Belle Harbor 402W

At 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, the gate keeper was irate, persistent, and rude even though I had permission to enter the property. I asked him to wait less than two minutes while I got the confirmation I needed, and he used vulgar language. A very ugly first impression of the property.

I've lived here for 10 years. It's a good place, though the club house and some other areas are a little outdated. Everything else is good.

I came from Wyoming and spent a few days helping out at Belle Harbor residential location Aaron in the Clearwater Beach area. It's right off the main Mandalay roadway on the barrier island, and I was impressed by where it's situated. There are nice restaurants a short drive away, along with places at more budget-friendly prices. You can also walk to lots of shops on either side of the main road, plus more along a road behind it on the east side. Some parking garages have businesses built into what would normally be the first parking level, with parking starting on level 2. This residential area has a lot of promise. Like other Barrier Islands, the area is getting back on track after two nasty hurricanes back-to-back. I've seen people in Florida pull together like magnets after storms, and things return to some sense of normalcy super fast, really super fast. Once cleanup is approved, debris gets hauled away quickly. On one drive to work I saw what looked like a group of young brothers and sisters pulling wagons along roads and sidewalks, picking up debris without adults telling them what to do. One wagon seemed to say, “we care how about you?” I found that uplifting and profound.

My family lives here and loves it. The complex is amazing, always clean, monitored, and secure, and there's a backup generator for storm season if needed. The views are beautiful from almost every condo. It is pricey, but if you can afford it, it's worth it.