Stuart By Bike

I have been doing a lot of biking down here in Stuart, Florida lately. It is a really compact city, very bike friendly, and wherever you go, there is water. And it is all about the water here. The St. Lucie and Indian Rivers crisscross the area, and along the ocean, the beaches are free of high-rises and have lots of public access. Plus, there are boardwalks along the St. Lucie River in the downtown area of Stuart that take full advantage of the riverfront, such as the one in Shepard Park, as seen in the photograph on the left. And being a 10- or 15-minute bike ride from downtown, I definitely make sure I visit those boardwalks often.

And virtually everywhere you go, there are boats of all kinds, moored in the river, docked in marinas like Sunset Bay Marina, as seen in the photograph on the right, or even berthed at private docks behind people's houses. Being on a bike makes it easy to stop wherever you want and admire the view. The other day at Sunset Bay I walked past slips where huge yachts were moored, as well as more modest vessels, too, such a well-worn houseboat that made me think of Travis McGee and the Busted Flush.

Stuart was first settled in the late 19th century and incorporated as a town in 1914, and there are still a lot of homes from that era located along the water near the downtown area. Many of them are still homes, while some have been turned into B&Bs or small businesses. And behind those houses there is always a view of the water. No wonder USA Today named Stuart the best coastal small town in America.

I took the photograph on the right of Krueger Creek as I was crossing the bridge on East Ocean Avenue that connects one waterfront neighborhood to another. I am always jealous when I see people who have private boat docks behind their homes, which is a pretty common thing in Stuart. Away from the downtown area, I have noticed that along the waterfront, the homes tend to be fairly new mansions, while their neighbors' homes, away from the water, are older and more modest. After all, why not splurge, buy an older house on the water, and tear it down if you are going to put up a multi-million-dollar mansion? Speaking of which, I saw in the Stuart News yesterday that the Palm City waterfront home of the late billionaire Wayne Huizenga is for sale for a mere 45 million dollars. It sits on 17 acres, with 800 feet of St. Lucie River frontage, which seems just up my alley. Palm City is located right across the bridge from my sister Susan and my condo, but when I looked at the map, that estate seems to be located in a remote part of that city, and so I will take a pass on making an offer. Plus, it would be a long bike ride from there to downtown Stuart, and so forget it. Location, location, location, right?