or treating with a responsible adult. One large group of kids does not equal one responsible adult. Have at least one parent along for the ride, even if that means walking 10 feet behind them as to not embarrass them.

Stick to the Neighborhoods: Many Tampa Bay Neighborhoods have a town curfew. Make sure to stick to the curfew times and stick to the subdivisions and neighborhoods with lots of homes - not only does it make for the safest scenario, but it also allows the maximum amount of candy in a short amount of time!

Go Towards the Light: Tell your kids the importance of staying out of back allies and fields. For a reference, tell them to always stay towards the well-lit areas. As a courtesy to your neighbors, Tampa Bay Homeowners should turn on exterior lights to provide as much light as possible for the kids.

Look Before You Eat: Make sure your kids know not to open and eat any candy before bringing it home to be inspected first. Be wary of anything that is not factory-wrapped or no longer sealed. The easiest way to keep them from picking at their stash is to make sure they get a full meal in them before they go out.

Stranger Danger: They've heard it before and they'll have to hear it again. Instruct your child never to go into the home a of a stranger or into their car. No exceptions. Even if they roll their eyes at you as you tell them this for the 100th time, one more time is not going to hurt.

Stand Out: Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick, or wears some sort of reflective tape on their costume. When it's dark outside, it's very easy for a car to miss a small child dressed in a dark costume.

Check In: The beauty of having cell phones these days is that we can keep tabs on our kids a lot better. Make it a rule that they check in with you every hour, or that you check in with them.

For a few more tips from Tampa Bay Online, check out this news story on Trick or Treating safety.

We feel pretty fortunate to live in a Tampa Bay neighborhood where we feel comfortable with our neighbors and safe in our community. When it comes to our kids, however, we always have to err on the side of caution. If you have any questions about any of the Tampa Bay areas, or you need some advice on which Tampa Bay Homes provide the safest areas - and will give you the best candy - give us a call.

Here is wishing all of you a very safe, fun and memory-filled Tampa Bay Halloween!

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Fortunately, living in Tampa Bay Florida means having access to a lot of performance venues and events to get you laughing. In this case, Tampa Bay's comedy clubs is what we'd like to focus on.

The Tampa Improv Comedy Theater
1600 E 8th Avenue, Suite C112
Tampa, Florida 33605
A great trip for a few friends, big groups, or even date night. Get your laughter on with "Florida's Funniest Females" on October 20th, D.L Hughley on November 5-7th, or Glenn Miller's Comedy Hypnosis Show on November 24th.

Cocunuts Comedy Club in Tampa Bay
tampabaycomedy.com
These are Florida's longest running comedy clubs in Tampa Bay Florida. With three locations around Tampa Bay, they are able to feature nationally touring comic headliners that you will most likely recognize from TV.

Side Splitters Comedy Clubs
12938 North Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
This Tampa venue hosts shows Wednesday through Thursday. They have a full menu, group events available, and you can even rent out the entire club for a big party.

If you are in need of any help selling your Tampa Bay Florida home, or if you have an interest in learning more about Tampa Bay short sales, Team Chais would love to help. We are experienced in many fields of Tampa Bay real estate and we strive to make your experience on the Tampa Bay Real Estate market as pleasant as possible. Ideally we'll end our journey with a new home or a home sold, and a lot of laughs along the way.

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298 Westshore Blvd, West Shore Plaza, Tampa, FL, 33630

This event goes right in line with the cause. Macy’s and Wacoal host this free bra fitting event, in which Wacoal will make a $2 donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, for every single fitting made. Wacoal will also provide an additional $2 donation for
each bra purchased at the event.


Breast Cancer Awareness at Hard Rock Tampa
When: Entire Month of October
Where: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa, 5223 N. Orient Road, Tampa, FL 33610
Hard Rock Tampa will raise funds and public awareness by donating 25% of the proceeds from its "Pink Sheets" guest room bookings, 75% of the profits from its Pinktober Hard Rock pins, and 15% of the sales from all Pinktober items.


Pink and Blue for Two
When: October 27
Where: Desert Grill, Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, FL
The goal of this event is to raise awareness and funds for both breast and prostate cancer research. Hosted by Olivia Newton-John and Moffitt Cancer Center founder, H. Lee Moffitt, the event will include a performance by Newton-John herself, along with No.1 Billboard-charting Contemporary Jazz artist and Tampa native Eric Darius.

We are proud to live in a town that recognizes the importance of volunteer and charity work. While Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a great way to promote a very important cause, it doesn't take a designated month for the community of Tampa Bay to volunteer. When you Live in Tampa Bay Real Estate, you get to be at the center of a lot of resources - medical centers, research facilities, large organizations, and huge event centers. If making a big impact on the world is important to you, then you need to be in a place that provides the means to make a difference. If you would like to look at some Tampa Bay Homes, we would love to be your guide. Give us a call. Anytime.

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Tampa Bay Real Estate not only offers fantastic restaurants, it also has a great variety of Food Stores that carry organic foods and gluten-free foods.

Team Chais knows the importance of having gluten-free food within reach of your Tampa Bay home. As someone diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Stacey Chais has personal experience with the matter. So in honor of Celiac Disease awareness month, Team Chais would like to present Tampa Bay residents with a list of the wide variety of organic and gluten-free stores in Tampa Bay Florida.

Chuck's Natural Food Marketplace
?11301 North 56th Street, Tampa, Florida? ?(813) 980-2005?
chucksnaturalmarketplace.com

Whole Foods Market - Tampa
?1548 North Dale Mabry Highway.?
?Tampa, FL 33607?
?(813) 874-9435?
?wholefoodsmarket.com??

Publix GreenWise Market
?2403 W Azeele St, ?
?Tampa, FL 33609-3317?
?(813) 250-0129 ??
publix.com

Nutrition S'Mart
?14847 N Dale Mabry Hwy?
?Tampa, FL 33618?
?(813) 908-9500?
nutritionsmart.com

Rollin' Oats Market and Cafe
?1021 N MacDill Avenue?
?Tampa, FL 33607?
?(813) 873-7428?
?rollinoats.com??

Village Health Market
?3225 South MacDill Avenue?
?Tampa, FL 33629?
?(813) 831-6065?
?villagehealthmarket.com??



Tampa Bay is even receptive to your pets' food sensitivities! Here are a few popular natural pet food stores in Tampa Bay, Florida area.



Wag Natural Pet Boutique
?304 E Davis Blvd?
?Tampa, FL 33606?
?(813) 258-9181?
wagoftampa.com

Groovy Cats and Dogs Inc
?10213-B Lake Carroll Way?
?Tampa, FL 33618?
?(813) 265-1333?
groovycatsndogs.com

Q-Prise Pet Products
?4603 W Price Av?
?Tampa, FL 33611?
?(813) 837-6139?

We are a source of knowledge when it comes to Tampa Bay Real Estate. Whether you are looking for advice on the best restaurants to go to, the best schools to send your kids to, or the best way to search for Tampa Bay Homes, please don't hesitate to give us a call. We're here to help!

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