Don CeSar Place, St. Pete Beach: Neighborhood Guide

Updated October 2026.

Don CeSar Place is the neighborhood around the Don CeSar hotel, between the main part of St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille. It was a town of its own until 1957, and today it mixes single-family homes, townhomes and condos within a short walk of the beach and the Pinellas Bayway.

We are John and Nicole Kavaliauskas, licensed Florida Realtors with LoKation Real Estate. Here is what public sources and listing records show about Don CeSar Place, and what to confirm before you buy.

Where Don CeSar Place is

St. Pete Beach was consolidated from Pass-a-Grille, Don CeSar Place, Belle Vista and St. Petersburg Beach in a 1957 referendum. Local agent pages place the neighborhood at the north end of Pass-a-Grille around the hotel; Barkett Realty’s neighborhood overview describes the Don CeSar and Maritana area as running roughly between 32nd and 37th Avenues, with easy access to the Pinellas Bayway.

The hotel itself, at 3400 Gulf Boulevard, was built by Thomas Rowe and opened in 1928, according to the Don CeSar. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and reopened in March 2025 after months of closure following Hurricanes Helene and Milton (Wikipedia).

Homes and layout

Beach2Bay Homes’ Don CeSar neighborhood page describes two blocks, Block M and Block N, running parallel to the Gulf, more than 200 residences, and an original plan for mainly Spanish style homes. Today the area includes single-family homes, condos and townhomes from different eras. The same page notes a boat ramp behind the hotel near West Maritana Drive.

Pinellas County parcel data records the plat as Don Ce-Sar Place, with 242 parcels: 191 coded as single-family homes, 24 as duplexes or other small multifamily buildings, and 16 vacant. Streets include East, West and South Maritana Drive, East, West and South De Bazan Avenue, Casablanca Avenue, El Centro Street, Alhambra Street and Gulf Boulevard. Condos nearby are recorded under their own names.

Gulf-front homes face the most storm exposure. Ask how each building is built and elevated, and get insurance quotes early.

Flood zones, elevation and the 2024 storms

Most homes on St. Pete Beach sit in FEMA high-risk flood zones (AE or VE), so flood insurance is required for a federally backed mortgage and the elevation of the house drives both the premium and what you can do to it later. Hurricane Helene pushed a major surge into Pinellas County in September 2024; the National Hurricane Center Helene report lists water levels of 7.26 feet above mean higher high water at Madeira Beach and a record at the St. Petersburg tide gauge. Hurricane Milton followed two weeks later.

For any Don CeSar Place address, look up the zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, check for an elevation certificate on the Pinellas County elevation certificate map, and ask whether the city made a substantial damage determination after 2024. Our St. Pete Beach flood zone and insurance guide and FEMA 50% rule guide explain what those answers mean.

Rental rules

According to the Pinellas Realtor Organization summary of local rental rules, St. Pete Beach allows stays under 30 days only in the RM zoning district and the Pass-a-Grille overlay, and no more than three times in 12 months. Rentals of 30 days or longer are allowed in any district. Condos and townhome associations can set their own minimums. Check the zoning of the specific lot with the city before you count on rental income, and see our short-term rental rules by city.

Before you buy in Don CeSar Place

• Confirm the subdivision and lot on the Pinellas County Property Appraiser record
• Get the flood zone, elevation certificate and current flood policy; Gulf-front lots may be in a VE zone
• Ask for permits, invoices and any substantial damage letter for work since 2024
• For a condo or townhome, read the budget, reserves, SIRS and milestone reports (see our condo inspections and reserves guide)
• Get flood and wind insurance quotes early in the inspection period
• Check the zoning if rental income matters to you

Next step

Thinking of selling? See what your Don CeSar Place home is worth. Buying? Call or text (727) 955-1222 or send us a message.

More St. Pete Beach neighborhoods: Belle Vista, Vina del Mar, Boca Ciega Isle, Bahia Shores, Three Palms Point. See the full St. Pete Beach guide and Pass-a-Grille guide.

This page provides general information only and is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Neighborhood boundaries in listing records are informal. Flood rules, substantial damage determinations, permitting, zoning and rental regulations change and apply differently to each property. Verify details with the City of St. Pete Beach, Pinellas County, FEMA, your insurer, lender or a licensed attorney before making decisions. John and Nicole are licensed Florida Realtors with LoKation Real Estate.