St Pete Beach, Longboat Key etc?

[sparty04]

Anyone been to either of these cities and have a preference? Or a different rec altogether (looking to fly into Tampa). We are looking for somewhere not super crowded near the beach but also maybe some nearby kid friendly activities since we'll be traveling with our 2 year old

[alleinesein]

I've been to Long Boat Key. The beaches are quiet and the water is fairly calm; you just have to remember to shuffle your feet in the sand because they do have rays. There is a small aquarium in the area- Mote Marine Lab. Its not fancy but it is kid friendly.

sarasotamagazine.com/blog/2014/01/03/26-great-things-kids-sarasota/

[Deleted]

We did four days in longboat key and loved it. It was so great with kids. We stayed at an older condo property and it was great to walk out our back door, across a small patch of grass and be at the beach.

[Cicero]

St. Pete beach has a completely different feel from Longboat. St. Pete has a lot more buildup and a lot more people, while LBK is pretty low density. I have a preference between the two but it really depends on what kind of beach trip you're looking for.

ETA: I prefer LBK but in the interest of full disclosure that is where I grew up vacationing. Mote Marine is great for kids.

[Redpoppy]

I grew up in St. Pete Beach. Pass-a-Grille is the quieter end but there aren't hotels on the beach, they are all across the street. The busier area has beachfront hotels. Great Explorations is a fun children's museum in St. Petersburg and there is another in Tampa. Lowry Park Zoo ranks high in best zoos for families. It is easy to get to from the highway too.

[daphne]

My mother used to live in Longboat Key and we would visit often. The beaches are pretty good and generally, although the residents are on the older side, its a decently kid friendly place. As others have said, the Mote is awesome for kids. Sarasota also has a good science museum for kids as well as the Ringling museum. What I love about that area is the significant number of really good restaurants. Great when grandmother is babysitting!