Bella Vista or Belle Vista? Why Beach Neighborhood Names Don’t Match County Records

Ask three people which neighborhood a beach house is in and you may hear three different names. Listing sites, locals and Pinellas County records do not always agree. When you buy or sell, the name that counts is the one in the legal description on the Property Appraiser record, because the title work, survey and permits are tied to it.

While building our neighborhood guides, we checked each area against Pinellas County parcel data. These are the names that most often get mixed up.

Belle Vista, often spelled Bella Vista

The St. Pete Beach neighborhood just north of the Pinellas Bayway is recorded as Belle Vista. Bella Vista is a common alternate spelling. County parcel data shows nine Belle Vista plats, including Belle Vista Beach and its additions, Belle Vista Shores and Belle Vista Point. Belle Vista was also one of the four towns that merged in 1957 to form St. Pete Beach. See our Belle Vista guide.

Don CeSar Place, recorded as Don Ce-Sar Place

The neighborhood around the Don CeSar hotel was another of those four towns. County records spell the plat Don Ce-Sar Place, with a hyphen. See the Don CeSar Place guide.

Capri Isle, Isle of Capri and Coney Island

In Treasure Island, county records spell the canal neighborhood on Capri Boulevard Capri Isle. Listings sometimes say Isle of Capri, both for Capri Isle and for homes in the neighboring Coney Island plat on Lagoon Lane and Sunshine Lane. In county records, Isle of Capri is only a small townhome complex on 126th Avenue. See Capri Isle and Coney Island.

Three Palms Point and Three Palms Pointe

Three Palms Point is a small St. Pete Beach canal neighborhood on 64th Avenue, Bay Street and First through Fourth Palm Point. Three Palms Pointe, with an e, is a separate condominium on 64th Avenue with 198 units and its own association rules. A condo there and a house on Second Palm Point are different purchases. See the Three Palms Point guide.

Bahia Shores and the Bahia Shores Condo

Bahia Shores is a St. Pete Beach canal neighborhood off 59th Avenue. The Bahia Shores Condo on Bahia del Mar Circle is a different property that county records place in St. Petersburg. See the Bahia Shores guide.

Mitchell’s Beach, recorded as Page’s Replat

Near John’s Pass in Madeira Beach, county records show two plats named Page’s Replat of Mitchell’s Beach. Listing sites sometimes shorten the name to Pages or Mitchell’s Beach. See the Mitchell’s Beach guide.

Lone Palm Beach: one name, two towns

Lone Palm Beach keeps one name but crosses a town line. County municipal boundary data puts most of it in the Town of Redington Beach and the south end in the City of Madeira Beach. Read what that changes for buyers and sellers, or see the Lone Palm Beach guide.

Why the recorded name matters

• Title and survey. The legal description, with the recorded plat, block and lot, is what the title commitment and the survey describe.
• Permits and flood rules. The city or town the parcel sits in issues permits and applies its own substantial damage rules.
• Comparable sales. If sales are pulled under one name only, homes listed under another name can be missed. When we prepare a valuation, we search the recorded plat and the common names.
• Condo or house. A similar name can belong to a condominium with its own budget, reserves and rental rules.

How to check a property

Search the address on the Pinellas County Property Appraiser site. The record shows the legal description, including the recorded subdivision, and the tax district for the city or town. If anything differs from the listing, ask before you write an offer.

Questions about a specific address? Call or text (727) 955-1222 or send us a message. Thinking of selling? Request a free written valuation.